Joseph Mattera outlnes the difference between having a kingdom vs. a church mindset in this article.? Here’s his key points in table form.
To think about:
- Imagine the statements below on a 1-10 continuum – where do you think your church would fit?? Do you tend towards a kingdom or a church mindset?
- What might need to change in your particular faith community to shift towards a more kingdom mindset?
- Who could you engage in a helpful discussion about the ideas that Joseph Mattera has outlined?
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Kingdom mindset |
Church mindset |
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A kingdom mindset releases all saints as ministers in the marketplace. |
A church mindset merely trains people to serve in a church building on Sundays. |
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A kingdom mindset creates wealth to transform a community and nation. |
A church mindset motivates giving to build our own church programs. |
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A kingdom mindset is a holistic approach that integrates the gospel with politics, economics, and public policy. |
A church mindset insulates the gospel from politics and public policy. |
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A kingdom mindset views the Bible as a blueprint to structure every aspect of society. |
A church mindset views the Bible merely as a pietistic book that enables us to escape the world, enter heaven, and be spiritual. |
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With a kingdom mindset churches embrace and love their surrounding unchurched communities. |
With a church mindset churches only embrace converted individuals within their faith communities. |
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A kingdom mindset trains people for all of life. |
A church mindset trains people only for church life. |
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A kingdom mindset nurtures leaders who are world changers and ?cultural creatives? who articulate truth to society. |
A church mindset nurtures leaders who speak religious language relevant only to church people. |
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A kingdom mindset speaks of the rule of God over the entire created order. |
A church mindset speaks of the rule of God through deacons and elders over those in a church congregation |
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With a kingdom mindset pastors release their people to their vocational callings in the marketplace. |
A church mindset controls people by marginalizing their marketplace callings and emphasizing only their Sunday ministries. |
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A kingdom mindset applies a Spirit-empowered approach to the natural world. |
A church mindset involves a spirituality that separates from the natural world. |
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Those with a kingdom mindset are working toward a renaissance of Christendom. |
Those with a church mindset merely strive for a particular expression (denomination) of Christianity. |
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Churches with a kingdom mindset equip 100% of the saints to fill up all things in every realm of life (Ephesians 4:10-12). |
Those with a church mindset have as their primary goal to equip the 2-3% of the congregation called to be full-time church pastors, ministers, and missionaries. |