Church Has Left the Building

I just got back from a great conversation with a priest who has a tremendous capacity to think outside the box when it comes to being creative with his congregation. He has fostered a culture of creativity for the 12+ years he has been there. He shook this staid congregation when he first arrived and persons uncomfortable with spontaneity and creativity left for places of greater predictability.

This priest has shaped a culture at this church to expect the unexpected. To anticipate that God will bless the unusual. To be ready to work hard, have fun and be faithful and creative in the process.

He has worked at identifying persons who have gifts and strengths in different areas and put them to work in appropriate ways to support these efforts. This has generated a level of empowerment, enthusiam and anticipation that has undergirded the great outreach they have undertaken.

One of the imaginative things they did as a congregation this year was "Church Has Left the Building". A large team of persons organized the event and lined up a variety of activities from which the membership could participate on a Sunday morning in lieu of going to church. Everything from working in soup kitchens, repairing homes, cleaning out elderly residences, to addressing invitations for a cancer center's benefit were undertaken on that day with three fourths of the attendance involved in some act of love and service. There were appropriate activities for every age group from three year olds to the oldest members who were not mobile. When it was all said and done 235 members had participated. The results were amazing and the fruit of these acts of love in the name of Jesus has multiplied, not to mention what it did for the spirits of the persons involved. They have now asked the question, "What's next?"

I raise this example to demonstrate how important it is to get outside of our routines, to allow for inspiration and trust that God will bless this kind of creativity. Our natural inclination as congregations is to look internally, to think that Church is inside the building. But the reality is that for the Church to be healthy and responsive to a world that doesn't know God, the Church has to get on the road.

Activities of this nature are never easy. Often leaders have to battle the resistance of congregational members who are fearful of creativity. But this is about faithfulness, being willing to risk for the sake of sharing Christ's love. We will never know what fruit will be born until we are willing to take these risks.

When was the last time your congregation left the building, set about to take the church on the road? What creative idea has God placed on your heart that needs to be explored?

Step out. See what happens. The results may truly amaze and bless you and all that are involved.

Let's get out for a road trip!