Leadership

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing….

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Why the Church Doesn’t Have a Mission Problem—It Has a Measurement Problem

The Question We Don’t Want to Ask

There’s a question that has followed me for years—through different churches, roles, and seasons of ministry:

Why is it that we have more churches, more resources, more teaching, and more access to Scripture than ever before… and yet it often feels like we are producing fewer fully devoted disciples of Jesus?

I’m not interested in criticizing the Church. I love the Church. I’ve given my life to it. I still believe, as Bill Hybels once said, “The local church is the hope of the world.”

But honesty matters.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten very good at doing church without always becoming the kind of people Jesus called us to be.

We’ve built systems.
We’ve created environments.
We’ve filled calendars.
We’ve learned how to gather a crowd.

But if we step back and ask the harder question—

Are we actually making disciples who are being transformed into the image of Christ?

—that answer gets uncomfortable.

The Real Problem Isn’t the Model

For a while, I thought the issue might be the structure.

Maybe we needed a new model.
Simplify things. Rethink everything. Start over.

There’s some value in that kind of thinking—but I’ve come to see something deeper:

The problem isn’t the model.
The problem is what we’re measuring.

We’ve been measuring:

  • Attendance instead of transformation
  • Activity instead of obedience
  • Participation instead of surrender

And when you measure the wrong things, you produce the wrong results.

So let me say it plainly:

We don’t have a mission problem. We have a measurement problem.

And that leads to this:

We don’t need a new model—we need new life within the one we already have.

My Confession

Before I go any further, I need to start with me.

For years, the driving question of my ministry was simple:

How do I grow the church?

I told myself it was about the Kingdom…
But if I’m honest, it often looked like:

  • More people in the pews
  • More dollars in the plate
  • Bigger buildings

Those became my measuring rods.

By those standards, I felt successful.

But after 35 years in ministry, I’ve come to a different conclusion:

Success is no longer my goal. Faithfulness is.

The problem is—those old metrics don’t disappear easily. They still whisper. They still shape how we think.

And that’s why we have to ask a better question.

The Question That Changes Everything

Not:
“How do we grow the church?”

But:
“How do we make disciples of Jesus Christ?”

That’s not a new idea. It’s the mission Jesus gave us in The Gospel of Matthew 28:19–20.

We print it.
We preach it.
We claim it.

But here’s the tension:

If disciple-making is the mission… why are we measuring everything but that?

The Measurement Problem

Here’s the challenge:
Real discipleship is hard to measure.

We’ve tried substitutes:

  • Small group attendance
  • Bible study completion
  • Mission trip participation

Those measure activity.

They don’t necessarily measure transformation.

And transformation is the goal.

Dallas Willard pushed this further. He suggested we should be asking questions like:

  • How are we handling anger?
  • Where is cynicism showing up?
  • Are we growing in honesty?
  • Are we gaining freedom from sin?

That’s not abstract theology.
That’s everyday discipleship.

And it starts with us.

You Can’t Lead Where You’re Not Going

If leaders aren’t being transformed, congregations won’t be either.

Which means we have to ask hard questions:

  • Where is sin still shaping me?
  • Where am I resisting obedience?
  • Where is Jesus calling me to change?

And we can’t answer those alone.

That kind of transformation requires honest, accountable community—the kind John Wesley built through small “bands” where people told the truth about their lives.

Without that, we settle for:

The Problem with “Greenhouse Christians”

I once read about a tree-growing contest.

One man brought a flawless oak tree—perfect shape, lush leaves, grown in a controlled greenhouse.

Another brought a smaller, rougher tree—crooked trunk, scarred leaves, clearly weathered by storms.

On appearance alone, the greenhouse tree won.

But when the roots were examined, everything changed.

  • The greenhouse tree had shallow roots
  • The other had deep, resilient roots

When storms came, one snapped.

The other stood.

And I can’t help but wonder:

Have we been growing greenhouse Christians?

Comfortable.
Impressive.
Active.

But shallow.

Because real discipleship doesn’t happen in controlled environments.

It happens in:

  • Struggle
  • Obedience
  • Community
  • Surrender

That kind of growth is slower. Messier. Less impressive on paper.

But it lasts.

Three Shifts That Change Everything

If we’re serious about making disciples, we don’t need something flashy.

We need something faithful.

1. Personal Transformation (Start With Yourself)

Before we measure anything else, we start here:

  • Where is God changing me?
  • Where do I need to obey?

Not guilt-driven—but Spirit-led.

2. Deeper Community (Not Just Bigger Crowds)

We don’t just need more people in a room.

We need smaller spaces where people are:

  • Known
  • Honest
  • Accountable

Real transformation requires real relationships.

3. Practiced Obedience (Not Just More Information)

Jesus didn’t say:

“Teach them everything I commanded.”

He said:

“Teach them to obey everything I commanded.”

That’s the shift:

  • From knowing → to doing
  • From agreement → to obedience

Because information fills our heads…

But obedience shapes our lives.

This Isn’t Comfortable—And That’s the Point

I’ll be honest.

Part of me would rather:

  • Build something impressive
  • Launch great programs
  • Watch visible growth

I know how to do that.

But this?

Calling people to transformation…
Creating accountable community…
Measuring obedience…

That’s harder.

And if I’m honest—it scares me a little.

But every time I drift that direction, I’m reminded:

Faithfulness—not success—is the goal.

The Question That Remains

At the end of the day, this isn’t about strategy.

It’s about identity.

What kind of disciples are we becoming?

Because that will determine what kind of church we become.

So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:

Where is Jesus asking you to move from knowing… to doing?

Not someday.

Not theoretically.

But right now.

Because if we keep the main thing the main thing…

He will build something that actually lasts.

Final Thought

We don’t need a new model.

We need new life.

And that begins—with us.

If this resonates with you—if you’re tired of surface-level faith and hungry for real transformation—I’d love to hear from you. Let’s walk this road together.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Five Shifts Hurting the Church…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

I’ve been doing ministry as a calling for over 35 years now. That doesn’t make me an expert, but it does make me one who has seen a lot. One of the things I’ve seen a lot of is change…and not all of it for the better.

I try mostly to be positive in my blog posts. Unfortunately, that positivity doesn’t always come through because my cynical nature manages to bleed through. I write this post to share a little of the wisdom I’ve picked up over the 35 years of ministry. 

It was coming back into an “official” ministry role (after a brief time away) that I began to notice some subtle shifts in the Church. The shifts were happening before I left full time ministry, but I think I may have been blind to them, and I may have played a role in fostering some of those shifts (I probably did, truth be known). This blog post is my attempt to unpack those shifts, and to say that I believe they are hurting the church. 

So, let’s call this blog post Five Shifts that are Hurting the Church. I won’t belabor them, but I do mention them as a means of starting the conversation with church leaders (if there are any who read my blog) to call us all back to faithfulness in our leadership and our discipleship. Perhaps I offer them as a prophetic word, not sounding an alarm, but simply speaking as one who was deeply engaged, stepped away and returned to notice the shifts.

Brokenness or Sin

The first shift hurting the Church is the Church talks more about “brokenness” than it does about sin. I can’t honestly tell you how many times I’ve personally used the words “broken” and “brokenness” in my sermons when I could have (should have) used the word sin.

Yes, we’re all broken in some manner or another. But, we are also all sinners. When we focus on the brokenness of our humanity, we might too easily overlook the sinfulness of our humanity, and if we overlook the sinfulness of our humanity we might miss the Savior who gave Himself for us. And, if we miss the Savior we miss everything.

See, when something is broken, the most likelihood is that it didn’t break itself. Take a vase, for instance. Vases don’t just jump off shelves and break themselves. The brokenness is the result of something that happened to it. The vase carries no guilt.

In the same way, by constantly referring to ourselves as broken, we fail to acknowledge our own complicity in anything that is wrong with us. Our brokenness, more times than not, is the result of our own sinful choices. There are times when we are broken through no fault of our own. Still, we are guilty.

Here’s why it matters: If I’m simply broken, then I need a therapist or a doctor to mend the brokenness. That might be one reason the philosophy of Moral Therapeutic Deism (MTD) has gained a foothold in the Church. What is that? Basically, God becomes my therapist and the cross becomes a self-help tool.

God exists to help me fix my problems so that I can feel happy about my life and myself. Being a nice person is the only requirement of faith and being good gets one into heaven. The need for repentance is non-existent. We just need the self-help section from the local bookstore. It is a very self-centered religion, but it fits oh, so nicely in American culture.

This is more than a subtle shift in language. It is a total shift in our theology. We are sinners. Sinners need a Savior and the Gospel reminds us that Jesus died for our sins so that we might be reconciled to God through His blood. That’s not to say we don’t all need a little therapy from time to time (I’ve been to therapy myself), but the root problem underlying all the “brokenness” of humanity is sin. The Church must name it and call sinners to repentance so that we might discover the only cure for what really ails us. Let me say it again—sinners need a Savior!

Self-Improvement or Self-Denial

The second shift hurting the Church is we talk too much about self-improvement and not enough about self-denial. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). When we come to church seeking self-improvement, we still have self as the focus. Our gathering as the body of Christ puts Him at the center. We are there to worship Him.

We want to come to church to learn how to be a better spouse, or a better parent, or a better whatever. When Christ is at the center, we’ll be better. Basic discipleship begins with self-denial. Jesus doesn’t want a better version of ourselves. He wants a crucified version of ourselves. Self-improvement refines the self. Self-denial replaces the self. Improvement makes us better, but the cross—well, that makes us new.

Comfort or Conviction

The third shift hurting the Church is we’ve chosen comfort over conviction. We live in a culture where comfort is king. We want to be comfortable, and by comfortable, I mean comfortable in our beliefs. We want to come to church to have our beliefs and our behavior affirmed, not challenged. 

And, we in the church have, too often, been willing to oblige. We have, too often, embraced the philosophy that the only thing we can’t tolerate is intolerance. We don’t want to come across as “toxic” because if someone feels convicted, they might feel judged and go to another church down the street. Our problem might be that we don’t understand what conviction is. Conviction isn’t judgement. Conviction is invitation—an invitation to holiness.

Christianity without conviction cannot produce holy people, and a holy people is what we’re called to be. Holy literally means “set apart,” and we are to be set apart from the world. We are not called to reflect the world’s values, but rather the values that are embodied in Jesus Christ and recorded in the pages of the Bible. 

Comfort does not call us to holiness. Comfort keeps us chained to brokenness. Conviction breaks the chains. Sin kills us. Conviction calls us out of our sin. Conviction leads us to repentance. Conviction claims us for the holy life to which we’ve been called. Conviction clarifies the values and behaviors that set us apart from the world.

Atmosphere or Formation

The fourth shift hurting the Church is we chose atmosphere over formation. In our effort to be sensitive to those outside the Church, we made Christianity a commodity to be consumed rather than a lifestyle to be embraced. I’ve confessed my own complicity in this shift in other places.

In my own defense, we had the best of intentions. We used evangelism as the reason. It was an attempt to reach the un-churched so that they would feel “comfortable” hearing the Gospel. What we accomplished was to communicate a false understanding of the purpose of the Church. In this shift we created consumer Christians instead of forming faithful disciples. Atmosphere creates consumers. Worship shapes disciples.

Worship is at the heart of spiritual formation. When the focus is atmosphere, people experience church but are never formed by it. We gather to worship a Holy God as the center and focus. We gather, not to feel good, but to be in the presence of God. Sometimes we feel good because we have been in His presence, but we should leave with a sense of awe and wonder because we have been in His presence.

Worship that is faithful to scripture is God-centered and moves us away from ourselves and reminds us that God is God and we are not. It is meant to remind us of His omnipotence, His omniscience and His omnipresence. In worship, we bring an offering to God, not to receive something from Him. Worship is not entertainment. Worship is formation.

Belonging or Believing

The fifth shift hurting the Church is that we prioritized belonging over believing. We all want to “belong” somewhere. That is human nature. But, when the Church believes, unbelievers encounter Christ in their belonging. We can belong for twenty years and never believe. Belonging provides a comfortable entryway, but believing (transformation) is the goal.

Again, in our defense, we want to practice hospitality. Hospitality is a Christian virtue, and unbelievers should feel welcomed and loved in church. But, our intent is ultimately to love them into a relationship with Jesus Christ, not simply to want them to feel welcomed. 

We can belong to the Rotary Club and the Book Club. We join those clubs because we support their goals and want to participate in the projects that support those goals. We have a common aim in our belonging. Do we belong to those clubs before we understand their purpose? Sometimes, yes, but we soon embrace the goals of the club or we move on.

Why do we expect less in the church? The church is more than a group of warm and open people. It is the community of saints in the world. The believing church functions as a witness to the truth of Jesus Christ when its members are united in that truth. If we simply belong regardless of our belief, the witness of Christ and the church is weakened.

     The Church, as biblically defined, is a supernatural body of believers. Belonging can lead to belief, but when belonging becomes the priority, belief takes a backseat, and the Church ceases to fulfill its purpose in the world—which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship happens through spiritual formation, and Christians are formed through the Church. Belonging matters. Belief is essential.     

These five shifts have influenced the way the Church engaged in ministry over the last 35 years. I’ve written these shifts down as a guide to my own faithfulness in leading the body of Christ. They will also serve as a means of holding my congregation accountable to the purpose for which we’ve been called.

There is much for which we must repent. We, as the Church, must return to faithful discipleship that is rooted in our understanding of our purpose. I spent a lot of years in ministry desiring to be successful. My only desire now is to spend the rest of my years being faithful.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Climbing Ladders or Carrying Crosses…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

Here’s what I’ve been wrestling with all week…Mark 10:35-45.

If James and John—the Sons of Thunder—showed up in our church today asking Jesus for the VIP thrones in His kingdom, what would we say?

We might high-five their ambition. “Guys, you’ve got vision! That’s the drive we need.” We’d probably hand them a leadership book and say, “Keep climbing—sacrifice a little now to go up later.” 

In business, politics, and even too many church circles, we celebrate the climbers. Success looks like ascending the ladder.

But Jesus doesn’t applaud them. Right after predicting His own suffering and death—for the third time—He responds, in essence: “You have no idea what you’re asking.”

This passage in Mark 10 turns my idea of leadership upside down. Here’s where I’ve landed this morning: Kingdom greatness doesn’t climb ladders. It descends—through service, sacrifice, and ultimately the cross.

The World’s Way

James and John approach Jesus: “Teacher, do for us whatever we ask… Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your glory.” Thrones. Honor. Prime seats.

These are the same disciples who once wanted to call down fire on a rejecting village (Luke 9:51-56). Ambitious? Yes. Evil? Not really—just blinded by the world’s definition of success. And the timing stings: this comes immediately after Jesus warns them again about His coming rejection, death, and resurrection.

Jesus doesn’t scold. He asks, “Are you able to drink the cup I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I’m baptized with?” The cup is suffering. The baptism is immersion in pain and death.

They boldly reply, “We are able.” Jesus affirms they will share in that suffering (James martyred, John exiled), but the seats aren’t His to grant.

The other disciples hear and get indignant—jealousy erupts. Sound familiar? We’ve all wrestled with “Who’s the greatest?” in our hearts, families, workplaces, or churches.

Jesus gathers them and contrasts the world’s model: “You know that those considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… But it shall not be so among you. Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first shall be slave of all.”

In the world, leaders climb ladders. In the Kingdom, leaders carry crosses.

It’s one thing to wash feet. It’s another to carry a cross.

We read good leadership books—even Christian ones. John Maxwell’s Law #18 says a leader must give up to go up. Helpful principle. But for Jesus, sacrifice isn’t one law among many—it’s the only law. “Going up” isn’t the goal. Going down is.

The Jesus Way

Jesus doesn’t just teach this. He embodies it:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

The Son of Man—with all authority—didn’t come to be waited on. He came to serve. And the ultimate service? Laying down His life to ransom captives free. That’s the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.

Paul captures the full descent in Philippians 2:

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

The cross doesn’t just save us. It shapes us—how we live, serve, and lead.

A Little Confession

This passage has confronted me hard during Lent. For years in ministry, I climbed the ecclesiastical ladder. I started wanting to help people (that’s why I left law enforcement for pastoring—more room for grace). But I brought worldly expectations: success meant bigger churches, bigger roles, maybe even bishop.

The Church encouraged it—leadership seminars, conferences, principles adapted from the world. I rose to District Superintendent, then a large church. I eyed the next rung.

And yes, jealousy too—just like the disciples. Seeing others promoted to “big” churches, I wondered, “Why not me? Why hasn’t God blessed me that way?”

Lent is for repentance. Jesus never tires of leading us home. By grace, He’s reshaping that ambition in me—not perfectly, but continually.

What About You?

Everything rises or falls on Mark 10:45. Jesus didn’t climb a ladder—He descended to the cross so we could be set free. That ransom wasn’t for our comfort or status; it was so we could become like Him: servants who lead by laying down our lives.

So here’s the question: Will you lay down the ladder you’ve been climbing? Maybe it’s ambition for recognition in your family, workplace, church role, or your own heart. Will you pick up your cross instead—not dramatically, but in daily choices: to serve rather than be served, listen rather than demand, give rather than grasp?

The same John who chased thrones later wrote: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).

If God transformed him, He can transform us.

Here is the prayer I’ve been praying all week: “Lord, I lay down my ladder. I pick up my cross. Reshape me like You.”

Would you pray it with me? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear and pray with you.

Until next time, keep looking up…

(If this stirred something, feel free to share it. Lent is a season for turning toward the cross together.)

The Empty Pulpit…

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I had another conversation this week with a member whose church was going through conflict. The member spoke of conflict the congregation was having with the pastor and about conflict the congregation is having within itself on the future direction of the congregation.

The conflict centered around a looming vote by the congregation on remaining independent or aligning with a denomination. The member stated, “If we stay independent, we’ll lose 3/4 of the congregation and if we align with the denomination, we’ll lose 1/4 of the congregation and the pastor.”

Where the church member I had the conversation with came down in the conflict is immaterial. Either way, the congregation is headed toward a split and that’s rarely a good thing, especially in a small church.

First, it sounds like the decision is already made. I mean, if that member thinks 3/4 of the congregation will leave if it chooses to remain independent, the likelihood of a vote to remain independent is between slim and none (if everyone shows up to vote, anyway). That only means there will be another small church whose pulpit will be empty.

Of course, the congregation is counting on affiliating with a new denomination to help with the pastoral search. Yes, it will help, but methinks the congregation is not being very realistic. The denomination cannot send what it does not have.

An Empty Pipeline

The ministerial pipeline is not full enough to provide pastoral leadership to all the congregations that are searching. There are not enough people entering vocational ministry to fill the gaps.

Seminary attendance is declining. Yes, people are still attending seminary, but fewer and fewer are doing so to fill a pulpit. Seriously? Why would they? An entry level salary for a full-time clergy is between $35,000 – 45,000 a year. That’s at a good church! It doesn’t make financial sense for a person to invest $70,000 in a seminary education for that entry level salary.

I graduated from seminary with $28,000 in debt (from undergrad and grad school). It took us ten years to pay off that debt on what were basically entry level wages. School tuitions have skyrocketed since I was in seminary. If I were a young(er) person contemplating a ministry calling, I’d be hard pressed to consider seminary.

One interesting thing that is happening is that of those who are attending seminary, 40% of them are not doing so to fill the pulpit. They’re looking at other ways of serving in ministry through non-profits or other specialized ministries.

I heard the story of one seminary graduate who applied for an open youth pastor position at a church who was offered $42,000/year with no benefits. When she asked for more money so she could afford to pay her student loans and still manage living expenses, the board got offended. The candidate eventually took a position as a school counselor making $55,000/year with full benefits.

More money and she still gets to engage with youth on a daily basis. She also has most weekends off, and the school doesn’t expect her to work 60 hours a week.

I know of another congregation that wanted its pastor to lead Sunday worship, mid-week Bible study, teach a Sunday school class, visit the shut-ins and attend monthly business meetings (where they would have no vote), and all for the hefty sum of $18,000/year. By my estimation, that’s about 40 hours/week between preparation and presentation. That doesn’t calculate drive time if the pastor doesn’t actually live in the community he/she serves.

Yes, I’m saying congregations (generally) expect too much for what they’re willing to pay. And, don’t come at me with the “Ministry shouldn’t be about money” retort. You’re right. It shouldn’t be, and for most clergy it isn’t. But, it is about being able to feed a family and meet basic living expenses.

I know the examples I offered are only anecdotal but they do reflect the reality of vocational ministry in the contemporary church. Local congregations who pay living wages are far more likely to attract viable candidates for their empty pulpits. Unfortunately, most congregations can’t (or won’t) afford full-time clergy going forward.

Like the congregation in the conversation I had this week, either way their congregation is going to be diminished. They will lose members. That means less money. Good luck finding that pastor willing to move across the state (or the country) to pastor a small congregation that has suffered deep conflict. That’s a special calling indeed.

Signs of Hope

Lest you think I’m being overly grim, I do want to offer what I see as two opportunities on the horizon (obstacles are only opportunities, right?).

First, is the shift to bivocational ministry. Yes, it’s what I’m doing. Honestly, I’m finding much more fulfillment as a bivocational pastor than I ever did in full-time ministry. That’s not a knock on full-time ministry. If you’re called to full-time ministry, go for it! I’m just saying there is a freedom in ministry when one’s livelihood isn’t dependent on the congregation.

Bivocational ministry will open doors to congregations to fill their empty pulpits. Of course, it means those congregations will have to adjust their expectations of what pastoral leadership looks like. Congregations can’t expect full-time ministry on part-time pay. It’s selfish and immoral. There, I said it. Deal with it.

Bivocational ministry also means denominations will have to adjust its “qualifications” for ministry credentials, seeing bivocational pastors as equals to “Elders in full-connection” (to use my current denomination’s terminology–my former one, too). Denominations will be seeing more bivocational clergy and fewer full-time clergy if current trends continue. Denominations must level that playing field going forward.

Bivocational clergy are not any less called than vocational clergy. The only difference is the way in which we are living out God’s call. And, I’m not thoroughly convinced that bivocational ministry isn’t closer to the biblical model. I’m thinking about Paul here who supported his ministry by making tents and Peter who went back to fishing after the resurrection.

The future looks much brighter for congregations who are willing to embrace the opportunities bivocational ministry affords them.

Second, is the opportunity for congregations to raise up their own pastoral leadership. Now this…this…is biblical in the strictest sense. For small congregations, the reality is that their next pastoral leader is sitting in the pew right now. I’m reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church:

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)

Also, read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul reminds the local churches of the gifts of the Spirit and Peter, who reminds the local congregation of the priesthood of all believers in 1 Peter 2, and Jesus, Himself in Revelation calls the church a kingdom of priests. We are all ministers of the Gospel meant to live out our spiritual gifts in the body of Christ in the local congregation.

Small congregations must embrace the blessing of the ones sitting in their own pews. The church model of the past with paid ministry staff lulled most congregations to sleep, and made them willing to “pay” the professional to do ministry. That model is no longer sustainable. Here’s your chance to fill your empty pulpit internally and thus fulfill the first century image for the local congregation.

I know I’ve chewed this same dirt in blogs before, but the conversations I keep having keep me coming back to these realities.

I’m absolutely convinced the future for the Church/church is bright and secure. It’s just that the future I see isn’t going to look very much like the recent past. I think that’s a good thing. I also believe the Holy Spirit is in it.

Until next time, keep looking up…

From the Seats to the Streets…

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Driving affords me the opportunity to listen. I do a lot of both! As I was driving last week, I was listening to a podcast. One of the points the podcast made was concerning a trend in the contemporary church. The point? Evangelism must move from the seats to the streets.

An Old Model

What do I mean? For generations now, the method of evangelism of the church has been to invite people to church (meaning a congregation), let them hear a presentation of the Gospel and lead them to a decision of faith. For generations of believers that method worked reasonably well. That method is not working anymore.

How do we know that method isn’t working? It’s not working because less people are attending church. That’s among Christians. As a matter of fact, the only demographic that is increasing is among men in Gen Z. Every other demographic in the U.S., is decreasing in terms of church attendance.

While it is great news that young men are coming to church more, it is still disturbing that others are not. Here’s your statement of the obvious: If even Christians are attending church less, then non-believers are attending less than that. Duh!

If non-believers are not hearing the message of the Gospel, how will they know Jesus? By taking the Gospel from the seats of the church to the streets of daily life.

That is as it should be. That is how the Gospel message spread in the beginning. I suppose that means the way forward is by going back…back to the beginning of Jesus’s ministry.

John the Baptist

I’ve been reflecting on John’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry this week (John 1:29-51). Now, that’s some rich Scripture right there! I tell ya’ what…that John the Baptist…he’s got it going on. No, seriously. He really does. He was the first person to take evangelism from the seats to the streets.

Think about it. John the Baptist came from a priestly line. His father, Zechariah, was a priest. That means John was in the priestly line and would have been trained to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was trained to be a Temple priest. As we see in the Gospel accounts, John’s temple was the wilderness and his altar was the Jordan River. Talk about from the seats to the streets!

If anyone knew the significance of a sacrificial lamb, it would be a temple priest. When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36), it announced the purpose of God in the life of Jesus, and the end of the Temple era and its on-going sacrifices. His was an announcement of the new and living way to life…a new and living encounter of God.

And, John pointed his disciples in the direction of Jesus. That is the role of evangelism…pointing others to Jesus.

As a pastor, I appreciate John’s selflessness, even if I struggle with what that selflessness means. I mean, as a pastor, I want to point others to Jesus, but I don’t want them to follow another preacher in doing so! Revealing my own insecurities here, aren’t I? Jesus’ appearance on the scene meant John was loosing followers. John knew, however, that he wasn’t called to make disciples for himself.

Perhaps that’s a lesson we pastors need to learn. We’re not making disciples for ourselves. We’re not making disciples of our preaching or teaching. The purpose of posting our sermons on YouTube or writing books (or blogs) is not to create a following or build a “platform,” but rather to point others to Jesus.

We would do well to remember our purpose. People come and go in our congregations (they seem to be going more these days). Unless we’ve done something intentionally to drive them away (shame on us if we have), we need to have the humility to not take it personally. We simply ask the question:”Was I faithful in pointing them to Jesus?” That is what matters most.

Here’s the truth pastors: If people are looking for a great preacher, they can find one better than you and me on YouTube (or the internet generally). They can find a more polished preacher. They can find a more charismatic preacher. They can find a better looking preacher, a more educated preacher, a more…well, you fill in the blank.

Pastors, let’s just use the gifts the Lord gives us to point other to Jesus. That’s the model.

Andrew and Philipp

See? Andrew pointed his brother Simon (Peter) to Jesus. There’s a sermon in Andrew’s attitude, too. We’d discover by reading the rest of John’s Gospel that he had a knack for pointing others to Jesus (and he didn’t do it by inviting them to the Temple). And, Philipp too! He pointed Nathaniel to Jesus.

That’s how evangelism works! For evangelism to work properly it must move from the seats of the church to the streets where we live.

I think we missed the lesson we should have learned from the Covid pandemic. Most churches pivoted to online and social media connection. They were forced to shift their focus from the seats to the streets. Once the pandemic passed, many of those same churches reverted to their old ways, hoping everyone would return to their seats. It didn’t happen, and based on current trends, it won’t in the future.

Don’t misunderstand me, though. Don’t stop inviting others to church. It is still true that 80% of the people who attend a church for the first time do so because someone invited them. Invitation still matters.

What will be more impactful in today’s world is for those committed disciples of Jesus Christ to engage others daily with the saving message of life in Jesus Christ in the places where they live and work. Point them to Jesus because of the relationship you have with them.

Evangelism is about relationship. Our relationship to Jesus and our relationship to others. John could point Andrew and John (who would become the Apostle) to Jesus because of their relationship. Andrew could point Peter to Jesus because of their relationship. Philipp could point Nathaniel to Jesus because of their relationship. See why it matters?

Here’s the thing: relationships happen in the streets, not in the seats.

Oh, well! I ramble on. Here’s your takeaway: Wherever you are today, point others to Jesus. That’s your task. The redemption of the world depends on it.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Answer the Call…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Here I sit in the cold. The ice is covering the ground. My truck is iced in and the roads are impassable. There will be no gathering of the body of Christ at Haughton Methodist Church because no one can get there. Even so, we will worship. Worship is not limited to the gathering of the body of Christ, though it is best when the body is gathered.

I thank the Lord that I still have electricity. There are many in the region who are not as blessed. That will be my starting place for worship this morning. That I still have electricity makes it possible for me to post a blog this morning. I suppose writing is a mode of worship, as well.

I’m reflecting this morning on the lectionary passage for the third Sunday after the Epiphany (that’s today!) as part of my worship.

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:12-23 NIV)

Rich stuff, right there! Prophecy. Healings and miracles. Repentance. Wow! What grabs my attention most this morning is “calling.” I see three distinct callings in this passage: the call to faith, the call to discipleship, and the call to ministry.

The Call to Faith    

By Matthew’s account, this is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. He’s been baptized by John and led into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days by Satan. He gets the news that John the Baptist has been arrested, so he heads back to civilization to begin his ministry. It is as Jesus begins his ministry that I find the first calling on a person’s life—the call to faith.

The call to faith is the call to change our mind, and it is the call that all of us, at some point, must answer. Literally, Jesus’ first word in ministry in verse 17 is “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The New Living Translation says, “Turn from your sin and turn to God.”  That is the translator’s interpretation of the meaning of repent. The word means “to change your mind,” and Jesus begins ministry with the call for everyone who hears his voice to change his/her mind. It is a call to turn from sin. It is a call to turn from unbelief to belief. It is a call to turn from death to life.

It’s not vogue to talk about sin. After all, we’re all sinners, and we’re not supposed to judge, and if we talk about sin, we might get too close to judging and we’re good Methodists, so we don’t want to do that. Of course, the alternative is also a possibility. We don’t really think we’re sinners. Culture and modern psychology teach us that we’re good people. It’s the “I’m okay, you’re okay” mentality that makes us say we don’t need to repent…we don’t need faith. Or, we think we’re not as bad a sinner as someone else.

When we think of sin, we think of the Big 10—murder, stealing, lying, adultery, covetousness, those types of things. Or, we think rape, or child abuse, or some other crime that’s easy to acknowledge is wrong. Mass shooters and child rapists? Yup, they are sinners. Me? Naw, I’m not a sinner. I’m a (wait for it…) good person!

Sin, though, as the Bible defines it is anything that misses the mark. That’s what the word means—missing the mark. That image should never diminish the seriousness of sin because the reality is there was a mark and we missed it. We miss the mark in so many areas of our everyday life. Surely, we’re not murdering, or stealing, or lying (at least I hope we’re not), but what about the small things that also reflect on our character?

I think about what our Catholic brothers and sisters have called the seven deadly sins—greed, gluttony, pride, anger, lust, sloth, and envy. The belief is that at the heart of all sin lies one of these. I can think of the times in my life I’ve been greedy, and let’s not even get into gluttony knowing how much I love to eat. I could do my own bullet list for each of these, and I come to realize that even still, I’m one who needs to repent as a matter of faith.

Repentance opens us to grace that God desires to pour into our lives. Repentance is our acknowledgement that something is wrong, that something needs to change. I don’t believe any of us can watch the situation in Minneapolis without thinking there must be something wrong with the world–I don’t care what side of the political aisle you’re on.

We must all answer the call of Jesus to turn from our selfish, sinful ways, to consider the claims that Christ makes, and determine whether we will believe, or continue to go down a path that is ultimately destructive to us and those around us. It’s a call everyone must answer.

Just an FYI…refusing to answer is an answer.

The Call to Discipleship

I see a deeper call in this passage this morning. It is the call Jesus gave to Simon, Andrew, James and John in verse 19. Jesus tells them, “Come, follow me…” This is the call to discipleship.

There are a lot of people who answer the call to faith. They consider the claims of Jesus and find them valid, but then just sort of leave the information there and never go deeper in the life of faith. Jesus’ call to these fishermen was a call to a deeper life, a changed life. We might say that if the call to faith is the call to change our minds, then the call to discipleship is the call to change our lives.

If we read John’s Gospel (which doesn’t record this particular episode) it’s possible that Jesus has already encountered Andrew and Simon, and perhaps even John, as well. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. One day, Jesus walked by and John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist was saying, “This is the guy I’ve been telling you about.”

Andrew and another disciple scholars believe was John, the son of Zebedee, followed after Jesus. Jesus asked them why they were following him. Let me make a long story short. They hung out with Jesus for a while, then Andrew went and found his brother, Simon, and told him, “We’ve found the Messiah,” and Peter went to meet Jesus. That’s when Jesus told Simon his name would be Peter. Yes, it’s likely they knew Jesus, and more importantly, Jesus knew them, and he called them to a deeper life—to be disciples.

The call to be a disciple is a more challenging call than the call of faith. Jesus said, “Follow me.” It was Jesus’ way of saying, “Do what I do. Walk the way I walk. Imitate me.” The way Jesus was walking was the way of selflessness and sacrifice. Jesus would take the basin at the end of his days, wrap a towel around himself and wash the disciples’ feet, and then go to the cross. 

It was not an easy life to which Jesus was calling these men. Discipleship is costly. Discipleship is about making the kingdom of God the priority of our lives. It is a leaving the old life and beginning a new life of faith, hope and love.

There are a lot of people who hear, and even answer, the call to faith, but fewer are the people who hear and answer the call to discipleship, though the call goes out to everyone who answers the call to faith.

Jesus called ordinary, common, hard-working fishermen. Commercial fishing was hard, dangerous work (still is), and the men who did it were simple, not highly educated, hard-working men who only sought to make a living for their families.

It is a reminder to me that Jesus isn’t necessarily looking for well-educated, well-qualified persons to be disciples. Jesus is looking for willing persons, persons who are willing to hear the call to faith and the claims of Jesus, and then be willing to join him in transforming the world. That’s the call to discipleship, and he’s calling all of us to be his disciples.

The Call to Ministry

I see one more deeper call still as I reflect this morning: the call to ministry. I’m not thinking about vocational ministry, but of service in the kingdom of God. Every person who answers the call to be a disciple is called to ministry. Jesus, after inviting these men to “follow” him, adds that he will “show them how to fish for people.” He gave them a job to do. That job? To tell others the Good News. 

If the call to faith is a call to change our minds, and the call to discipleship is the call to change our lives, then the call to ministry is the call to change the world by telling others about Jesus. Don’t you think if Jesus could call a few common fishermen to change the world, he could call you and me, as common, ordinary and unprepared as we are? Jesus doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. Will we answer the call?

Jesus needs Christian businessmen and women who can reach non-Christian businessmen and women. Jesus needs Christian law enforcement officers who can reach non-Christian law enforcement officers. Jesus needs students, and grocery clerks and doctors and nurses and teachers who will go into the places of their lives and witness to His saving grace. Jesus called these hard-working fishermen to reach their community. He’s calling us to reach our community.

Some of you may be afraid that Jesus’ call means you’ll have to pack up and leave your job and family, so you resist. It may mean that for some of us, but the more likely proposition is that he’ll use us right where we are. If we look at the later life of these fishermen, we find after the crucifixion and resurrection they are back mending their nets and fishing. Most of them never ventured far from home, nor gave up their trades. They did, however, make a difference in the Kingdom because the Kingdom became their priority. Telling others, serving others, sharing the Good News became their priority.

Answer the Call

Jesus is calling us to faith, to discipleship and to ministry. He’s calling us to change our minds, to change our lives, and to change the world. Maybe you’ve already answered the call to faith. But, just in case you haven’t, Jesus is calling you to faith today. Answer the call!

Perhaps you haven’t answered the call to discipleship. You know he wants you to go deeper, but you’ve been afraid of the cost of going deeper so you’ve resisted. Answer the call!

Others of you may have gone deeper and fell in love following Jesus, but have resisted serving because you felt you weren’t capable. You are. I can only offer this advice: Answer the call! It will change your life. It will change the world.

Until next time, keep looking up…

When the “Smoke” Clears…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 3 Comments

I spend a lot of time looking through my windshield. To pass the time, I listen to a lot of podcasts (and I mean a lot!). I came across one recently entitled “The Roys Report” that peeked my interest, so I gave it a listen.

I came across The Roys Report months ago when I was following news of the fall of several prominent megachurch pastors. I won’t say I’ve been a regular listener of the podcast, but if one pops up that sounds interesting, I give it a listen.

This particular podcast was an interview with the author of a new book entitled “Gods of the Smoke Machine: Power, Pain and the Rise of Christian Nationalism in the Megachurch” by Scott Latta. I found the conversation compelling so I ordered the book. What follows are my reflections after having finished reading it (I suppose that makes it a book review).

Okay, so the book was a page-turner for me. It is well-written. Latta’s writing style is quite engaging and easy to read, and I would recommend this book to pastors and church leaders who are on the front-lines of ministry in contemporary culture.

Hard Conversations

There are few topics more difficult for Christians to talk about than the failures of the church. I love the church. I’ve been formed by it, baptized in it, comforted and corrected by it. Yet, my own history and experience have taught me that love does not require blindness. Sometimes love requires truth-telling.

Latta attempts to shine light on a truth that many folks find difficult to talk about. Nevertheless, it is a conversation worth having. Reading the book caused me to ask the question: Are we worshiping God, or have we learned to worship the machinery built in His name?

Let me confess that Latta and I are not of the same “tribe.” He is one who is in the process of “deconstructing” his faith (or has completed the process–I’m not really sure after reading the book).

This is not a review of the somewhat new and novel idea of “deconstruction” of one’s faith, but if you’re unfamiliar with the term, you can Goggle it to learn more. Simply put, it is exactly what comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “deconstructing one’s faith.”

Though not of the same tribe, I found some value in reading the work. It does us good to get out of our echo chambers to hear other voices. They cause us to think and possibly find some common ground upon which we might build a relationship.

When Growth Becomes the Measure of Faithfulness

Latta reflects on the rise of the modern megachurch and the ways large congregations have learned to thrive even as church participation in America declines. He points out in the introduction that overall church attendance has fallen by about half over the past 25 years. Yet, while overall attendance has fallen, attendance in the megachurch (weekly attendance greater than 2,000 people) has increased by 10% between 2015 and 2020.

Yes, as Latta points out, the pie is getting smaller, but the megachurch’s piece has gotten larger.

Growth itself, of course, is not the problem. Scripture celebrates growth when it flows from faithfulness. But Latta raises a necessary concern: when numerical success, branding, and influence become the primary measures of God’s blessing, something essential is at risk of being lost.

From a pastoral perspective, this is not simply a critique of church size or style. It is a call to remember that the church is not a product to be managed but a body to be shepherded. Efficiency and excellence can serve the gospel—but they can never replace presence, humility, or accountability.

Listening to the Wounded

Perhaps the most sobering parts of the book are the voices of those who were hurt within church systems that should have protected them. Latta shares stories of people who experienced spiritual manipulation, silencing, and abuse, and who found that institutional loyalty often outweighed compassion, truth and accountability.

These stories deserve our prayerful attention. My pastor’s heart reminds me that the credibility of the church is not measured by attendance numbers or production quality, but by how we treat “the least of these”—especially when listening is inconvenient or costly. Repentance, not reputation management, is the way of Christ.

Of course, my more pragmatic (or cynical) self wants to say, “There are two sides to every story.” We only hear one side of the story in Latta’s book. In fairness, according to Latta, churches and pastors were given opportunity to comment, but most did not respond.

Faith, Power, and Allegiance

Latta also explores the uneasy relationship between some megachurches and political power, particularly the blending of Christian language with nationalist ideology. Viewed through my pastoral lens, my concern is not about political disagreement, but about ultimate allegiance. When loyalty to leaders, movements, or ideologies begins to eclipse allegiance to Christ, the church’s witness becomes distorted.

The church has always lived in tension with worldly power. The danger comes when that tension disappears—when the cross is replaced by the quest for influence, and when winning matters more than loving.

A Call to Self-Examination, Not Cynicism

While Gods of the Smoke Machine is clearly critical of the state of the American megachurch, I think Latta painted with a very broad brush. The focus of the book really is upon a very few megachurches and their pastors. He says very little about the majority of churches (there are approximately 1,800 megachurches in the U.S.) and pastors who are faithful to the Gospel and do their best to love one another.

Not to despair, though. The book became for me an invitation to self-examination. Not every church is a megachurch, and not every leader is compromised—but every Christian community must regularly ask hard questions about power, transparency, faithfulness and yes, accountability (there’s that word again).

This book challenges pastors, elders, and congregants alike to consider whether our structures reflect the character of Christ or simply the efficiencies of modern institutions. It urges us to remember that the Spirit of God is not manufactured by lighting cues, smoke machines or emotional crescendos, but is present where there is truth, repentance, and love (oh, and accountability).

Reading with Hope

Ultimately, Gods of the Smoke Machine is a book best read slowly, prayerfully, and with humility. It may stir grief, anger, or recognition. But it can also stir hope—hope that the church can still choose a better way, and that reform is possible when the people of God are willing to listen, repent, and return to the simplicity of the gospel.

For pastors, church leaders, and thoughtful Christians, this book offers an opportunity not to abandon the church, but to love it more faithfully—by seeking the health of Christ’s body rather than the success of its machinery.

There is a bit of the prophetic in the work. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), that prophetic word is coming from one outside the church (well, one who left the church). I don’t know if that makes him an outside insider or an inside outsider. Either way, it will do we leaders well to listen to that prophetic word and take it seriously.

Until next time, keep looking up…