Strategies for the Future of the Church

We see the articles and blogs daily: church membership is in decline, mainline influence is waning, church buildings are a burden, membership is declining, fewer people are entering the ministry. Despite the challenges, there is a way forward for the church. I believe that the church will survive and prosper in the days ahead, but the form It takes will change. Here are some strategies that may allow the church to remain vital and relevant.

First, congregations must learn to engage in a deeper spirituality that will foster meaningful discernment. Spiritual vitality is at the core of a healthy congregation. There must be a significant shift from voicing what parishioners want to seeking where God is leading. This will require both personal and corporate prayer, Bible study, and sacrifice.

Second, we must recognize there is more than one path to leadership in churches. Churches will continue to call out and employ members with little or no theological training for leadership roles because they have the gifts to do the work. Trained ministers will continue to follow their callings but may have to supplement their incomes through work beyond the church. Lay leaders will have to take on responsibilities that were once assumed by paid staff. Both denominations and seminaries are recognizing these realities and developing new approaches to form, equip, and encourage these individual ministries, but the shift will not be easy.

Third, churches must adopt leaner, more agile organizational structures. With fewer leaders, declining resources, and time pressures, people in the church will be less inclined to waste their time on meaningless or maintenance-oriented tasks. We need to focus on the essentials, eliminate redundancy, cut committees, add short-term teams, and outsource functions that can reduce staff workload.

Fourth, churches must look outward to develop dynamic externally-focused partnerships. Christians must come to realize that God is at work not only within their churches but with others as well. If we are not already partnering with other Christians to do Kingdom work, this is a good time to discover where we can work together to multiple our impact. We must seek out “persons of peace” in other faith traditions who want to work together for community improvement and social justice. We should also seek partnerships in the not-for-profit community or consider ways that we can join with those outside our churches to make a difference in the lives of people through new community organizations.

These strategies are not easy. Such steps require a reorientation of our priorities and a willingness to let go of some things, but as we do so, we will be free to embrace new possibilities.

Comments

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist. I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age. I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving. This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students. We supported missionaries at home and abroad. We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course). I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition. Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect. There were significant theological differences, often geograp

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself. The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church. Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs. What once worked no longer seems to be effective. Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educational dimension of church ministry, as the

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor. He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.” In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.” Jesus turned this around. In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner. His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced. He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality. These are metaphors for the Kingdom. Where do w

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church. On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter. Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year. He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability on behalf of the congreg

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business. For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates. He has already left the church and resigned from the board of the association.

Barnabas File

Search This Blog