Communities of Grace, part 4

Grace is usually easier to see from a far than is ungrace, which can be subtle until you are in the midst of it, but there are some specific trends that you can point to among churches that clearly emphasize grace in life and word. As in the last post, I have narrowed those markers to just a handful for brevity sake.

(1) Jovial Leadership –> Communities almost always take on the character of their leader and so to be and breed a community of grace must start from the top and work its way down. Environments where the leadership has been grumpy, overly serious, consistently stressed, etc. you will find a community that resembles him. But where the leadership can joke, laugh, and enjoy life and ministry you will find a community that embraces grace and joy as well. There is indeed a place for seriousness, and especially as a pastor there are seasons of seriousness. But when you can’t laugh at yourself, laugh with your people, and share joy then you have not understood the gospel and you will breed censorious and grumpy people. Leadership should laugh.

(2) A Kingdom-Mindset/Missional Church –> A church that can look beyond itself, out the four walls of its context and see lost people is a healthy church. This church will avoid the pitfalls of legalism as it strives to engage its community with the life saving power of Jesus Christ. Any church that shares the gospel will find its fulfillment and excitement in that task and not in its own self-preservation and promotion. Missions makes a humble church and humility leads to grace.

(3) Diverse in Appreciation –> Here I have in mind a church that can appreciate God’s truth, grace, and work wherever it may be found. They may have their own specific affiliations (Southern Baptist, PCA, Calvinist, Arminian, Dispensational, Amillennial, etc.) but they refuse to be stuffed into boxes and isolated from the rest of Christ’s people. These churches can appreciate the work of God across camps and denominations. These people can learn from business men, construction workers, journalists, scientists, as well as preachers, missionaries, and classical theologians. Their commitment to the Bible isn’t diminished, but they use their Bible to help them look at the world around them and find truth wherever it may be found (All Truth is God’s Truth). Where one camp, one denomination, one group rules over, solely influences, and determines a church’s thinking there will be ungrace brewing in the background. We learn from all of God’s prophets, wherever and whoever they might be.