If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my garden, it’s that something is always going to grow. In the well-tended corners, carefully chosen plants, in nutritious soil, flourish and, in the fullness of time, come to produce real beauty and the kind of good fruit that makes a welcome addition to any meal for me or the wildlife that visits. In the less tended corners, it’s a very different story. Plants still grow but not the particularly fruitful ones: in those places I find the weeds, the out of place – self set – plants that look very wilted and sad – as well as the occasional horse chestnut sapling in an entirely inappropriate place courtesy of the squirrel family living in the tree up the road. Yes, something always grows but what that something is, varies wildly.
Church culture is not wholly dissimilar to my garden. When it comes to a culture of care, something always grows. Sometimes it’s fruitful – sometimes it’s not – but there will always be a culture there.
What can a fruitful culture look like? Imagine this…
A church that cares
Imagine church where everyone is welcome. No-one too broken, or quirky, or culturally different to feel at home. A community where everyone feels able to be honest about the joys and the hardships of life; a church where people know they will be listened to carefully and kindly – a church where every conversation is seasoned with the love of Christ.
Imagine a church where the teaching – on Sundays and midweek – is carefully nuanced so that the unchanging truths of God’s word connect deeply with the hearts of those listening. Where people are not just taught but encouraged, comforted, shown how to turn to the Lord in the ups and downs of life for all the hope and help they need. A community where the truths of the gospel are talked about in normal conversations and friends help friends follow Jesus faithfully on even the hardest of days.
A church where it’s not strange to talk about battles with sin and where a culture of grace infuses every conversation. A community where repentance is embraced as a normal part of the Christian life and everyone is invested in helping their brothers and sisters change to be more like Jesus, in appropriate ways.
Imagine a church where everyone knows what gifts the Lord has given them, is passionate about growing those gifts and using them for the good of the wider church with a heart that is full of humility and care. A community where there is training on offer (or able to be accessed elsewhere) so that everyone can deepen their knowledge, understanding and skill in walking alongside others well.
A church which embodies wisdom and safety in the way it structures care, with a shared understanding of confidentiality, attentiveness to safeguarding and clear communication on display. A community where no-one is left to care alone, where people rally round in wise ways, and share the load of walking alongside one another in ways that make care both beautiful and sustainable. Where pastors are supported and congregation members offered the oversight they need to care well.
A church that grows
It will never be perfect, of course. This side of the new heavens and the new earth, we will always struggle to be the kind of church the Lord call us to be. And once the new heavens and new earth arrive, there won’t be any weeping left to do. But, whilst perfection in pastoral care may elude, every church can grow. The big, the small – the highly structured, the informal – the experienced, the inexperienced in biblical care all have opportunities to become ever more honouring to Christ.
And we hope that our regional conferences in the autumn will be a real blessing to church leaders and church members who want to be part of that pursuit of growth. We are offering 3 Friday afternoons for church leaders – and 3 Saturdays for church members, where we will provide Scripture-saturated envisioning and equipping in the area of growing a culture of care. So, why not join us in Glasgow, Haywards Heath or South Wales. We’d love to see you there.
To book your place, click on the relevant image below to be taken to the event page:
