The Most Forgotten Metric in the Church

Shawn Lovejoy, founding pastor of Mountain Lake Church and leader of the ChurchPlanters.Com conference, has a new book out, entitled, The Measure of Our Success (An Impassioned Plea to Pastors). Ed Stetzer interviewed Shawn on his (Ed's) blog, and one of the questions he asked was this: "Why is "love" the most forgotten metric in a church?"

Shawn replied,

First of all, too many of us as pastors have measured our ministries by what we are against. We take these hard stances against this signaled out sin or that perceived sin. However, as I read the Gospels-- and especially Revelation-- I hear Jesus saying: "The biggest sin you can commit is to neglect love!"

Secondly, too many of us measure success by our expositional or creative or leadership genius, when Paul says if we all of that, and have not love, we have nothing. Zip. I truly believe pastors need to lead the church back to the way of love. I truly believe God's Word can be summed up in one word: Love. Jesus said if we get that right, everything else will take care of itself. Why do we have to complicate it?

Read the rest of the interview here.