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| Linda and I were in Times Square on Monday |
Program-Driven Churches and Entertainment-Driven Churches view people more according to their doing, not their being. They are more concerned with using people than with spiritually discipling them. For example, she is seen as a "teacher," and he is seen as a "drummer." These kind of churches tend to see a person as "another warm body" to fill a slot in the Kids Ministry or on the Worship Team.
This is bad. Eugene Peterson writes:
"If we identify people functionally, they turn into functions. We need to know our people for who they are, not for what they can do. Building community is not an organizational task; it is relational - understanding who people are in relation to one another and to Jesus and working on the virtues and habits that release love and forgiveness and hope and grace." (Eugene Peterson, The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call, Kindle Locations 2376-2378)
In the Presence-Driven Church relationship is more important than function. Presence-Driven pastors are concerned to deepen peoples' relationship with God (abiding in Christ) and with one another (community).
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I'm now writing my book Leading the Presence-Driven Church. (I signed with Thomas Nelson/Westbow yesterday.)
My new book is Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.
johnpiippo@msn.com
