Ed Stetzer: Two Grids Every Church Pastor / Planter / Missionary Must Use: Theological Grid

Church leaders must think theologically to faithfully engage in mission.

Everybody thinks they are in "the middle."

It's the people to the right of you that are extreme crazies and all those to your left have no convictions whatsoever. Recognizing that "the middle" is a subjective term, I still want to propose a middle ground for understanding pastoring, planting, and being a missionary.

There are many things to consider when serving in pastoring, planting, or missions. My intent here is not to address them all, but to encourage you to consider two aspects in two ways. I call them "grids."

These two grids to look at church ministry are theological and missiological grids. The tendency, as is always the case, is to drift to either extreme to the detriment of the other end. There are some who are only concerned about theology, without ever considering how to relate to their community. Others are obsessed with being relevant and will cast aside biblical convictions if they clash with cultural values.

I don't think either of these are healthy ways to lead churches. A balance is needed. Church leaders must think both theologically and missiologically. Now, that's a "balance" and a "middle" that I need to explain. As such, I'll illustrate why a middle ground is needed, I want to explain why each grid is vital. In demonstrating the value of each, the goal is for you to recognize the importance of both.

Today, I want to concentrate on the theological grid. Why should we be concerned with theology if our goal is to reach the community? Keep reading