I want to ask you to consider this aspect again as I feel it is an important matter in the life of a church be it traditional, modern, or emergent.
Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad in their book "The passionate church" highlight the observation of the introvert and the extrovert. But they also highlight the Pioneer and the Settler/developers. They suggest that pioneers are apostles prophets evangelists and settlers teachers and pastors.
The mix in leadership is healthy for on going development.
Pioneers like the stress of a new thing. Settlers are committed to continuity and stability. Its no wonder some church meetings can be fraught if Settlers are pushing one way and Pioneers another. It is important to have both. Pioneers are looking beyond to see what lies ahead. Setters consolidate the “new frontier” created by the pioneers and establish the continued work.
The church needs both Pioneers and Settlers.
Many churches split not on theology but because they don't understand the interplay between Pioneers and Settlers.!
3 comments:
Brian,
I am not convinced about this pioneer/settler role, I cannot find a biblical model in the NT.
Paul would I assume be classed as a pioneer, yet he was in ephesus for quite some time. I know you have likened me to a pioneer, yet I have been settling for the last year and a half, and was trying to act as settler in my last church.
I think we always want to divide believers introvert/extrovert, pioneer/settler, carnal/spiritual, spiritbaptised/ non baptised.
The term pioneer or settler can apply to all the new testament characters, and Breen and Kallestads suggestion that pioneers are apostles, prophets etc is simplistic.
So I am not a pioneer or a settler, but both in equal amounts, I think the crucial issue is to recognise peoples gifts and help them to engage and use these for the building of the body, labelling people as either will I think hinder this process.
Dave
Dave thanks for this.
Because you play center half does not mean you cant play right back. The pioneer settler is a natural bent. Different circumstance will make a person react in a different way. Yes you are sometimes a pioneer sometimes a settler.
Have a look at Myers Briggs and Belbin to help see the Characters of people...and I dont think its in the scriptures as a model.
The point I am making is not to label people that would be my last wish. I have over the years advocted getting rid of labels.
The point is that if I am reacting in a pioneering way you will then know how to best react to me or to complement me. Paul and Titus P/S
If two go out together if one falls the other picks them up?
B
I guess we have times when we see see pioneering & then other times when we see settling happening.
What do we mean when we speak about Consolidating? We should right consolidate so that we can move forward but sometimes when we start consolidating we become stagnant and dont move forward.
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