how do you do church?

As we’ve become more involved at our new church here (an Anglican church plant), I have thought about how different churches emphasize different things about their mission and operation. The following thought from Tim Keller really crystallizes the concerns facing many evangelicals who are dissatisfied with certain church models … but Keller also offers a hopeful, appreciative way forward in the “church-model wars.” He says,

“John Frame's 'tri-perspectivalism' helps me understand Willow. The Willow Creek style churches have a 'kingly' emphasis on leadership, strategic thinking, and wise administration. The danger there is that the mechanical obscures how organic and spontaneous church life can be. The Reformed churches have a 'prophetic' emphasis on preaching, teaching, and doctrine. The danger there is that we can have a naïve and unBiblical view that, if we just expound the Word faithfully, everything else in the church—leader development, community building, stewardship of resources, unified vision—will just happen by themselves. The emerging churches have a 'priestly' emphasis on community, liturgy and sacraments, service and justice. The danger there is to view 'community' as the magic bullet in the same way Reformed people view preaching.

“By thinking in this way, it makes it possible for me to love and appreciate the best representatives of each of these contemporary evangelical 'traditions.'”

Our church here is really strong on the “priestly” points: community, liturgy, sacraments, service, and justice. But we also have strong preaching (which healthfully drives those activities forward) and volunteers who keep us organized!