seven steps towards renewal
June 2nd, 2008
I was clearing my files and came across this article published in 2000 and found it as relevant as ever today for the Church in Singapore.
Dr. Richard Foster, founder of “Renovare”, an international, spiritual, renewal movement and author of Celebration of Discipline, says the twenty-first century will witness one of the greatest harvests of Christian missions ever.
“Foster outlines seven steps towards renewal:
1. Let’s become intentionally Godward in our orientation. Not self-oriented, not success-oriented, not church-oriented, not seeker-oriented, but God-oriented.
2. Let’s stop using a marketing approach to church life. The church is not a vendor of religious goods and services but the Community of Faith, living in faith and through faith and by faith alone. We do not need to mimic the entertainment industry of our culture. We win people to Christ not by entertainment but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. We should become intentional about learning the “habits of the heart” for Biblical holiness. We need daily spiritual disciplines rather than sporadic bursts of inspiration or enthusiasm.
4. Let’s quit using the strutting peacock CEO of contemporary culture as a model for Christian leadership.
5. Let’ s make certain that our Godward orientation is always for the sake of the world. The Church exists for the sake of the world, which at the very minimum means less stress on preserving our institutions and more stress on serving the poor.
6. Let’s get rid of our “edifice complex.” Buildings are not bad, but neither are they the sum total of everything important either. Let’s use buildings to help and serve people and not as monuments to our own egos.
7. Let’s engage in vigorous, culture-sensitive evangelism. All peoples need to hear the good news of Jesus and His love.”
Do you see the relevance and wisdom of what this sage had said?
Entry Filed under: Church, Megachurches
Hear, hear a timely and very wise timeless comments.
The problem has always been the walk (at least on a personal level) - starting to see that one needs quality in for quality out attitudes - and not try to attempt other apparently advantageous short cuts.
Removing genetically programmed self survival instincts for altruism - is this possible or an impossible dream?
hear.hear
thank you for the timely reminder
If I may, i would like to add the followng verses to his 7 steps:
6:43 For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.
6:44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
God bless
Simon