In Chapters 4 and 5 we start to get into the meat of what it means to be an Externally Focused Church. Chapter 5 speaks to the church’s responsibility to help people grow spiritually and that helping people serve is an important part of that process. Do you agree? Is it the church’s responsibility to provide opportunities to serve? What did you think of the example of the church in Atlanta that disbanded all its small groups until they instituted a service component?
Chapter 5 focuses on the relationships built between the church and the community. When forming partnerships with agencies, the book recommends looking for those that are, “morally positive and spiritually neutral.” Do you think this is a good approach? What agencies in our community fit that description? Are you personally involved in any community concerns?
Feel free to comment on these questions, or any other issues that were meaningful to you as you read through these chapters.
