"Technology is just a spotlight, a magnifying glass, revealing overlooked or hidden problems with discipleship in the Western church and its progeny. If we don’t address the discipleship issues, we will create another generation of predominately shallow and infertile Christians…and we will have a great time playing with our websites and iPads in the process."
Bishop John Tarrant was here at Good Shepherd last Sunday. He pointed out that the new people he'd met in our congregation all came because of personal invitations from other church members.
"When I go around to small churches," he said, "they all want to know, 'What's the one perfect program that's going to make us grow?' And I have to tell them, 'There is no program...'" He then pointed out a newly confirmed person and her sponsor - the person who had invited her to Good Shepherd - and said, "This is how churches grow."
Decrepit facilities, weak technology, out-of-date-this-and-that can all hinder church growth, but just improving them won't create growth. That will always require discipleship, people who follow Jesus and bring others along.
3 comments:
Amen.
Who needs facilities or technology anyway?
"...and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic."
Luke 9:2-3
That's largely been the story of our Wednesday church school here at St. Paul's. We've had some new kids coming, largely because they were invited.
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