Last Sunday I did a verbal version of this, which you can listen to it here.

For the last couple months we’ve talked about how we are adding some organization to some things in our church. I want to summarize five of these different organizing endeavors, but first.....

Just to reiterate - the point of organization is to create more movement.

Movement creates the need for organization, and then that organization should lead to more movement. It is to fan the flame of more movement.

All too often, though, organization becomes the thing to protect. We become too focused on protecting the structures, titles, programs and traditions. And then we become an institution.

And we do not want to become an institution.

But the problem is not the structures, titles, programs and traditions. It’s our hearts that idolize them; that cling to them for validation;  that depend on them to prove “we’re a real church; we’re important; I’m important.”

No, the point of organizing is to fuel us onward to more movement, and our movement is Jesus’ movement: to make disciples of all nations. That’s our movmeent; that’s what he has called us to.

So below are 5 of the upcoming organizing endeavors that we are adding to our church. Four are definites for now, one is a maybe. If those organizaing strcutures fail to accomplish thier purposes, we abandon them for more movement. We are only committed to that which Christ has comitted us to.

#1. A Building (this is the maybe)

We are looking for a building. Not to say “look at us, we have arrived now.” No. We are not a real church because we get into a building. A building would be for the movement, to faciliate making more disciples and sending out more peojple to start new gospel works and new churchess, and to be a stronger presence in the surrounding community. 

We may be put in a building for a season, and then go back to the school. That doesn’t mean we are going backwards. Different organizing structures are called for in different seasons.

2. Organized Coaching Process

This is not to take the place of the organic one-one-one coaching that is happening in our church, but we want to add some training, accountability, and a more formal aspect to this. We don’t know how this is going to work, but we’r trying it.

Why? To make disciples. Not so some people could have the title of coach. But to make disciples.

3. Separating from the Board of the C&MA To Form our own Two-Pronged Leadership Team

As a church plant, our Metro District of the C&MA has been operating as our board, approving our budgets and standing in as our legal governance. But they want to kick us out of the nest. They want us governing ourselves, managing our own resources, having our own governing team holding me, the pastor, accountable. What is emerging is a two-pronged leadership: our pastoral team (staff and volunteer staff) who are already in place….. and a governing elder team, which will be put in a position to hold me accountable to how I lead the pastoral team, apporving the resources and budget, and evaluating if our ministries are accomplishing what they are setting out to accomplish.

This does not take away from the decision-making that our ministry team leaders and life group leaders already have; it more takes away power from our District and from me as lead pastor (soon I will address the idea of authoirty -- spiriutal authority, relational authority and positional authority; how they overlap and how they’re different).

But the purpose is to equip our church -- all our church, every member of our church - to make disciples.

4. Care Team

Jess Dawdy and April Walters are forming a “care team” that will help us follow up with and connect with people who are in between being brand new to the church, and very well connected. Every person is important to what God is doing here, and we want everyone to know that. A more organized system will, perhaps, help to that end.

5. Membership

While you can argue biblically for or against formal membership, and I undrstand both sides -- legally we have to have it once we become an autonomous church. For some of us, it feels like a necessary evil.

But guess what we’re gonna’ do? We’re gonna’ redeem it. We’re going to redeem it for Christ’s mission of making disciples. We’re going to use it as a tool to empower, equip, and send out our people to make disciples of all nations.

That’s our goal, at least.

You’ll hear more about all of these endeavors over the next couple months. They are each different organizing strcutures meant to play different roles in Jesus’ mission, but all of them serve that same mission.