Daily Innovation, Ministry Insights, and Thoughts from Todd Rhoades for Pastors and Church Leaders
Mark Driscoll: Our Goal is More People Worshiping Jesus
I had the opportunity to hear Mark Driscoll speak at the Coast to Coast Multi-site Church Conference yesterday in San Diego. I was really looking forward to hearing Mark speak in person; and it was worth the wait. Whatever you think of Driscoll (and his mouth that sometimes gets him in trouble), you have to admire his passion. He did a great talk on how Mars Hill is doing multi-site; and some of their plans for the future. They are growing wildly fast (they grew a thousand in attendance last month!). But the one big take-away that I got from Mark was his mission statement...
Mark said his goal comes straight out of I Corinthians 9:
“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
Mark said that his goal is to have ‘as many people worshiping Jesus as possible’.
Now that’s a simple, yet demanding goal.
Mark said that everything he does in ministry answers this question: Will what we are doing allow more people to worship Jesus? If so, they do it.
If it means changing musical styles, they do it. Open another location? Do it. Different speaking style? Sure. Different technology? Yep. Everything revolves around that question… will it help more people worship Jesus.
It seems strikingly simple. But what a powerful concept?
What part of your work today is helping ‘more people worship Jesus’? It’s a good reality check to make sure we’re making a difference.
Thanks, Mark, for your passion. It’s that passion that many times gets you in trouble (with other pastors and Christians), but after seeing you first hand; I find it much harder to condemn.
Todd
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This post has been viewed 529 times and was added on February 07, 2007 by Todd Rhoades. Filed under: Leadership Issues Leadership Development Share this post with a friend right now! View reactions to this post at other blogs... You can really help us out by subscribing to our free RSS feed with your favorite feed reader, or here at Bloglines. Also, you can add us to your favorites at Technorati.
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My name is Todd Rhoades, the 'behind the scenes' guy here at MMI. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the developer of a of a website called ChurchStaffing.com. I hope you'll enjoy your time here and tell all your colleagues about MMI! 
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007 at 7:19 AM
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Posted by djchuang
Friday, February 09, 2007 at 11:17 AM
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Friday, February 09, 2007 at 4:27 PM
Post Your Comments:Perhaps this will be the first Driscoll post without controversy.... I won’t hold my breath.
I hope more more folks get a chance give Driscoll a fair hearing. Every sermon he gives ends with a skillfully crafted biblically sound invitation to follow Jesus. While his talent and character carries him a certain distance, I think that his preparation on methodologies are the keys to the growth of his ministry.
Even if Driscoll rubs you totally the wrong way, the way that he ties all scripture back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something that any Christian could learn something from.
One writer called Driscoll a breath of fresh air and I agree. I love his bluntness but I can see how it unnerves some people. I believe John Piper has befriended him and that makes me respect both of them all the more.
Driscoll won’t compromise the scriptures yet admits where he fall short.
Back to your question Todd about what WE are doing to reach people with the gospel. I have found myself surrounded by people, atheists, who grew up with religion but never knew God. These people are hard. All I can do is befriend them, encourage them to wrestle with God, and pray. I admit I’m frustrated. The cool thing is when I complained to God that he seems to send me to the hard cases I felt He told me to look around church one day. He then asked me how long it took for the people I had brought to church to come around to say yes to church and Jesus. One was five years, one two another eight and one was actually 10 years in the making.
I really appreciate you Todd because you have introduced me through MMI to some incredible, fanatical, gospel loving, God chasing, heaven filling Christian leaders. Thanks!!
I guess I have a question on this whole mutli-site church thing....That is why even do that? Instead of opening a new “Campus” why not just plant a Church?
Kevin,
“Instead of opening a new “Campus” why not just plant a Church?”
Many have found that it is much easier to get that “church plant” started by opening a new site. Then you can “leverage” the resources of the “home office” without substantial cost.
It’s like micro-denominations in a sense…
I am more for it than I used to be. I agree with your sentiment, but it may not always be the best way to go.
Driscoll does often rub me the wrong way. Usually just in the way he says things, not in what he’s actually trying to say. But I agree that many Christians and Chriatian leaders could learn someting from his passion. He’s reasching the unchurched in one of the most un-church-friendly places in the country.
I think people often over estimate the impact that a church plant has on slowing the growth of the Mother Church. When a church is planted I think it is usually unlikely that more than 10-20% of the congregation will depart for the new plant.
If you have a growth rate in exponential like these more successful churches, that 10-20% that depart will be replaced in a month or two anyway, and you will still have capacity issues.
Driscoll Nailed this one. I love the simplicity of his goal.
Video Venues/multi sight campuses are simply the byproduct of great leaders maximizing the tools we posses in the 21st century. I love it!
Great excerpt of a transcript, Todd! I was able to catch a few sound bites in my handheld digital camera, so you can also hear Driscoll say it (via the Edge video venue) at:
http://www.djchuang.com/2007/2nd-day-of-conversations/
I think if our mission statements could be boiled down to something so simple, AND we actually put that at the forefront of all we do we might have alot more success in our own ministries. Too often our mission statement is short but we pack alot of ‘stuff’ along with it. Mission: “We exist to reach the unchurched”. But of course someone asks, “But what about . . . ?” and thus begins a list of people and needs that distract us. “But our mission is still the unchurched!” It sounds like Driscoll, at least so far, has found a way to stay on course and bring a whole bunch of people along with him. I say keep it up.
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