Pastor's Devotional Today’s devotion on the theme of Messy Church is from Kevin Harney. If people decide they want to be critical of the church, it doesn’t take much effort to dig up some dirt. There are appropriate times for speaking prophetically and powerfully into the life of the church, calling Christ’s body to new levels of devotion, service, sacrifice, and justice. But I believe much of our in-house mudslinging and incessant criticism has become almost recreational, and it breaks the heart of Jesus. When We Bash the Church, We Bash God’s People Our tendency to attack the church betrays an errant ecclesiology. When we beat up on the church, we aren’t just attacking a faceless organization. We are criticizing real people. Some cast aspersions on the church as if it were an impersonal force, a pseudo political entity. But if I read the Bible correctly, the church is the gathered body of God’s people. The church is an organism made up of people like you and me, the followers of Jesus. When we bash the church, we bash God’s people. When we throw rotten fruit at the church, we are throwing it at our own brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Criticism Hampers Outreach When we criticize the church and sling mud at Christ’s bride, our vision for outreach grows hazy. It’s difficult to invite people to meet Jesus and become part of his family when we can’t stand his bride. How can we honestly want to connect spiritual seekers to a faith family that we don’t particularly like? When people become critics of the church and slander the bride of Jesus, why should we expect lost people to be drawn to the Lord of the church? If we want to see congregations become effective in reaching out to lost people, we need to help the church learn to love God, its community, and also itself. The days of church bashing and constant criticism need to come to an end. How NOT to Handle the Mess
How NOT to Handle the Mess

Today’s devotion on the theme of Messy Church is from Kevin Harney.

If people decide they want to be critical of the church, it doesn’t take much effort to dig up some dirt. There are appropriate times for speaking prophetically and powerfully into the life of the church, calling Christ’s body to new levels of devotion, service, sacrifice, and justice. But I believe much of our in-house mudslinging and incessant criticism has become almost recreational, and it breaks the heart of Jesus.

When We Bash the Church, We Bash God’s People

Our tendency to attack the church betrays an errant ecclesiology. When we beat up on the church, we aren’t just attacking a faceless organization. We are criticizing real people. Some cast aspersions on the church as if it were an impersonal force, a pseudo political entity. But if I read the Bible correctly, the church is the gathered body of God’s people.

The church is an organism made up of people like you and me, the followers of Jesus. When we bash the church, we bash God’s people. When we throw rotten fruit at the church, we are throwing it at our own brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our Criticism Hampers Outreach

When we criticize the church and sling mud at Christ’s bride, our vision for outreach grows hazy. It’s difficult to invite people to meet Jesus and become part of his family when we can’t stand his bride. How can we honestly want to connect spiritual seekers to a faith family that we don’t particularly like? When people become critics of the church and slander the bride of Jesus, why should we expect lost people to be drawn to the Lord of the church?

If we want to see congregations become effective in reaching out to lost people, we need to help the church learn to love God, its community, and also itself. The days of church bashing and constant criticism need to come to an end.
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Ask Yourself:

1. What are some of the consequences of Christians spending too much time criticizing and attacking the church?

2. There are differences between criticizing the church and seeking to point out concerns in a way that will help the church grow healthier and stronger. What are these differences? What should it look like when we point out a concern to help the church become healthier and stronger?
Organic Outreach for Churches: Infusing Evangelistic Passion in Your Local Congregation

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Organic Outreach for Churches: Infusing Evangelistic Passion in Your Local Congregation

Nearly all churches and ministries consider themselves dedicated to evangelism, and many explicitly include outreach in their mission statements. But few are actually bearing fruit. Kevin Harney diagnoses this problem and offers guidance for multiplying the outreach impact of churches. Organic Outreach for Churches provides direction for local congregations to weave evangelism into the fabric of the church. Commitment to the Great Commission is not simply about sending money and prayers to missions or holding occasional events to reach out (although these things are good). Organic outreach happens when evangelistic vision and action become the domain of every ministry and the commitment of every person in the congregation. This will not happen accidentally. There is huge spiritual and practical resistance to such changes. But the only way evangelism will become an organic part of a church is when every leader and each member is gripped by a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. This book is a roadmap for pastors and leaders who wish to infuse evangelistic passion into every aspect of their church's life.
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