Today I had a chance to share at the Whiteboard Sessions outside of Atlanta. Here is some what I shared:
I came across a fascinating prediction from Martin Luther King, Jr. from a letter he wrote in 1963. Dr. King wrote:
“If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.”
Dr. King’s prophetic words also show us how to create a better future.
Rather than social entrepreneurs, we need sacrificial leaders.
We need church leaders who are willing to make decisions based on who isn’t yet here rather than based on who’s been here the longest.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see God creatively reaching out in innovative ways – through different people, through different miracles, and through different covenants.
Innovation needs to come from a passion for Jesus and humanity.
Too often we allow our pride to keep us from making the kind of difference God wants to make through our lives. Sometimes we don’t want to change because we like the way things are. Sometimes we don’t innovate because we fear conflict or fear what others will think of us if we fail. Sometimes we innovate for what it brings to us.
Are we willing to sacrifice what we like and sacrifice our pride in order to bring the most good to the most people?
Fear can keep us from harm, but fear can also keep us from greatness.
Every great change in history faced opposition.
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is the absence of self.” – Erwin McManus from Uprising
The greatest innovations come when we are motivated to care for those who need help more than we care for ourselves.
“Has Listening to Church Attenders Led to the Decline of the Church?”
