Keeping Church Real

Growing churches are often suspect -- accused of "selling out" to a corporate model or a watered down version of the Gospel. Mega-churches do face the challenge of creating community, accountability and fellowship -- but it seems to me as though many churches are meeting this challenge. One example is Victory Christian Fellowship in Manila, Philippines. Steve Murrell is the pastor there and is a very focused visionary. Here is how he describes Victory:

My church, Victory Christian Fellowship, is a Christ-centered, Bible-based, disciple-making, family-friendly, mission-driven, multi-generational, multi-site church with 4000 small group leaders and 60 weekend worship services in 14 venues in a large city. In the next 3 or 4 years, we hope to have 24 venues, 100 worship services and 8000 well-trained small group leaders in our city.
I am not suggesting that the 3 points below should be the corporate culture of your church – every church needs to figure out what corporate culture serves their unique vision and values – but these 3 help us do what God has called us to do.
1. The passionate vision of a world-wide mission movement – a missional culture. It all starts with a vision to reach our world and our neighborhood, to plant churches in every nation and small groups in every coffee shop, to send missionaries around the world and across the street. This is what we are called to do. Vision. Mission. I love both. But God loves people, so we must develop...
2. The caring atmosphere of a church family – a relational culture. Now it gets difficult. How do I run with the vision, and not run over people? It is common for visionary movements to leave a trail of body bags dotting the path of their world-changing activities. It is also common for highly relational ministries to accomplish little. Is it possible to be visionary and relational at the same time? Vision & family - we have to be both, while also developing...
3. The organizational excellence of a multinational corporation – a professional culture. Corporate excellence. Professionalism. In every area - accounting, IT, HR, graphics, facilities, communication - we must operate by the same standard as other institutions in our community. And that standard is different in every context. We reject the worn-out idea that giving God leftovers is acceptable. He deserves and demands our first and our best.
But, how do we keep a family/relational atmosphere and maintain professional excellence as we run with the vision and fulfill the mission?
I must admit - it’s hard to hold to all three at the same time, because sometimes they seem to pull in opposite directions. But, I know that our success is, in part, dependent on creating and maintaining the right corporate culture. Yours is too.

The focus is on making disciples through small groups. This is nothing new, but it is a critical strategy in order to see a multiplying church.

The danger all church leaders face is the constant pull towards institutionalism. It pulls us from people to programs. It takes us away from community and instead offers corporate. Pretty soon the church becomes defined as a building or a campus. People wonder why they are socially disconnected and increasingly busy. They may be gaining information from great classes but they end up isolated and lost in the crowd.

What "programs" do we really need? How can we give people back some of their time for family and friends? How can we give people an opportunity to experience vibrant community in a de-institutionalized environment? What can we say "no" to which would thereby free people to do something that would be more effective in seeing the Church grow?