Are we really open to God's leading?

There is a movement within Christianity to market the church and Christianity like the mass retailers Wal-Mart and Best Buy market their products. It seems to be a wave of the future.

Many of us, who are part of smaller congregations, want to see our churches grow. Occasionally, I think there is a twinge of jealousy at the marketing success of the so-called “Mega Churches.” At other times, we seem to critique those churches and dismiss their success as less than faithful to the gospel. Intuitively, we realize that church size is not, in itself, proof of God’s leading and presence.

We have much to learn from the “Mega church” movement, even if God is not calling us to become another mega church. If we are honest, we need to recognize that God works through faithful people, regardless of the size of the church in which they worship. Observing His leading is always instructive. We should not be afraid to learn from the “mega church” experience, nor should we feel that we need to copy all its style and methods.

There are plenty of people who need to experience the approach to the God that is unique to a congregation the size of Ankeny Christian Church. There are plenty of people who will discover God through that experience. They are people who have much to teach us about how God speaks and leads. If we invite them and are faithful to our calling, they will come and our church will grow.

Sometimes I think we lose sight of these very simple tasks: 1. Introduce people to Jesus. 2. Share with people in the process of being Jesus’ disciples, learning to know the Father he came to reveal. 3. Join hands in serving the world until the realm of God is totally established.

Isn’t being the church more than coming to be entertained, or even inspired? Isn’t it far more than coming to “get something out of it?” Isn’t it also about deepening our relationship with God, acknowledging our faults and sins, and moving our faith to the next level? Of course, it is!

Here is the challenge: to live and work in such a way that we allow God to work through us. So, what is it that we are attempting right now that is so big that it will only happen with the intervention of the Holy Spirit?