“Staying small is not the answer”
Last month I gave five observations of why churches grew,
today I want to look at the reverse of the coin as it were and look at the
reasons why churches do not grow. I must reiterate that these are merely my
observations based not on statistics or raw data collected, but on real life
situations. I am sure that there are many more substantive lists and articulate
books, on the Internet and in college libraries that have been authored by the
church growth experts that are far more comprehensive.
Here are twelve observations why churches do not grow.
A lack of clear vision:
If vision is a reason for success then it stands to reason
that a lack of vision is a reason for a lack of success. If a church doesn’t know
where it is going then it will never get to where the senior leader wants it to
go. Churches fail because the senior leaders has presented a vision- to the
members of the congregation, but then have no idea on how to implement,
progress and evaluate the success or failure of that vision. A number of years
ago when I was learning how to scuba dive my instructor told us that we had to
learn to ‘plan the dive and then dive the plan’. In other words we had to plan
everything and stick to that plan. In its very basic form a church vision is a
plan of where we see our churches in any given period. So, for example if we
want to see our church grow from 40 to 50 in a twelve month period, vision sees
the 50 and then implements a plan to reach and attain that goal. It sticks to
the plan making only minor changes. The larger a church grows the more
extensive the outworking of a vision is, and the more complex the
implementation may be. Have a big vision but take baby steps with clear defined
goals. The more that is accomplished and achieved the more confident one will
become. Then larger more daring plans and steps can be taken.
Trying to please everyone all of the time:
Pastors often fail in churches they take over, because they
try very hard at to please everyone. Church planters fail because as their
small congregations begin to grow they try to keep everyone happy – they don’t
want to lose people. There is not an organisation anywhere on earth that can
please everyone all the time. I am often amused at people who vote for their
electoral candidate and then get all upset when this same candidate votes with
their party on an issue that they personally are against. They take it as a
personal slant against them. They do not understand that they vote not just for
a single candidate but for a political party that must govern and do what they,
the party, think is right for the nation as a whole not just an individual.
In the same way senior leaders of churches cannot expect to
please everyone. Some things will upset people, but if you are sure that this
is the direction you feel God wants to take the church then stick to your
views, be decisive. As long as the culture and values of the church are clearly
defined and taught then move forward. I like to call this the non negotiable,
those things set down from the very beginning that you are not prepared to
compromise on.
Passionless leadership:
It is a lot easier for a person who is planting or
pioneering a church to raise up leaders who are passionate about the vision
culture and ethos of the church, those that reflect the DNA of a church and are
on board and behind the direction that is being taken. It may be a lot more
difficult for leaders of established churches to inspire and enthuse
established ministry leaders who head up various departments in a church and
have been in that department for a lot longer than they have been at the
church. You cannot have someone who does not like children running your Sunday school
program or your kids work, just because they are good administrators and then
wonder why young families are leaving your church for the church down the road.
The answer is simple get someone who is passionate about children and wants to
do great things for God in that department. Train them, instil your vision,
your passion in them. Don’t be afraid of moving or repositioning or asking
people to step aside, you’re the leader inspire and influence them in what they
do. The worst thing that could happen is that your Sunday school department
head could leave. Passionless leaders sap the energy out of churches, don’t let
it happen.
Dead Ducks:
The only nice duck is a roasted one with an orange sauce.
But churches that are struggling often have dead or lame ducks walking around
taking up time and effort when clearly they should long ago been consigned to
the trashcan. What are these dead or lame ducks? They are programmes that have
not worked or are well past their self life and people who are involved in them
are merely going through the motions. For example this could be your home groups,
which have had the same format for decades, which need to be rethought and
reworked. Or the format of your church service, this may have become old and
obsolete and is no longer relevant to the younger generation. I remember a book
that was doing the rounds in Christian circles in the early 1980’s entitled
“The seven words of a dying church – We’ve never done it this way before.” The
point I am making if the program is not working get rid of it before too much damage
is caused.
A Lack of Spiritual Enthusiasm:
Some of the churches I go into are like funeral homes
without the bodies. The leaders are lack lustre and don’t seem to be happy at
all. They do not reflect the faith that God is in control. They don’t believe
that prayer works or that by faith God can move mountains. They are not enthusiastic
about their service, which by the way is to Christ, not the church or to their
fellow leaders.
Then there is a complaint that people are leaving the church
and why not? Who would want to stay in a church where you not only have
passionless leaders but leaders that do not believe or reflect the God and the
scriptures that they preach about?
Leaders need to get excited about the bible, their prayer
meetings and their relationship with God. This enthusiasm needs to be
transmitted to from the pulpit, in the office, in the home groups and in
private at every opportunity.
An unwillingness to take risks:
If a church wants to reach out to a broken unsaved world it
needs to step out of its comfort zones. There are no sure things in life only
death and taxes. Steps of faith are taken not only by the leader or the
leadership but by the entire congregation. Failing churches are those who
amongst other things have lost their Hebrews 11 verse 1 moment, the certainty of
things unseen. They have not given people an opportunity to see a Great God at
work. They have replaced risk for comfort and the unbelievable for certainty.
No Outreach:
This is often the greatest problem in dying or failing
churches. There are no outreach programmes. The church has become a “fellowship”
were Christians can come together for comfort and a good gossip. Church is not
in my opinion a place for the Christian but a place for the non Christian to be
brought to by the Christian. In other words it is not an exclusive club.
Churches like this are doomed to die because they have completely disobeyed God
and the scriptures, which told all Christians everywhere, to go into the whole
world and make disciples (followers of Christ) of all mankind.
Selfishness:
This encompasses the previous points already covered.
Briefly churches fail because leaders and their congregations have become
selfish and have forgotten that they too were once broken and unloved and far
from God. They have forgotten to see the world through God’s eyes.
Uninspiring worship services:
I grew up in a rather conservative country where the church
services revolved around a little red book called the Redemption Hymnal that
had for its time some very inspiring hymns. Thank goodness we don’t sing them
anymore. They no longer have any relevance to today’s generation and frankly if
I came across the hymnal I would burn it before any old worship leader got
their hands on it. We who are Christians have no need of old music, but in order
to attract this present generation, to ensure that Christianity doesn’t die out,
and we continue to reach out, we need new music. If we want our churches to
live on and grow and prosper, then our worship services have to be our shop
window to attract today’s generation. The music style has to inspire and uplift
people; the service itself has to be interactive and must hum with vibrancy
there has to be life.
A lack of functional structures:
All great churches need structure. All structures need to
function and inter link with one another. Structure fails when visitors and the
newly converted see no formal way to progress in their walk with Christ. Just
like vision everyone needs to be on the same page, believe the same thing, and
go through the same processes. There needs to be cohesion.
Dead mid week:
A church is not just a Sunday ritual of one or two meetings
but a whole week of events and meetings. Leaders meeting, training, Youth
meetings, mom’s and tot’s groups, Men’s meetings and Ladies coffee mornings to
name but a few. But perhaps the most important is that mid week meeting where
new people can get nurtured and discipled into the life and culture of the
church. If these meetings are dead boring and irrelevant then getting the congregation
involved in them will always be an uphill struggle. Every senior leader should endeavour
to see at least 85% of their church involved in mid week home or connect
groups. Do something about them or die.
A lack of friendliness:
“WE are always there for people” is what I hear from pastors
and leaders but, when I visit their churches I often feel like a wall flower,
People don’t come and talk to me and are enclosed in their own little holy huddle.
This lack of friendliness and common decency will be the death of a church very
quickly. People are attracted to life and to human contact. Understand them and
you win them, ignore them and you lose not only them but the whole community.
I hope that these last two blogs have helped you to
understand that you can succeed and grow a great church for the kingdom of God.
At the same time if there is an unwillingness to change then your church will
quickly die and be lost in obscurity, it will remain a small little church with no meaning or direction.
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