Finding Our Niche
You have heard me say it before, but I will say it again: Lindsay Christian Church cannot do everything, but what it can do, it can and must do well. What is it that our church is uniquely suited to do? That question is important not only to our sense of identity but to our sense of mission and purpose. Discovering and developing our purpose is the key to our church's future.
Let's begin with what we cannot do. We cannot offer all the wide-ranging ministries that many larger churches can--self-help groups of various sorts, marriage enrichment seminars, singles ministries, substance abuse programs, varied youth activities. We are certainly open to new and innovative ideas, but at the present time we have neither the people nor the resources to provide these types of ministries.
We cannot offer people a contemporary worship service complete with worship leader, praise band.
We cannot offer people quick and easy solutions to their problems.
So, what can we do? We can offer preaching that is Christ-centered, biblically-based, and intelligent. Many people come to Lindsay Christian Church because they know they will hear preaching that will challenge them. They come to this church because they know they will hear preaching based on sound biblical scholarship. They come to Lindsay Christian Church because they know they will hear preaching that will cause them to think, and think again.
We can offer an atmosphere of grace where freedom to think, question, doubt, and grow exists, without the threat of being censured or judged. What an important gift this ministry is!
But more important than finding our niche is finding our soul. What we do should always be the expression of who we are, What God has joined together, let no one separate.
Paul Leavens PHD