As a church staff (that’s what I do for a living, I work as the Communications Pastor [see below] @ First Christian Church in Fort Myers), we’ve been reading the book Simple Church. It’s really good (and just between you, me, and the wall, this is how I’ve always felt about ministry in general).
But the main theme is that we allow things in church to get exceptionally convoluted. We try to do too much, and thus, spread ourselves too thin. It’s easy to say, “Yes,” to way too many things because we try to be all things to all people.
“But wait,” says you. “Isn’t that what Paul said, ‘I became all things to all men, so that I might win a few (paraphrase)…’ isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”
Yes. And no. It’s our job as people to win as many as we can to the cause and person of Christ, but at some point we have to realize (as I’m sure Paul did somewhere along the line) that we’re not Christ. We can’t save everyone. Jesus couldn’t; we definitely can’t. The fact is that no matter how much we think we’re doing, some people will still choose what they want to choose, whether we want them to choose that or not.
The simple truth is: we as people (and as a culture) have become experience driven.
Basically we want to do as many things as possible before we die. This isn’t every person without exception. It’s a generalization. And I think that there’s hope that that ideology might be shifting. But right now (at least where I am) the church and the world are full of people who want to do everything. So, in turn, we think we can save everyone by relating to enough people. If I can do more things for more people, if I can have more experiences, I will be able to minister to more people.
But (and you knew this but was coming) I don’t think this is very healthy (and I’m just as guilty as everyone else).
God gifts us all (as individuals) very differently. There are certain things that I know I do well. Then there are other things that I don’t do so well. But fortunately for me, God has made people who are not like me. They are good other things. And still more people who are good at other other things. So we can live in community and work together as one body to accomplish the goals He has set in front of us.
Which brings us to the reason I began this post. (Yes, I do realize that was a lengthy introduction.) The book isn’t talking about us as individuals (at least not first). It speaks to churches. Which are different than people, but made up of them. So perhaps not so different.
Churches, like the people that make them up, try to do as much as they can for their surrounding communities. And while I believe that their hearts are in the right place, I think that is a grave mistake. God has gifted churches in the same way that He has gifted people.
People who are liked-minded tend to group together. So when you and I walk into a church, we (on some level) have a very specific idea of what that church should be doing for its surrounding community. And if I don’t feel like you’re doing that thing I think should be done, I will probably go somewhere else. (I realize that’s not “how it should be,” but it is “what it [generally] is.”) I will go somewhere that the people think similarly to me, and together we’ll accomplish the goal that God has empassioned us for.
Different churches are good at different things. The problem arises when church “A” sees church “B” and thinks, Now that is success. We should be doing that. So they try to branch out and do that alongside the thing God made them to do.
Now, if that only happened once, it might not be a huge deal, but it happens lots of times, and suddenly the church begins to lose effective in that one thing it was made for.
So to come full circle, we’ve been reading all this, and we’ve had a couple all day meetings talking about what this looks like at First Christian. Really, really good stuff. Productive, healthy, team building meetings. Everyone on staff and in leadership is on board. But what happens when we start implementing?
There are four parts: clarity, movement, alignment, focus. Clarity, movement, and alignment are easy. We’ve got the process, we can be clear. The process implies and expresses movement. the process will help align. But focus is the hard part.
We’re going to have to start saying, “No.” And that, up to this point, isn’t something we’ve been very good at.
What happens when we have to tell a new ministry they don’t really fit with what we’re trying to do, or when we have to tell an existing ministry to change or die?
I know the simple answer: they go somewhere else. And in the end, that will be for the best. But sticking to our guns is the hard part.
Prayers:
God will bless our efforts to become simpler as a church and help us to say, “No” when it needs to be said, and stick to “No” after we say it.
