ME To WE

I have just finished another book entitled Me to We: A Pastor's Discovery of the Power of Partnership by Alan Nelson. Wow! It knocked my socks off. The author articulated a point of view I have held for some time. I just wasn't able to express it very well. His premise is basic, "the congregation's journey for change starts with the pastor changing internally what he thinks and externally how he functions" (p. 26). He talks about training and equipping people for service/ministry. "The church is about the only place in society where you don't have to have any training to be involved in a role" (p. 68). He goes on to say, "Raise the bar . . .Most churches guilt people into service, don't train them adequately, and then they wonder why people don't last long" (p. 68)

If the church is to be vital in the 21^st Century, then we must rethink how we do ministry. It isn't paying the staff to do it while the majority of the congregation seeks to be served. Rather it is the paid staff equipping the congregation to do ministry, following Moses' and Jesus' model.

I am going to use this book in a small group or two. Let's see if others think the author is on to something.