如何改变你的教会
在我本系列文章的第一篇你为什么改变不了你的教会？，我论证说，一般来说如果你不是你教会的牧师，你就不能在任何根本的方面改变你的教会。第二篇文章中什么时候你可以改变你的教会，我探索了几种看起来是例外的情形，包括几样真正的例外。这篇文章中我要回答这个问题，“那么如果我在一家急需改变的教会，我能做些什么？”
很明显这个问题没有统一答案。每一家教会都不相同，每一个问这个问题的人都不一样。所以在这篇文章中我不打算给你适用全部情形，照着去做就可以的指引。我也不打算讨论日光之下的各种情形。我而是要尝试提出一些建议，是相当适用于许多教会里的许多人身上的。
如何改变你的教会
首先是一个普遍原则：尽量多地发掘你与你的教会、带领的一致之处，尽可能多地贡献你的精力，在这些一致的方面做服事的工作。
如果你在拣选这个问题上不认同你的教会领袖，至少你能和他们有这一点的认同，就是人要得救就需要相信福音，所以去做传福音的工作吧。如果你不认同你的教会在事奉方面采用实用主义的方法，至少你能认同这些活动的本意是要服侍人，帮助他们在基督里成熟，所以不管是否使用这些活动，都去服事其他人，使人作主门徒。
我的要点是，你很容易抓住你不认同的那10%，忽视了你认同的90% — 而根据那90%，你在数不尽的方面是能与人一起喜乐服事的。那如果比例更接近五五开，那又怎样，我会在本系列最后一篇文章里简单讲一讲这个问题。
现在继续讲具体问题。以下几方面的服事，是大多数教会里的大多数人，靠着神的恩典，能够并且应该去做的，以此可以帮助教会成长得更健康。
1. 讲台下面座位上的服事
第一、讲台下面座位上的服事。（我鼓励你去读Colin Marshall在这个问题上那篇极好的文章。）这方面基本的观念就是，每次教会聚集都是服事别人的机会。这是欢迎访客的机会，与一位和朋友一起来教会的非基督徒分享福音的机会，帮助在幕后做事的机会，发现和分担别人重担的机会，激发其他人的爱心，勉励行善的机会（来10:24-25）。
所以从消费者转变为生产者吧。不要把上教会看作是获得个人信仰经历的时候，很是把它看作是一个罕有珍贵的机会，可以在如此短时间内服事如此多的人。
如果你的教会患上 20/80综合症：20%的人做80%的工作，你在讲台下面座位上的服事就不应仅仅是帮助有需要的事奉可以做成，还是树立一个榜样，让人可以效法。经过一段时间，谁知道你会训练多少人作主门徒，使他们在教会里做更积极和无私的服事？我会在下面更深入讲这个问题。
最后，正是这种安静、努力、采取主动的服事，在经过一段时间之后能赢取人的尊重和信任，有时甚至让人来听你提出的新主张。
2. 聘牧委员会的服事
第二，聘牧委员会的服事。很明显，很少人有机会参加遴选下一任牧师的委员会。（实际上我认为教会甚至不应该有“遴选下一任牧师的委员会”，但那是另外一个问题，目前我们只能按已有的去尽力做。）但如果你的教会需要找一位主要的传道牧师，那么再也没有比做工去呼召一位忠心、敬虔解释神话语的人出来事奉，是更具战略意义，可以改变你教会的方法了。
在聘牧委员会里，小小的领导力都能发挥大作用。所以我建议你开始的时候，要考虑一位信得过的牧师的推荐，而不是撒网去收一大堆简历。这个建议很有可能会得到人认同，因为至少它可以减轻委员会的工作量。要在一开始的时候就列出一份关于资格条件和优先次序的合乎圣经的清单。这可以指引委员会的注意力转移到正确方向上，也可以有助预防人提出不符合圣经的偏好，抹杀一个敬虔、合圣经资格的人的候选资格。
但我的要点是：无论你能怎样合理影响教会对下一任牧师的选择，那就发挥你的影响吧。当然不是人人都可以参加讲台委员会，但在大多数教会里，每一位成员都有某种发言权，可以表达对由谁来担任下一任牧师的看法。所以请你有智慧地作这份责任的好管家，并且履行这种责任。
3. 祷告的服事
第三，祷告的服事。为着你所在的教会，这从神而来的恩赐赞美神。为着祂为了祂自己的荣耀，呼召一群人出来的奇妙计划赞美祂，为着祂绝不离弃祂的教会，不让撒但胜过祂的教会的应许赞美祂。
更贴近实际来说，为着你的教会感恩。感恩把苦毒和抱怨连根拔起，如果你充满热情要改变教会，苦毒和抱怨这些试探会紧跟着你。所以为着你能找到的神在教会中施恩的每一样证据感恩。
承认你自己的罪，你伤害了教会的地方。为你的教会代求。求神赐给你以全教会范围为出发点的分辨力、爱心、合一、谦卑和忍耐。求神让你的教会在认识祂的话语、顺服祂的话语方面有长进。不断祷告，并且相信神会动工。
你也许不能改变你的教会，但神能。所以祷告吧。
4. 个人门徒训练的服事
第四，个人门徒训练的服事。不要聚焦在“教会”有什么问题，而要聚焦在你能怎样帮助教会个别的成员在恩典上有长进。你能通过帮助教会成员在对圣经的认识，对基督的爱，对教会的爱，服事他们的家人，勇敢传福音，还有更多更多方面有长进，以此来改变你的教会。
你无需要求任何人批准才能开始进行门徒训练。从求别人灵里的益处开始。建立以彼此帮助在基督里长进为中心的关系。吃饭的时候，或在周末的时候，和其他教会成员一起通读圣经的书卷。问察验人心的属灵问题，通过你自己透明和谦卑作人，为其他人树立榜样。
简而言之，你能改变教会的单一个最有效方法，就是你自己去帮助别人与基督的形象相符。
5. 做榜样的服事
第五和最后一点，做榜样的服事。改变一间教会的最有效方法，就是不断在基督里有长进，定意去作其他人的榜样。这当然是与门徒训练并肩同行的。
你也许不能改变你教会的领导架构，但你能树立谦卑顺服教会领袖、使他们的工作满有喜乐（来13:17）的榜样。你可能不能改变你的牧师，让他转变来作释经式讲道，但你能作爱圣经爱得充满感染力的榜样，让你的这种爱满溢，洒在别人身上。
你可不要树立自己作为模式，生出一小群门徒，是更忠心于你，超过对教会的忠心。你而要树立起一种效果完全相反的榜样。你的生命应该是在教会里忠心、建造合一的服事的榜样，以致其他人从你这个榜样学到的，不仅是如何在个人敬虔方面长进，还在如此成为一位好的教会成员方面有长进。
换言之，你应该树立的那种榜样是，如果教会里面每一个人都效法这种榜样，这就会让你所在的教会更健康、更合一，更委身于彼此的益处。
再多一个需要澄清的问题
你可能不能改变所有你希望教会要有所改变的事，但我想上面这份清单已经足以让我们大多数人忙个不停了。
还有一个问题是我需要澄清的：你怎样才能谦卑和甘心面对一家有严重问题，很有可能不会改变的教会？我只能提供最简短和最概括的回答，但我希望接下来讨论这个问题，让我们思想应该如何忍耐你在教会里改变不了的事。
How to Change Your Church (Part 3 of 4)
In my first post in this series你为什么改变不了你的教会？ I argued that in the normal course of things, if you’re not the pastor of your church you can’t change your church in any fundamental ways. In the second post 什么时候你可以改变你的教会 I explored several seeming exceptions to this, including a couple that really are.
In this post, I want to answer the question, “Well then, what can I do if I’m in a church that seriously needs to change?”
Obviously, there are no one-size-fits-all answers to this question. Every church is different, and every person asking the question is different. So in this post I’m not giving universal, take-it-to-the-bank directions. Nor am I trying to speak to every situation under the sun. Instead, I’ll try to offer a few suggestions that should apply pretty well to many people in many churches.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR CHURCH
First, a general principle: find as much common ground as you can with your church and its leaders, and invest as much of your energy as you can doing ministry on that common ground.
If you disagree with your church’s leaders about election, at least you agree with them that people need to believe the gospel to be saved—so evangelize. If you disagree with your church’s programmatic approach to ministry, at least you agree that programs are meant to serve people and help them mature in Christ—so serve others and make disciples, whether through a program or not.
My point is that it’s easy to become fixated on the 10 percent you disagree about and ignore the 90 percent you agree on—and the countless ways you can joyfully minister together on the basis of that 90 percent. What if it’s more like a 50-50 split? I’ll address that briefly in my final post in this series.
Now on to some specifics. Here are several ministries which most people in most churches can exercise that should, by God’s grace, help a church grow healthier.
1. The Ministry of the Pew
First, the ministry of the pew. (I’d encourage you to check out Colin Marshall’s superb article on this.) The basic idea here is that every gathering of the church is an opportunity to serve others. It’s an opportunity to welcome a visitor, to share the gospel with a non-Christian who came with a friend, to help make things happen behind the scenes, to discover and bear others’ burdens, and to stir up others to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24-25).
So shift from being a consumer to being a producer. Don’t view church as a time for a private religious experience, but as a rare, precious opportunity to serve so many people in such a short time.
If your church suffers from the 20/80 syndrome—20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work—then your ministry of the pew should not only help necessary ministry to get done, but also set an example for others to follow. Over time, who knows how many people you might disciple into more active, selfless service in the church? More on that below.
Finally, this type of quiet, diligent, initiative-taking service is just the kind of thing that, over time, earns respect, trust, and sometimes even a hearing for new ideas.
2. The Ministry of the Pulpit Committee
Second, the ministry of the pulpit committee. Obviously, few people will have the chance to sit on a search committee. (Actually I don’t think churches should even have “search committees,” but that’s another story—and we have to do what we can with what we have.) But if your church is in need of a main preaching pastor, there is no more strategic way you can change your church than by working to call a faithful, godly expositor of the Word.
In a pulpit committee, a little leadership can go a long way. So suggest that you begin with the recommendation of a trusted pastor instead of hauling in a heap of resumes. That may well meet with approval, if only because it reduces the committee’s workload. And propose a biblical list of qualifications and priorities early on. That may point the committee’s focus in the right direction, as well as help prevent unbiblical preferences from torpedoing a godly, qualified man’s candidacy.
But my main point is this: however you can reasonably influence your church’s next choice of a pastor, do it. Of course not everyone will get to sit on a pulpit committee, but in most churches, every member will have some kind of say in who the next pastor will be. So steward—and leverage—that responsibility wisely.
3. The Ministry of Prayer
Third, the ministry of prayer. Praise God for the gift of your church. Praise him for his marvelous plan to call out a people for his glory, and his promise never to leave his church or let Satan triumph over it.
And, even more to the point, give thanks for your church. Thanksgiving pulls up bitterness and complaining by the roots—and if you passionately want to change your church, those temptations will be close at hand. So give thanks for every evidence of God’s grace in the church that you can come up with.
Confess your own sins, the ways you’ve wronged the church. And intercede for your church. Ask God to give your whole church discernment, love, unity, humility, patience. Ask God to give your leaders wisdom and courage. Ask God to grow your church’s understanding of, and obedience to, his Word. Pray constantly. And trust that God will work.
You may not be able to change your church, but God can. So pray.
4. The Ministry of Personal Discipling
Fourth, the ministry of personal discipling. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with “the church,” focus on how you can help individual members of the church grow in grace. You can change your church by helping members grow in their understanding of Scripture, love for Christ, love for the church, service to their families, boldness in evangelism, and more.
And you don’t need to ask anyone’s permission to start discipling. Just start pursuing others’ spiritual good. Build relationships that are centered on mutually helping each other grow in Christ. Read through books of the Bible with other church members over lunch or on the weekend. Ask probing spiritual questions and set an example for others through your own transparency and humility.
In short, perhaps the single most effective way you can change your church is to personally help others be conformed to the image of Christ.
5. The Ministry of a Personal Example
Fifth and finally, the ministry of a personal example. One of the most effective ways to change a church is to be constantly growing in Christ and deliberately serving as a model for others. This of course goes hand in hand with discipleship.
You may not be able to change your church’s leadership structure, but you can set an example of humbly submitting to the leaders and making their job a joy (Heb. 13:17). You may not be able to convert your pastor to expositional preaching, but you can model an infectious love for the Scriptures that spills over to others.
You don’t want to set yourself up as a model in a way that creates a little troop of disciples who are more devoted to you than to the church. Instead, you example should have just the opposite effect. Your life should be such a model of faithful, unity-building service in the church that what other people learn from your example is not just how to grow in personal piety, but how to be a good church member.
In other words, you should set the kind of example that, if everyone in the church followed it, would make your church healthier, more unified, and more committed to each others’ good.
ONE MORE LOOSE END
You might not be able to change everything in your church that you want to, but I think this list is more than enough to keep most of us busy.
There is still one loose end I want to tie up: how do you humbly and contentedly deal with a church that has serious problems and in all probability isn’t going to change? I can offer only the briefest and most general of answers, but I hope to do that in my final post in this series.
作者：Bobby Jamieson
Bobby Jamieson 是九标志英文事工的助理编辑，第三大道浸信会成员，毕业于美南浸信会神学院。
用圣经视野和实用资源装备教会领袖
进而通过健康的教会向世界彰显神的荣耀
许可声明： 本平台内容归健康教会九标志版权所用。如果你想在微信等网络使用，请务必注明内容出处。
▼▼▼更多本平台原创好文章