Final blog from Brian Heasley on what can go wrong in Christian Communities of all kinds, and what makes it better.

Atrophic communities




I was listening to a talk by a great friend of mine called Graham, who when he was young had a really bad motorbike accident, this led to his arm being in plaster for many months. The doctors became very concerned that his arm would suffer from atrophy, actually I think it did.

Graham likened communities that didn't connect with the worlds they where placed in to a limb suffering from atrophy!

Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. In the case of his arm it was what is known as disuse atrophy!

Interestingly if something isn't used it partially or completely wastes away. I wonder if communities can become atrophic if they don't flex their community engagement muscles? Or in old school terms communities that aren't evangelistic will waste away partially or completely.

Resting inside the plaster caste of the churches we may have created are the rotting disused limbs of a once vibrant, fit and healthy body.

Interestingly atrophy can be turned around by exercise.

Just more thoughts, on a roll here......

You can check out Grahams talk HERE