Don’t be Afraid to Organize

Lagos Pastor
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

Years ago one of my pastors said that he viewed the church as a spiritual organization. That stuck in my head for a long time. Wineskins with wine. Burrows waiting to be filled with water. Borrowed vessels gathered for oil. Scripture is replete with the concept of using a planned structure to receive and optimally use what God pours out.

Decades later I wondered in my heart what was the best way to go. Should we run churches like organizations at all? and how much of classic organizational principles of corporate organizations are sufficient to incorporate into the running of our local assemblies?

In my experience, structure can often times prophecy the move of God. I love how Mark accounts for the organization that happens before the miracle with the loaves and fishes.

“Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.”-Mark‬ ‭6:39–40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

‭‭“And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”-Exodus‬ ‭25:40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I haven’t led a church for too long but I am always amazed at the growth and freshness that comes as we learn to organize better. Sometimes just little nudges of the heart or whispers to the soul. Sometimes new waves of wisdom leading to big changes of structure. It is amazing how the prayer of consecration can sometimes be reflected in an organizational chart or a process map!

When do I know what to organize? Sometimes it is the unintentional spilling of wine and the evidence of wasted effort that precipitates the procurement of new wineskin.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.””-Mark‬ ‭2:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Other times it is the grumbling of the neglected necessities or just the groans as old processes and practices let the team down.

“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.”-Acts‬ ‭6:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I think one of the biggest keys for me is remaining flexible and humble. The biggest principle for planning is letting God lead. After all this is His work and these are His people.

I pray for you Pastor, that you will be bold to build the ark as God is directing. I pray for you dear minister that you will put your house in order and repair the altars so God’s fire can fall. I pray that you will take whatever God has given you and frame it in the best possible way that allows it be a blessing to those God sends your way. I pray that you would let God organize your heart. That you would let him arrange both your thoughts and desires like a Silicon Valley programmer developing code.

You are in due season sir. Hold on. The harvest is plenty.

I love you dearly and pray you hear our Fathers approval this week. You are doing a great job.

Yours in His service,

A Lagos Pastor.

Written by

I am a pastor. I live in Lagos. Love Jesus a lot. Married with kids. I have stories, some questions, bright thoughts and some dark moments. I will share…

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