Rock Star Pastors?
January 24, 2008
Photo by Roger Cullman www.rogercullman.com
Preaching last week, I slipped out something I probably needed to hear more for myself. I told people that they don’t need a rock-star pastor or a superstar leader. They need Jesus in their lives.
With the very best of what church’s and the world has to offer available on the internet these days, I’ve talked to many fellow seminary students about the nagging feeling we’re in competition, or that we can’t even compare, to the leaders, speakers, and principles that can be found online, in books, or on video.
So somewhere deep down we join the race to become super-pastors and mega-leaders. I actually have the audacity to think that by the grace of God, I might be able to pull this off. But what would that really accomplish?
I’ve always said that I want a church of church planters. My fear is that people might look at me, or other leaders and say, well I can’t do that.
Are there better ways of doing church, than having the elite few ministering to the many? Are there more spontaneous and sustainable, organic and reproducible forms of church for our cities today?
I didn’t know we could do that… by Lon on May 31st, 2006
Hope is what the mission offers… by Lon on February 28th, 2006
The life of an average christian? by Lon on September 4th, 2007
Church Leadership III by Lon on July 6th, 2007
Posted in Church planting, Leadership, seminary
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January 24th, 2008 at 9:30 am
We regularly talk about lowering the bar on what it means to be and do church whilst raising the bar on what it means to be a follower of Christ.
I loved it when a friend of ours who discovered the reality of Christ last year asked if she’d be able to start ‘a Mosaic’ when she moved home (she was an overseas student who lived with us for a while). We wanted to explore what she understood that to be and basically it came down to me and Rachel having an open home where anyone and everyone was welcome, conversation happened, and people discovered more about God. She saw that its most basic level, that was the hub from which anything and everything else happens. And she saw that as something she could do. It didn’t require a professional degree or training to have an open home, practice hospitality, and see what God might do through that.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I like your line: “My fear is that people might look at me, or other leaders and say, well I can’t do that.”
I’ve often said my hope is for people to see me and what I do and think, well if Jason can do it anyone can do it.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:34 am
YES. YES. YES. Where is the real church? What is the real church?
People not buildings or organization!
January 24th, 2008 at 11:39 am
You are so right. You have identified the danger of trying to accomplish what someone else has accomplished the way they accomplished it. I really think this is a big issue in the church with leaders trying to be someone they are not.
I believe that as we have a clear sense of who we are in the context of the body of Christ, we will all do something that no else can do…or should do. The church you will plant, as you follow the heart and the vision God has given you, will be unique and have strengths that no other church has. In so doing it is a complement to the Church universal. I write that out of my own leadership insecurities…it is what I hope and sense to be true.
I do believe there are better ways of doing church…or better put, different and more effective ways. I love the distinction Wolfgang gives between organic growth and mechanical growth.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Oops, I quoted the wrong thing. Here is the quote from WolfGang. “Creation itself teaches us that nothing healthy grows endlessly, but at some point stops growing and starts multiplying.”
January 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Cool quote, Brandon! I dig.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Sam - thanks for sharing the story of your friend - that is just awesome how natural the advancing of the gospel can be!
Jason - i share the same hope… as much as the role of the church planter has been exalted as critical these days … it really shouldn’t take extraordinary people… just ordinary people with an extraordinary God.
Aaron - it’s amazing how often I hear people stress that the church is the people… yet it seems to really take a while for that message to really filter out to people
Brandon - thanks for tying our own personal uniqueness to the uniqueness of the church. It doesn’t get any more unique than that! and indeed… an excellent wolfgang quote!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:16 am
[...] To illustrate my last post. [...]