The 4-M Church Reaffirming the Relational Foundation of What it Means to be the Body of Christ

Ministry Methodology The focus—motivating force—of many congregations today is the methods that we employ to carry on the life and work of the church.

Quite often that focus is upon maintaining the organization of the local congregation rather than fulfilling the Great Commission. We spend most of our time, talents, and financial resources to keep the organization running instead of being motivated by a passion for and commitment to lead people to a personal relationship with Christ and then grow with one another into the fullness of Christ.

Maintaining the organization does not necessarily mean fulfilling the mission! If we are not fulfilling the mission, the organization is not functioning as God ordained, and we become like one of the churches in the book of Revelation!

When “how church is done” becomes more important than fulfilling the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandments, the congregation is on a dangerous path. When “doing” becomes more important than “being,” eternal focus can be lost.

How Jesus performed ministry was determined by: His Father’s Wisdom The Needs of the Moment The Resources Available Jesus was not a slave to methods, but flexible in how He addressed the needs of people. The Ministry of Jesus

Most ministry can be accomplished through a variety methods. The first question with which we must deal is not “How are we going to do what we do?” but, rather, “What is it that God really wants us to do?”

Effective Congregational Ministry  Be flexible  Maintain a spirit of love; avoid self-centeredness  Identify the needs of your sphere of ministry  Study the variety of methods available  Employ methods which can be meaningfully executed with available resources  Be willing to change methods for optimum effectiveness  Maintain a perspective that never abandons the message of Love and the fulfillment of the Kingdom Mission as the foundation of congregational life

Methods are servants of ministry Ministry is performed to fulfill the Mission of Christ We are called to fulfill the Mission in a God-honoring way—in the spirit of Divine Love—because that is who we are!

Method What we do - Ministries, work assignments Ministry What we intend to accomplish in service Mission What informs, challenges, and reforms ministry and methods Message Our identity; who we are - Love God; Love others The Four “M” Church - We build from this Foundation -

SHAPE Growth Through Connection