What if instead of looking at what successful churches do and copying them, we look at what successful churches do not do well and innovate to do one or two things better than them? We can innovate without straying from or core beliefs. We do not innovate over doctrine, but over practices.
I'm thinking of how we greet visitors, or how e minister to children, or how we follow-up new converts. What kind of worship music we sing and how many musicians we use. What our pulpit looks like. You see what I mean?
If we copy a successful church then we are no different and therefore no better than them. We become the dreaded cookie cutter church.
A new pioneer church needs to copy it's sending church until they reach a point where they are strong enough and wise enough and secure enough to find a better way.
A pastor can lead the way first by not always comparing us to the church he got saved in years ago. Pastor does not need to come up with all of the ideas himself. But he does have to be open to innovation from the pews. Pastor can expedite innovation by not being a choke point that every idea must meet his approval.
The worst thing for a local church to become is boring. The other thing that a local church must avoid is sameness. Someone just like you will do it better than you do it.
Anyway, that's just my thoughts for today.
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