Bill Hybels is fond of saying “The local church is the hope of the world.” The post-modernity emergent church crowd have really dissed him for that. I guess when you’ve planted a church that has led the western world in a new paradigm and grown to 20,000 people, you’re an easy target. I remember reading one blog where the guy was practically screaming “The hope of the world is not the local church! The hope of the world is Jesus Christ!” I have to admit that I’ve spent some time chewing on that, and part of me agrees…but the real issue is that most critics probably don’t understand what Hybels is really saying.
He says “I believe that only one power exists on this sorry planet that can [transform the human heart]. It’s the power of the love of Jesus Christ, the love that conquers sin and wipes out shame and heals wounds and reconciles enemies and patches broken dreams and ultimately changes the world, one life at a time. And what grips my heart everyday is the knowledge that the radical message of that transforming love has been given to the church.” [Courageous Leadership. p.21]
Yeah, maybe you or I wouldn’t feel comfortable being part of a mega church, whether as a member or staff, and maybe the seeker friendly model isn’t your [or my] cup of tea. But can you really argue with the idea that the local church – the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus, is the hope of the world?
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