What’s at the heart of a dynamic church?

Most church leaders consider that the primary ministries that should be functioning in the life of the local church are:

• Worship - which is more than ‘gathered’ worship that is expressed on Sundays. 'I appeal to you therefore brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.' (Romans 12.1)
• Community - the people of God together expressing the life and values of the kingdom of God. It involves caring for one another and meeting human needs.
• Mission - Sometimes this is known as evangelism; however evangelism limits the understanding of mission. Mission is the proclaiming of, and demonstrating through changed lives, the good news of Jesus and the kingdom of God which was his primary concern and message. Mission also incorporates the need to be involved in acts of compassion for the oppressed (justice), the hurting (mercy) and the lost (evangelism).
• Formation - Known sometimes as 'spirituality'. It is the process whereby a child of God formed, transformed and conformed to the likeness of Jesus, the Son of God.

However, it would be folly to think that we can view or express these functions independently of one another. Perhaps the best way of expressing their interdependence and inter-relationship is by seeing them as interlocking circles.

Spirituality/Formation is the 'heart' of the church’s life

The state of the 'heart' is the crucial factor in the effectiveness of any local church.

It is this, which explains why two churches, which outwardly seem so similar, can have such different expressions of life. One shares its faith, is growing, gives generously and exudes a sense of inner vitality expressed in an outwards-directed mentality. The other is numerically static, seems lifeless and is often turned in on itself.

The difference has to do with spirituality. This is the heart that pumps life into all that takes place. This being so, the task must be to help churches develop their spiritual life so as to enable them to express it through their worship, community and mission.

Churches can fail at several points in this process. Some simply do not have a spirituality. The church is a hive of activity, but essentially a hollow shell. There is nothing at the heart.

Some have a spirituality, but because it is not clear or spelt out, it is very difficult for anyone to buy into the underlying ('incipient'?) vitality of the place. Yet others have a spirituality which is clear, but does not function as a strong source of vitality because the church has inherited, or developed patterns of worship, community and mission that are unconnected with (or do not appropriately express) the spirituality at the heart of the church.

'Too often the situation is that worship is in gridlock, fellowship is a tangled skein of wool rather than a network of loving relationships, mission is seen as the work of a few enthusiasts each cutting across each other's efforts, and spirituality is simply a puzzle. However, there are churches with a clear spirituality that is well expressed in, and reinforced by, the way they handle their worship, community and mission. Such churches are missionary in nature. (1)

Christian Spirituality? What does he mean?

BIG subject, but to keep it as simple as possible, it is the inner life of the heart, the spirit, where we engage with God. The reading of Scripture, meditation, fasting, worship, prayer - are some of the spiritual disciplines that assist us in our spiritual development, to where Jesus can live his life through mine and yours.

'The difference has to do with spirituality. This is the heart that pumps life into all that takes place. This being so, the task must be to help churches develop their spiritual life so as to enable them to express it through their worship, community and mission.'

1. Robert Warren Being Human Being Church © 1995 Marshall Pickering pp89-90