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Under The Bonnet

Devotion: 

The church is God’s plan, His idea. Jesus said to Peter that ‘I will build My church’ (Matthew 16:18), but then He also went on to say that He would give him the keys to the Kingdom to empower His people on Earth.

We must never forget that it is God's church and that He will build it, but we all have a part to play in helping it grow. As the Apostle Paul said, he planted the seed, his friend Apollos watered it, but it is God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6).

We all get to participate. 

To create space to enable all kinds of people to play their part in God's great story, we need effective systems that work but also stay hidden.

The trophy cabinet should never be more impressive than the trophies it holds. The trellis is only there to help get the beautiful plant started and to grow strong. The scaffolding is simply in place to get the new home built, and the church should be no different.

For the church to be a place where people flourish in their faith, we need healthy systems. Systems are important, but never more important than Jesus. If people get frustrated about anything in the church, it is often the methods; "the way we do things around here." But these are just useful tools. No more.

But for dreams to become reality you need good systems.

Pharaoh needed Joseph.  Joseph was a man who heard God through dreams, but then created a process of storing crops for seven years and then distributing them evenly for seven years after that to ensure no one went hungry. A food distribution system.

Moses needed Jethro.  Moses was exhausted with all the requests of the people. Jethro suggested an organized delegation. To place leaders over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. The load was shared. A management system

The city of Jerusalem needed Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a cup bearer to the King, but it seems like he was an efficient administrator. He assessed the broken walls of the city, he gathered leaders together, he delegated tasks and managed the finances. He dealt with the opposition, formed teams, and in fifty-two days the walls, which had been broken down for years, were fully repaired. A building system.

Every part of church needs a structure. Whether it’s a weekly news sheet, a children’s activity, teaching programme, building project, website, finances or staffing.

Frameworks may not excite everyone, but don’t worry, they will excite some!

If our churches want to make the greatest impact, we need effective systems.