When you go to worship with your church, what do you see? A friend of mine worshiped with us at Tallowood, went away, and came back several years later. After the service, he said, “Your church has become an international congregation.” He was right. Is this supposed to happen?
The church growth gurus of the eighties wrote about the “homogeneous unit principle.” The writers, Donald McGavran and Peter Wagner observed that people tend to cluster with people who are just like themselves. One application of their theory was that churches could primarily do outreach to people just like themselves.
Christian church history belies this principle as a strategy. For example, the leadership group at Antioch was very diverse, ethnically and politically. Barnabas was from Cyprus, Paul from Tarsus. But the other leaders were from North Africa and from Judea. Manaen was raised with Herod the Tetrarch. While this diverse group prayed and fasted together, the Holy Spirit spoke to them and told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul. As they continued to fast and pray, they obeyed and sent them out.
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of unity. No matter our differences, the Spirit will lead us together to fulfill God’s purposes. Let’s wait before God in prayer. When he speaks, let’s obey. We used to sing, “What God says we will do, where he sends we will go, never fear only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
