“Yes, post-Protestant churches see everything as spiritual formation — everything worth doing, that is. Public worship is an exercise in group spiritual formation through rituals like the Eucharist and preaching. Fellowship is exercise in the spiritual practices of community. The success of a church isn’t measured by the numbers who attend but by the formation of people as agents of the Kingdom of God…” – Brian McLaren’s – The Last Word and the Word after That

As I read this I realized how much I agreed with it. I also realized it is how I approach ministry and ecclesiology. I am also realizing that it is different from how others “do” church. There’s the rub.

Perhaps that is why I’m so turned off by the programmatic influence of church growth formulas. It is perhaps why I am so tired by ministry conferences that continue to say the same thing in different ways hoping that pastors, starving for validation, appreciation and recognition, continue to spend $$ and (more importantly time) to travel to the conferences to learn about the next big thing (NBT) that will transform their church, their ministries and their lives.

Ah…to be able to sit back, bask in God’s glory, experience his presence and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)