WHAT BOX?
I recently heard Nona Jones say in an interview that, “the Church tends to be incredibly risk-averse. We wait for others to try it first and if it works for them, then maybe we’ll try it for ourselves.” That statement greatly irritated me. Probably because she is right.
In the early years of Victory Churches, Drs. George and Hazel and the pioneering pastors of our movement modeled a, “let’s go first,” risk-taking, outside-the-box mentality that propelled an international movement. The movement was moving. But somewhere along the way, many of us have drifted into the safety of going second. We lost our pioneering edge. It’s time to think outside-the-box again. It’s time to pioneer again. It’s time to go first. We have the foundation to do it.
We have a vision statement that says, “We will reach every available person, by every available means, at every available time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“The box is comfortable and predictable, but will not give us the results we are all longing for.”
“Every available means” gives us the freedom to mess with the methods. It shouts pioneering and trying new things. The message we preach is sacred, the methods that we use are not. One way we can regain our pioneering spirit is by committing to becoming students rather than critics.
Let’s not criticize those who are trying new things. Let’s celebrate them! As long as they are fulfilling our mission, staying true to our vision, and are preaching the Gospel of Jesus, let’s become their biggest raving fans.
Alexander the Great conquered most of the then known world. He literally ran out of mapped territory to conquer. So, he marched his armies right off the map and had them chart as they went. Imagine the risk. There were a lot of uncertainties. They couldn’t chart a course that would guarantee the army would be amply supplied because they were uncertain of where the provisions were. I am sure he faced an enormous amount of critics. Yet, he marched on.
It’s time for us to march off the map as well. It’s time to chart a new course. What will the next 40 years of Victory look like? What are the new “means” we could use to “Reach every available person?”
The box is comfortable. The box is predictable. But the box will not give us the results we are all longing for. As Dr. George has been prodding us, “we’ve dreamed, we’ve lived the dream, it’s time to dream again.”
Pastor Kelly Stickel
MyVictory Church
Lethbridge, AB
MINDCRAFT
A New book by Pastor Kelly Stickel
My Victory Church, Lethbridge, AB - myvictory.ca
This book is a road map on how to renew our mind, remove the fences and create a world without limits.
Available at the victorybookstore | www.victorybookstore.org