A Congregation in Transformation

Transformers, more than meets the eye.

Transformers, robots in disguise.

One of my four-year-old son's favorite toys is transformers.

The thing I find so intriguing about Transformers is that you can take an ordinary thing like a car, or a plane, or truck and turn it into something quite extraordinary. And the craziest thing about this whole transformation is that nothing at the core has changed. In its core, its still the same car or plane or truck, but by merely reorganizing what's already there, something extraordinary shows up.

I think that's what happens to congregations. When God is at work, God can take whatever is already there, and when that congregation gives herself over to Jesus Christ, God can do some pretty extraordinary things through that congregation.

What's different about a congregation going through transformation is that the things that move and touch the heart of God become the primary focus of that congregation.

For me, the things that move and touch the heart of God begin with the great commission in which God calls the church to:
1) Grow new christians - Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit,
2) Grow faithful disciples - teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

A congregation who makes growing new christians and growing faithful disciples its priority is one that is growing in numbers:
1) in new members
2) and in members committed to growing up as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

While you cannot say one's attendance in worship, Bible study, small group, or one's commitment to tithe their time, talents, treasures, and a host of other spiritual disciplines necessarily equates to spiritual maturity, you can say categorically, that if a person is not committed to daily time in God's word and in prayer, to worship, tithing, etc. that person is not a maturing disciple of Jesus Christ.

One of the simplest ways that we can "see" a congregation going through transformation is a congregation that is growing in new Christians and in the numbers of those Christians engaged in the ministry and the mission of Jesus Christ.