Another Church Closes

Churches are closing all over the United States.   

I’m not referring to the “Big C” church, as we understand that the Church is actually the Body of Christ comprised of all believers in Jesus regardless of location, race, denomination, language or tradition.  In addition, worldwide, Christianity is not only the largest religion but also the fastest growing religion.  What we are seeing in America however is that many local church congregations, some in nice buildings, some in buildings that have seen better days, are closing their doors each year. 

According to recent reports about 4,000 church congregations close each year contrasted with about 1,500 new churches resulting in a loss of about 2,500 congregations.  Considering a growth in the population in the United States of about .7% and if 40% of Americans attend church, we need 4,200 net new churches every year.

A nation that is unchurched

It’s becoming increasingly clear that each year a greater percentage of Americans are now ‘unchurched’.   While the reasons for this are varied the undisputed fact is that as Christianity has become less relevant in the eyes of the average American.   As a result more and more local churches are faced with very difficult decisions regarding their continued operation, their ability to attract new people and their continued role in the community.

While they are still meeting and the lights are still on, these congregations have the opportunity to revitalize their ministry and to again be an important part of the fabric of their community.  The Great Commission of making disciples of Jesus Christ is not just about reaching new people groups or something that growing and sprawling mega churches do, it’s the basic and the essential mission of every local church.

There is hope!

Rather than abandoning these ministries and hoping that either the buildings can be sold, torn down or otherwise recycled, we need to remind ourselves that there is hope.  Not only is Jesus still the Lord and Head of the Church, we as the Body of Christ likewise can come alongside these churches and provide them with opportunities to rejuvenate and rebirth their congregations.

My observation is that these local congregations start spiraling down and get caught in a number of ultimately fatal traps.   Unless the leadership of the congregation recognizes the trends and understands that unless things change radically, their fate is sealed.  The congregation, the building, the legacy and the local Christian witness will vanish.

The challenge is that the change that is necessary is often very difficult to initiate.    In every generation local churches have struggled when they make even minor changes in worship, preaching style, the environment, attire or service times.    Recently many churches have stepped away from the traditional service patterns of Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Midweek as American culture has become busier and attendance has been declining.

If your local church is thriving and prefers more traditional worship and midweek services, God bless you.   Many congregations believe their culture and traditions are very closely related to their doctrinal beliefs and would rather be satisfied ministering to a declining and likely aging population.  However, they and the community they serve may be missing out on an opportunity to understand and witness first hand that the Gospel is not limited by tradition and culture.

The example of Jesus and Paul

Today more than ever we need more of our leaders to be like the Apostle Paul.  While Paul was a great church planter and was used by God to bring the Gospel to the gentiles in Asia and Europe he was also interested in strengthening and revitalizing the existing churches.  In the book of Acts we see Paul and Barnabas returning to the churches to “see how they are dong” (Acts 15:36).”   Paul was not hesitant to address moral or theological issues, heresy or problems in leadership.

Jesus as well through his angel sent messages to seven churches in the Book of Revelation.  These churches were all unique and each needed to hear a unique message regarding insights into their ministry.  Some were commended while some were severely criticized.   They all had the opportunity to be faithful to the ministry that they were given.  For most of them however that meant they had to make changes.

The bible is clear that we are the Body of Christ and that when one member suffers, we all suffer (1 Cor 12:26).  We are all too familiar with the scandals that spread when a minister falls because of moral failure.  Likewise, churches that begin to embrace the very sin that so easily entangles very quickly bring shame, dishonor and confusion within the Body of Christ.

In the same way, churches that close their doors, sell their buildings and abandon their calling indicate failure.  Their failure means that the message of the church, the life-changing opportunity to embrace Jesus as the Christ, to have sin forgiven and provide a message of hope is somehow irrelevant.

I mentioned earlier that many of our local congregations are spiraling down and get caught in a number of ultimately fatal traps. Often before a church can be revitalized, it has to be pruned and closed temporarily for some major remodeling.   Like an airplane that goes into a stall and starts spiraling down, the very deliberate but often counter intuitive maneuver of pushing the nose down is the only thing that can stop the spiral down.

Six changes to make!

Here are the major things I recommend these congregations look at to make the changes needed:

1. Sever the denominational ties! If you can’t completely depart from the denomination change the name on the building so that the message is clear that the purpose and mission of the local congregation is not about denominational differences but about the essential message of the gospel.
   
2. Focus on the local community!  Local congregations are designed to serve the local community.   People within a few miles of the church need Jesus and having a local church provides great opportunities for fellowship and true communion.
   
3. Worship!  All too often we worship our worship rather than worship the Creator.  There has been more hand wringing and arguments over the style and type of worship in a church than any other issue.  Worship preferences are rarely doctrinal issues and Christians have worshiped God in many different manners over the past 2,000 years.
    
4. Preach the gospel!  As churches become smaller the preacher assumes that since the remaining people already know the gospel, they need to be given other lessons in stewardship, parenting, ecology, history, social services or other useful but nonessential messages.   It is the gospel that brings spiritual rebirth and it is the gospel that people need to hear.
    
5. Evangelize! Evangelism is not a program nor an annual outreach, nor even an option; it is a command.  Evangelism is just another term for our part of the Great Commission, as it was Jesus that said to go and make disciples.   We go, He brings the Holy Spirit.
   
6. Pray!  It is Biblical and it has also been show historically that there are no second generation Christians.  Every believer begins his or her walk with the Lord individually.   Christianity is about prayer, self-sacrifice, humility, discipline and the development of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  

Jesus said..

Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. With that we have to understand that there is a very significant spiritual component as we lead and determine the appropriate actions to take to revitalize our congregations.  We pastors also need to always remember that its not our efforts but each member that contributes to the vitality of the local church.  In Ephesians chapter 4 the Apostle Paul says, “As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing. …” (Ephesians 4:16b, NLT)

Get to the Why

Over the years, I've attended many training sessions.  I've taught more than my share of them and have found that often, it is the simple ideas that can be the most profound. 

In my ministry of equipping pastors and churches and sharing our vision of the Church, one of the lessons I've learned and teach often is the "What, How and Why."   All are important but it's the 'Why' that matters. 

1) All churches and ministries know what to do.

 Here are some of the ‘whats’:

"Churches hold services, volunteers greet visitors", "pastors preach sermons", "children’s ministry has volunteers", "offerings are taken", and "contributions are collected."

2) The better, teaching ministries and churches know ‘how’ to do it and can teach others.  

Here are some of the “hows’:

“Contemporary services are preferred by the majority of people”, “Appreciate and train your volunteers”, “Prepare sermons in a series to keep people coming back”, “Pray before the offering is taken”,

3) Remarkable churches and ministries know ‘the why’ and inspire others.

If you were expecting a list of ‘why’s’ you are likely disappointed. The why is personal and unique. It is the way that the distinct vision of the senior leader is expressed.  There are many ‘whys’ in a church or ministry.   At the top are all of the whys related to who it is that the church is trying to reach.  A suburban church likely has a different ‘why’ than an urban church.  A church reaching primarily young people has a different 'why' than most other churches. 

You likely know some of your ‘whys’ but don’t necessarily articulate them consistently or in a way that motivates staff, volunteers and members.  For example, we know that visitors that are welcomed in a friendly and casual manner are more likely to want to return.   This is why churches should train and constantly remind their volunteers that they are the critically important and function often as the visitors first impression of the Church. 

Another ‘why’ is that we know that one of the most important aspects of children’s ministry today is to assure the parents that their children are in a safe environment.  This is why churches that are aware of this use check-in systems and name tags for both the children and the parents.

Get to the why in your church and ministry.  Spend some time examining the various aspects of the ministry and identify the whys.   Then, take the time to create short, memorable and creative tag lines for the various whys of your church or ministry.    Don’t just tell people the what or train in the how but give them the why and your church or ministry will become not just better-than-average but remarkable and inspiring. 

Winning the $700 Million Powerball

While the odds may be slim, the news that the next Powerball jackpot has grown to $700 million gets a lot of people lined up at your local supermarket or convenience store.  I think all of us wonder what it would be like to all-of-a-sudden have that kind of money.   Just this morning a pastor friend and I were talking and after we both talked about what we would do with the jackpot, we had the obligatory conversation regarding whether playing the lottery was sinful or not.

While I have an advanced degree in theology and have served as a pastor for fourteen years,  I’m very shy about giving advice where something is a sin when it isn’t mentioned in the Bible.  In addition to theology, I'm business trained and educated and pretty well read but trying to determine exactly what God would consider sin is not one of my talents.

To gamble or not to gamble 

Of course there are many that oppose buying a lottery ticket as it's really the equivalent of gambling (knowing somehow that gambling must be sin). I'm not too sure if playing the lottery is gambling. The likelihood of a lottery ticket paying off is so low even the government looks at the purchase of a ticket as the equivalent as making a "voluntary contribution to our schools and senior citizens". While I'm still not willing to venture into the discussion on what makes a sin a sin, I do recall back when I was working on Wall Street that some of my Christian friends felt that even "playing" the stock market was gambling and as a result was sinful.

I assured them (and my wife!) that I was working and I wasn't "playing". My employer paid me good money to be a good steward of the funds that were entrusted to my care. I was able to define the difference (actually a chasm) between buying stocks and gambling. Stocks are purchases of small bits of equity or ownership in a company. Stocks are also purchased in the hope (not guarantee) that the shares of stocks will be worth more money in the future. There are differences between putting money on a blackjack table or in buying a lottery ticket and buying stock. Investors in the stock market buy shares in a company in order to participate in the profits of a for-profit enterprise. Gamblers are counting on luck and chance, for if it was a skill or based on knowledge it wouldn't be gambling.

What is the intent? 

The difference perhaps comes down to intent. Isn't that possibly the defining line for sin as well? Jesus said in Luke 6, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." If we have a good heart, or have good intentions, we'll be doing good things. The Bible gives us plenty of examples of good things. We don't have to worry too often about the grey areas that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible.

I think one of the reasons that some would look at the Powerball Lottery as being evil or sinful is that it does resemble a "get rich quick" attitude. That is typically not a good attitude for followers and disciples of Christ. Proverbs 28:20 says, "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."

Warnings against the love of money

While it's not bad being rich, much of the Bible's teaching about wealth is a warning against putting trust in wealth rather than the Lord (i.e. 1 Timothy 6:17-18) or to the detriment of those who depend on us (i.e. Ecclesiastes 5:13-14). The New Testament teaches that we are to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us which includes our money.  Jesus spoke often about money and riches and we should be careful to love people more than things and to hold very loosely all that God has given us. In this way, when we have opportunity to use our possessions in ways that the Lord brings to mind, we won't hesitate to instead keep our possessions to ourselves.

The next time you are inclined to play the Powerball Lottery think first about what you would do with the money if you win. If your intentions are good then I think you've passed the first test. For the second test take a look at what you do with the rest of your money when you aren't buying lottery tickets. If you honor the Lord with your possessions, if you are generous towards those that have need, and if you tend to be unselfish and even sacrificial in your pursuit of helping your local church accomplish the ministry that you've determined to be a part of, then, and only then, I say, go ahead, put a couple dollars down and have some fun.

New Year's Resolution - Plant a Church!

Here’s a New Year’s resolution – Plant a Church

My friend, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research says,  “It’s a good day to start a church”.

I believe Ed is right and not only is he right but at the top of 2016 resolutions for Christian Evangelicals, pastors, churches, staff members and volunteers should be “Plant a Church”.

It’s really time we in the Church start thinking differently about Church Planting.  Perhaps you have heard the often-told adage that 80% of all new church plants fail.  That is just a lie that Satan would want us to believe and easily available research indicates just the opposite.  While there is no comprehensive research on the total number of new churches started annually, the most recent research on literally thousands of new church starts show that 99% of all new churches survive the first year, and 68% survive to year four.   Moreover, of the churches that survive, more than 70% are self-sufficient financially by the fifth year. (source: “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study 2007” By Ed Stetzer and Phillip Connor February 2007)

As a former pastor and executive team leader at two of the nations largest and fastest growing mega churches, it’s hard for me to admit but studies show that newer, smaller churches do a much better job as well in fulfilling the Great Commission.  This is particularly true if we define making disciples as the combination of making a commitment to Christ, attending church and being baptized. 

According to Christian A. Schwarz, the founder and head of the Institute for Natural Church Development (NCD), the statistics actually reveal that smaller is actually better and that ten smaller churches of 100 people will accomplish much more than one bigger church of 1000.

He writes:

“The growth rate of churches decreased with increasing size. This fact in and of itself came as no great surprise, because in large churches the percentages represent many more people. But when we converted the percentages into raw numbers, we were dumbfounded. Churches in the smallest size category (under 100 in attendance) had won an average of 32 new people over the past five years; churches with 100-200 in worship also won 32; churches between 200-300 average 39 new individuals; churches between 300-400 won 25. So a ‘small’ church wins just as many people for Christ as a ‘large’ one, and what’s more, two churches with 200 in worship on Sunday will win twice as many new people as one church with 400 in attendance.” ( Source: “Is Bigger Really Better? The Statistics actually Say "No"! - ChurchPlanting.com

New Year’s resolutions are too often broken. The commitment to plant a new church should not be the result of a sudden impulse.  However, we have been given the Great Commission for nearly 2,000 years and we know that it’s a calling that is given to all of His disciples.  Perhaps it’s time we consider the resolution to plant a new church.     

Essentials for Church Leadership

Churches need strong leadership.   John Maxwell says, “everything rises and falls on leadership”.   This is nowhere else as true as it is in the church. It takes courage to step into a role of leadership in a contemporary organization that is based on eternal truth and moral absolutes.  

In my ministry in visiting, encouraging and partnering with literally hundreds of churches, there are five essential aspects of church leadership that I am committed to never forget.   Here they are in a condensed form.  To make it interesting, the most important is actually the last one on the list:

1) Major on majors; minor on minors – While everyday there are definitely battles and struggles, we need to remember that every battle doesn’t need to be fought.   Successful leaders pick their battles to ensure that if the battle is worth fighting, it is worth winning.   People know that we live in an imperfect world and they are looking for leaders to make incremental improvements in those areas that are important.

2) Make time your friend – Every leader has exactly the same amount of time each day.   All too often, time management is not a church leaders strong suit.  One of the key principles to remember is that you need to manage your time rather than have time manage you.   Use a calendar, block out hours (yes hours, not minutes) in each day without meetings, without interruptions to accomplish that which is important.

3) Develop leaders – Jesus is a great example for us in developing people.  Jesus spent most of his time with those that were chosen to carry out the mission. These were not necessarily qualified, gifted nor remarkable individuals except that they spent quality time with Jesus.   Make leadership development intentional including identifying, equipping, challenging and releasing leaders.

4) Refuel Regularly – My friend, Lance Witt is the author of “Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul.”   In his book, he speaks of the front stage and back stage of every leader.   As church leaders, we are easily prone to burn out and succumb to spiritual attack.  One thing to remember is the three Rs in keeping our lives in balance: Recharge, Renew and Relax.  Even Jesus commented, “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27).  This is a great lesson for our busy pastors that all too often rarely take any time off.

5) Remember your Role – The biggest advantage in the church is often overlooked.  We need to remember our role as under-shepherd as Jesus is the Good Shepherd and head of the Church.  This is not a ceremonial role but one that is active. Jesus leads through his Word, by modeling behavior and responding to our plans.  Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

There are always new opportunities to improve our leadership.  Don’t be overwhelmed in the struggle but take every opportunity to learn from others and be sure to pass on those lessons to those you lead.

Conservative Christian

We all use labels, even when we say we don’t.   Understandably, labels are easy-to-use short cuts. They make it simple to know who is who.  Labels group ideologies and provide comfortable paths for us to follow.

Labels, like nicknames, are often prescribed to groups by outsiders.  In the church, we then subscribe to many of the labels that were originally pejorative terms.   'Lutherans' were so-named by Christians faithful to the Pope and Rome as these reformers were seen to follow Luther.  Methodists, Calvinists, Fundamentalists and even Roman Catholics were all pejorative terms at one time that were later embraced.

Christianity and Christian groups often attract labels.  Back in the 80’s the term “born again” was applied so widely that it soon lost its original meaning.  The term ‘evangelical’ was embraced and popularized by Rev. Billy Graham as a reaction to what was termed “fundamentalism.”  Today the word ‘conservative’ is so often the adjective modifying the noun Christian that you would think that political conservatism is inherently part of the Christian faith.

While it may be true that many Christians in the United States tend to be politically conservative, political affiliation is not part of the gospel, the Nicene Creed or any article of faith that I’m aware of in the church.   Christianity is all about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  This relationship doesn’t fit in with any particular political persuasion and it can be argued that being a Christian is actually more of a radical orientation to the rest of the world.

Pastor and author David Platt in his book, “Radical” demonstrates that the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels encourage believers to ‘leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for Him’. To be a true disciple of Jesus calls for a ‘radical abandonment’ of a person’s life all for the privilege of following God.  Christians are to live daily with an urgent obedience to the Great Commission to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:16-20) – concludes Platt.

Christians need to be careful about embracing contemporary and cultural ideologies and then associating them with their Christian faith.   Lower taxes, guns, limited government, a strong defense, and a balanced budget may arguably be good political ideologies, however they should never be confused with Christianity.

Christians have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).  Our faith is found in the essential gospel.  We embrace the unique opportunity for forgiveness for our sins because of the sacrifice that Jesus paid at Calvary.  The calling for those of us in the church is to love, forgive, serve and even sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel and the love of Christ.  We need no further label other than being a disciple of Jesus Christ.