lesson 4: be a resourceful dancer
Written by Mark Van Steenwyk : November 14, 2006
The “shape” of a community is determined by the synergistic “dance” between the Spirit and the people within community. Often we think of the church as static, rather than dynamic. A static organization conforms to flow charts and blueprints and all manner of premeditated strategies. If the church is a static organization, you can plug people into the flow chart. But if the church is fundamentally dynamic, you need to be able to think on your feet. You need to have the flexibility of a dancer. And you need the resourcefulness to improvise dance steps, since church is a dance without predetermined moves.
I’ve known folks that shut down when things don’t go according to plan. We also are conditioned, as church planters, to see any deviation from the plan as a bad thing. But I think God is tired of our plans and wants to mix things up. And the sorts of folks he wants to use aren’t the CEO types who can get the plan implemented, but the resourceful dancer who is listening to the rhythm of the Spirit.
Missio Dei started as a plan. Now I have really no idea where we’re headed, but I hear the rhythm.
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