This is one in a series of periodic reflections based on questions raised for me by the Call to Action report.
Imagine you run General Motors. The company has been in a long slump. It needs a big jolt to get it going the right direction again.
Someone stands up in a board meeting and says that what the company really needs to do is set up some action plans and guidelines for building first-rate car factories.
This gets many nods around the table.
Then someone else stands up and says, “I’m all for excellent factories, but shouldn’t we start by talking about cars? How can we design a factory to build incredible cars if we don’t even agree on what makes a car incredible?”
As I read the Call to Action report, I feel like it is urging us to build first rate factories while setting aside the question of what a first-rate Christian looks like. All the urgent, muscular, and emphatic prose clamors for “vital congregations,” but why not start by talking about what a vital Christian looks like?
Maybe such a first step is too old fashioned. It was certainly good enough for John Wesley.
I am a part-time local pastor serving 
The doctrine of original sin is surely more humbling to man than the opposite: And I know not what honour we can pay to God, if we think man came out of His hands in the condition wherein he is now.
That makes way to much sense to be taken seriously John…
Actually, I think we all assume the factories have to make the cars. Which, when you want mass production does. However, if you want something that sustains itself in life then you need to become intimately familiar with the care/upkeep & nature of the car. We call those “Classics” and everyone stares when they roll down the street.
John: Isn’t it interesting that for the last twelve or so years we have been talking about making disciples of Jesus Christ. Now, we are talking about vital congregation (which we did 15 years ago). It seems we keep going back and forth: we can’t make up our minds. It will take us another 12 years to figure out what a vital congregation is! And we haven’t operationalized our mission now! Ugh!!
You mean develop a shared vision/understanding of what “making disciples of Jesus Christ” might mean? What a radical notion.
Perhaps in this metaphor, it is time for pastors to move from sales to quality assurance.
It might be interesting to see if the so called 15% of vital congregations have a clear vision of who they are. It would further be interesting to see if those 15% have a common and orthodox vision of what it means to be a Christian movement.