Bloom WHERE You Are Planted.

One day earlier this week, I read a blog post by a pastor of a large church who was speaking out against the very consumeristic American mentality that most churches have to deal with and that is the church shopping and hopping reality.  It happens alot these days!  People try churches out like samples of Rita's italian ice.  If they don't find what they want at one church or if something upsets them, they move on.  And that is not helpful!  In essence this reality cripples the effectiveness of the church and it's ability to be missional.

If you jump from church to church, you are not able to make the same kind of impact you could if you decided to "Bloom where you are planted"!   The shopping and hopping reality makes church about us and it really is about Jesus and following him! 

Here's a thought, if you want to see the church you are part of do something that they aren't doing, rather than leave and look for it somewhere else, why not lead an effort to see it happen?  Perhaps that is the very reason that God directed you to that church in the first place!

I learned along time ago that effective pastorates were long-term.  And years ago, I heard the statistic that the average pastoral stay at a church in America is 4-5 years.  In conjunction with that, I also heard that it takes about 7 years of working together before the trust levels and environment are such that you can lead the church somewhere.  If that is true... you soon see why most churches do very little changing and are not very effective in mission!  It is like they are on the leadership treadmill.  That is why Sharon and I made a commitment to having a long term pastorate here at Community of Joy.  We want to see the Kingdom of God planted in lives and this community and feel that the only way that will happen is to bloom right here where we are planted!