Innovation: Is Your Church “Beyond the Box”?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, December 13, 2004
- Viewed 95
- (35) comments so far
According to Easum/Travis, many 'Inside the Box' and 'Outside the Box' churches are cluttered with so much 'box baggage' that many of the questions they are asking don't have much meaning anymore. They automatically assume that certain things are normal or natural in Christianity (they site such things as hierarchy, structure, organization, property, location, conflict, centralized control, ordination, clergy, seminaries, and denominations.)
Many thriving congregations, they say, aren't anywhere near 'Beyond the Box'... still spending much of their time swirling with old assumptions, causing them to "waste their potential fighting battles that no longer matter." Look, for example, at the three ways they would categorize most churches:
| In the Box | Out of the Box | Beyond the Box |
| Stuck and dying | Thriving and growing | Radically innovative |
| Property is important | Relocate or expand | Property agnostic |
| Looking for help | Holistic growth | Pursuing opportunity |
| Interventionist/restart | How to grow our church | Missionary mindset |
| Survives/protects heritage | Institutional effectiveness | Kingdom orientation |
| Organization, polity, control | Decentralized | Reproductive |
| Maintains | Adds | Multiplies |
| No DNA | Unembedded DNA | Gives DNA away |
| Culturally ignorant | Invites public in | Goes out and sends |
| Protects heritage | Willing to be adaptive | Radical innovation |
| Controlling | Benevolent hierarchy | Gospel is everything |
| Elects slot fillers | Trains key leaders | Models leadership |
| Avoids change | Comfortable with change | Embraces change |
| Chaplain | Career | Missionary/apostle |
| Slave to constitution | Ignores constitution | Flexible guidelines |
| Members | Volunteers | Discipled servants |
| Staff are doers | Staff are equippers | Equipping culture |
OK... before you fire me off an angry email saying that this book and books like it cause harm to the church because they tell us to change our message; water down the gospel; disregard important traditions, cause the church to be like the world, are only based on a business-model mindset, or anything else; please take a deep breath... that is not the intention of this book. The purpose of this book is to think of innovative ways for your church to reach people in your community for Christ, not for your church to become more hip, theologically liberal, or popular.
Where does your church land on this table? Does your church have a lot of 'box baggage'? Let's discuss this idea. You can get in on the conversation and give your 2 cents worth easily and quickly by leaving your comments. Let me know how your church rated... are you "In the Box", "Out of the Box" or "Beyond the Box"? What is your church doing that's innovative?
Would you like some new ideas at how your church can be more effective in the next five years? If so, I would encourage you to grab a copy of Bill and Dave's book. It's a easy, but thought-provoking read... a book that may very well open your eyes to ways that your church can be more effective in your community.
Last week, I opened a huge can of worms talking about the subject of churches and innovation. I heard back from many of you. In fact, we have a great discussion going on currently at the daily blog on the issue (that I’m sure will continue this week). It is true that innovation means different things to different people. The same church that finds one thing to be innovative would view another church’s innovation as mundane. But regardless, it makes for some fascinating discussion (at least it fascinates me!)
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Comments
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Bernie Dehler on Mon, December 13, 2004
Maybe the biggest issue isn’t if the church is thinking outside the box, but rather are they thinking and operating like Christ. Many churches want to play it safe. Jesus said the opposite:
Matthew 10:39 (Jesus talking)
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
...Bernie
http://www.FreeGoodNews.com
Ricky Roubique on Mon, December 13, 2004
To echo Bernie Dehler’s comments, I believe that instead of concentrating on being “out of the box,” maybe we should be more concerned with understanding that finding new ways to win people usually ends up being just another attempt at being “busy,” like Martha, and that we should be more focused on the simplicity of just falling completely in love with Jesus and just being content with Him as that “necessary thing,” like Mary.
The early Church understood that making a place for Him was more important than reaching people, all of which was accomplished after “naturally” creating an atmosphere where nothing else mattered but Him.
Sadly “out-of-the-box” may very well end up becoming just another tired jinglistic slogan as organizations shuffle their strategy on discovering how they can survive (i.e., more people, more money, etc.) instead of concerning themselves with nothing else but pleasing Him.
Al on Mon, December 13, 2004
HELP!
I am a “Beyond the Box Person” pastoring an “In the Box Church” and neither of us want to move to a Out of the Box church!
Ronald E. Truss on Mon, December 13, 2004
There are to many churchs inside of the box. Plus, they only operate inside of the walls. There must be some immediate movement to the community if we are going to accomplish our visions. If God has limited his church to those inside the walls in the book of Acts. Where would we be today? This is the problem I see with connectional churches today. Have we become a country club?
Rees Olander on Mon, December 13, 2004
For a different take, pick up Diana Butler Bass’ terrific new book “The Practicing Congregation, Imagining a New Old Church,” published by the Alban Institute, http://www.albang.org. It’s flying off the shelves. Bass, who is a Ph.D. in American religious studies, was raised as a child in Methodist congregation, joined an Evangelical church in her teens & attended church-based colleges & seminary, before returning to Mainline worship. She has some parallel insights about how churches are transforming themselves through new practices, noting the failures of words like “conservative” and “liberal” (right-left) to describe what is going on in a post-modern, post-Christian, post-everything culture. She provides some helpful charts about belief, belonging and cultural drivers in church life the span across American history which adds context to her arguments. She sees Mainline churches cutting out customs which have clung like barnacles to the ship of faith in favor or reclaiming true Christian Tradition. We are not in our fathers’ 1950s American=Church landscape, but rather a multi-vocal culture which has essentially privatized religious expression. The old forms don’t work in this setting, but there is much that is hopeful out there.
Art on Mon, December 13, 2004
Ricky said, “The early Church understood that making a place for Him was more important than reaching people, all of which was accomplished after “naturally” creating an atmosphere where nothing else mattered but Him.”
I am not sure what you are saying here. Certainly, the early church Believers had a place in there individual lives where Christ was exalted above all else, but I see that the primary works of the NT church was evangelism and discipleship. They turned the world upside down with the Gospel. This doesn’t occur through dead liturgy and an “inside the four walls” mentality. The NT church was a missionary movement to say the least.
Michael on Mon, December 13, 2004
My church is without question an “in the box” church. Personally, I fit somewhere between “out of the box” and “beyond the box.”
Someone commented earlier that our first question should be, Are we operating like Christ? Obviously our first thought will be is this Christ-like and honestly biblical. Todd raised a good point when he said the real purpose is to reach our communities with the message of Christ. “In the box” churches seem to have an inward focus, desiring to preserve the church as an “institution.” “Out of the box” churches react to the heirarchy and structure of the “in the box” churches, and provide a breath of fresh air for those clamoring to vacate church institutionalism. “Beyond the box” churches in my opinion build upon the foundation of “out of the box” churches, but move to a realm of complete Kingdom focus. A church that is Kingdom focused is bent on expanding Christ’s reign and rule in the hearts of men, women, and children everywhere. Now, I have not read this book, but this is how I would categorize these type of churches. Maybe real innovation is the practice of real, Christ-like authenticity in all we say, preach, and practice. Authenticity is a return to God’s original design for His creation. Jesus reestablished authentic and abundant life, and He invites us to follow Him. Have fun chewing on this!
Dave on Mon, December 13, 2004
Let’s face it, as much as we would all like to be “out of the box” people, it’s important to realize that we are more comfortable in those neat little boxes. Further, we would much rather say that we are a bit more enlightened and as a result, we’re “outside the box” or “beyond the box”, laboring in a “in the box church.”
Oh, and by the way, you/we are the church…or should I say box.
Michael on Mon, December 13, 2004
Dave, you are right, we the people are the church, or the box. What I am referring to and what I believe Todd is alluding to is the structure and organization of this vast body of believers. In the box, out of the box, or beyond the box are references to the structure of the organization. Does this local body of believers care more about self-preservation or more about making disciples? And a disciple maker is one who will invest the time to teach a new convert what it means to become a fruit-bearing disciple. I don’t want to be a part of a group that plays at church, but to a group that is living in obedience to Christ and fulfilling His great commandment and commission.
Tom on Mon, December 13, 2004
Lots of talk about checking out this book and that one. Not trying ot be sanctimonious, but how about THE book. The Bible is repleat with example after example of Jesus moving people “beyond the box”. He did this by relationship, not program or method. And while some systems are important ot running a muti-faceted church, the “box” is ultimately measured by the depth of the relationships within the walls.
Mochsanim on Mon, December 13, 2004
It seems to me that we (meaning those in this debate not just those marking their journey to a box) still compartmentalize our journey with Christ. We often debate the whole what did the first church do, or what does so and so do. and then we try to fit that into the confines of a system. ( i know i am speaking to the choir here as the pld saying goes) Yet it seems that the journey in Christ is more than figuring out what slot to put what in, but that it is an all consuming life that when lived as who we are not what we do answer most of the things we are debating. When Christ becomes our life not a part of it then the kingdom becomes our focus. The plumber charges fair prices, the automechnic tells the truth, the pastor admits his own faults, the deacon place others above themselves, and so on… It seems we get so hung up on trying to figure out how to do church in the post, trans, emerging (or whatever it ends up being called) world that we forget that the early Christians where just living their lives which where entirly about the relationship with God, it was their defining mark, not a part of who they where. It seems to me that through-out history those Christians that have transcended time have been the ones that threw the compartments of a life away and filtered everything through who they where, God’s Child. well thanks for reading my thoughts, and i appreciate you feedback and ideas ahead of time. thanks for the place to grow.
PEACE!!!!!!!!!
Shane Montgomery on Mon, December 13, 2004
Here’s an innovative idea. Let’s stop producing a bunch of programs at church that keep people busy, active and distracted and demand that pastors, elders and those seasoned in their faith disciple them. At this point a return to the basic art of discipleship, passion of prayer and worship, transparent community as pictured in Acts, and devotion to the teachings of Jesus would seem radical in many ways. Hmmmm…
Shane Montgomery on Mon, December 13, 2004
Let me also add that at times church feels like the final few scenes from The Wizard of Oz. We all get caught up in the smoke and special effects (i.e. the things that do not last) and totally miss the guy behind the curtain or the fact that many of us on our journey have the potential to be powerful followers of Christ if someone will just tell us. I say “Here, here!” to the pastor who rediscovers the beauty of being a shepard.
Steve Leach on Mon, December 13, 2004
i heard Andy Stanley comment one time that every old, trite way of doing something was in its day someones good idea that is now a golden cow around the churches neck. perhaps the real test for us trying to do things in a creative, relevant fashion will be if we are still married to our ideas of today in 10 years or still looking for creative ways to reach people. that will say a lot about us as we move forward. in 20 years our ideas of today will turn out to be something someone has to struggle with us to change. thats human nature, not Christ likeness.
Paula P. Smith on Mon, December 13, 2004
Please, does anyone know of a church in the north Atlanta area that functions as an “beyond the box” church…...let me know
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