Spirit Led Instead of Model Driven
Many pastors copy models.
There is the “seeker sensitive” model, the “purpose driven” model, the “emergent church” model, the “contemporary church” model, the “spirit-filled classic charismatic” model, the “small group” model, the “multi-site” model, the “missional inner-city” model, the “dream center” model, and the list could go on and on.
Each of those models and the leaders who practice them have contributed a ton to the Kingdom.
Rather than copying the latest model that moves you, I suggest you let the Spirit of God direct your ministry based on the values, gifts, and people God gives you.
- What are YOU passionate about?
- What has God put in YOU?
- What needs can God use YOU to meet?
- What breaks YOUR heart?
- What are YOU uniquely equipped and called to do?
Even if you learn from another model, make it your own. Adapt it for your community. Improve on it. Tweak it. Take it up two notches.
Don’t copy models as much as you follow what God leads you to do.
Visit 
I remember a local company here, in order to gain more revenue installed an elite system to track and to account for expenses …
It was an extremely high tech system, but it slowed production nearly 35%…. something that the leadership had not accounted for, and hurt the companies pocket book…including the expense for the accounting system…
The compnay, a multi million dollar company went bust less than a year later, because they couldn’t let the new system go…
Sometimes, we overthink, overdo, and over control, and get bogged down in our own thoughts and ways…
Amen Craig! It is always easier to follow the masses and swim downstream “in ease but what would people say differently about Christians,our God and our Faith if we had the COURAGE to REALLY tap into the heart of God! I love how you express …”follow what God leads you to do.” Why is it so hard for so many to just be still, listen and do? I pray that we all can unplug our ears!
As soon as I saw the page come up and saw the title I thought, “Oh this is going to be a good one.” thanks for the reminder Craig. How refreshing it is to know that God does not expect us to be anyone than He made us to be. And He does not expect our church to be a copy of any other church. After making the conference rounds and “It worked for so-and-so and it will work for me” I finally figured out that no matter what model is used, it must be adapted to the situation the church is in. Well put Craig. Thanks.
This is a great model for families too!
It’s easy to follow a leader who is being led by the Spirit.
Thanks, Craig!
Robin, You are right! Thanks.
Bill,I always enjoy hearing from you. Hope you are blessed!
Jenn, Good stuff.
People, Great example. Thanks!
great post!
I’m at a stage where I’m starting to build a student ministry at a plant from scratch and everyone wants to go a different route with it (adult leaders and students that is).
Somewhere, when trying to wade through everything they want, I forgot to ask what God had gifted me for. That might be important, lol.
Very good reminder.
For me I have to even remind myself it isn’t about the style I like. Just because I like that style doesn’t mean it is the style God wants to use. That is a stretching process for me.
Craig, it was great meeting you in person in Utica, NY. This post is great! So many pastors and leaders want the easy way out. We’ve become so much like the “do it now, do it fast, just copy the formula” that American culture has become and we’ve almost forgotten what God’s voice sounds like.
TD Jakes’ book “Can You Stand To Be Blessed” is a book I think some other leaders should go and read. We should find out what God has for US. I hope one day we’ll realize while there are some common links, there is no formula.
Craig,
I am s ofeeling this post. I am going to be planting a church and I am excited to discover Gods purpose in this process.
I am passionate about leading people into their full potential in Christ!!
Thanks for the push.
Danny, I pray God directs you with your student ministry! I know He will.
Jon, Glad to hear you are being stretched.
Scott, Thanks.
David, God’s best to you on your church plant!
Steve, It was great to meet you! Blessings to you.
Craig,
Thanks again for your stellar, spirit led leadership in the Body of Christ. I think that God is taking your leadership to a whole new level. Your presentation at Thrive/Bayside last year and your Leadership Summit talk were “off the hook” in every possible dimension. This post is yet another reason that God is honoring your work. Thanks for the focus on Him, not on models. Models are great (and necessary!), but they are not our Mastr.
Craig — I love this post. It so captures the heartbeat of my calling and work with churches — and is what attracted me to join up with Will Mancini and Auxano in the first place.
Thank you for encouraging folks to follow the Spirit and discover their own unique vision, rather than photocopying yours or someone else’s.
A couple of years ago I came to our church as a Youth Pastor and within a year 7 staff resigned, leaving me holding the proverbial bag. God invited me into the Lead role and I got on my face and asked the Spirit for vision and wisdom. He dumped it on my pretty liberally, and I was absolutely pumped. I felt like he’d given me the map to the Holy Grail. I shared all this with a friend and he said, “Oh, that sounds like a book I read!”
“Huh?”
And I realized that other people had been led along similar paths that I could learn from, that the grail wasn’t my exclusive property. But finding other Spirit-inspired people on your trailhead is much different than signing up for a model. I’ve never been much of a model person. Yuck.
I just know that God has “disturbed” me for young adults in our community. I have enjoyed learning about other approaches and models to develop a church that works specifically for our community. Ultimately, it all works to make Jesus famous.
BTW…Craig, thanks for that “disturbed” prayer at Catalyst last year! God disturbed me to start a church here in Franklin, NC! Crazy stuff.
Great post.
Patrick, Wow! So excited to hear about your vision for church planting in Franklin! Go! Go! Go!
Brad, Great story! God often shows us something that He has shown someone else. It seems better when it comes straight from Him.
Steve, Thanks.
John, I am grateful for your generous words. Blessings.
Craig,
I have appreciated what you have been saying along these lines. It has really challenged me. I think many (me included) have taken the whole “there’s nothing new under the sun” thing out of context or have used in a way that has closed us off from the leading of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, I have used it too many times in my past to justify laziness. Thanks for the challenge.
Rusty
This is especially true for our youth ministry at the Northwest campus…
I’ve found it is difficult to allow your ministry to be led by the spirit because you often don’t have anyone to compare to, so it is difficult to know how you are doing. However, if you’re being led by the spirit it shouldn’t matter how you measure up to others…
The initial steps may be difficult but the effects are far-reaching…
Yes! A copy of a copy isn’t very good - and each time its copied it loses something. We are first to copy our lives after Christ. In the music world we like replication because its a truer copy of the original. But you can only replicate from the master. Great post Craig!
I just read “it” and another book called “Launch” by Nelson S. because me and my wife are praying about planting a church on the east coast in the next year or two. Both were well timed for where I am at and this post was as well. I am planning strategy and understanding who God made me to be is vital! Thanks Pastor Craig!
Graig, Thanks for this series of posts. God has really used you to revive my commitment to make history and redefine the way people think about God and His Church.
That will never be accomplished by doing the same things ina different place. Thanks Brother!
whoops, I meant Craig…obviously
good stuff! finding our God-given DNA is difficult when there are so many leaders with great ideas. The temptation is to always go with what has worked for others.
Ok GOD thank you for sending this message via Pastor Craig, You know Lord how much I keep on struggling with this DreamCenter stuff. mabye i am suppost to re invent the wheel9 w/ GODS help of course i would be a ignoramus if i tried to succeed on my own sure itsa great idea but its not your idea for me. Doors keep shutting some others open, gentle reminders from your servants this was great to see today. Thank you LORD and you to Craig
[...] questions. Not just the, “what does that church do?” question. Check this out…SWERVE! Person Craig Groeschel Right click for SmartMenu [...]
RESULTS…
Some people pay for them, others pray for them.
I prefer the latter…
love the fact that we the church are reinventing ourselves and finding that God moves where there are people willing to do His work. love Him love others. grateful for His spirit, grateful we have leaders that know how impossible life is without Him.
good word.
Thank you so much for your insight and truth. I also loved hear you at the Summit last week. Thank you so much
Andy King
http://www.dreamcenterpeoria.org
I always struggled with this (in established chuches) until God called me to plant a church near Tucson, AZ. A helpful book was Visioneering by Andy Stanley. As a result, God has spoken to me over and over again through the Book of Nehemiah about how we are to do church. It is not a copy of another church or ministry, it is an idea God gave me that fits our context. For me, the key was to spend way more time in the Bible than reading other books. Not a criticism of books, because I love to read and glean from others’ experience and insight, but ultimately, the original blueprint for the church comes from the One who died for it and called it into existence.
Craig,
Great point. This is sooo easy to do, to follow patterns that appear to have been successful in other places, only to forget the transforming power of the Spirit’s guidance. Thanks for the reminder. Please pray for Marion Community Church; that God will send workers for the harvest!
Alex
Alex, You bet… I am praying right now for Marion CC. Blessings to you and your ministry.
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Just saw this old post. I’ve enjoyed running into you a few times and was just wondering if you have read Church Unique yet?
[...] [Repost from August 13, 2008] [...]