Here is the continuing series on principles of 21st century mission.

Principle #2 Ask questions - Do not hurry to the answers

In today's postmodern world a premium is put on asking questions (which is good)
Question this - question that.

Questions shape where a church will go.

" If you are a leader, you and your team should always be asking searching questions. If you are not a leader, don't be afraid to ask your leaders the important questions." p. 25

"One popular writer on leadership in the business world said that a great leader doesn't have to produce all the answers and then try to motivate others to follow his(or her) vision. However it does mean they must have the humility to see that they do not yet understand enough to have the answers, but be willing to ask questions that will then lead on to the best insights." p.26

A study was done in the past few years and it was determined that leaders that were humble and did not have all the answers - were the leaders of some of the biggest companies (Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and others.) Arrogance and answers at the top do not always mean success.

I am reading through a book on mission devotionally - it is call Church on the Edge by Chris Stoddard and Nick Cuthbert - two chaps from across the pond. I have decided that I am going to blog on there "principles" (the book is made up of 22 principles for missional church.)

I am going to blog some things that they have to say with page numbers and then add my comments and opinions from the context that me and my buds are doing a missional expression of church.

Principle #1 Always put principle before method

They tell the story about a drill company wanting to revamp and a consultant told them that they made "drills" and that they needed to make "holes". The short of this is that we need to make disciples not churches - the church will come as it did in the early church if we make disciples.

They proceed to talk about the "off the shelf" models such as "willow creek" and purpose-driven and etc. saying that church needs to come out of a context of making disciples in our own context. I wonder soon if there is going to be an "emerging" model that people are going to start putting into place. I hope not.
They also explain what they are saying better when they break it down like this:

"For example, when the team from Willow Creek Community Church first came to Britain, they caused a lot of excitement with their passion and ways of reaching people, and many of us were quick to read their message as 'seeker services are the key'. Actually the principle thet were trying to communicate was 'prioritise(sic) unchurched people and learn to speak their language in order to reach them.' And then 'Oh, by the way this is what we do.' It was all too easy to be caught up with 'what we do' as opposed to 'why we do it.' "

The gist of this principle is that church needs to develop a list of principles and let the methods be flexible enough to adapt to however things change.