While I was in Chicago last Friday, I got a chance for a sit-down with Scott Hodge.  I have been chewing on A LOT of stuff we talked about during that cup of coffee, but one of the things specifically was the idea of environmental protection.

Scott said that one of the things he has learned over the last couple of years is that non-Christians and de-churched folks are looking to the leaders for protection over the environment.  They give you permission to say things that are hard to hear if they know and trust that you, as the leader, are dedicated to protecting the environment where growth can and will take place.  Our environments become a place of authenticity and transparency, where people let go of pain and hurt.

This idea makes a lot of sense to me.  In Matthew 13, Jesus talked about soils.  He talked about rocky, rough, infertile soil.  He also talked about good, nutriant rich, fertile soil.  Jesus said that seeds that fall on fertile soil grow, develop, and produce great fruit.  When we protect the enviroment where people get seed, we help people grow fruitfully.

What do you think?  How much does our environmental protection in our churches play into people’s ability to grow past their pain and guilt?

Coming up the rest of this week, we will look at things that cause the environmental protection to breakdown.