We are living in a world that is rapidly changing, especially in the Church. During this time of unprecedented change, the Church of the future must begin to rightly discern where we are going. The Church is now at a critical crossroad in time, and we need wisdom from God to know what is next—as the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times and what Israel ought to do (1 Chron 12:32).
We must meet the challenges of our changing world without sacrificing the sacred. We must become culturally relevant without becoming spiritually irrelevant. As we know, God never changes; but as our understanding of God and Truth unfolds, our capacity for greater perspective increases and changes.
The time of change demands that the future Church must rethink fundamental issues, guiding principles, ways of conducting services, and influencing the culture. Now is the time for the Church to respond to the cultural and societal changes. As Church leaders, we must begin to lead from the future with understanding.
There must be a new relevance in order to create an environment where the unique potential of each individual can be actualized. People will follow ethical leaders who release them into their Kingdom purpose. I believe the Spirit of the Lord has been downloading five things into the Church:
1. New Thoughts – A New Way of Thinking
2. New Ideas – A New Way of Dreaming
3. New Methodologies – A New Way of Doing Things
4. New Technologies – A New Way of Describing God’s Activity
5. New Terminologies – A New Way of Communicating
We have now been given the opportunity to model ethical, decent, honest, reliable, and principled behavior leadership. Leaders must have fundamental integrity. Paul was able to say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” True Kingdom leaders must have credibility. They must be honorable and trustworthy. They must depend on God and truly care for God’s people. Effectiveness is dependent upon character.
The Kingdom of God demands a new order to come forward in the Church during this time of change. This new order emerges from a sequence of reformations that create a new kind of Church. What is this new order of the Kingdom that is demanded of the future Church? It is a new order of unity and diversity, creativity, revelation, enlightenment, alignment, innovation, wisdom, knowledge, and stability. This is what the world is waiting and groaning for—the manifestation of the sons of God to discover who they really are: the Church of the Kingdom leading from the future!
For His Kingdom,
Dr. Levy H. Knox, Visionary & Founding Bishop Kingdom Network of Churches International