Through the looking glass: Alan Hirsch

Hirsch has been posting discussions based off his new book The Forgotten Ways. I read the preview chapter and it was really good. I haven’t been able to order the book yet but hope to very soon as it sounds fantastic.
Here is a quote from his post today:

Church consultant Bill Easum is right when he notes that…“Following Jesus into the mission field is either impossible or extremely difficult for the vast majority of congregations in the Western world because of one thing: They have a systems story that will not allow them to take the first step out of the institution into the mission field, even though the mission field is just outside the door of the congregation.” (Unfreezing Moves, 31)

This is in the context of discussing why it’s so difficult for churches to revitalize once they have headed down the road of decline.
He goes on to say this:

The movement that Jesus initiated was an organic people movement, it was never meant to be a religious institution. We must allow this new-yet-ancient systems story to seep into our imaginations and re-inform all our practices. Our organizations need to be re-evangelized.

This is such a true statement in my experience but I honestly struggle a bit since my only practical exposure to “churcheanity” has been in institutional systems. I would love to experience how this works in a real world model.

[tags]Alan Hirsch, the Forgotten Ways, book, Church leadership[/tags]

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