Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Figure 20: Activity Evaluation

Then, that activity must be evaluated in terms of its connection to the Story of Christ and his Kingdom, as an expression of either theology, worship, discipleship, or outreach. The first evaluation question is “Does this activity help our congregation increase our capacity to theologize, worship, disciple, and do outreach, or is it designed to increase attendance?” Activities designed to “increase attendance” or “meet people’s felt needs,” should be viewed with suspicion, and considered for elimination or adjustment. For example, a six-week study on personal finances should not be to help people manage their finances better but to increase their capacity to steward their finances for greater Kingdom outreach. A second question is, “Does this activity help our congregation understand the Story in a deeper way or does it reinforce some aspect that crops Jesus from the picture?” Activities that reinforce SLIM assumptions might be counter-productive to the health of the

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