Playground Mansions of Ministry Death?
Mansions across America sit empty because of the economy gone southward. Arrayed and adorned with expensive beauty, mansions appeal to the eye, but when empty they are inevitably heartless. The family truly brings life to the mansion, such as laughs, noises, movement and maintenance. Take away the family then the mansion is dead. Bring in life then the mansion is blessed and joyful! Therefore, how can death be joyful? Do we want to pursue building or keeping empty mansions without people?
Mansions across America sit empty because of the economy gone southward. Arrayed and adorned with expensive beauty, mansions appeal to the eye, but when empty they are inevitably heartless. The family truly brings life to the mansion, such as laughs, noises, movement and maintenance. Take away the family then the mansion is dead. Bring in life then the mansion is blessed and joyful! Therefore, how can death be joyful? Do we want to pursue building or keeping empty mansions without people?
God’s not against mansions (c.f. John 14:1-2), but God’s against mansions replacing him with something or someone else (idolatry). Remove God as life and focus, death replaces life (Genesis 3:1-19). What did God want Adam and Eve to be enthralled? Him!
Jesus revealed to his disciples that he is the source of life in ministry – take your trust off him and death follows. For example, a synagogue ruler named Jairus “implored” Jesus to heal his daughter from physical death and a bleeding for 12 years woman touched Jesus’ garments for healing (Mark 5:21-34). Jesus responds to the woman, “Your faith has made you well… (Mark 5:34).” Did her faith heal her? Well, kind of. Meaning, faith always has an object. In this context, who is the object of her faith? Jesus. Jesus means that her faith was not in herself or in someone else, rather, solely on him.
Ministry is a work, which is different from faith. Jesus taught his disciples to have faith in him for salvation, which produces a fruit or work to make disciples in their lifetime including ministry (John 15:1-15). Ministry can be built as a mansion, rightly appealing and pleasing (Mark 1:11) out of faith in Jesus.
Ministry Surface Approach
For example, a ministry surface approach says let’s build a playground in front of the church building for people to see and visit since our attendance is down. Bad statement? No, but yes. Playgrounds are not evil rather fun and many times shocking (to the skin, especially at the end of the plastic, static slides)! The explicit motivation is “low attendance”; however, Jesus is not worried about “low attendance” rather why is it low! Is it really a playground issue? No. The decision reveals the following: (1) we failed at appealing to people; (2) we must compete with other churches who have playgrounds and the market share of believers; (3) we are unable to make disciples of families overall without a playground; (4) we are thinking short term versus long term gospel-centered vision in reaching people; (5) we desire to reach people on Sundays for attendance and giving; (6) we believe ministry strategies do not need to be informed by the gospel as long as we throw them a Jesus pitch through a five fingered colored glove portrait on a wall somewhere on the church campus; (7) we are unable to engage the families beyond the church campus; and (8) we don’t really want to think to much about this decision, just get the playground up!
Motivation Depth Approach
Motivation depth says lets build a playground as a helpful resource for the people we are already reaching with the gospel claim, clarity and community. The gospel stays at front and center of the ministry, believing Jesus to be the best news in elder’s meetings rather than red and blue playgrounds at the helm. The playground is placed in its rightful place like napkins, useful but not the main dish. When pastors lead their churches to believe Jesus is the best news ever and now, their joy will overflow in teaching the scriptures as such. Disciple making is a work produced by faith in Jesus not playground equipment.
Yes, I love swinging with my daughters in a playground, but I want them to remember “church” as a community of people humbled by the call to deny themselves in believing Jesus is the center of all our attention which produced a joy filled people ready for heaven but at work on earth doing all things to the glory of God (including sliding and swinging with daddy). As such, upon my daughter’s death, they would meet Jesus and he would say to them, “daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34)! What joy for me and them!
To be continued …
Further Reading:
Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods
———-
This is part of the blog posts series from Missional Education on the gospel in children’s ministry.
