if I were not a pastor

Every once in a while, I think about what life would be like if I were not in vocational ministry. I wonder what kind of church I would be a part of. I think that some of the things that would be important to me would be:

· Outwardly focused – cannot be a self-serving church.
· Innovative – can’t be bound by tradition.
· Connected with the community- has to be involved (hands on) in the lives of people in the area.
· A global vision – has to be involved in reaching people around the world.
· Passionate about worship – must be serious about living in the presence of God.
· Committed to Truth – a no-compromise approach to the practice of the Scriptures.
· Grace based - a loving, accepting and forgiving church culture.
· Generous – giving away more resources than we keep.
· Dangerous – not afraid to take great risks for God.
· Life-giving – an unstoppable drive to bring the redemptive message of Jesus to our culture.

Since doing something other than ministry is not an option for me, I hope that this is the kind of church that I serve. If these things would be important to me as a church member, they are important to me as a pastor. I can be happy in a church like that.