Church Busyness
This blog post by Jesse Phillips over at Catalyst today got me thinking (and responding) about how busy most church leaders in America are, and yet how ineffective our efforts seem to be.
He asks whether this key statistic is true — that only 1% of America’s churches reach the unchurched. Source for this is an article by Associated Baptist Press.
Here’s my response:
I think the important question for every church leader to ask is — Is this true of my church? Are we growing (both numerically and spiritually) as a body of believers? If not, why not?
Given the degree of stress, burnout, etc., this same article mentions, I don’t believe the problem is lack of desire or effort. Almost every pastor or church leader I know wants to reach the unchurched, and they’re willing to work themselves to death (literally) to do it. Ironically though, more “church” activity often equals less contact with the unchurched, and even more stress.
What we often fail to ask is whether all our effort is actually helping us to accomplish our mission. Have we considered how much existing programs really cost us in terms of the time, money, energy, etc., we invest in them? Do these efforts position us strategically to accomplish our mission, or do they merely keep us all busy?
In light of Matthew 11:30 (yoke is easy, burden is light), maybe we’re expecting too much of ourselves? Maybe we don’t have to be all things to all people. Maybe God is calling our local church to reach people in our neck of the woods in a more focused, less busy, and stunningly unique way?
Maybe less really is more. Practical question to ask: are we willing to hop off the ministry treadmill long enough to see what God’s vision for our church really is? Are we willing to offer up our current practices as living sacrifices to God, and see what he gives us back?
I speak from experience on this one. I tend to be a workaholic, and unfortunately, our American brand of Christianity all too often applauds this type of effort. In fact, I’ve found it’s very easy for me to win the praise and admiration of others in church circles by having a positive attitude, rolling up my sleeves, and getting to work.
Never mind that I often ignore the significance of Sabbath rest. Never mind that I practically act as if everything depends upon me. Never mind that I often say yes to things out of guilt or obligation, rather than out of a sense of calling or loving appreciation. And never mind that all I’m engaged can wear me out. After all, aren’t we supposed to suffer for Christ?
The funny thing I realized after awhile is that I really didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a part of a church. All this church activity was centered around church, and you just expected unchurched folks to be interested at some point and show up. If they did show up, the goal was to get them to forsake the world and get busy doing church things. So they could be worn out hoping other unchurched people would show up and become a part of all this activity. You get the point…
The problem I began to see was that this “gospel of hard work” was hardly working, and failing to reach those to whom it was aimed. It wasn’t the gospel’s problem though. It was mine — because my incarnaton of the gospel had become more of a master / slave relationship than that of a father and son. And the truth was that I didn’t blame others for not wanting to become sucked into such a crazy, hectic, and life draining pace. So I began to question why I did the things I did, and whether God really wanted me to do them in the first place.
In addition to the Matthew 11 passage mentioned above, one other passage really struck me — Haggai 1:5-7,
Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. “
Give careful thought to your ways… Is it possible that all our activity isn’t being blessed by God, because we’re not stopping long enough to consider seriously what he would have us do? Is our busyness drowning out the sound of his still small voice? Has our ministry model or way of doing church become an idol? Are we struggling to support the weight of our own successes and expectations? What message does our busyness, in and of itself, communicate to those who are unchurched? Do we have eyes to see, and ears to hear what God is showing us?
Does any of this resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences…
well said, Steve. very well said.
What you say resonates in me. I see problems beginning with vision and mission statements. They are devoid of humility and perspective. Too often, they are about conquering the world for Christ in our lifetime. Much of this is a resiliant and somewhat morphed triumphalism that works its way unawares into church work mentality. Passion is great when it happens, but faithful plodding wins the day!
Keith — thanks.
Anonymous — I like your thoughts here — too often vision statements can be lofty one liners that actually undermine a real vision for what God would have us do — which isn’t always glamorous. That’s why I like Mancini’s definition of vision in Church Unique, as “a living language that anticipates and illustrates God’s better immediate future.”
It’s not a static statement then, but rather a developing Polaroid picture — a treasure chest of stories, phrases, ideas, and metaphors that can be shared and expanded as God inspires people in community to pursue a common mission.
A real vision from God connects people to his mission for them — so their faithfulness isn’t to a personality, a building, programs, or a bank account — it’s to the missional mandate God has placed in their heart. That’s what inspires me to plod along, even when I’m not always “feeling it.”