When we moved out-of-state a few years ago,
one of the main things we looked for in a new church community was its focus.
We had just spent eight years in an inwardly focused church. We had seen
first-hand the unhealthy struggles, stagnation, and debilitating organizational
sickness that an inward focus produces over time. We wanted something better in
our relationship with a new church community, and we knew this hinged on finding
an outwardly focused group.
Recognizing
an outwardly focused group is a big part of making a “healthy church choice.”
That’s why I hope you’ll read the accompanying blog by Tony Morgan, an
experienced church leader and consultant. Tony succinctly and accurately explains
the differences between outwardly focused and inwardly focused churches. Pay
attention to each type’s characteristics and where your future church
relationship has the potential to go based on sound organizational principles. http://visionroom.com/outward-vs-inward-focused-churches/
But
here’s something that Tony’s blog doesn’t address as a church searcher – your own outwardly focused perception.When
we were still “new” at our previous church, we made the naive mistake of
assuming that the church was outwardly focused simply because they welcomed us
and made us comfortable. See, we
were inwardly focused ourselves, so, naturally, we chose a church based
primarily on our own comforts. And, that worked pretty well – for a short time.
There
are seasons of our lives when we look for a church to comfort us and provide a
secure environment until the storms pass. This is not the type of inward focus
I’m talking about. And I’m not saying that you shouldn’t feel comfortable in
your new church community either. That, too, is part of a
healthy church choice. But recognizing a truly healthy, outwardly focused
church community means looking outside of ourselves to whom else the group
wants to reach and how the group plans to help them grow spiritually.
Be
careful to not cloud a church’s focus with your own comfort needs. The Church
Guide Website (www.thechurchguide.net)
provides the Six Essential Questions for a “Healthy” Church Relationship
tool to help you maintain your focus on choosing a healthy, outwardly focused
church.
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