shop and stop fighting a war of attrition . That is why , for Christian leaders , missing the tool of kingdom innovation is the equivalent of a carpenter missing a hammer .
When kingdom innovation works , it means God ’ s will is becoming a reality here “ on earth as it is in heaven .” The transformational promise of the gospel is colliding with our world , continuing to adapt and change to the needs of the current moment . Think of it this way : When the Reformation happened , there wasn ’ t a sense that reformation had happened , as a once and for all occurrence . The leaders were supposed to keep reforming . These continual changes were meant to spread into all domains of human life and existence ! Why ? Well as theologian Abraham Kuyper once said : “ There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ , who is Sovereign over all , does not cry , Mine !’” Yet somehow that became past tense . We stopped actively reforming and , instead , a tribe of Christianity became reformed .
Because of God ’ s faithfulness , we don ’ t need to worry about the survival of the church or the endurance of the gospel . So while the gospel is never at risk , what is at risk is our own faithfulness to what Jesus has called us to . As leaders , will we be faithful in leading the people of God into the uncertain and tumultuous waters of the future ? As Andy Crouch wrote in Culture Making , “ Why aren ’ t we known as creators — people who dare to think and do something that has never been thought or done before , something that makes the world more welcoming and thrilling and beautiful ?”
What if we embraced that calling again ?
Doug Paul is an executive with Catapult , an innovation and activation shop that works with churches , denominations , networks , nonprofits and socialpreneurs . Doug is the author of the new book , Ready or Not : Kingdom Innovation for a Brave New World . He works with some of the fastest growing and most innovative churches in the Western church . Doug serves as a pastor and elder at a racially and socially economically diverse church in the inner city of Richmond , VA - which happens to have the 6th highest concentration of poverty in the United States . Having attended Wheaton College , Doug and his wife are parents to three amazing kids and one fantastic Great Dane .
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