Context

Don’t allow other churches to create your context. Especially local churches. Why do you need 3 or 4 churches in the same area all doing the exact same thing in the exact same way? 

It becomes somewhat easier when you realize that it’s not a competition. We are here to complement each other. God has created different people differently – by intention. Each human is a unique work of art in His eyes. Similarly, each church is a unique expression of God’s love, because each church is a collection of unique humans. Every church that hasn’t gone off the rails has things in common. The Great Commandment. The Great Commission. The incredible and universe-changing sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the miracle of His resurrection. 

But style, systems/techniques, cultural differences and the like offer options for tremendous variety – in effect, God has created a magnificent frame in which we draw our very limited pictures. Pictures which nonetheless are beautiful to Him.

So figure out how you can best and uniquely serve the people that God assigns you to. Because you were specifically designed to do that very thing…