How do you get a bunch of people to share the same passion? How do you get a group of people fired up at the same time for the same purpose? How do you ignite passion that burns like a wild fire and moves a mission forward?
We’ve all been in groups of people that had passion and groups that lacked passion. Sometimes there are passionate people and apathetic people in the same group. Sometimes a group starts out with an unbelievable amount of passion, and later, that same passion wanes and dies.
Every leader needs to understand how to lead people toward a shared passion. The church needs a shared passion. Sports teams need a shared passion. Platoons of soldiers need shared passion. A business need a shared passion. Families need a shared passion. Every group is better when it is motivated by a common passion.
One of the best examples in history of a group with a shared passion is the Church in the book of Acts. This newly formed group of disciples were burning with passion. The disciples were living with a burden and a commitment to fulfill the mission of Jesus. Being part of the early Church would have been incredible. Seeing the Church grow from a few hundred Christ-followers to thousands of believers who were experiencing life-changing faith would have been amazing.
What ignited this shared passion? What inspired a group of people come together despite real persecution and become the greatest movement in history? I believe the passion presented by the Church in the New Testament grew for at least three reasons.
A cause worth dying for – The passion shared by the New Testament believers was a direct result of a cause for which they were willing to give up their lives.. The resurrection of Jesus and His last command to make disciples gave them a clear purpose. They so believed in who Jesus was and what He called them to do that they could not do anything else. People are willing to lay down their very lives for something they are passionate about.
A community worth living for – The passion shared by the believers in the early Church was a result of a strong community. The love and support the first Christians experienced was powerful. They took care of each other and supported each other. They served one another. The New Testament community of believers was a powerful place – it fueled the passion they had for the mission of Jesus.
A cooperation worth working for – The passion shared by the early Church was strengthened by the team effort of the Church. The early Church organization was filled with people who were passionate about doing their part, and being in the right place to further the mission. Some people were called to serve tables, and others were called to preach and teach. This willingness to selflessly cooperate with each other allowed the mission and movement of Jesus to burn stronger than ever before.
Every Church needs passion, and passion is the result of cause, community, and cooperation. When a cause, community, and cooperation are strong, you will have an organization that cannot be stopped. That is what the Church need today more than ever.
At Impact Discipleship Ministries, we exist to help the Church make disciples. Contact us for more details about how we can help you do that. Check out our website, impactdisciples.com.
By Ken Adams, Founder and Director of Impact Discipleship Ministries
