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| Satire - this is one of my best Photoshops. Note the horrified woman listening on the laptop - Elton Stroh's online class of one. |
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| Elton Stroh does self-satire - manipulating the children at Martin Luther College. I Photoshopped the whiteboard to make the words clearer. "Some of our traditional programs have become dated and uninviting." Church Growth is dated and destructive, and underlining is so 1980s. |
MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014
A Travesty Examined, Part Six
Mr. Elton Stroh will be leading a session entitled "Do Metrics Belong in the Church?".
I'm assuming this will be a short session, because the obvious answer is, "NO!"
But I guess it's not that simple. Here's the description of this session (in blue) and my responses (in black).
In my congregation? None. (Well, wait, there might be a meter stick down in the basement, does that count? We only use the yardstick side, I promise!)
I'm assuming this will be a short session, because the obvious answer is, "NO!"
But I guess it's not that simple. Here's the description of this session (in blue) and my responses (in black).
This question is likely to raise some eyebrows and create some tensions.
Well, yeah, I would hope that false doctrine might raise some eyebrows.
Some ministry leaders could not imagine functioning within a church without discernible metrics.
Yes, and these leaders are called Arminians. On the other hand, real Lutheran leaders can't imagine functioning within a church without the discernible Means of Grace.
Metrics and related words (e.g. measurables, scorecards, and outcomes) are mentioned routinely in their weekly staff or monthly elected leaders’ meetings.
Funny, those words are mentioned exactly never in Scripture and the Confessions.
Other ministry leaders balk at the use of such terms in the church.
Oh no! How dare they balk at false doctrine!
What is at the root of these tensions?
False doctrine.
Why does having meaningful metrics matter?
It doesn't. Not at all. Didn't matter to the prophets. Didn't matter to Christ. Didn't matter to the apostles.
Which metrics belong in your congregation?
In my congregation? None. (Well, wait, there might be a meter stick down in the basement, does that count? We only use the yardstick side, I promise!)
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God's metric -
1 Corinthians 4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
