Pilgrim Soldier

In Latvia today we’ve had a seminar from Christian Schwarz who is the founder(?) of Natural Church Development. Now having heard a significant amount about NCD over the last 4 years of being in Latvia it was interesting to hear it from the guy who has been so heavily involved in the research that has gone into it! In fact listening to Christian made me realise that the concepts that underpin the teaching has a lot to give to the church as it struggles to fulfil its mission. I’ll probably blog more on this over the coming days!

However, in reading through one of the books I saw that they are aiming to publish 1 book on each of the 8 Quality Characteristics. If the book “3 Colours of Love” is anything to go by it seems that there will then be at least 3 different resource books that the church can buy to supplement the main text. It’s that aspect that concerns me!

It makes me think of the “Prayer of Jabez” which seemed to become a self-fulfilling prophecy as far as Dr Wilkinson is concerned, with several million copies of the original book sold, with countless spin off merchandise aimed at all different types of people. Then I think of the wonderful “Purpose Driven Life Book” which has spawned an album, journals and so Amazon.com tells me a “Commuters Audio CD set”.

It seems to me that so many tools that have been a blessing for many people end up being twisted into a commercial activity that has little to do with edifying the Church and helping it reach the lost, and more to do with lining the pockets of the Publishing companies and authors.

Added: 19th May 2006
In the light of the conversation on this post I feel I should just clarify one thing! I am not saying that the aim of the publishers of the NCD material are out to line their own pockets. There is though in any activity that touches on the commercial world a danger of the money making aspect taking on a life of its own! NCD is extremely successful at avoiding this trap at present and from what Christian said yesterday, they are guarding against it!