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THE DRIFTING CHURCH

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Drifting church

By Ken Blue

If a church is drifting, one of two causes exists: The church has no charted destination, or the captain is asleep at the wheel.

The church that is adrift, with no clear destination, is at the mercy of the current. Its only objective is to get through another Sunday. Next Sunday will be another day, and we will deal with it as we did today.

This is the status of many churches. Their only goal is have church Sunday and observe another phenomena. The bulletin is printed because churches are expected to have them. The songs are selected with no relevance to the pastor’s message, and the sermon is preached with no intended purpose or expected results. Everything rises and ebbs with the tide. This is the church without clear objectives or destination and is adrift.

Some churches have a purpose statement, somewhere, but like a New Year’s resolution; they write it and forget it. It has no bearing on anything that actually happens. Statements are easy to write, but old habits are hard to break. Unless we plan everything according to a clear destination, we are simply drifting in circles.

Even with a clear destination, it is difficult to keep a church on course. Churches are like ships and airplanes. All are prone to drift. The only hope is to have a strong rudder and an alert captain at the wheel.

The question is, is your church adrift; if so, why? Is it because you don’t have a clear vision of what you are trying to do, how to do it, and where you want to go? Or, is it because your church activities have nothing to do with the purpose statement you have misplaced? Only you can stop the drifting.

A VIEW TO GROWTH: ENLARGEMENT

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Crafting ministries with a view to growth

view to growth

 

By Ken Blue

“Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;” Isaiah 54:2.

God will keep his promises to Israel. In anticipation of the returning remnant, Israel is called upon to enlarge their facilities in order to accommodate them. Their faith will determine how they respond to that command.

The question is; are your plans, facilities, and ministries crafted with a view to growth? Do you really expect God to bless your church with a numerical increase? You need not answer; your plans reveal your faith.

Is your baptistery ready to baptize new converts, or is it like many that are decaying in dry rot? Are your nurseries staffed, clean, and ready for the infants of young families? Do you have trained teachers and workers for children when they arrive? Are your greeters prepared for guest each Sunday? If not, why not? Is it because of a lack of faith?

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Your preparation shows your faith or the lack thereof.[/pullquote]

Don’t wait for families to show up before you prepare. Get ready for them now! “And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” The average church is surprised if they have visitors on Sunday. You should be surprised and disappointed when you don’t have visitors. Is your church pregnant with expectation, that visitors will come? Once again, your preparation shows your faith or the lack thereof.

The experts tell us that the average church building can only maintain about 80% of its seating capacity. So, if your building is 80% full, you must take action to grow. “…lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;” Isaiah 54:2

Sad to say, some pastors do not want their church to grow. It is just large enough to pay them a salary, and just small enough to be a comfortable little family. If a church is doing what the Lord commanded, it ought to see new visitors and new converts each week. Pastor, the truth is we plan our church ministries according to our faith and vision. I challenge you; enlarge your existing ministries and expect growth from the Lord. Get a view to growth!

WHY SOME CHURCHES CANNOT GROW

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WHY SOME CHURCHES CANNOT GROW
WHY SOME CHURCHES CANNOT GROW

By Ken Blue

Dr. Tom Malone said, “An expert is any old spurt away from home.” I am not an “expert” on any topic. However, over the years, I have observed a few things that hinder the numerical and spiritual growth of a church. I list some of them, but not in any order of importance.

Location and facilities:

Where a church is located is important. I have seen whole communities change culturally and racially in a few short years. When that happens, it will have a dramatic impact on the church. The church must make a change in its culture or sell the building to those who are part of the emerging culture.

Another factor that hurts church growth is the condition, the age and the configuration of the buildings. Some people will tolerate an old building, but they will not accept a dirty and unkempt one. Paint and water are inexpensive; so, spruce up the place. If you are in the wrong location, find one more open to the gospel. The location of your church may be your greatest liability.

Outreach and marketing:

There are two colossal errors concerning outreach. One is the misconception that door to door soul winning is the only key to outreach. Secondly, that the word “marketing” is unscriptural. Statistics prove that 80% of the people, who visit a church, do so because a friend or family member invite them. Less than 1% come as a result of door to door soul winning. However, if that’s your only method, the percentage would be 100% in your case. Churches could learn from the world and the cults what effective methods they are using to reach the masses and apply them where appropriate. The world is wiser in this matter than most churches.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Statistics prove that 80% of the people, who visit a church, do so because a friend or family member invite them. Less than 1% come as a result of door to door soul winning.[/perfectpullquote]

The pastor might as well save church money and stop advertising in the newspaper and phone book. Young couples use the internet and watch television. Have the best web page possible for your church and have it designed to reach the un- churched. Place radio and television ads when finances allow. Do brainstorming and discover every method available; then use the ones you approve. Pastor Al Hughes, recently started a “Sign Ministry.” The positive results are worth looking into. Put the name and location of  your church on the sign. A Bible verse only will not attract anyone. Most growing churches have found that promoting three or four big days through the year will attract the community, if planned and promoted properly.

Atmosphere and attitude:

It never enters the mind of some pastors how important the atmosphere of a church is. Every business owner understands its importance or he goes out of business. Pay attention to the next store or restaurant you visit. Notice how they try to appeal to those who enter their doors. If you are unimpressed, you will not return.

The selection and style of music is critical here. Some of the best preachers I know kill their church with dead, somber music. Someone has correctly said, “You cannot have an Episcopalian song service, a Lutheran sermon and a Pentecostal invitation.” The atmosphere and attitude should be positive, exciting, uplifting and enjoyable. The lighting, the decor and colors are all important. Many churches have a funeral home atmosphere and then wonder why everyone looks dead.

Preaching and personality:

When it comes to reaching people, it may surprise you to learn that your personality may be more important than your preaching ability. That may explain why many of the best preachers have the smaller churches. It could be a personality quirk, a distracting habit or poor manners that hinder ones influence. Most people will talk about these, but not to the pastor.

Some preachers have the idea that if they are not screaming and yelling throughout the sermon, they are not preaching. This is a learned concept and must be corrected, unless you are in a culture where people enjoy being screamed and yelled at; if you are, then keep screaming. Remember you have different people at different services; a different purpose for each sermon and different methods at your disposal. You must understand that people are not as impressed with your preaching as you are. If you doubt this, ask them what your sermon topic was a week ago.

Laziness and playfulness:

The call to preach is not a call to slothfulness or amusement. Some preachers are lazy and ought to be fired; they would be if they behaved the same way on a secular job. The preacher must pray and study. He is to be a student of the Word of God. His calling is to studying and teaching. He must plan for church growth and ministries. Then, he must lead others to do the work of the ministry for Christ. Success rises and falls on leadership. If a church is not getting the job done, in most cases, it is a weakness on the part of the pastor. If you are weak in leadership and management, learn all you can on this subject and then do your best. If you are lazy, repent or resign.

Another flaw the pastor must guard against is the temptation to spend too much time playing. There are many good and acceptable hobbies and recreational outlets, but the pastor should avoid being identified with any as an addiction. Your first and foremost calling is to the ministry. Everything else must be subordinate to that calling. Rest, if you must, but don’t be lazy. Play if you can, but don’t get the reputation of an addiction to anything but the ministry.

NEEDS AND TRENDS IN THE CHURCH TODAY

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THE CHURCH TODAY SHOULD BE AWARE OF EVIL TRENDS
The church today

By Ken Blue

Although needs and trends are not synonymous; needs may change as trends change. Trends can be good or evil. Certainly, no church should follow evil trends. The spiritual needs of believers never change. However, how the church addresses and meets those needs must change with time.

What the average church members need is relevant Bible teaching and preaching. That means, the preacher must be aware of the real world and the real people who live in it; then he must be able to build a practical sermon or lesson that clearly helps others with their problems. I know the Bible is relevant, but many pastors don’t know how to preach it so people can understand or apply it.

Some preachers think if they cram the sermon with bible verses, it has more authority and value. Nothing could be further from the truth. Neither Jesus or Paul were concerned about the number of verses in their messages. Look at them; they told simple stories about life and used biblical and natural examples to communicate one truth at a time. This is the need in the pulpit today. The primary purpose of the Bible is not to inform, but to transform. Do you really have an end goal for your sermon, or is the only end, just to preach another sermon. You should write at the top of your sermon notes what your objective is.

Some pastors think if they can get their members to conform to four or five standards, they have met the needs of the believer. The category is: A haircuts, dresses on women, tithing, Bible reading, and soul winning. These may have an outward show, but they do not meet the needs of church members. Usually, these are promoted by the pastor so the members will build his church membership. So, make the sermon relevant to the time and place.

Church members need a sense of belonging and ownership. New members must feel they fit and are accepted. This means the church must create a strategy to assimilate them into the fellowship with other believers. Remember, the glue that holds the ministries together, is the cement that keeps others out. Do everything you can to create a spirit of belonging and ownership within your members. The saying is true, “Use me or lose me.”

Members must be able to develop close friendship ties. Experience shows that if a person does not have a family member or a close friend in church, they will not stay. The pastor should know this and do everything within his power to create ministries where these relationships can develop. Private small groups are one of the best ways for this to happen. Everyone wants to be an important part of an important ministry. The church should have in place and a strategy for recruiting and placing members in ministries best suited for them. Friendships are developed in these ministries. This takes planning and work, but the payoff is great!

Worship is expressing love and praise to the Lord. Although it can be spontaneous, it should also be planned as part of the church service. There are various way to do this and the pastor should vary from time to time. One could use music, testimonies, giving and sermons as worship. The one thing the congregation can do collectively is worship and praise God. This too, should be well planned.

Perhaps the most important part of a church is its atmosphere. Dr. Jack Hyles said that the difference between an exciting church and a dead church is the atmosphere. The preacher must be positive in his messages and announcements. The pulpit is not the place for scorn, griping, complaining, or excuses. A pastor told me that he could not get his members to bring visitors to church. He had pastored for 15 years in a large city and maintained about fifty members. I later found out that practically every sermon was against the Roman Catholic Church Whore, fags, other translations of the Bible and the present government. Are you surprised that his members would not invite others? I’m not.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…show people what great things God is doing in the lives of church members…[/pullquote]

Preach down the blessings of God! Exalt the goodness and love of the Lord. Talk about and show people what great things God is doing in the lives of church members and in your church. Stop trying to kill the frogs, make the pond bigger. This will keep the Devil off balance.

Church members want a quality ministry and buildings. Many church members are actually ashamed to bring family and friends to their church because the buildings are dirty and unkempt. Many churches are also shoddy in their ministries. The music is not well planed or practiced. The bulletins are pointless and so is the sermon. Cut the grass! Paint the buildings! Clean the carpets! Improve the nurseries and bathrooms! I preached in a church that had only one bathroom. To make things worse, they had only one towel. It was the kind you have in your home, and everyone used it. Visitors will not return to any church run like that. Do the best you can with what you have to make everything first class. Start the services on time and stop them on time.

Vision for world missions is a must for the church. People must see the needs around the world and then be led to get involved in meeting those needs. This involves more than giving and praying for missions or reading a mission letter. Allow people to visit a mission field. Get them personally involved in world mission projects.

People need purpose for everything that the church does and for what you want them to do. Pastors must get off their backsides; discover what the real needs of their members are, and then research ways to address these needs with the Book. Have a purpose statement and teach it to your people until everyone knows what their church is about. Stop trying to make your church like someone else’s. Find out how to best meet the needs of your members and then implement what is needed to accomplish it.

HOW IMPORTANT IS SOUL-WINNING

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How Important Is Soul-Winning

Soul-WinningBy Ken Blue

How important is soul-winning? Perhaps the following illustration will help you decide: A storm developed in the Pacific Ocean and for several days the waves crashed against the sandy beaches of the Hawaiian Islands. Thousands of sand dollars washed upon the seashore and were stranded. A lady, walking along the beach, saw them and one by one began tossing them back into the ocean. A man came along and said, “You’re wasting your time. There are too many for you to make a difference.” She picked up one and threw it back into the water and said, “It made a difference to that one.” She picked up another and as she tossed it back into the ocean she said, “It made a difference to that one.”

I ask you, how important is soul-winning? You decide. It will make a difference to that one.