If it can happen here...

Some ladies from my churches recently asked me to read a book called, If It Could Happen Here, by Jeff Patton. Although many of the ideas in this book are not new to me, it was good to see these ideas coming from a fellow United Methodist Pastor. I came away with the following specific things.

1. The church must be committed to quality, even when it is costly or inconvenient. That includes worship, music, preaching, care, fellowship, all aspects of ministry.
2. The only true motivation to grow in the church and in ministry is a result of an honest, open and deep relationship with Jesus.
3. True renewal and change can only come with commitment from the whole congregation, not just the leaders, or pastor.
4. The world requires that we do everything with excellence. We are not competing against other churches, but with Hollywood, the media, video games and the internet.
5. Change is possible in any church. There are not limits to what God can do, or boundaries to where he can work.
6. Evaluation of everything is key.