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The Myopic ChurchApril 15, 2012 It has been my privilege, over the last few years, to help hundreds of churches discover how to move from plateau and decline toward growth and fruitfulness. From contemporary to traditional, missional to attractional, and large to small, every church seems to wrestle with what I call a myopic tendency.
For instance: some churches have become so focused on the front door that they have a gapping hole in their back door. Another may be so focused on discipleship that they have forgotten the hundreds of dying and lost people that surround them. Still others have become so focused on serving that they have forgotten to address the issue of discipleship all the while hoping that serving will automatically mature people in the faith. And we could add a hundred more scenarios to this list.
In 1995 Rick Warren, Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, released a book called; The Purpose Driven Church. In this book he outline 5 New Testament principles that must be present in every church
In my opinion, these principles are perfectly applicable to any local church’s ministry. While some may not completely understand Warren’s ministry, few could argue with these necessary principles.
Yet, claiming to have these principles within your church’s structure is not enough. The question many refuse to wrestle with is this: "Are these principles 'Actual' or 'Aspirational' in our church"? Simply speaking, are we really functioning in a healthy manner or are do we only wish we were? Unfotunately, many churches today lack the structure to measure the effectiveness of their ministry in a way that will help them answer that question.
Ponder this: Are you simply promoting your "Pet" ministry/concept or truly engaging people on all levels?
Thom Rainer put it this way in his book Simple Church, “For people to take your ministry process seriously, it has to be measured… The vast majority of churches have no systems in place to measure people moving through the process.” We may have a way of measuring the success of our particular “Pet” ministry or concept, but are people really being reached, evangelized, discipled, sent out, and moved on to maturity in Christ? In order to defend against becoming a myopic church, you must be willing to ask the hard questions and be willing to listen when someone shares an answer. | |
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Posted 4/15/2012 in Stephen Gray | 2 Comments - Add Comment |