The “Good Guys’ chose loving one another as their strategy. They included practical ideas such as “praying for one another, mentoring new believers, holding each other accountable, and friendship evangelism.”

The “Bad Guys” strategy was to keep believers from doing what God wants. So their list included “causing divisions through arguments, encouraging power struggles, encouraging people to think of their own needs, making church leaders look foolish and the church irrelevant, etc.”

The exercise was revealing. We concluded that, with a few exceptions, the “Bad Guys” are winning the battle here in North America. The thought made us uneasy, yet we were also genuinely puzzled as to how we could make a difference.

Today, I feel that same uncertainty. I know Christ has put me here to tell others about him, but the task is too immense for me to tackle alone….

Read the entire article " Good Guys, Bad Guys, and a Longing for the Kingdom" as a pdf file.

(This is the 4th article in a series of 4 called "21st Century Pilgrim" articles. They were first published in the Canadian Baptist in 1994.)

Read the rest of this 4-part series:

"But What About Those Gates of Hell?" as a pdf. 1st in the series of 4 "21st Century Pilgrim" articles.

"Mary or Martha, Which One Am I?" – 2nd in the series of 4 "21st Century Pilgrim" articles.

"What Should We Do About Those Lost Sheep, Lord?" 3rd in the series of 4 "21st Century Pilgrim" articles.

He agreed with me. From his recent reading he had decided small groups were needed. "But," he continued with disarming honesty, "I don't really know how."

I believe a lot of pastors and leaders are in the same position. An abundance of evidence shows that those churches who are using small groups effectively are growing in both converts and committed believers. But it is very hard to take the first step, particularly if you yourself have never been involved in a vital support group.

I'm not talking about the Bible study where one person (often the pastor) does all the talking, a few people pray long prayers covering a number of requests, you sing a hymn and go home. I'm talking about small groups of people who become involved in one another's lives.

"I don't need to go to a church," someone said to me recently. "I get enough in my own living room watching the service on T.V." Or what about this statement? "I am blessed by the services at my church. I get everything I need from them." Both of these people have watched a service. Both may have learned more about the Bible or about God and felt spiritually uplifted. But both are missing the point.

The church is not the building. We know that. But neither is it the service on Sunday. The church is the people. Individuals. Those you instinctively like and those you have grown to dislike. Those whose theology you agree with and those you believe to be misinformed. Those who are up front leading the singing or teaching Sunday school and those who sneak out the second the service is over so no one will ask them to become involved…." 

Read the rest of The Magic of Small Groups as a pdf.

I have often been struck with the parallels between what I am doing in the business world and the needs of the church. In many ways, the cell church movement is all about the reengineering of the church….

Read the rest of this article "Reengineering the Church" by Les Lindquist as a pdf.