Burns is a good church. More than that—I think Burns is a great church! Honesty compels me to admit that Burns is not a perfect church. James Hinkle always likes to say that the biggest room in anyone’s house is the room for improvement.
Do you want Burns to be a better place? I do.
OK, so maybe you don’t go to Burns—here’s the spot where you change the name to your own congregation!
In Thom Rainer’s book called I Am a Church Member, he described six commitments that individuals in a congregation can make to improve the church as a whole as well as their personal experience with it. Here’s an adaptation for us:
I will be a functioning church member. Every member of the body has a job to do. You can improve our church by doing whatever it is that you were designed to do. Read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.
I will be a unifying church member. Too many churches have been torn down by gossips and fighters. You can honor Jesus prayer in John 17 by fighting for unity.
I will not let church be about my preferences and desires. We all have them; we all like our own. We need to realize that the kingdom is bigger than me. Paul said he’d give up eating meat for life if it would help a brother out. Read Romans 14.
I will pray for my church leaders. Want a better preacher? Pray for me! Want better elders? Pray for them! Want a better country? Listen to scripture and pray for the king! (See 1 Timothy 2, James 5, and other passages on prayer.)
I will lead my family to be healthy church members. The spirit of Christ must live in your home if he is going to live in your church. Cultivate a mentality not of serve-us, but service. Read Ephesians 5-6.
I will treasure my participation in this church as a gift. It is a gift to be part of the body of Christ. Let’s make sure that we speak and act like this is true.
Will you join me in making these six commitments to making Burns a better place? What would you add to the list?
(Check the blog post that inspired the book and this article.)