Something is wrong

My latest column at Christian Week:

It was a proud moment. The church had just welcomed eighty-three new members. The pastor began his sermon. "This is great, isn't it?" he began. "But before we get too giddy about new members, let me ask you a question: Why should we bring eighty-three new people into something that isn't working?"

The pastor, Bill Hull, describes this as the first time he had unmasked himself in thirty years of ministry. "Something his wrong," he said. "All the formulas, strategic planning, mission statements, and visionary sermons are not making disciples." In his book, Choose the Life, Hull comments, "We were stuck in the same rut in which so many churches find themselves - religious activity without transformation."

more