Centripetal Force post by Mark Batterson
In Matthew 9:13, Jesus said: "I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." Are we trying to reach outsiders or coddle insiders? That is the $64,000 question.
One of the greatest struggles we face as pastors is centripetal force. That is the inward directed force. Jesus said "Go" which is a centrifugal command. As a church planter, you have to to focus on reaching outsiders because there are no insiders. But as a church gets older and larger, the centripetal force gets stronger! You stop taking risks and start playing it safe. You stop playing offense and start playing defense. You stop leading and start managing. You stop creating the future and start repeating the past.
Here are some reflection questions:
1) are you making decisions to placate people who already attend?
2) how much of your budget is allocated to reaching outsiders?
3) are you leading, praying, and thinking like a church planter?
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