It's church Jim, but not as we know it....

A very, very long post, but it's worth reading...honest!

I found this at http://timchester.wordpress.com/ yesterday. Ok it sets up a dichotomy where the reality may be more grey, but it is making me think.....

Is your community a community of performance or a community of grace? Try these diagnostic tests …

Communities of Performance
--the leaders appear sorted
--the community appears respectable
--meetings must be a polished performance
--identity is found in ministry
--failure is devastating
--actions are driven by duty
--conflict is suppressed or ignored
--the focus is on orthodoxy and behaviour (allowing people to think they’re sorted)

Communities of Grace
--the leaders are vulnerable
--the community is messy
--meetings are just one part of community life
--identity is found in Christ
--failure is disappointing, but not devastating
--actions are driven by joy
--conflict is addressed in the open
--the focus is on the affections of the heart (with a strong view of sin and grace)

and then.......

How do communities of performance impede mission?

Communities of Performance
--talk about grace, but communicate legalism
--unbelievers can’t imagine themselves as Christians
--don’t attract broken people
--the world is seen as threatening and ‘other’
--conversion is superficial (people are called to respectable behaviour)
--people are secretly hurting
--people see faith and repentance as actions that took place at conversion
--the gospel is for unbelievers

.....versus........

Communities of Grace
--people can see grace in action
--unbelievers feel like they can belong
--attract broken people
--people are loved as fellow-sinners in need of grace
--conversion is radical (people are called to transformed affections)
--people are open about their problems
--people see faith and repentance as daily activities
--the gospel is for both unbelievers and believers