Jen came to Community Christian Church in 2000 and soon made a commitment to be a Christ follower. She was baptized, began doing life with a small group of believers, and joined one of our vocal teams. In 2004 she and her husband, Ken, packed up their kids, leaving behind a job and home to move with a group of people from Chicago to the Detroit area to start 2142 Community Church. Why? They were committed to the Big Idea of selling all they had and following Jesus to accomplish his mission.
THE POWER OF THE BIG IDEA
So what if we took that same trip to church, and instead of hearing lots of competing little ideas, our whole family was taught only one Big Idea?
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One Big Idea is displayed on the church website.
One Big Idea is on the cover of the church bulletin you are handed at the door.
One Big Idea is projected on the screen as you listen to the prelude music while taking your seat.
One Big Idea is introduced in the welcome by the worship leader.
One Big Idea is the focus of the opening prayer.
One Big Idea is the theme of song 1 in the worship service.
One Big Idea is supported by the Scripture reading by the worship leader.
One Big Idea is the theme of song 2 in the worship service.
One Big Idea is at the heart of a secular song used as the special music.
One Big Idea and how you can understand it further in a small group is the only announcement.
One Big Idea is explained in the first — and only — point of the sermon.
One Big Idea is reinforced through a video.
One Big Idea is the theme of song 3 in the worship service. One Big Idea is the focus of the closing prayer.
One Big Idea can be explored even more deeply by going to the "next steps" table and picking up a recommended reading list.
One Big Idea and how to have a conversation with your kids on this topic is the theme of the Kids' City handout given to parents.
One Big Idea is the central topic of discussion at small group during the week.
One Big Idea is the focus of the prayer time during small group.
One Big Idea is reinforced by a phone call (by your request) from the teaching pastor at the end of the week.
(Silence.) "Ummm" would not be your response if you were asked, "So what did you learn?" What the church needs is one unmistakable Big Idea. A crystal-clear Big Idea that calls everyone to act on the Jesus' mission.
So why does the church in the United States have 247 million Christians and not nearly enough Christ followers? And why is it that we have access to the best and most thoroughly thought-through theology in all of history yet still aren't gaining ground in accomplishing the mission of Jesus? Could it be that we have forgotten the Big Idea and gotten lost in too many little ideas? Is it because the church of Jesus Christ has not challenged people the way Jesus challenged people — with one Big Idea, simple and clear?
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Dave Ferguson is Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church in the Chicago area.
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From The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson and Eric Bromlett. Copyright ©2007 by Dave Ferguson. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. Used by permission.
Notes.
1. Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001), 35.
2. Thomas E. Patterson, The Vanishing Voter (New York: Knopf, 2002), 84.
