HPPC Sr. Pastor Ron Scates spoke in staff chapel yesterday about how Christianity isn’t so much about us as individuals as much as it is a collective community. He suggested that Westerners tend to individualize … “Jesus and Me” … what should be a communal … “Jesus and We” … dynamic.
Shane Claiborne, author of Irresistible Revolution, is a self-proclaimed ordinary radical who understands through first-hand experience the power of the collective Body. He and his ragamuffin band of “Lovers” see themselves collectively as the Church doing the right thing(s).
Will Mancini, in his book Church Unique, writes about the tendency of churches to overlook the collective potential of the Body and settle for an inferior, short-sighted “one-to-one relationship between a spiritual gift and a ministry initiative.”
Mancini also provides an interesting note on 1 Corinthians 6:19 that talks about the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit – suggesting that the “you” in the passage isn’t singular, but plural. “Paul is telling the church that their corporate body is the temple, not their individual bodies.” Hmmmm … interesting. That’s not what I’ve always been told. Anyway …
All of this has got me to thinking about my work in church communications as it relates to inspiration, motivation, and call to action. Just who is my audience? The collective whole or a handful of influential motivator/leaders?
The answer, I believe, isn’t an ‘either/or,’ but a ‘both/and.’ The secret is in the order. Speak to the individual first and you’ll reach the whole group. Think smaller to get larger. Here’s how that works:
In radio, we told our advertisers that you aren’t speaking to all of our thousands of listeners. You aren’t even speaking to only those numbers of people specifically interested in your product/service. You’re speaking to just one person. Just one. Channel your energies into compelling motivations that speak to individuals.
You’re engaging in an intimate conversation with one person. One person, multiplied by thousands. Focus on that exchange. As long as we are all committed to a “Jesus and We” approach to ministry (as we should be), we’ll dynamically speak to the whole Body at large.
Anyone have another perspective or insight?
3 comments
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September 6, 2008 at 1:46 pm
cm
That is interesting. Where do they think the group comes from? Doesn’t it start with individuals? Didn’t Jesus start by calling his disciples out by name; just a handful. Sure the group as a whole is powerful, but must be created first by individuals.
September 8, 2008 at 12:16 am
christianjava
Cari,
Thanks for stopping by the ole’ blog. And you’re right. It does begin with individuals … that’s exactly what I was attempting to say. While it begins with us as individuals, our ultimate purpose as the Church is to make an impact for others.
September 13, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Susan Francesconi
Great blog Roland. HPPC Sr. Pastor Ron Scates comments are very excting, and dare I say…catholic…(with a small c of course — meaning “here comes everyone”). We are each a cell in the body of Christ and cannot exist–much less do His work– without the primacy of the Body. Christ’s church began with a community of individuals each of whom certainly enjoyed a personal friendship with Christ, but I think it is the communal aspect which keeps the Church moving forward, discerning God’s will, and being Christ to one another. Christ sent his apostles out in twos, not on their own. And “where two or more are gathered…” points to the necessity of community. At issue is not a “personal relationship” vs. “communal”; it is can we see our role as Christians as “both/and”?