Many years ago, Jack Hayford said this to a group of pastors in a conference I attended: “Don’t worry so much about growing a big church. Grow big people, and the church will take care of itself.”
Obviously, Dr. Hayford was not referring to body mass index.
He was speaking of people who are so caught by the Holy Spirit that they are able to live for something bigger than themselves.
So what does a “big person” look like? What kind of people do we want to “grow” at Good Shepherd?
A “big person” is someone who . . .
- Worships with enthusiasm
- Serves with eagerness
- Grows in their knowledge of Scripture and Christian teaching
- Consciously crosses boundaries of race and class in developing relationships
- Tithes
- Seeks the power of the Holy Spirit . . . even when that power comes in unexpected ways
- Tips well
- Treats people in the home with the same kindness as those in the church.
Have I left anything out?