The Second Pivot Churches Must Make During The Great Re-Evaluation

by Mark Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

NOTE – This is the fourth in a series of articles growing out of Mark’s new presentation on The Current Situation. We plan to release a video soon to serve as a learning tool for churches and their leadership. Mark has started giving presentations and training experiences with The Current Situation. Contact us to explore options.

The first pivot is Getting Ourselves To Good Space (https://www.pinnlead.com/blog/2022/10/6/get-yourself-to-good-space). Then we are far more able to engage this second pivot without excessive baggage or while in a state of exhaustion.

Pivot #2 - Let’s clarify the Why and the What of Our Calling as Churches.

The Why is simple – because we’ve tasted of the Lord and found that the Lord is good. God so loved the world, us, that God brought new life through God’s son Jesus Christ. We are beloved children of God who are waking up to grace, growth, and purpose through the extravagant, over the top love of God as expressed through Jesus Christ.

That’s why we are in this, because of God’s exceptional love… which brings us to the what of our calling.

Transformation

Yes, God loves us just as we are, accepting and welcoming us into community with God and God’s Church.

AND, God loves us too much to leave us as we are.

God is actively transforming ordinary human beings, you and I, into reflections of Jesus Christ.

God is actively transforming churches into greater expressions of the body of Christ.

God is actively transforming this world toward the kingdom of God, the reign of God here on earth as it is in heaven.

God is calling our churches to participate with God’s transformation, to serve as a primary instrument, a partner with God transforming of individuals, churches, and communities toward the kingdom of God.

Now, here is the opportunity embedded in this pivot around the Why and the What….

Mission-drift happens. Over time, churches inadvertently take their eyes off the purpose, drifting into the belief that our churches exist to make us comfortable or happy or to affirm our way of life or to confirm our notions about life. When we drift into that kind of thinking, then we grow upset or irritated when our churches challenge us, calling us toward growth or transformation. Conversely, when we pivot, clarifying our calling as churches, recognizing God is calling us into transformation, then we expect our churches to call us forward, challenging us toward transformation.

And that’s the genius of the gospel. It’s when we are being transformed, it’s when we are participating with God’s transformation of our churches and our communities… this is when we come alive. This is when we find comfort and joy and energy in our faith… when we are participating with God’s transformation. Disciples of Jesus who see transformation as our calling expect to be different as a result of participating with their churches. Now is the time to clarify the why and the what of our calling, making this second pivot.

NOTE – Watch for the third pivot in the next blog post.