Is Your Life On Mission or Is It a Monument?

I was forwarded an email over the weekend and thought enough of it to ask the author if I could publish it here. Great stuff to ponder today!

Dear Friends and Family,

As we look this new year to reach more kids with the Gospel of Christ I truly believe we have much to learn from the history of the Church.

Church historians will tell you that a church can typically go through three life phases... Mission, Maintenance, or Monument.

1. The Mission Phase... the point at which everyone is excited about reaching out and changing the community and sharing the Good News of Christ

2. Maintenance... people begin to look around and think "we're fine right where we are". We're paying the bills... we've got more people than so and so church down the block... let's just keep this thing going. We don't need any new ideas. We're fine just where we are.

Finally, those who study Church history will tell you that if a church moves to the Maintenance phase, it is a given that is will move to the Monument phase. It may be five years down the road or a hundred years down the road but Monument phase always follows Maintenance phase.

3. The Monument Phase... best summed up by the cathedrals in Europe. They are beautiful architecturally with incredible marble, wood, stained glass, and acoustics but they sit empty on Sunday mornings... just a monument to what a group of people used to be excited about a long time ago but no longer are.

I've had the privilege, with your help, to travel the country these past two years and ask Young Life staff and volunteers where their area, club, or heart reside. Is it in Mission phase.. ready and excited to change an entire community with the love of Christ. Have they moved to Maintenance phase... thinking they are fine right where they are, paying the bills, bigger than the next area, filling a bus, in no need of growth or challenge. Or sadly have they moved to Monument phase... where their area or club is just a monument or reminder of what a group of people in the 70's used to be excited about but no longer are.

Maybe it's time for a heart test for all of us.

A Monument Club cares for it's club kids... A Mission club cares for all kids.

A Monument Club is proud of their club... A Mission club want to share their club with others.

A Monument Club talks about Christ... A Mission club becomes like Christ.

A Monument Club holds the fort... A Mission club takes the next hill and knows where it is.

A Monument Club loves their schools kids... A Mission Club loves all kids regardless of mascot.

A Monument Club plays not to lose... A Mission Club plays to win.

A Monument Club feeds their sheep... A Mission Club still looks for lost sheep.

So where are you and your church?

James