Matt Carter’s Nightmare:  You Pastor the Crappiest Church

Orginally published on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 at 8:07 AM
by Todd Rhoades

According to The Christian Post, three years ago, Austin Stone Community Church in Texas was recognized as one of the fastest growing churches in America by Outreach magazine.

But what might have privately been a proud moment for most church leaders was keeping the megachurch’s lead pastor, Matt Carter, awake at night.

“I knew we might have just made a list for the top whatever fastest growing churches of wherever, but I knew that I would also make another list if we were making a real true list of the churches, and that’s the top 10 crappiest churches in America in assimilating growth,” recalled Carter during a recent gathering of church leaders and innovators.

“Congratulations, Mr. Carter, you are on the top 10 crappiest churches in America at forming disciples from this huge crowd that’s walking through your doors,” he imagined someone saying.

While the Austin-based church was certainly growing, the need to deepen relationships and raise and engage disciples became larger as well.

And although Carter’s church had formed what they called “community groups” and congregants “signed up in droves,” most of the groups weren’t working.

“Some of them worked. Some of them formed actual community,” recalled Carter, whose church was co-founded by Christian music star Chris Tomlin.

Most, however, didn’t.

“Most of them were dismal failures. They couldn’t connect with one another. They didn’t feel like they fit in. Or they became inwardly focused and were completely not on mission to engage culture or the city or people that didn’t know Jesus. Or they began to fight and argue ... it was ridiculous,” Carter said. “We stunk at building community as a church. [We were] growing, but stinking at community.”
You can read the whole article here...

How is your church doing with “missional community”?

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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.

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