mgpcpastor's blog

A couple of helpful posts from the last few days.
Eric McKiddie contrasts some examples that show whether a pastors (or churches or Christians) are valuing success or fruitfulness.
A sample:

2. Success: “How many people did I impress?” Fruitfulness: “How many people did I impact?”
7. Success: “How well did that segment of the worship service go?” Fruitfulness: “How well did we worship during that segment of the service?”
12. Success: “How loudly did they sing?” Fruitfulness: “How genuinely did they sing?”
*****
The success mindset makes good things in ministry ultimate things. It turns what should be only means into the results. It doesn’t take the step toward the spiritual effect.

Similarly, Anthony Ferriell asks us to dissect our church news-letters to see if they celebrate God’s priorities or our expectations, using the example of God’s interaction with Jacob.
A sample:

Design your prayer focus around God’s priorities, not your expectations. What is at the center of the prayer concerns listed in the weekly bulletin? What people are asking God for is another indicator of where their priorities lay. We ask God for what we believe is most important for Him to give us.
Is it…(God-like priorities)

• For people to come to faith in Christ
• For discipleship to grow
• For deliverance from oppressive evil in your community

 
Or is it…(Jacob-like priorities)

• For people to get feeling better who are sick
• For someone who needs a job
• For a good weather at the annual church picnic
• For traveling mercies as people go on vacation or “snow birds” heading south  (someone who lives in the cold American north heading to the warmer south during the winter)

 
I [Ferriall] am not saying we should not pray for these.  We should!  My question is: Are the physical concerns to be the priority of our prayers?
We measure what matters.  What matters to you?

So, what do the questions we ask about churches or ministries reveal about our true values in Christian life?