Pilgrim Place

Malphurs makes this interesting point:

“Over a period of years, the church can allow itself to lapse into a maintenance mentality — it just seems to be getting by — that over time leader to ministry mediocrity. Every Sunday it is business as usual. The people come to church but often seem to be going through the motions. When they leave, not much has happened to them and not a lot takes place spiritually in their lives during the week.” (page 23, Developing a Vision for Ministry in the 21st Century)

Malphurs states that when this happens there’s a general absence of passion for the church and its ministry.

Passionate people feel strongly about something. They get involved. For example, many people were passionate about civil rights in the 1960s. People from the North went down to the South to take part in this great movement that changed our nation. They we were moved by the cause and the part they could play in it. They had a vision for the mission.

Paul had a passion for the mission God gave him. Read any of the books he authored. It comes through quickly. He had a sure vision of the mission to which God called him.

Many churches do not have this passion for the Church’s mission. Its members are more passionate about so many other things in their lives than God’s call to share the life-changing news about Jesus Christ. If that’s true the Church has lost a key part of who we are.

The church can have that same passion for our mission as we develop a compelling, clear vision of who we are and where we’re going. We need that passion to reach the lost world.