Wisdom For the Church From the Celtics?

Clayton King gives some insightful and accurate wisdom that churches can learn and should follow, derived from the 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics (yes, you do read some pride in that phrase!) Below are the main points with an excerpt or two. Be sure to read the entire post here.

The church in America finds itself in a precarious situation. We no longer get a free pass as the respected and revered institution of the 1950s. All major denominations are in decline, both in membership and conversions. Younger generations are not just walking away from the church; they never came in the first place. Church is NOT irrelevant to most young Americans. It is NON-EXISTENT. Get defensive if you want to, but these are the indisputable facts. The churches that are making a difference with the gospel all have different styles and structures, but the ones that are engaging people and culture with the salt and light of the gospel have some things in common with the Boston Celtics. Read on, this might take a while.

1. Embracing Change Not Living On Legacy
2. Staying Hungry, Not Fat and Satisfied
3. Staying Faithful, Not Flashy

The church does not have to be flashy, fancy, or frenetic. We don’t need to listen to the holy haters or hire expert consultants to tell us how to successfully do what they never successfully did. We just need to know the gospel, believe the gospel, and live the gospel according the culture and community we exist in. Many think that because a church has been around for 100 years that means it has been faithful. Not necessarily. In the same way, just because a new church has a cool name and sweet video intros does not mean it will be around in 10 years or even 10
months. Faithfulness is blessed when it revolves around Christ and His mission to redeem the world, not our attempts to be successful, cool, or relevant.

4. Keep It Simple