Driscoll - Confessions...3

"The upstairs room at the fundamentalist church was so hot that everyone was sweating like Mike Tyson in a spelling bee." (page 38).

Not only that but people passed out due to the heat, it had horrible golden shag carpet, Christian rock posters on the wall, speakers that only pumped out feedback, a projector that worked less than half the time, and a couch and foosball table in the sanctuary. So started Mars Hill Church. I am paraphrasing greatly but you get the picture.

It didn't take long for Mark to figure out the church he envisioned in his head was not the same church he was currently trying to lead and get going. He had some work to do and a lot of it if he was going to ensure the church was keeping "the mission of Jesus as the most important factor in the church and Christian life." (page 40).

Mark goes on to explain that he decided to attend different church services every week and take away the best and do away with the worse for Mars Hill. He went to strict fundy (oops I mean fundamentalist) churchs, mainline liberal churches, suburban churches, urban churches, all denominations and age groups. What he discovered was this:

"In visiting numerous churches scattered across the city and throughout the surrounding suburbs, rarely did I hear a clear declaration of the person of Jesus Christ. He was never presented as the eternal God who incarnated as a man in culture to live without sin, die as a substitute for sinners, and resurrect in triumphant victory over Satan, sin, and death; who is now exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and who is coming again to judge the living and the dead, sending the repentant to his heavenly kingdom and sentencing the unrepentant to his fiery hell." (page 42)

So Mark has developed a Missional Ministry Matrix that must be able to answer 4 questions (even more questions now...is this college?)

1. Christology - Who is Jesus, what has he accomplished, and what has he sent u to do?
2. Ecclesiology - How does the Bible tell us to structure our church leadership so that our church can most effectively be God's missionary to our culture?
3. Missiology - How can we most effectively expand God's kingdom where we are sent?
4. Ministry - How does Jesus want me to help serve his mission in our culture through my church?

These questions work in a continuous loop where one answer leads to the next question which leads to the next and keeps going round and round and across all the time. This will help in keeping your church on target and on Jesus mission not our own.

He gives many funny stories and quick blurbs to many of the churches he attended and his experiences during that time. He discovered that we need 2 portraits of Jesus, the humble incarnated Christ and the triumphant, exalted Christ (Christology). The church is to honor God through the gospel as a church transforming the city, serving Christ and building his ministry. Strong, biblically grounded leadership is a necessity to accomplish this (Ecclesiology). The church, the leadership, and the congregation need to be sure they are not on their own mission but are to be on Jesus' mission to transform people and cultures by the power of the Holy Spirit through the work of the gospel (Missiology). Finally the pastor of the church must fight like a soldier, train like an athlete, and work hard like a farmer. "God had the manliset of men in mind when it comes to church leadership." (page 54) (also see 2 Tim. 2:1-7).

These are the questions that a church and its leader must answer and be able to provide for in the infancy stage of the church plant and growth (Mark classifies 0-45 people). During the infancy stage it is the season of dreaming and envisioning the future, gathering peopl, raising money, and making plans. The Ministry at this stage exists only in the mind of the leader, who seeks to effectively communicate the vision and compel people to help make it a reality. In the infancy phase, the church and the leader are one and the same because the leader is essentially the only person holding the church together and doing most of the work. (page 39).

A strong foundation and firm start is needed, the Missional Ministry Matrix provides an excellent start.

Next will be chapter 2 "Jesus If Anyone Else Calls My House, I May Be Seeing You Real Soon" (45 - 75 people).