What does it mean to be a new testament church in our current - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

What does it mean to be a new testament church in our current reality?

Problem THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DESTROYED THE 3 BASIC METRICS MANY NORTH AMERICAN CHURCHES USE TO MEASURE SUCCESS: • Buildings - Physical campuses are empty • Bodies - Attendance cannot be accurately counted and success cannot be • Budgets - Giving has decreased radically (a trend that has already begun) H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

3 WAYS THE CORONAVIRUS IS KILLING CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY: STRIPPING CHURCH BLOWING UP THE CHALLENGING OF EXCESS NOTION OF CHRISTIANS TO GIVE SUNDAY-ONLY FAITH WITHOUT GETTING “What if God…is downshifting the Will God’s people be generous for the American church into a mode of sake of loving one another when the simplicity, stripped of nonessentials, What does faith look like renewed in its fundamental identity transactional expectation of when “going to church” receiving goods and services as the people of God?” quote in isn’t a part of it? ceases? article from Duke Kwon B R E T T M C C R A C K E N , G O S P E L C O A L I T I O N , A P R I L 7 , 2 0 2 0

Opportunity: SOME CHURCHES WILL CLOSE Fragile churches 3 kinds of SOME WILL SURVIVE outcomes Figure out how to do business as usual SOME WILL THRIVE Forced to think differently, will discover the treaure of people! C O L E

THIS IS A CALL TO: REPENT RETURN REIMAGINE

1. Repent • Idol of the Event • Idol of Success • Idol of the Gifted Leader • Idol of Busyness H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

2. Return • Return to the New Testament vision of Church • Ask, “What is the essence of all that God intended us to be corporately?” (Chuck Wood, #NPL) H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

• Worship What we • Discipleship see in the NT • Ministry • Fellowship ACTS 2:37-47 • Evangelism • Prayer

What we see in the NT Gathering (Circle) Bible Study (Book) Baptism (Water) Giving (Dollar Sign) Lord’s Supper (Bread & Cup) Fellowship (Heart) Prayer (Kneel) Worship (Raised Hands) Disciple-Making/Evangelism (Multipying) Caring Leaders (Smiling Faces) A C T S a n d E P I S T L E S

3 Essential 1. Every Believer Ministering the Gospel 2. Servant Deacons Caring for the Leadership Vulnerable 3. Pastors Equipping the Saints Roles H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

3. Reimagine • We will have to apply New Testament principles to new modalities of practice. • We must have imagination grounded in sound New Testament ecclesiology. “If we aren’t deliberate about thinking theologically and systemically about beliefs, then we hand the systems story of the church over to pop culture, mere pragmatism, or the many other prevailing forces that simply co-opt our thinking and doing,” (Hirsch and Ferguson, On the Verge, 152). H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

Principles of Innovation • We must maintain mission as our catalyzing principle. • We must recognize that the pandemic will lead to a new - and still unknown - contextualization of missional approaches into a setting that will be a “new normal” at best. • We must work together to share ideas and approaches!

Six-Week Cohorts • Mission: How can we prepare and equip our members to live out the mission of God WITHOUT being dependent on a building or program? • Leadership: How can you develop others to lead allowing pastors to focus on their primary ministry responsibilities? • Fellowship: How can you organize and equip scattered members of your church to care for one another, minister to one another? • Giving: How can you more effectively manage the budget well while thinking creatively about how to encourage giving? H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D

TITLE HERE: Cohorts of 8-10 people • Role THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DESTROYED THE 3 BASIC METRICS MANY NORTH AMERICAN CHURCHES USE TO MEASURE SUCCESS: • Size • Buildings - Physical campuses are empty • Geography • Bodies - Attendance cannot be accurately counted and success cannot be • Budgets - Giving has decreased radically (a trend that has already begun)

Join a cohort for clarity! Registration Link in the Comments Sign up by Friday, May 8 H O W T O B E T H E C H U R C H I N A P O S T - P A N D E M I C W O R L D