Developing Productive Christians

In football at some point you have to play with the players you have. If you are going to win you have to develop whatever players you have.

Congregations are the same way. Elders cannot lament that the church will not be what it needs to be because of a dearth of talent. Elders must work with whatever members are in the congregation. Effective Christians are not born (per se), they are made. That takes patience.

Mike Sherman believed in playing talented freshmen even though he might have an upperclassman with more experience at the position. He believed in playing talent. He stated that talent only gets better with experience and you can only get experience by getting in the game.

Certainly that is a biblical concept. Jesus taught that you pruned productive vines so that they would produce more. Non productive wood was removed.

The perils of advancing a young player over an older player is that the older player may become jealous and get his feelings hurt. If you have a good “locker room” where players/members have bought into the concept of team first, i.e. the church comes first and whatever personal sacrifices I have to make I will make, then it should not be an issue.

Sherman said that to be successful in football you have to have talent at three positions; Quarterback, left Offensive Tackle and a pass rushing Defensive End. If you had those three you could succeed with average talent in the other positions.

Congregations have to be strong and innovative in preaching and teaching. They must also have strong leadership and a strong cadre of women.

Christians develop by having a comprehensive understanding of the whole Bible; New Testament and Old Testament. That requires teachers that are well versed in the scriptures. Leaders stimulate members to works of service and lead by example.

Women are the backbone of the congregation. They teach the children’s classes, they take care of the widows, they schedule the baby and wedding showers and push their husbands to do what needs to be done.

Successful congregations develop their members, strong Christians have a powerful impact in the community.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”