Most of you who know me are aware that I desire to be a pastor some day and am training to do so. The thing is I'm still doing the preparatory work, and it will probably be a good bit before the vision becomes a reality. Thus for a while now I've been planning, dreaming, and developing convictions. I wanted to share some of those convictions with y'all, recognizing that this list is still subject to change, most likely by expansion rather than revision/deletion. So as the pastor of our hypothetical church, I promise that...
-the gospel of Jesus Christ will be the message, lifeblood, and driving purpose of the church, and we will perpetually seek to live it out.
-we will be completely dependent on God for any type of success.
-success will not necessarily be correlative to the size of the congregation.
-we will spend a lot of time studying the Scriptures together.
-we will spend a lot of time serving the body of Christ and the community.
-I will preach on Sunday morning in a hoodie, athletic shorts, and flip flops, angering half of the congregation and convincing them I have no reverence for the Lord.
-I will preach a Sunday morning service in a suit and tie and get the other half, convincing them that I see the church as all-business.
-I will never try to be cool. In fact, I will never be cool, as being a Christian precludes me from this.
-I will never ride a motorcycle into the chapel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZRoOx5L0DE
-I will never sleep with the secretary. Unless the secretary is my wife, then you best believe I'll be sleeping with that lady like all the time.
-I will make a lot of mistakes, and will learn how to ask for forgiveness from my congregation.
-we will never host an inter-faith prayer meeting.
-we will laugh a lot.
-we're Team CoCo. This is nonnegotiable.
-I will comfort you where Scripture is comforting, and offend you where Scripture is offensive.
-I will spend no time or energy needlessly bashing other churches for whom we are not responsible.
-I will unabashedly warn against and dismantle false theologies and teachings, naming names if necessary.
-I will pray for you.
-a majority of our church functions will be accompanied by food.
-we will spend considerable time in the Old Testament. Overhearing a 15-year-old utter "I love it when he preaches out of the minor prophets" is firmly ensconced in my bucket list.
-you will hear me say "I don't know".
-we will give away lots of books.
-we will not have small groups that are centered on recreational sports rather than fellowship, prayer, and the Word.
-we will passionately celebrate God's good gifts and seek to rejoice in all things. Though there are seasons of mourning and hardship, our piety will not be defined by melancholy.
-I'm not gonna say there will never be any drama or interpretive dance, but...
-we will not be a church targeting a demographic. We will proclaim the gospel to and serve anyone in our midst.
-we will exist to lovingly glorify God.
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