The Four Churches (Internal vs. External Focus)

In the book "The Externally Focused Church" (Group, 2004), authors Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson show a diagram similar to this one to evaluate whether your church is internally focused or externally focused. They list some interesting qualities about how we normally go about church and the underlying assumptions we are making.

Internally Focus (Lower Left) - These churches are good at preaching and teahing, worship and serving the needs of those inside the church. These churches are "come to" churches.

Serving Churches (Upper Left) - These churches are really good at demonstrating love for their communities. These churches have been at the forefront of bringing change to their communities, but are weak in proclaiming the gospel.

Evangelistic Churches (Lower Right) - In these churches it's all about going after the lost. But they do little or nothing to serve or be a blessing to their community apart from evangelism.

Externally Focused Churches (Upper Right) - These churches are effective in proclaiming good news and showing good news to their communities, both "show" and "tell".

Take a look at your own church. Which category does it fit in now? Which category do you think it belongs in? How can you both "show" and "tell" the gospel where God has placed you?
Externally Focused Churches

Jeremiah 29:7: Praying With External Focus

After being carried to Babylon, God spoke to the exiles:

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." - Jeremiah 29:7

Often, our actions express an unspoken focus on blessing the church, but ignoring the community in which God placed the church. How about with prayer? What does prayer look like when a church takes its eyes from itself and looks outward? Here's a thought-provoking chart from the book, The Externally Focused Quest[1]:

• "Internally Focused Church" vs "Externally Focused Church" 
• "Prayer inside the church" vs. "Prayer on location in the community (schools, places of violence, etc.)" 
• "Prayer for our people" vs. "Prayer for those outside our church-city officials, human service agency leaders, teachers, etc." 
• "Prayer for our church" vs. "Prayer for other churches"
• "Prayer for you" vs. "Pray with you"
• "Prayer for church finances" vs. "Prayer for money to be freed up to help others." 
• "Prayer for the lost." vs. "Prayer for and engagement with three people who don’t know Jesus." 
• "Prayer gatherings for people in our church." vs. "Prayer gatherings with other churches for the community." 
• "Prayer for myself (my happiness, security, health, etc.)" vs. "Prayer for people in need." 
• "Prayer for God to change them" vs. "Prayer for God to change me" 
• "Prayer for people to come to church" vs. "Prayer for people to be sent out from our church." 
• "Prayer for the success of our church." vs. "Prayer for expansion of the kingdom." 
• "People who pray" vs. "People of prayer." 

Pray outwards.


[1] The Externally Focused Quest, Eric Swanson & Rick Rusaw (John Wiley & Sons, 2010)