I will not obey

Since our kinship group is rather large, rather fun and rather bonding we regularly get told we're doing it wrong. On Monday the leaders who we have partnered with had to endure a time of getting told we were leading poorly. This wasn't based on any revelation from God but on a book from Texas. Books, of course, are the truth and should be applicable everywhere, anytime. So, when the formula and program in the book was compared to our kinship we were found badly out of order.

I'll make sure I get that fixed right away. According to the book if I would just multiply all the leaders in our group (and we have several) into their own groups our church would begin massive growth and absorb many new thousands of lost souls and become a mega church within a precisely planned period of time. Plan the work and work the plan, that'll get 'er done.

I've been noticing these many lost souls trying to pry their way into churches in Edmonton and was wondering why they couldn't get in. Now I know it's because they don't have small groups to go to. What a simple answer I've been missing: if you create it they will come. I always thought it was the Spirit that drew them but now I know He can't draw without available groups.

Not to say we have been short of available groups through the years. We've had plenty, most with a lifespan of a few years. Somehow the Spirit missed them. We still have plenty, some fairly small but soon to bloom under our new program.

One should never ask God about such things but should read and follow the book written by someone else who asked God and got an answer. That person's answer is obviously our answer too, no need to check with the Boss. There's also no need to ask the leaders of our kinship group why we are so successful and so happy to be together and how we might create other groups that are similar. It's all in the book, no need to ask anybody.

I could see this coming over a year ago and wrote a treatise to our pastors called "A New Kinship Paradigm" wherein I laid out what I thought the Spirit was saying to the church and how leadership, growth and multiplication should work in a kinship setting. That book was not read because it wasn't from Texas.

Do I sound bitter and therefore sinful? You be the judge if you want. I can tell you one thing, if I am told to multiply my kinship I will not obey. Who should I obey, God or men?

Pa