I am convinced that the greatest opportunity for the
advancement of the Gospel in America is the transformation of the existing
church. In most cases, we don’t
need another church anymore than Myrtle Beach needs another golf course.
Today I played golf on a golf course that was all but closed
just a couple months ago. Its
greens had weeds growing on them and the fairways were hard and
unfriendly. It came from neglect
and a focus on the bottom line instead of the original purpose. This resulted in fewer golfers, which
depleted revenue. Management
blamed the employees and the employees felt management had let them down. The owners struggled to stay open, but
without a major transformation they were doomed to continue to struggle and
ultimately close their doors.
Their reputation had gotten so bad that we had to almost drag two of our
foursome there because they didn’t believe the course could be good.
New management came in a couple months ago and refocused on
the purpose for the existence of the course. It was there to create an environment for golfers to enjoy
and participate in a sport they had chosen to play. It wasn’t about the money or the notoriety. Those were both the byproducts of a
great vision (purpose) and environment.
The new management company evaluated everything from the
focal point of the course’s purpose.
Fairways were irrigated, aerated and re-seeded. They chose to re-sod the greens because
it would take too long to nurse the existing greens back to health. They lowered their price per round to
encourage people to come and try a course that had a reputation of being a
waste of money.
This course is now the talk of the town. The management company is forecasting
even more improvements and is seeing the original vision of establishing a
successful golf course that advances the sport of golf become a reality. There are many factors that led to the
course declining and nearly closing, but drifting from the core purpose of the
course and the importance of serving golfers was key.
I know the church is different from a golf course, but
vision drift and a failure to maintain a serving environment will erode a
church. The drift is subtle and
often the attempts to fix it are frustrating and futile. Most churches today have fallen into
ritual and routine. New programs
are tried, styles of worship are tweaked and facilities are updated with little
or no effect.
In fact, statistical data shows that most existing churches
are either stagnant or declining.
Here’s a reality check reported by Drew Goodmanson at www.goodmanson.com:
·
In
America, 3500 – 4000 churches
close their doors each year
·
Half of
all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth
I recently read a statement that seems to sum up the
problem: “Our dilemma is that we love change and we hate it at the same
time. What we really want is for
things to stay the same, but get better.”
Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, from Lifeway Resources, took a
very strong look at why some churches seem to be transforming lives and
communities while others are struggling to grow. They found that there are seven elements that are common in
all transformational churches.
These same elements can be seen in the church at Antioch. The results of their study of over 7,000
churches and hundreds of onsite interviews can be found in the book, TheTransformational Church.
Lifeway has also created an assessment that allows a church to evaluate
how it aligns with each of these seven areas. It’s an opportunity for reestablishing God’s purpose and plan for His Church.
Pastors are burning out and leaving the ministry at an
alarming rate. Many churches only
have ten to twenty years remaining until the current attendees pass away or
become too old to carry on. The
answer is deeper than dress codes, music and technology. The answer is found in refocusing on
why the church exists. The church
is a lighthouse, a transformational element on the earth. The church is God’s means of sharing
His grace, presenting His gospel and advancing His kingdom.
The good news is that many churches are at a critical point
that allows them to address hard issues.
Churches all across America are refocusing on God’s purpose and becoming
the transformational agents God intended them to be when He commissioned them
to go into all the world and proclaim the disciple making gospel.
If your church is ready to refocus, give me a call. Check us out at www.refocusedministry.com. What do you think about the condition of the church in America. I'd love to hear from you.
