Equipping

I hope you read the previous blog: Signs that alert you that your church is in trouble.  The article points out five signs that are often ignored which signal that the congregation is on the road to demise and often death. That is always tragic and no believer wants to see a congregation have to close the doors.  What do you do if it is your church?

1. Don’t ignore the signs. My sister and I would play hide and seek when I was a small boy. I would run to an adjoining room, stand against the wall, and cover my eyes. She would find me within seconds and say “I see you there.”  I would reply, “No you can’t, I have my eyes closed!”  Closing your eyes and ignoring the signs will not make them go away and will not bring your church back to health.
2. Resist the impulse to blame.  It is our pastor’s fault.  We have deacons who won’t lead. Our members are apathetic. That may or may not be true. But calling people out will likely create anger, further frustration, and perhaps division. That is not to suggest that tough conversations will not need to take place at some point.  But do not begin by assessing blame. Begin by evaluating yourself. What are you personally doing or failing to do that is contributing to the demise.  Begin by looking at your role.
3. Pray. No, I mean really pray.  Describe the prayer ministry of your church. Offertory prayers, benedictions, and praying for Aunt Thelma’s forthcoming surgery are all commendable.  But, have you been on your face and on your knees, not once, not twice, but frequently alone and with others asking God to show up in your congregation.
4. Talk about the vision for the church. If you are not sure where you are going, how will you know if you ever get there? What do you want your church to be like five years and ten years from now? Are you doing the things that put you on the path that will take you there?
5. Bring in a specialist.  You need someone to take an objective look at your congregation.  Sometimes you cannot see the flaws when you live in a situation day in and day out.  Fresh eyes can assist in bringing clarity to the issues and someone with Godly wisdom and experience can help you see the path forward more clearly.  A person with a heart problem will do well to consult with a heart specialist. Consider bringing a church health specialist to assist with evaluating and strategizing the best way forward.

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.”   – Yogi Berra

Church life is absolutely a joy when everyone seems to be happy, the worship is spirited, people are coming to faith in Christ, and no threatening divisive issues are on the radar. Maintaining momentum over a long period of time is very difficult. I did a study once of churches in my state denomination to determine how many had experienced 2% or greater growth for the previous ten consecutive years without fail. Only six churches were able to do that or to see it another way; .0016%. That is a good reminder that even the best of churches are prone to go through occasional slumps. A church that is going through a slump is not dying, is not experiencing some contentious division, and is not going through dramatic erosion. The slumping church is doing okay but they have lost momentum and may not be progressing like they were in the previous months and years. What do you do when your church is in a slump?

1. Take the seasons into consideration. Most North American churches experience cycles that affect attendance throughout the calendar year. Churches ordinarily see a mild surge in attendance at the end of summer when school gets back in session and the vacation season comes to a conclusion. In addition, most churches re-launch their small group Bible Studies with new leaders, new groups, and promotion of school age children. Once November arrives the holiday weekend will pull down average attendance and December will bring at least two more weekends when many families travel. With the exception of extreme weather in warmer climate areas the attendance will rebound in January, February, and into March. April brings spring breaks followed by May with a holiday weekend and graduations resulting in decreased average attendance. Then summer comes and many families take advantage of warmer weather and the children being out of school to take much needed vacations. When school returns the attendance tends to rebound again. Seasonal slumps are common in every church as these up and down cycles occur each year.
2. Look beyond attendance. Church leaders should certainly take note of erosion. This occurs when attendance declines and continues to slide even when the seasons would suggest that participation in worship should rebound. Assuming that many months of decline are not the issue, look beyond attendance to other critical issues. Although this is second on the list it is actually most important. How is the prayer ministry going? Are members being equipped and challenged in personal evangelism? Is the Bible study and are the sermons fresh and challenging? Are the members reaching into the community to serve and minister? Be sure you are not neglecting these best practices that keep your congregation healthy and the momentum building.
3. Focus on what you can control. This point is made with acknowledgement that God is the source of momentum and forward progress. I am sure that you are well aware, however, that sin can get in the way. You have no control over whether more people will attend your church this Sunday. But you do have control over whether you have a repentant heart or not. You do decide whether you will spend time in God’s word each day. You make the decision of whether to minister, to participate in equipping opportunities, or whether to invite guests to participate in worship and church activities. You may not have control of the temperature but you can adjust your thermostat. Ordinarily, when you do, the temperature changes accordingly. Some actions on your part are equivalent to changing the thermostat.

A slump is temporary. Pray through it and know that God can teach you when you are in the valley. If the slump continues you have moved to erosion and that is a totally different challenge. Slumps are not enjoyable but neither are they abnormal. Attend to your personal spiritual growth when things are great, when times are tough, and even in the midst of a slump.

Does the name Babe Ruth ring a bell? The avid sports fan certainly knows who that is. Even the less acquainted are likely aware that he held the Major League Baseball record for homeruns for almost forty years before being surpassed by Hank Aaron. During the three years prior to Ruth’s dramatic hitting career, a young pitcher on the same team recorded a 2.28 earned run average as a starter and had a winning percentage of .671. Do you happen to know who that was?  Yes, you sports geeks know exactly who I am talking about. The young pitcher was none other than Babe Ruth. Ruth was on his way to perhaps becoming a Hall of Fame pitcher with stats like those.

However, he did not continue to serve the team as a starting pitcher. The coach determined that he would be more valuable playing every day, going to the plate four to six times per game, to drive in runs and give the offense a punch. He did not know that he would set the record for home runs when the change was made. What if he had balked at the decision? (I could not resist the pun.) You may have never heard of him. Who knows how the rest of his career may have gone as a pitcher. He may have excelled or he may have flopped. We will never know. What if he said, “I don’t want to play every day. I like pitching every fourth game.” What if he liked the spotlight of being before the crowd for every pitch instead of only five or six plate appearances?

What about you and your role? Do you like your position in the organization? You should at least have some affection for it and there is no harm in aspiring to greater things. However, a leader should never have the attitude of “I don’t know what I would do if I could not do this job (hold this position).” A growing leader is capable of holding several different positions with a degree of effectiveness and will excel where he or she is placed in the existing organization or in another organization for that matter. For one to possess the attitude that they cannot thrive in any other positon or any other place than where they are is not flattering. Hyper-specialization should not be confused with limited skill sets and lack of personal development. You serve your organization to help accomplish the mission. The mission must be superior in priority to your position. Otherwise, unhealthy internal competition, diminishing competence, and the undermining of your own credibility will result. You will best help those you serve now and in the future by placing more emphasis on the mission and less emphasis on your position. It is commitment to the mission that will get your organization to where it needs to be no matter what your position may be. The mission must take precedence over your position!