Bishop Mike Hill was leading a seminar for local church leaders on how to implement effective change within a spiritual environment.
He told Christians, “The Kingdom is a very dynamic reality and if the church is supposed to be a foretaste of the Kingdom, something of that DNA of the Kingdom has to be reflected in the life of our churches.”
Bishop Hill stressed the necessity of change: “There is a fantastic myth alive in our churches and it’s this: if we stay as we are, we will stay as we are. Why is that a myth? Cos if we stay as we are friends, we will decline.”
He urged Christians in local church leadership to be clear on their vision and expected outcomes, and follow the example of the early church by having a plan for growth in place.
“What we are trying to do is get some priority of vision,” said Bishop Hill. The early church “was a community where people expected God to work”, he said, and, “significantly and challengingly in our culture, they were a growing church”.
He pointed to St Paul, who would first preach to the Jews in the synagogues before taking the Gospel to the marketplaces.
“That was his game plan,” said Bishop Hill. “I am amazed by how many churches I go to that think great things are going to happen by accident…The idea of a plan is not unspiritual or worldly. Friends, it’s common sense, and you need a plan.”
Churches also have to be clear about whom they are targeting, Bishop Hill stressed.
“There is a massive temptation in churches to go for the blunderbuss approach. We fire a load of shots out and hope it will hit a few people,” he said.
“If you’re trying to reach young families don’t be ashamed to say that because that has massive repercussions for how you try to achieve that.”
