Council Catechesis from Center Church

Last Council Catechesis from Center Church (Tim Keller)

Quick Quatiqisis:) :Reading Tim Keller’s newest book entitled Center Church, and I would like to share what I am learning from it over the next season.  How do you measure if we are doing well or not?  Keller presents the top two ways most congregations measure this.

1. Success: Are we growing in conversions, members, giving?  “Individuals are now ‘spiritual consumers’ who will go to a church only if (and as long as) its worship and public speaking are immediately riveting and attractive.”
2. Faithfulness: “All that matters is in this view is that a minister be sound in doctrine, godly in character, and faithful in preaching and in pastoring people.”  
3. Keller presents a more Biblically (John 15.8, Romans 1.13, Galatians 5.22, 1 Corinthians 3.9) sound way of measuring, Fruitfulness:  “The gardening metaphor shows both success and faithfulness by themselves are insufficient criteria for evaluating ministry.  Gardeners must be faithful in their work, but they must also be skillful, or the garden will fail.  Yet in the end, the degree of the success of the garden (or ministry) is determined by factors beyond the control of the gardener)."

“The church growth movement has made many lasting contributions to our practice of ministry.  But its overemphasis on technique and results can put too much pressure on ministers because it under-emphasizes the importance of godly character and the sovereignty of God.  Those who claim that “what is required is faithfulness” are largely right, but this mind-set can take too much pressure off church leaders.  It does not lead them to ask hard questions when faithful ministries bear little fruit.  When fruitfulness is our criterion for evaluation, we are held accountable but not crushed by the expectation that a certain number of lives will be change dramatically under our ministry.”

Tim Keller. Center Church.  Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI. 2012.

Here is the Amazon link for this book:
Tim Keller's Center Church