Lessons for a Church Builder

Yesterday at my weekly breakfast with a group of guys from the church we were discussing the future and the direction of the church. I made the comment that I felt like we were starting to see a paradigm shift in the minds of the people. I was then fielded the question something along the lines of … “what type of shift do you think needs to take place?”

In my opinion many churches who have become static or have even dropped off from their former “glory days,” have two things going against them …. 1) for some some reason they have become inward focused, and 2) they have lost their creative edge. I think these things are important to building a church.

 

I have said many times that I am not about numbers. I don’t care if we are a mega church, a medium sized church, or even a small church. Numbers don’t drive me. What drives me is reaching as many people for Christ that we can. That is what we as a church have been called to do. We have been commissioned by Christ to … “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). Did you get that, we are to make disciples, how? by going, baptizing and teaching.

Many churches who have fallen off have some how forgot this message. Sure if you were to ask them what the church should be doing they would respond with many things, but one would be to evangelize. While they understand this, they no longer operate in a way that is going to foster evangelism. This is the first paradigm shift that has to happen in the minds of the people. The church has to stop being inward focused and start being outward focused. Without doing this, you cannot begin to reach people with a life changing encounter with Jesus.

The second paradigm shift supports the first. When churches who have existed for a while start failing one thing that goes is creativity. The church gets caught in a rut, doing the same old things week after week, month after month, and year after year. This is where the sacred cows, the traditions of the church begin to take hold. When they have lost their creativity they begin playing church, and that tends to lose that spirit of evangelism.

So to change these things you have to start rebuilding creativity. You have to start preaching evangelism. You have to start preaching about being outward focused. Before change can take place you have to shift and change the minds and hearts of the people. Once this begins to happen amazing things can begin to occur. This is the process we are now going through at West Side. And you know what … it is beginning to happen. We are beginning to see a change in heart and mind. We are beginning to see the creativity return to many people … and to be honest …. IT IS EXCITING!!!!

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Paradigm Shift

I am currently reading a book by Will Mancini titled Church Unique. In his book Mancini put into words a paradigm shift that has been taking place in my own heart. For years churches have built their growth structure under a mission statement and a twelve step process of how to get there. This type of system thrived in a world where the church was playing with home field advantage.

Unfortunately we are now living in a post-Christian world. People today do not know exactly who Jesus is. Sure they may have heard of him, sure they may know some details about his life, but they do not really know or understand his mission and his love. The church is now playing as the visiting team, having to overcome a lot of crowd noise and boos just to get a play off. Because of this the twelve step process is on its way out and a new system is entering.

Up until the last 9 months I believed the twelve step process was the way to go. I had thought and dreamed of many systems of how to be a better and bigger church by a particular date. I had even come up with a slogan, corny or not, that was based on the year 2020. I wanted to call it “2020 Vision: A clear vision for the year 2020.” I thought this would be a great ten year plan for 2020 and play off the idea of perfect eye sight. While that might have worked in the Christian era, I now believe it is not the best route.

As my mind is starting to wrap around this new idea, I am quickly coming to believe that the best way, is to make a plan based off of who you want to be as a church. Throw out the programs, throw out the numbers goals, and decide what kind of church you want to be. Develop a mission statement, and then base everything you do off of the mission statement. Decide what kind of people your church wants to reach and do everything you can to reach that kind of people. Decide that you are not going to hire staff to get a job done, but that you are going to equip your people to get that job done. Sure there is planning still involved, sure you must account for growth and have some provisions in place to handle it. But the step by step vision casting is no longer the same, it is has evolved, it has changed, and it is working to meet a post-Christian world where they are.

Like I said this is a paradigm shift for me, and I am still working through it. But I am eager to see where this leads me, and what kind I vision and plan we cast for future growth in the Lord’s church for the lost people of this world.