Abundance Mentality

An excellent article at ethicsdaily entitled "What's Your Ministry Model? Scarcity or Abundance?" It gives some insight into some of the more defining generational and culture wars in the (declining) institutional church.

Is your image of God one of scarcity or abundance? Does God conserve or create?

In an online discussion, Steve Simmons, director of continuing education of Moravian Theological Seminary and an ordained Presbyterian minister, points out that we are observing a clash of two different worldviews.

The old one looks like this:

Scarcity = management-power-control

The new one looks like this:

Abundance = collaboration-connectivity-creativity

What we often see as generational conflict within churches or denominations may actually be different ways of perceiving reality.

I have found the need in the past to remind people that church growth is not a zero-sum game. If we grow, it doesn't mean that you will not. Our "prosperity" or success does not cause your decline. We CAN cheer for each other. We CAN delight in each other. We CAN relate to each other in freedom, not obligation.

Keep praying for us all.

(H/T DaveO)

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1208570