Comments on: Church Growth Movement Fall Down and Go Boom! http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html Looking for the 1st century Church in 21st century America Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:19:44 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Susannah http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-41975 Susannah Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:16:45 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-41975 The problem I have with the reliance on "models and "programming is that it is not interpersonal and interactive; it supplants scripture; it encourages dishonesty and manipulation and has the effect of alienating believers. Small groups are used by some as an excuse to perpetuate "cliques and exclude others. Rather than build community, they destroy it. I find myself constantly struggling to renew my faith in the face of glaring contradictions between what is practiced and what it preached in the CGM. At a certain point one has to ask oneself, if a small group is so important to spiritual formation and growth then why attend a large church in the first place? In my view, the gospel response to the CGM is the story of Zacchaeus, unpopular and too small to see over the crowd, Jesus called him personally by name to come down from the tree and said "I must stay in your house today. For me this was as much for the benefit of Jesus' entourage as it was to Zacchaeus. I believe in this act Christ was modeling how he wanted people to treat each other, with true hospitality and grace. This is not done by the CGM. The problem I have with the reliance on “models and “programming is that it is not interpersonal and interactive; it supplants scripture; it encourages dishonesty and manipulation and has the effect of alienating believers. Small groups are used by some as an excuse to perpetuate “cliques and exclude others. Rather than build community, they destroy it. I find myself constantly struggling to renew my faith in the face of glaring contradictions between what is practiced and what it preached in the CGM.
At a certain point one has to ask oneself, if a small group is so important to spiritual formation and growth then why attend a large church in the first place?
In my view, the gospel response to the CGM is the story of Zacchaeus, unpopular and too small to see over the crowd, Jesus called him personally by name to come down from the tree and said “I must stay in your house today. For me this was as much for the benefit of Jesus’ entourage as it was to Zacchaeus. I believe in this act Christ was modeling how he wanted people to treat each other, with true hospitality and grace. This is not done by the CGM.

]]> By: Something to consider « Susannah Prill’s Weblog http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-41967 Something to consider « Susannah Prill’s Weblog Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:19:47 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-41967 [...] 18, 2008 at 9:14 pm (Uncategorized) Church Growth Movement Fall Down and Go Boom! October 25, 2007 Posted by Dan Edelen in : Best of Cerulean Sanctum, Christianity in North [...]

[...] 18, 2008 at 9:14 pm (Uncategorized) Church Growth Movement Fall Down and Go Boom! October 25, 2007 Posted by Dan Edelen in : Best of Cerulean Sanctum, Christianity in North [...]

]]> By: Dan Edelen http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-40753 Dan Edelen Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:59:20 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-40753 Jim, While other church models have deficiencies at some stage of their design, I believe that CGM's core concepts are flawed. If you fix the core concepts, you wind up completely changing CGM to the point that it's not CGM anymore. I agree that tact is always called for and that too many of us lack it when disciplining, teaching, or evangelizing others. Jim,

While other church models have deficiencies at some stage of their design, I believe that CGM’s core concepts are flawed. If you fix the core concepts, you wind up completely changing CGM to the point that it’s not CGM anymore.

I agree that tact is always called for and that too many of us lack it when disciplining, teaching, or evangelizing others.

]]> By: Jim Cooper http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-40745 Jim Cooper Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:25:53 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/10/church-growth-movement-fall-down-and-go-boom.html#comment-40745 Although I am no fan of CGM, all this "piling on" is not ever going to resolve or improve anything. Our congregation is every bit as spiritually shallow as any other one. The "real" problem is not simply the methodology used by CGM groups, but instead, a lack of effective leadership that values individual study of the Word. Leadership, to be effective in the lives of the flock, must have expectations of their people, and set in place things for people "to do" that insure the growth deemed desireable, is achieved. They must consistently inspect their expectations, AND take effective action to, not address, but resolve any deficiencies. Now there's the rub. FEW have the gumption to, in love, call people into account without reverting to "Bible-thumping." One look at the story Nathan told King David should be sufficient for leaders to see the proper way to assist "spiritual slackers." If Nathan had approached David in a point-blank way, he would have been carrying his head under his arm by dark. He did't. And David, seeing clearly what he had done, repented and became known as "a man after God's own heart." The quest should not be to stand & criticize, but to WORK to resolve the problem. Although I am no fan of CGM, all this “piling on” is not ever going to resolve or improve anything. Our congregation is every bit as spiritually shallow as any other one. The “real” problem is not simply the methodology used by CGM groups, but instead, a lack of effective leadership that values individual study of the Word. Leadership, to be effective in the lives of the flock, must have expectations of their people, and set in place things for people “to do” that insure the growth deemed desireable, is achieved. They must consistently inspect their expectations, AND take effective action to, not address, but resolve any deficiencies. Now there’s the rub. FEW have the gumption to, in love, call people into account without reverting to “Bible-thumping.” One look at the story Nathan told King David should be sufficient for leaders to see the proper way to assist “spiritual slackers.” If Nathan had approached David in a point-blank way, he would have been carrying his head under his arm by dark. He did’t. And David, seeing clearly what he had done, repented and became known as “a man after God’s own heart.” The quest should not be to stand & criticize, but to WORK to resolve the problem.

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