Movement Christianity

Dr. Ed Stetzer, Director LifeWay Research

If and when…Movemental Christianity happens

in North America, I believe it will consist of 10 elements.

PrayerToo often, placed first out of habit—not conviction.

True movemental Christianity—prayer will have to come first.

Ask God to change us.

IntentionalityWe need to show the intention of being movemental.

At the moment, our focus is defensive and incremental – not intentional.

SacrificeNo change comes without giving something up.

No movement will happen until pressure is applied to move the church from the place of being static to a body of believers in action.

ReproducibilityMovements do not occur through large thingsBig budgetsBig teams

Movements occur through small units that are readily reproducibleReproducibility has to be seen at every level.

ReproducibilitySuch reproduction requires that we resist the grandiose in favor of the reproducible.

Theological IntegrityChurches wanting to be involved in transformative movemental Christianity hold firm and passionate positions on biblical views.

Theological IntegrityThe Baptists won the Western Frontier because they were passionate about their beliefs.

The Pentecostals are not de-emphasizing what they believe to win Central America.

Incarnation

EmpowermentMovements only occur when the disempowered are given the freedom, and then take up the responsibility, to lead.

EmpowermentIn our case, the clergification of the church has marginalized those God has called—all people.

The marginalization disturbs and satisfies pastors at the same time.

EmpowermentPastors are disturbed because they

cannot get others to do the work.

They are satisfied because they are affirmed for doing the work others should be doing.

For many pastors, their identity is tied up in the affirmation that comes from a disempowered church.

EmpowermentSuch co-dependence is the death-knell of movemental Christianity.

EmpowermentInstead…

ordinary believers need to be expected and trained to participate in the ordinary activity of living a life surrendered to God and His movement to redeem a lost world.

CharityMovemental Christianity is messy. Those involved in it make mistakes.

Nobody gives her or his life for a bland belief system.

A movement of God cannot be contained in a single movement or even theological tradition

CharityIt requires charity to hold firmly held convictions while rejoicing for and speaking well about, those who hold other convictions and are being greatly blessed by God.

ScalabilityMovements often are stifled within smaller communities because of the small mindedness of local believers.

When God begins to move, and believers allow movement Christianity to begin to grow, structures must be able to rapidly re-size to not stifle such movements.

ScalabilityIn many cases, movements will break out of structures.

ScalabilityOften, organizations created to facilitate structures loose their scalability—thereby hindering the movement.

These structures become bottlenecks rather than catalysts.

WholismThe modern evangelical separation of

gospel proclamation and societal transformation is an historical oddity.

Movemental Christianity practices holistic ministry much in the way of Jesus.

Current movements and historical awakenings are and were accompanied by societal transformation.

ConclusionI do not hold the keys to movement Christianity…but I do yearn for it.