TRANSITIONING CHURCHES

Transitioning a church is one of the hardest things in the world to do! 

Churches take on so much baggage over the years!

ü  People who have been there a long time think they have seniority and should have more ‘say’ than new people!

ü  Things typically become more regimented and therefore, predictable.

ü  Forms become more important than Spirit!

ü  The work of the church becomes more about keeping things going than doing ministry!

ü  The walls of the church become thicker and thicker, isolating church members from the lost still outside the walls!

ü  The ‘feel’ of the church becomes more like that of a club than that of a life-saving-station!

I could go on, but I’ve made my point. 

Turning this around takes courage, persistence, confrontation and perseverance!  Oh! And TIME! 

I’ve been privileged to be a part of this process several times.  It is exhausting and frustrating in the early stages, but when it FINALLY begins to take hold – it is very exciting and rewarding! 

The Apostle Paul seems to be speaking of this process in Philippians 3.  The key: “…rejoice in the Lord” [v.1 TM].

Then, he warns:

“Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it“ [vs.2-3 TM].

Paul then goes on to speak about his credentials – which were noteworthy!  He explains that these credentials are nothing to him anymore.  [It’s really worth reading in The Message Bible!] 

Instead, Paul has connected with the real thing – Jesus Christ!  Nothing else matters!  Paul now wants to “…know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it [vs.10-11 TM]. 

Fortunately, the churches that Paul founded largely took on his passion and followed his example, although he did have to revisit and correct some of their distracted ventures! 

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It’s so easy today – especially, it seems in the American church – for churches to become about budgets, boards and business instead of fulfilling the mission of Christ: seeking and saving the lost! 

Many pastors don’t have the desire, know-how, or courage to even try to awaken a church that’s become distracted from its mission.  Others genuinely try, but quickly become discouraged by the deeply-dug-in-opposition that needs to defend its power-base!  Still others are just there for the salary. 

GOD HELP US!  If John Maxwell is right, and everything rises and falls on leadership – then we need pastors who are getting it right to be able to transition dead or dying churches! 

Too many pastors today seem to have bought into the ‘pastor as CEO’ model taught so aggressively during the 90’s.  They don’t want to do the work of ministry!  They prefer to sit in their office and work on their computers.  How long does it take for us to realize that this isn’t working and the church is shrinking?