Pastor Tim Hawks, church planter, leader, and senior pastor, poured truth and wisdom into Russ, a fellow church planter, and myself today for 45 minutes straight. He explained two models of ministry: the informational model and the incarnational model.

Here's my own breakdown of what I gleaned:

The informational model tries to get people to learn more. The incarnational model tries to get people to know Jesus. 

In the informational model, pastors and Christians use the Bible to distance themselves from unbelievers. In the incarnational model, the Word of God fills the heart and mind of the believer, causing him to love the unbeliever, become his friend, and share the gospel with him. 

In the informational model you get measured by how much you know. In the incarnational model, you are loved no matter how much you know.

The informational model says,"You'll have to change your act and become like us, then you can join our club and look down on everyone else." The incarnational model says, "I'll love you no matter where you're at, just as Jesus did me. Yes, your life is pretty messed up, but may I introduce you to Someone who can change it forever?"

The informational model says, "Change or we won't accept you." The incarnational model says, "If God can accept you through Christ, then I can accept you too."

The informational model says, "Learn!" The incarnational model says, "Love!"

The informational model says, "Let's gather on Sunday to get away from the world and strengthen our forces." The incarnational model says, "Let's gather on Sunday because God has been working through us in the world all week long and we have a lot to celebrate!" 

The informational model says, "Ministry happens on Sunday. The rest of the week is preparation for that big event." The incarnational model says, "Ministry happens Monday-Saturday. Sunday is just the celebration of what God has been doing through us all week long."  

The informational model views the pastor's primary role as imparting information. The incarnational model views the pastor's primary role as shepherding sinners, bringing them to Jesus. 

The informational model holds unbelievers back at arms length with the Word. The incarnational model lets the Word draw themselves close to sinners.

The informational model hopes that people will model what they hear. The incarnational model knows that people will model what they see. 

The informational model gives higher status to people gifted in teaching. The incarnational model gives higher status only to Jesus and His power alone to change people.

The informational model's goal is to teach the Word. The incarnational's model is to incarnate the Word. 

The informational model thinks the power is in the preaching. The incarnational model knows the power is in the gospel that is preached (Rom 1:16).

The informational model says things like, "Now that he is saved, let's draw him into the life of the church," codeword for, "Let's extract him from his relationships with unbelievers." This kills mission. The incarnational model says, "Let's send him out into the world to build relationships with the unsaved so he can reach them for Christ." 

The informational model loves information. The incarnational model loves people. 

The informational pastor uses people to serve his love for study. The incarnational pastor uses study to serve his love for people. 

A true story illustrates the coldness the informational can produce: A mother wept over her friend who does not know Jesus and is going to hell. Watching this, her son suggested, "Mom, why don't you invite her over and spend time with her and talk to her about Jesus?"

His mom retorted, "She smokes, and someone who smokes is never going to spend time in my house." 

A massive church in Dallas, Texas recently spent $7 million on a new building. Yet only three people came to Christ during that year. That's the tragedy of informational churches, where everything revolves around learning the Word isntead of living the Word. "Knowledge makes arrogant but love edifies" (1 Cor 8:1). 

When Jesus entered this world He did not use the Word to distance Himself from people. Instead He Himself was the Word, the eternal Son of God now putting on flesh, incarnated, and living among sinners.