AMFM Conference-General Session 2
Day 2 was Wednesday and included hearing from Todd Wagner who is the lead pastor at Watermark Church, which was the host location of the conference. Wagner was answering the following question: What needs to change in the church to become agents of reconciliation? He asked what the greatest evil was in our culture. His belief is that the greatest evil today is the dead church. He went on to explain that there are 3 divine institutions and they are the family (Deuteronomy 6), government (Romans 13), and the church (1 Peter 2, Acts 2).
He went on to explain that a dead church is led by weak or lazy men or by men who do not lead well. He shared from Malachi 1, Lamentations 2 about which he explained that the problems were the leaders. He then had us open to Proverbs 6:16-19 and read. He asked what do these have in common? Answer: they all break relationships. Relationships matter and we need to be about strengthening & helping relationships in our culture as the church.
He often gets asked by the media and other church leaders what the secret has been to Watermark's success. He shared that he gets real quiet and says, "evangelism & discipleship." There is no secret as to what is necessary for a healthy church and according to Wagner it is those 2 things. He closed by having us look at Acts 2:42-47 and look at what adjectives could be used to describe that church. He asked why when people today describe the church they use terms like intellectual, emotional, social, ritualistic institution when they could be describing a church that is devoted, unified, passionate, serving, loving, etc. We in the church need to be on mission. In his final comments, he shared about two things they have done at Watermark that are essential to them. They are freaks about unity. Often someone is teaching about how to resolve conflicts. They have reclaimed the mission of the church. The church (not the building, but the people) should be a place that people want to be in community with. It is about equipping the body to be a kingdom of priests not continuing the divide between lay people and pastors.
He went on to explain that a dead church is led by weak or lazy men or by men who do not lead well. He shared from Malachi 1, Lamentations 2 about which he explained that the problems were the leaders. He then had us open to Proverbs 6:16-19 and read. He asked what do these have in common? Answer: they all break relationships. Relationships matter and we need to be about strengthening & helping relationships in our culture as the church.
He often gets asked by the media and other church leaders what the secret has been to Watermark's success. He shared that he gets real quiet and says, "evangelism & discipleship." There is no secret as to what is necessary for a healthy church and according to Wagner it is those 2 things. He closed by having us look at Acts 2:42-47 and look at what adjectives could be used to describe that church. He asked why when people today describe the church they use terms like intellectual, emotional, social, ritualistic institution when they could be describing a church that is devoted, unified, passionate, serving, loving, etc. We in the church need to be on mission. In his final comments, he shared about two things they have done at Watermark that are essential to them. They are freaks about unity. Often someone is teaching about how to resolve conflicts. They have reclaimed the mission of the church. The church (not the building, but the people) should be a place that people want to be in community with. It is about equipping the body to be a kingdom of priests not continuing the divide between lay people and pastors.
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