Get the Healed Back in the Fight!
/Traveling in church circles I hear the latest cliches, buzzwords, and missional ideologies. Sometimes these things are even worth remembering. Most of the time these words/cliches/ideas change quickly enough that there is really no need to try to remember them. However one of these ideas that has taken root has the theme of the church being a hospital or emergency ward for the hurt and wounded of the world. Ok, I admit, I’ve actually used that idea to convey to my former church congregation that I’d like our church to be that type of place, a place of healing for hurt people. It’s a noble idea, conveys empathy, and is in part what the church should be. The fact that I’ve heard this Hope expressed in many churches leads me to believe that those who early promoted this vision have been quite successful in getting their message heard and embraced. I’m thankful for those who, rightfully so, have received much-needed help and hope in the church as a healing place. I never want to diminish the need individuals have for healings beyond the physical. Many come into the church with emotional or psychological needs that must be met by the sincere ministry of the body.
Yet, with all due respect, the church must be much more than a hospital. I’m concerned based on my observation that many churches have accepted the hospital view as their singular role of ministry. “We are here to heal you and help you.” Because of this, the church has lost something important, the ability to create, equip, and send an army of Christian soldiers into the world. Hospitals, Urgent Care, and Trauma Centers are important but if they do their job adequately people leave healed and healthy. People reengage fruitful life. Sadly, too often we create long-term in-residence patients who apparently are not prepared to engage the world in which they have been called and ordained to bear fruit. Preparing individuals to live and communicate their faith is a primary role of the church. It’s called “equipping.” So, Instead of continuously entertaining and rehearsing old wounds to offer validation should we not try to empty the hospital of long-term residents. The bed space is needed for the newly hurt and wounded that may come to us.
Our process must be to get the previously wounded to the front lines of ministry. This requires us to rediscover another role of the church, the call to reach the lost. “The highways and the hedges“ are calling to us. This rediscovery requires a turning of our attention and the majority of our efforts from an inward to an outward focus.
Let me suggest we ministers spend time pointing the eyes and hearts of our people again to the harvest and preparing them to engage the lost. Once again, from my perspective, I hear very little of this being emphasized from the pulpit. Let me make the following recommendations as we seek to make this shift. (Adapted from Ps Kong Choke Kee)
Seek God for an evangelistic burden
Affirm consistent Christian living in view of unbelievers
Teach bridge building from believer to unbeliever
Memorize and internalize the Gospel especially as it relates to soul winning
Be sensitive to openings to present the gospel
Create opportunities to present the gospel
Trust God with the results
To make a long story short, let’s be healers but let’s get the healed back in the fight!