"We don't want anyone to imitate what we're doing; but we'd love people to imitate why we're doing what we're doing."
~Erwin McManus

Just got off a Catalyst Filter conference call with Erwin McManus, lead pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles. Great stuff. Erwin's probably one of those guys that I really look to who are stretching the boundaries of what the Church is about in the Kingdom.

One of the true marks of Mosaic is that it is known for its creativity. They have a strong arts community that many churches look at and envy. Not that Erwin or Mosaic think anything of the envy - in fact, he continually tells people not to necessarily copy their methods, but the heart behind them (hence the opening quote - from the call today).

One of the guys who called in asked a question along the lines of, "If you were going to plant a church today knowing what you know now, how would you go about finding creative people for your worship services." Erwin's answer: "I wouldn't." Instead, he encouraged the guy to not limit their expression of worship to a Sunday morning time, nor to look to find artists to enhance what they are doing. Instead, he encouraged him to reach out and find artists to build relationships with and give them a place to contribute within the greater work of what they are doing.

I like the Kingdom concept that "Everybody plays." I like it even more when it isn't equated to mean "you can help park cars, or help run nursery, or help pass offering plates."

Clusters, my current read, is all about releasing leaders within our churches with low control and high accountability - and accountability, not from a control standpoint, but from a resourcing and liberating one. Erwin hit on the control issue in the American church some and I think this is probably an accurate portrait in many ways.

From this morning's read...

"Whether we subscribe to the "top down" structure of leadership (Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.) or the "bottom up" structure (Baptist, free church, etc.), we need to recognise that both are based on control... either the vicar/bishop/PCC keeping the laity in check - or the laity keeping the minister/area minister in check. The primary function of both structures is to make sure that all is in control (finances, programmes, use of time, teaching, pastoral care, etc.) and that everything passes through formal channels. So whenever any of these areas are tested, the default position of both systems is to maintain the status quo. This will hardly bring the freedom for genuine and significant change in the way we do church! What is needed is a change of culture based on release, where the attitude of the church is more "why not?" rather than "why?"