Forced Transformation

As I have mentioned before, I do church transformation. I should be a very busy guy since a vast majority of churches in the United States are plateaued or declining and in desperate need of transformation. Most just jauntily sail on toward institutional death and many of those who realize their days are numbered have decided that they would rather die than work through the changes that must be made to not only survive, but to flourish and live into the strong and unforgettable future God has for them.

Some of those who do engage in transformation do so because of necessity. Such transformation is usually initiated because of budget restraints. There are some who avoid change even with budget pressures. My denomination, on the regional and national level, is sorely budget challenged and yet changes little. The changes they make are akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. There is much of motion and busyness but little that is lasting and significant happens. It is usually just a cut in staff and a rearranging of those remaining as they attempt to continue with business as usual. There is little attention paid to the idea of contemplating whether we (the organization) are on the right path and if what we are doing is or is not helping fulfill the basic mission of the church. Are we expending our resources in ways that impact and fulfill our mission? Because if we are going to have to make adjustments because of budgetary restraints, why not use this opportunity to make changes that will help bring the transformation the is needed and which, when incorporated into the church system, will also solve the budgetary problems? Why it doesn’t occur to church and denominational leaders that if they don’t take the opportunity to make the needed transformational changes, they will be back in the same spot in a very short time. As the old saying goes: If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got.

The church I am serving is in a budget crunch. It is an anxious and challenging time. But we are already in the process of transformation so our budget pressures are a great motivator for us toward transformation. One of the areas we need to transform is moving from being a consumer church where you come to get your needs fulfilled, where you are served, where you come and observe a worship service (instead of participating in worship), where you pay to have mission and ministry work done instead of doing hands on ministry yourself, where you are a consumer instead of a servant. As budget restraints cause us to pare down the staff, it is a wonderful time for the members to step up and begin doing the work of the church – the ministry of the church. It is a great time for the members to get involved in fulfilling the mission of the church in a real way on a daily bases.

Here, for me, is the exciting news. In the few weeks we have been living into our new budget, I have seen more lay involvement in the work and ministry of the church than I did in the first 12 months I was here. We have always had a small, dedicated part of the church doing some awesome ministry in the church. But that group is growing. More members are stepping up and working to move the church forward. It is a thrill to see it unfold before me. My prayer is that more and more of our membership will see the future (It is difficult to look beyond the past and easy to be frozen in fear of the present. Not everyone can do it.), and step into a Ministry Team and begin investing ourselves and our resources into the amazing future and mission God has for us. Oh, yes; giving a bit more would also be a great help at this moment in our history.

I am excited. Won’t you join me?

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