I traveled south into the exotic land of “Iowa” to meet with Bryan Mincks. Bryan is pastor of Iron Ridge Church in the small town of Waukon, IA. He helped to plant the church with his father Marlan, a national church planting leader.
Bryan highlighted a journey of a lot of ups and downs for Iron Ridge. It has been a church that has grown to be seen as a beneficial, even vital part of the community, while at times hitting bumps in the road along the way. Over 20 years the church has gone from meeting in the local school to purchasing and operating the local movie theater, to now having their own building that they are in the process of expanding to accommodate its roughly 500 attendees.
Part of the church’s story that got my attention was related to the topic of church vision. Iron Ridge knows who they are. They have developed their mission and vision, they have clearly communicated it to the church body, and those that come in are taught it quickly.
However, the thing about most visions is that they don’t work for everyone. The reason there are different churches in existence is that there are different approaches and ways of doing things. There isn’t a “one size fits all” form of church ministry.
I’ve had several conversations over the years with people that have checked out River’s Edge Church. We’re a bit different from most of the other churches in our area, as is Iron Ridge. For some, that’s a huge plus. For others, that’s a barrier to plugging in and getting involved.
At Iron Ridge, they have had a couple of moments where certain people didn’t align with the vision of the church. Bryan met those moments with understanding and clear communication, and his approach struck me with its strength. He said, “If this doesn’t work for you, fine. This is the mission we’re on.”
Knowing what God has called you to do is important. Looking at your strengths and weaknesses, seeing where God has placed you and understanding how He wants you to use your gifts, talents, abilities and resources to do His work is something we all need to keep in our minds. And when we are in a position where something gets in the way of us doing that, then we need to be able to say, “That’s fine, I’m just called to something else.”
I’ve had conversations with individuals and families about my church, and I’ve told them, “You know what, we aren’t for everyone. I’m less concerned about you being a part of my church than I am with you being a part of a church where you can connect, grow, and serve.”
That’s why churches exist: to bring a group of like-minded believers together to worship God, build up each other, and help each other do Kingdom-work. No group is perfect. There are always going to be things we have to do to get along with each other and fulfill those purposes. Sometimes we can adjust and overcome easier struggles-there are a number of members of my church that have done just that. Sometimes we simply need to find the place God wants us to be-there some that have checked out my church, went someplace else, and thrived there.
The important thing is the calling. Love God, love others, point people to Jesus.
Driven 