I usually take the stairs.  I might be at a train station, the local mall, or the airport, if I have the option between taking an escalator or the stairs, I take the stairs.  I might even take the stairs up several stories of a hotel where I am staying for the night.  Why? Well I am told that taking the stairs can prolong your life, reduces your risk for heart disease, and is easy on the wallet (significantly cheaper than going to a gym).   Since I have a 'desk job', I make the most of the opportunities I get to exercise.

But some staircases might appear daunting.   Take for example the 1776 stairs to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.  At 553.3 meters, the CN Tower is the tallest building in Canada.  Many people make this tower climb and every year millions of dollars are raised for charity as groups take to the stairs.  I've been to the top of the tower, but I took the elevator.  A climb of 1776 stairs seems too overwhelming.

As I work with churches and church leaders, for many the challenge of church revitalization and/or reaching the lost world with the gospel is a daunting task.   The calendars of pastors and churches are filled up with writing sermons, putting together worship services, providing pastoral care to sick and hurting members, putting on programs for children and youth, and a host of church meetings.   Then they hear about the importance of church health and church growth, reaching the millions of Aussies who are unchurched, and planting new churches.  They know of the denominational vision and the fourfold task.  Like scores of other CRCA churches they have taken a NCD church health survey and they have identified a good number of areas where improved church health is required.   Church leaders realize that as iron sharpen iron, they would really benefit from having a mentor or a coach to meet up with regularly.  But it all looks too big, too large a challenge, all a bit daunting.   And what happens more than not is that churches and church leaders default to the status quo.  They just keep doing what they've always been doing.  Some things might be necessary, but the urgent fills up the weekly schedule of busyness.

As churches we recognize the importance that everything we are and all that we do as churches and leaders needs to be aligned to the fulfillment of our fundamental aim:  our vision and the fourfold task.  If we are not doing whatever we can to seek and save the lost, grow healthy churches, plant new churches, multiply disciples and gospel workers (including ordained ministers) then reform is needed.   Some things have to change.  Not the importance of faithfully preaching the Word of God, the centrality of Christ, the effective pastoral care of our members, and the increasing support of overseas missions.  These are all vitally essential.  But we must not stop there.  We need to pray and labour to see God's kingdom come, the lost evangelised, the found discipled, and leaders multiplied so that as churches we will impact all of life and our nation with the gospel in word and deed.

You might find this challenge as daunting as climbing the 1776 stairs of the CN Tower.  But in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Take the first step in faith.   You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."  What might that first step be for you?  You want to reach the lost in your community.  Your first step might be a commitment to actually pray for the salvation of your neighbours.  Your second step might be doing acts of kindness for your neighbours.   Your third step might be having your neighbours over for dinner.  Just keep climbing, one step at a time.  You might not see the top of the staircase, but you see the step in front of you.   Take the first step in faith.   The same applies to every aspect of our missional vision.  Growing healthy churches.  Planting new churches.  Multiplying leaders.  And so on.  You know the direction you must go.  Don't accept the status quo.   Just take the first step, and take that step in faith, trusting that our faithful God and Saviour will help you up the staircase - one step at a time!   You will notice that your overall church health will improve.

As you think about all that God calls us to be and do as Christians and as churches, focus on that first step.   What might that be for you?  Who knows, maybe the next time I am in Toronto at the CN Tower, I might take the stairs -- one step at a time!   I know it will be an exercise of faith.