By Ron Gooding
————————————————————————
Time is running out for many churches. The inability to effect some fundamental changes will eventually threaten their very existence!
Research by Outreach Canada reveals that of the 9,150 evangelical churches in Canada, 6,000 have plateaued and suffer from inward focus, a maintenance orientation, and a loss of mission drive. Another 1,300 congregations have serious health concerns and are in a state of decline. Those two categories account for 80% of the evangelical churches in Canada!
While there are many causes behind these statistics, ineffective leadership and lack of cultural awareness by leaders in an age of change is a major contributing factor. Church organizations have long been known for being resistant to change and for slow decisions and bureaucracy. One of the tragedies is that many “veteran” church leaders are reportedly declining to serve and moving to a “sedentary” presence in the church-wearied and frustrated.
The constant shortage of people to serve in the various ministries within the church is most often thought to be “lack of commitment.” In a healthy environment expectations attract, they don’t repel, thus casting a question mark over the “lack of commitment” conclusions so many leaders accept as a norm.
At this point you may be thinking the writer too severe, or at least ultra critical. Au contraire. Until we take an honest, candid look at ourselves as leaders we will not, and we can not, begin the journey to effective leadership and healthy churches and ministries.
The intent of this article is not to develop a list of the weaknesses in church leadership. In seminars where I have lead that exercise, groups come up with identical lists. If you are a pastor or church leader, you are probably well aware of most of the items that would be listed. The focus in this article is to identify a common starting point that will in turn address the weaknesses. In an environment where change occurs at an increasing pace, church leaders often seem overwhelmed-unable to determine how to attack the challenges they face.
In a recent interview, George Barna stated that the church does not anticipate the future, it waits until it happens. Then the leaders complain and try to change history, but it doesn’t work.
How do we change our entrenched patterns and leadership behaviour and start to move forward? This question, it seems, is just too difficult to even entertain; so many leaders don’t attempt to grapple with it. But given the mounting pressure for our ministries to be relevant, we must begin to grapple with it, or the tidal wave of change will simply roll over our churches, and those in the maintenance mode will deteriorate in health and eventually die. The Outreach Canada statistics confirm most of our churches are heading in that direction.
“Beginning To Grapple” would be a fitting alternative title for this article. How do we attack a very complex, entrenched problem in our churches? In his book, “The Fifth Discipline,” Peter Senge presents the challenge and foundation for organizations to become learning organizations. While written with a secular corporate focus, the book presents much that is helpful and applicable to church organizations and their leaders. Senge states that, “Small change can produce big results-but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious.” Senge also states that “small, well-focused actions can sometimes produce significant, enduring improvements, if they’re in the right place.”
Buckminster Fuller, the inventor architect and engineer, who developed the geodesic dome, provides a practical illustration of leverage – the “trim tab.” A trim tab is a “rudder on the rudder” of a ship, which makes it easier to turn the rudder, and, in turn, easier and quicker to turn the ship. The principles of leverage are at work through the engineering of the ship, the rudder, and the trim tab. But the key point is that, although the trim tab is significant in its effectiveness and its impact on the ship, it is not obvious.
Turning our sights back to the church, what are the “trim tabs” in the organization where you serve in leadership?
A universal “trim tab” for church leaders is to heed Senge’s call to become learning leaders in learning organizations. And a key, specific “trim tab” is for church leaders to begin by becoming adequately informed about the culture and environment in which they seek to minister.
Perhaps Hosea 4:6 has organizational application for the present day church: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” Hosea was addressing the lack of personal knowledge of God that was destroying the people. But today, is the dearth of understanding of the culture and the environment on the part of the majority of church leaders resulting in an unintended “deafness” toward what God wants to show them about effective leadership and relevant ministry?
Perhaps the “small, well-focused action” for your church leadership group would be to agree to become adequately informed about the ministry environment and some of the responses to it. Credible, tailored resources in many forms are available to assist in this process. Consider devoting even a one-half hour segment of your regular leadership or board meeting to this purpose and see what happens! It is still easier to steer a moving ship! And God will use information and knowledge to train and direct leaders in effective leadership and relevant and effective ministry.
Will you take the challenge and test the principle of leverage? Should the principle not work all the more in the spiritual realm when leaders seek the guidance of its very Author?
Discussion
No comments for “Doing Or Dying?”