Christian Objectives without Biblical Process

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A Chinese church leader once touched on this issue with the comment, “American Christians know how to organize but we know how to pray.” The point I will try to make is somewhat enigmatic so I will begin with an analogy to the optimization of Value Stream Flow, in a business enterprise, by a Lean Transformation.  All types of business – i.e.
manufacturing, service and medical – can be rejuvenated by a Lean Transformation.  Enormous improvements are virtually guaranteed in all business metrics: lead time, inventory turns, productivity, defect rate, floor space, gross margins, working capital, service provider response time, accounts receivable days outstanding, inspection time, customer returns processing time and EBITDA to name a few.  The ultimate objectives of a Lean Transformation may be summarized as: But these objectives don’t include a process for achieving them.  They give no clue as to how they might be achieved.  What we need are process steps that will lead to fulfillment of the objectives.  The primary process steps include: Now we have a road map which, if followed, will lead to accomplishment of the objectives.  Notice the process looks nothing like the objectives; there is a vast difference between a set of objectives and the process required to achieve those objectives.  Also, stating the objectives gives little insight into the nature of a viable process.  But in the absence of such a process, the objectives will never be achieved.
What does this mean for the Church?  It means having Biblical objectives without Biblical process is like ringing a church bell in the vacuum of outer space; no one will hear the ring.  Furthermore, defining the objectives is the easy part, simply a matter of writing down a few sentences.  Defining and executing the process is hard.  Our first inclination is to grow impatient with God, forgo the Biblical process and seek to do his work by the power of the flesh rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We ape the world’s wisdom, trust its forms of publicity and imitate its ways of manipulating men.  We say, “Stand over here on the sidelines God and we will show You how it’s done.”  The objectives of the “Purpose Driven Church” can serve as an example. As expected, there is nothing in these objectives that defines or even points to a process.  Rather than search Scripture for process, we bypass God and use our human intelligence.  What we have to show for our man made processes is the American church in death spiral.  Once the statistics of decline can no longer be ignored, we search for remedial options such as: The first two have been tried and found wanting.  What about number three? Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com http://www.articlesfactory.com/author/Bruce%20McLaughlin.html  .