I'll Wait Until You Fix It

I spend much of my time and energy on church transformation. I have been called to the church I presently serve as a Transformational Senior Minister. Transformation is about taking a church that is plateaued or declining and transforming it into a church that is vibrant and growing, both spiritually and numerically. My take on the whole deal is that the church, as described in the Bible, is an organism – The Body of Christ. And healthy living organisms grow. It is a natural thing.
 

For something to be healthy and grow, its systems must be healthy. For humans it means that our respiratory system must be healthy; our vascular system must be healthy; our nervous system must be healthy, etc. For a church to grow, its systems must be healthy. Systems in ministry: in giving, in communicating, in expectations of ministers and church members, in systems of leadership, (and on and on) must be put on a healthy plane before the church will change in any appreciable way and become healthy and growing. Most people believe the church is changed by bringing in new pastoral leadership and/or developing new ministries. Both of these things certainly impact the health and direction of the church. But neither of these things “fixes” a church. No matter what pastoral leadership in brought in and no matter what ministries are attempted, a broken church will remain broken until the church’s systems are repaired and made healthy. This makes more sense when one realizes that the church is the people who make up the church. We, and the systems we use, must be changed.

With this in mind, I sent a letter to my congregation outlining some of the challenges we have to deal with. I have found it to be the best policy to just tell people the truth – even if it is not good news. I do that realizing that there are members in every church who believe it is the pastor’s job to only say positive things. Every sermon, every newsletter article, every letter must come with balloons attached, a happy face drawn on it and it should always make them feel good. Gee, I do wish life was like that, but it isn’t. And I wish church was like that, but it isn’t. Life is challenging and being a Christian makes life even more challenging, not less.

 

So I wrote this “unhappy” letter to the congregation. I must tell you that the overwhelming response was positive. Dozens of people e-mailed me or stopped me to say something like, “Thanks for finally telling us the truth. It wasn’t pleasant but at least now we know. With that information we can now move forward.”

 

There were, of course, some who wanted to be angry in reaction to the information. They wanted someone to blame. Unfortunately, for them, most of the people to blame had left the church long ago. Most did want some assurance that such things could never happen again and we want to let them know that SYSTEMS have been put in place to negate the possibility of such mistakes ever being made again.

But I did exchange e-mails with one church member that so clearly exposes why churches of today struggle. It is such a good example I just must share it with you. The e-mails I share with you have been edited to protect the identity of the person who sent them to me.

The writer said: “It saddens me that our church doesn't seem to have any real direction and at this point my question is who is in charge and why do things seem to just get worse? I pray daily for a healthier and happier church. I pray that I will enjoy coming back when things seem to be more sound.”

 My response: “Thanks for your response to my letter. It is my belief that the work and business of the church needs to be put on the table where we can see it, own it and fix it. Your name doesn’t bring a face to mind so, coupled with your response, I am guessing you are not around much. If you were and paying attention you would know that the church has a very clear direction and is moving forward. Our direction, as a church, is to grow disciples (mature followers of Jesus) and engage in ministry that impacts our community and helps those who don’t know God come to know and love God. Like a vast majority of North American churches, our church has slowly become inwardly focused. This is “normal” for any group, is difficult to see from within and almost impossible to break out of. The leadership of the church is working hard at getting this done. I would encourage you to, instead of waiting until things get better, invest your resources (time, talents, energy and money) in helping your church move forward. I pray God’s blessings for you and yours.”

 I wrote my response with the full understanding that the person who had written expected some sort of apology from me and the church for having failed to meet his expectations. So, the response was not surprising.

 The writer’s response to me: “No, I haven't been around much. I was there several times when you took over and with much respect you did not bother shaking my hand or speaking as I left the early service. I have family members who have continued going but I felt too much negativity in the church.  I am a huge advocate for the church and I love what it has stood for in the past. I have faith that it will be strong again.”

 I commend the writer for his faith that the church will be strong again. My question is, will his lack of support at this critical juncture help the church become strong and healthy? Of course not. The writer is a “consumer Christian.” I person who affiliates with a church for what the church does for him; how the church makes him feel; what he gets instead of what he can give.

 In staff meeting this morning someone mentioned that a friend of his was moving to Memphis who had a skill that would be very helpful in the life and ministry of the church. Wouldn’t it be interesting if, when people are looking for a church to be a part of, instead of asking, “What does this church offer me?” they might ask, “What do I bring to this church that will help it fulfill its mission and ministry?” My guess is that church would be much stronger, more on target with its mission and having a huge, positive impact on the community.

 Just thinking Transformation.

 Copyright © 2014, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved