I have been reading Derek Tidball's Ministry by the Book. I would highly recommend it. I have picked out two quotes.
"Many pastors have become chaplains to religious clubs, or managers of a religious supermarket, and their primary focus has been on satisfying the needs of its members or keeping the loyalty of its customers" (64). Focusing on Luke he encourages an awareness of the 'outsider'."The driving ambition of some and the besetting temptation of many is to keep individuals happy and maintain ongoing commitment to the church's programme rather than directing the church corporately towards the goal of maturity and readiness for the day of Christ. Returning to Paul's priorities would mean not only rediscovering God's priorities for the leadership in the church, but would also free us from the tyranny of having constantly to please members in an attempt to win their loyalty" (113).
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It's vital to hold the ethos that stands behind each of those quotes in tension... producing an outward and upward focused church rather than an inward focused church driven by the individual personal piety of those who are already members... the bane of modern evangelicalism
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