When The Church Is Really Parachurch

I have a good friend who thinks that what we typically refer to as our "church" is really just a parachurch organization. I tend to agree with him. Here's what he means:

Generally speaking, what we refer to as "the church" is an organization with a paid and volunteer leadership who develop and direct programs in which the members of the organization participate in a particular place or building. (Notice that this definition includes churches of all sizes, from the small, rural church with one bi-vocational pastor to the urban or suburban mega-church with a staff of hundreds.) But biblically speaking, the church is the body of Christ, the people, the organism that lives and moves and has its being within the structure provided by the organization.

Think about it. What do you and I call the place to which we travel for worship on Sundays? Have you ever said something like, "Our church is having VBS this week" or "When is the church going to replace those old choir robes with new ones?" or "Have you been tithing to the church?" or "There sure are a lot of churches in this part of town." True, we could be referring to the group of people who are members of our local body, but it seems all too easy to slip into the mindset that the organization is the church and not the people.

If the people of the church (the organism) are really the church, then the organization of the church as I have defined it is really a parachurch organization. Para- means "alongside" and parachurch is a term that has been given to groups and organizations who "come alongside" the church to aid her in her mission. We typically think of groups like Young Life, Chirstian schools and seminaries, and mission boards as parachurch organizations because they do not claim to be churches, but rather servants of local churches and of the Church at large.

So then, the organization with a paid and volunteer leadership who develop and direct programs in which the members of the organization participate in a particular place or building is really a parachurch organization. The structure that has developed in order to organize the life and activity of the organism is meant to come alongside the people to equip and encourage them to be the church. When we rightly define the people as the church, then it becomes clear that the organization that we commonly call "the church" is really parachurch.

This is an important disctinction to make because as I just mentioned, the purpose of the church organization is to serve the organism. However, all too often we pastors and church leaders treat the organism (the people) as if they exist to serve the organization (leaders and programs).

Why do we feel the need to pressure people to give or give more? Because if they don't give, the organization will not survive and our staff, missionaries, and bills won't get paid. Why do we so easily become numbers-centered and spend so much time and energy figuring out ways to get more people in the pews? Because if they don't come our programs won't run, our paid and volunteer staff will have nothing to do, and people will go to other "churches" whose programs "meet their needs." When the organization begins to depend on the organism to prop up or perpetuate itself, the church (the body, the organism) is in danger of being devoured. What might have begun as a church organism being served by its church organization quickly and subtly becomes a group of people who exist to serve the organization.

I'll give two examples of this organization-devouring-the-organism phenomenon: one broad-brushed and one in which I am the guilty party.

• When church growth experts tell us that we must build and maintain "excellent" programs for youth and children because that will attract and keep their parents, I believe we are in danger of sacrificing our children on the altar of church growth. We're using children to get something we really want...their parents in our pews. That's the organism serving the organization.

• A personal example: When I was a Middle School Youth Pastor in a large suburban church, I asked a certain couple to join our volunteer team of leaders in the middle school ministry. I wanted them on board because of their love for Jesus and for people. They said no, and in so many words explained that if they joined our team of volunteers they wouldn't have time to lead the weekly Bible study that they had at their home with friends of their middle school son. Yikes! It hit me hard. I was asking them to give up THEIR ministry to teenagers in their own sphere of influence so that they could serve in MY ministry to teenagers. I was asking the organism to serve the organization. What I should have done was ask them how I could help equip and resource them for the ministry that God had given them in their own neighborhood.

I have much to learn and unlearn. These thoughts are in process, not completely settled. I am not saying that the organization is bad or unnecessary, indeed it is necessary and good, but I'll save that thought for another post. However, I am more and more convinced that Jesus has called the organization to serve the organism and that I have spent most of the last 20 years operating the other way. The question becomes: how can the organization of our churches do a better job of coming alongside our people to equip them to do the work of their ministry? Are we willing to sacrifice the perpetuation of our organization in order to better serve the people, the church for whom Jesus sacrificed Himself?

What are your thoughts?

As A Puppy Watches His Master's Hand

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 123 (ESV)

Whenever I read Psalm 123 I can’t help but think of our miniature dachshund, Luther. Two things will cause Luther to fix his eyes on my hands with laser beam focus: a toy to fetch and a treat to eat. When we play fetch, Luther never takes his eyes off of my hands until they launch the rope or ball. Then he runs full speed in the direction my hand moves to toss the toy. When Luther knows that I have a treat, he locks my hand in his sights, waiting for the good stuff to be delivered. As a puppy’s eyes are fixed on his master’s hand, anticipating a command or even a cookie, so I long to look to the hand of my Master, to receive His bidding as well as His blessing.

Like Luther, I want my eyes riveted on my Master’s hands, waiting to move in the direction He gestures, waiting for morsels of mercy to fall. I want to be a servant who watches and waits for his Master’s every move and mercy. I want to be ready to serve Him, accomplishing whatever He wills for me to do. But I also stand ready to receive mercy from His hand whenever He is pleased to give it. I must watch and wait for His hand to point me toward His will, to send me out to accomplish some task or pursue some relationship that will further the advancement of His Kingdom. But I desperately need His mercy in order to move.

I must anxiously look to Jesus’ nail-pierced hands for the undeserved kindness that provides the resources, both spiritual and physical, that I will need to accomplish His mission. I need to look to Jesus, who has lived and died in my place, has been raised to new life, and is now seated next to His Father “enthroned in the heavens.” From there He is subduing enemies who scorned Him with arrogant contempt and even now are harassing me. United with Christ by faith, I am seated with Him there in the heavenlies. Thanks be to God! Holy Spirit, fasten my eyes on Christ, on His nail-pierced hands, that I might run at His command and receive mercy for the mission.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Have mercy upon us!

Pray for Your Wife

Last summer I came across a little book called How To Pray for Your Wife: A 31-Day Guide and it has become an important part of my daily prayer life. Mark A. Weathers, a Presbyterian pastor, translated his love for biblical Hebrew into this practical prayer guide for his wife based on Proverbs 31. I have found that praying through this guide for my wife each month changes the way I look at her, think of her, talk to her, and talk about her in front of the children and others.

The following sample from the book is especially timely in light of new research that reveals that having a husband creates more housework for women, while having a wife creates less housework for men (HT: the evangelical outpost):

Day 7: Service

Proverbs 31:14 "She is like trade ships; she brings her food from a great distance."

Explanation

What a great analogy to describe the excellent woman! In this verse she is compared to a fleet of merchant ships that have sailed a great distance to bring back supplies.In today's culture we could use the analogy of supply plane, a fleet of eighteen-wheelers, or even a freight train--all of which travel far and wide to carry supplies.

The woman is undaunted in her service of providing for her family. Whether the children are sick or the husband is at work, the woman goes to great lengths to bring them "her bread" (the literal translation). She delights to serve her family.

Regardless of the time or culture, the role of a servant has never been a popular title. Servants have dirty jobs. Servants get no rest. Yet this is how Christ Jesus continually referred to himself: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ranson for many" (Mark 10:45). The whole drama of Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection is a picture of God traveling a great distance to give us heavenly bread. The role of a servant, therefore, is a Christlike occupation. As a woman serves, she has the great opportunity to reflect the Savior.

Suggested Prayer

1. Lord, as my wife serves the family and me, enable her to see that it is a service rendered for you. Let her service be a sweet offering of praise to you.
2. Father, I know that I am not exempt from serving. On the contrary, as the head of this house it is my responsibility to set the example of service. Help me also to serve joyfully so as to reflect you.
3. As I see my wife "travel" to serve me, let me never take it for granted. Remind me to praise her for her selfless service.

[The book then gives the reader space to write his own prayers for his wife as well as a place to record answers to specific prayers.]

Some of my [Jimmy] suggested uses for the book:

1. You might try it yourself for a month first. Don't tell your
wife that you're doing this. See if she notices how your consistent prayer for her changes the way you love, serve, and honor her.

2. Get a small of group of men to commit together to using the prayer guide for a month. Get together weekly, once in the middle or at the end of the month to discuss what God has done in your heart and your relationship with your wife during the process.

3. Use this book to help disicple a younger man or newlywed in the ways of supporting his wife in prayer. (Pastors: require your pre-marital counselees to use this book during the counseling period before the wedding. Perhaps these soon-to-be-husbands will develop a pattern of persistent prayer for their new brides that will continue after the knot has been tied.)