Be or Do? The Secret To Growth

I’m reading this really great book called The Church You’ve Always Wanted ( E. Glenn Wagner with Steve Halliday). This guy, Wagner, runs a church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He’s been around a couple of other churches, but in this one he “hit pay dirt.” In other words, he’s had particular success here. Apparently he felt called by God to write the book and tell us how he did it.

I have to confess, I may be the world’s greatest cynic when it comes to guys who write books about their amazing success. Let’s face it, there is a plethora of such books about guys (and gals) who’ve succeeded in business, in ministry (churches), and with self improvement techniques from losing weight to improving marriages and getting great abs. It appears that the most industrious of these writers often goes on to start a trade association or a business.

Like I said, I’m a cynic and don’t give much credence to this crap. After all, how life treats you may not be how life treats me. I don’t believe that life is a system to be figured out. Rather I believe it is a journey to be lived out. Each of us will have our own unique experience, despite the similarities that we see. Finally, I don’t believe that “If I can do it, you can do it!” You and I are not the same. Give me a break.

So why am I pumped up about this book? On the surface it appears to be like any other. The Christian book stores are chock full of books by pastors who think they’ve figured out the secret to successful churches. But friends, this book is different; or at least something about it strikes me differently. It sounds like Larry Crabb and A. W. Tozier rolled into one. Maybe what’s different is that it challenges the paradigm. The fifth chapter is my personal favorite. It’s called, “That My Heart May Sing.” I’m not sure if the title fits. But what the guy has to say about church makes a lot of sense.

The overall premise of this book, “The Church You’ve Always Wanted” talks about being versus doing. He calls the church to invest in transforming lives rather than in programs. He talks about building people spiritually rather than building numbers. He seems to abhor the “seeker sensitive” crap that many churches say they embrace --- citing the spiritual void that seems to overwhelm these churches while they are overcome with programs. Wagner takes issue with playing to people’s felt or perceived needs versus their real needs.

He cites surveys, like George Barna conducts, in which respondents consistently say that when they visit a church, they want to remain anonymous; that’s their perceived need. But their actual need --- which also shows up in the surveys --- is that they want strong relationships. In other words what they say they want conflicts with what they really want and need.

Another example is that people commonly tell surveyors that they need a safe place, when they actually want and need a place of growth and transformation. That means someone must often push back against wrong belief and behavior --- which ironically people don’t believe can be done in a safe place!

In both cases, if we focus all our attention on the perceived or felt needs of the people, rather than the actual, demonstrated need, we would fail in our God-given mission to make disciples. Is this what has happened in churches today? Have we focused on keeping people happy instead of filling them with joy? Have we focused on attracting people instead of leading them to the transformation that God offers?

I think the bottom line is that I’d rather be than do. God help me in today’s world. No, I really mean that. God help me to be rather than do. I too fall victim to that faulty thinking of doing versus being. And when I do, what a wretched man am I!