The Joys of the Small(er) Church

A number of years ago I had an experience which made me realize that our evaluation of “big” and “small” truly are shaped by our personal experience.

Julie and I both are natives of a region of California known as the “Greater Los Angeles Area.”  When we moved to the far western suburbs of Chicago in 1980, we relocated from a place of urban sprawl to a place where there actually was empty land between the towns.  We initially settled into a suburb of some 40,000 people…a town surrounded by woods and agricultural land…and it felt very small to us. 

When we found a church, we became friends with another couple who had relocated from rural North Carolina.  The biggest town they ever had seen was about 5000 people.  Needless to say, they thought our town of 40,000 was huge.  And Chicago – some 45 minutes away – was terrifying to them.

We’ve experienced the same sort of thing when it comes to the size of a church.  We spent nearly 25 years in a church of some 3000 people.  The pastors that I networked with all were from other megachurches.  In fact, the church where we served was not even the largest church in town.  There was another church, a few miles away, that had about 6000 people. 

When we came to Oregon so that I could serve as the preaching minister at Garden Way Church (www.gardenway.net), it was a dramatic change, because this is a congregation of about 400 people.  To many people in Oregon, our church is on the larger side.  There are no megachurches in our immediate area, and there are many small, rural churches in the region with congregations of 100 or less.  So Garden Way is not small, but it definitely is smaller than what we have been used to. 

And this is turning out to be a huge joy for us, because our church experience is richer in so many ways. 

One of the assumptions about megachurches is that they have plenty of everything; that resources abound.  It is true that they have larger budgets, and more staff…but all of this is really proportional.  They have many of the same struggles and challenges as smaller churches, just on a different scale.

For example, I know of a megachurch that has 2 full-time staff members who oversee the Early Childhood Ministry.  Imagine: two staff members just for the kids from birth through age 5!  These staff members oversee a team of some 90 people each Sunday morning who staff the nurseries and classrooms for this age group.  But there is a problem:  to properly staff this ministry, they actually need 120+ people each week.  So – just like smaller churches – they face the continual challenge of finding enough volunteers to make the ministry function at the most desirable level. 

I’m reminded of this whenever we have “holes” in the ministry here at our church.  It’s the same kind of thing we used to face, just on a different scale.

But here is what we like most about this wonderful, smaller church where God has led us.  Itis a vibrant community where people truly interact across the generations.   Julie has attended baby showers, and other events, where women of all ages from the church were present.  I’ve attended Men’s Retreats with men of all ages. 

At least in our experience, large churches tend to be much more age segmented.  For example, when there are – literally – hundreds of young couples in your church, then it is easy for the young couples to spend virtually all their time with people like them.  The annual Men’s Retreat at our last church was almost exclusively attended by the young guys. 

I don’t say this critically, because I think it is natural for all of us to behave this way.  But in a church where each age group is much smaller, than it becomes simpler…and easier…and more natural…for people to mingle and interact across the generations. 

And we love this. 

At our last church, I had zero contact with the youth group.  But here, I actually know some of the teens.  Not well, but enough to have a conversation.  We’ve made friends with seniors and young singles and those in-between.  And we see others doing the same.

This strikes me as incredibly healthy and it creates opportunities for natural, relational mentoring.  It creates a greater sense (at least to me) of “the church”.  It solidifies a sense of identity and continuity and legacy that is being passed on from generation to generation.  The rhythm of church life is based more on relationships, and less on programs. 

Yes, there are times when I wish we did have more staff or a bigger budget.  I wish we had a bigger team of volunteers ready, willing, and able to serve.  But – as I said before – these things really are just a matter of scale.  When I think about what really matters…when I think about the importance of living and serving together as a community of faith…I am finding more vitality and meaning in this smaller church. 

I am learning – in a new, different, and exciting way – what it means to “be” the church of Jesus Christ. 

-      Bruce

What Is “The Gospel”? (Part 2)

In my last post, I described two groups within the evangelical world who equate their favored activity or their favored doctrine with “the gospel”. Both of these groups consist of wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ, and both of them emphasize important aspects of our faith. However, by incorrectly defining and describing the gospel, they can – inadvertently – create confusion.

One of the reasons I follow such debates/discussions is that they challenge me to more clearly define my own views. So here is my answer to this vital and foundational question: “What is the gospel?”

The gospel, reduced to its most simple form, is the message that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. And (here’s a piece that often is missed) by His death and resurrection, Jesus invites us to become citizens of the Kingdom of God.

We certainly can say much more, but this, I believe, is the essence of the “good news”.

However, to expand on this simple explanation, I would describe the gospel this way:

The gospel is the incredibly good news that God came from heaven to earth in human form to reveal Himself to mankind. He appeared in human history in the person that we know as Jesus. Jesus lived an exemplary life, but was crucified on a cross as if he were a common criminal. However – amazing as it may seem – the unjust shedding of His innocent blood can serve to pay the penalty for my sins.

Why does this matter? Because my sins separate me from God, and prevent me from living my life to the fullest, as intended by my Creator.

There is nothing I can do to be saved from my sins; there is no behavior that will allow me to earn my way into God’s favor. His forgiveness is offered to me as a gift. This is truly good news!

After His death on the cross, Jesus was buried…but then He rose from the grave and returned to heaven. His resurrection demonstrated that He truly is the Lord over life and death for all who choose to believe in Him. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

How do I…how does anyone…respond to this good news? Quite simply: I admit to God that I am a sinner, and I acknowledge that faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved from the consequences of my sins. I accept His death on the cross as a sacrificial act of love which He performed on my behalf. I repent of my sins and I choose to be baptized. My baptism allows me to demonstrate that I am making a new beginning; turning away from my old way of life and now living in relationship with God.

But the good news does not end there!

Notice these opening lines from the Gospel of Mark:

…Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said, “and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15)

Jesus makes it clear that the gospel is not just about me and my salvation…the gospel is, ultimately, a proclamation about the Kingdom of God. Therefore, when I decided to follow Jesus at age 17, I did not only receive forgiveness for my sins…I also became a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Wow.

God’s Kingdom operates with an entirely different set of principles than the kingdoms of this world. Jesus spells out these life-changing principles through His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount…the Beatitudes…the Great Commandment…the Parables. All of His teaching is intended to show me, and my fellow citizens, how we should live as part of His Kingdom today.

Not just later on in heaven, but right here.

Right now.

In this life.

In His final words, the Great Commission, Jesus reminds us not to keep silent about this good news, because the gospel is not supposed to be a secret! The Lord of heaven and earth chooses to trust me (just as He trusts each of His followers) to faithfully share the good news with other people. Isn’t this amazing? I have the incredible privilege of inviting others to join me as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

This is the gospel. This is good news. God has a great gift which He eagerly desires to give to anyone who simply will receive it: life with Jesus in His Kingdom, both now and forever.

Oh, Lord, help me to graciously, boldly, lovingly, confidently, and joyfully share this good news with the people that You bring into my life.

- Bruce

What Is “The Gospel”? (Part 1)

There has been a fair amount of buzz recently in the blogosphere – and elsewhere – about the meaning of “the gospel”, which simply is the good news about Jesus. This topic has emerged largely because of the rise of two interesting groups within the evangelical world over the past few years.

One group is the “social justice” Christians. When these believers read the Bible, they see God’s very real concern for the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden. They identify strongly with the Lord’s exhortation to address injustice. I agree with their concerns and their passions, and I am grateful for their reminder that the church always must tend to those in need. Unfortunately, many in this movement have started to equate “concern for the poor” with “the gospel.” For them, a specific activity has become the standard by which Christians are measured. In other words, if you are not pursuing social justice as your top agenda item, then you are not really proclaiming or living out the gospel of Jesus. 

I recently read a blog post from an individual who passionately adheres to this position. He quoted Jesus’ statement in Luke 4:18-19 which reads:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

After citing this verse, the writer essentially said, “end of discussion. This proves my case.”

I always find it interesting when people use “proof texts” to reinforce their particular agenda. It is so easy to fall into this pattern, and – when I see it in others – it reminds me to guard against this tendency within myself. In this case, the passage at hand does make it clear that Jesus has a deep concern for the poor, needy, and oppressed. But is the Lord speaking of these needs in their physical context? Or their spiritual context? Or perhaps both?

After all, one could certainly make the case that Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could be healed from our physical infirmities, or be set free from poverty. And even if we take this passage at face value, is it really the “end of the discussion” about the life, ministry, and purposes of our Lord?

It seems to me that caring for the poor and needy is something that Christians should do (one of many things that Christians should do) once “the gospel” has grabbed hold of their heart.

What, then, is “the gospel”?

Another group that is fueling on-line chatter about this topic is “The New Calvinists” (TNC’s). Pastors who are part of this growing movement often are organizing under the banner of the gospel. For example, one of their groups is “The Gospel Coalition” and their major annual conference is called “Together For The Gospel.” This group has a high view of Scripture, and they teach and preach with great diligence. I am grateful for their example that we must devote ourselves to the study of God’s Word. However, it is disconcerting when they equate “Calvinism” with “the gospel”. For this group, a specific doctrinal system has become the standard by which Christians are measured. In other words, if you are not preaching Calvinism, then you are not really proclaiming or living out the gospel of Jesus.

NOTE: My views would fall more generally in the direction of Arminian theology. For a basic overview of the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, click on this link:
http://www.the-highway.com/compare.html

I once was invited to meet with a few ministers who identify with the TNC’s. I arrived at the church, we grabbed some coffee, and sat down to converse. One of the ministers began to speak, and the following conversation ensued:

Minister: “Man, it’s so good to be together.”

Me: “Yes, I always love getting together with other pastors. It’s great to be able to encourage each other and pray for each other.”

Minister: “No, I mean it’s so good to get together as Calvinists. It’s really important for us to stick together.”

Me: “Well, actually, I’m not a Calvinist....”

I explained to him without rancor that I was part of a movement – the Restoration Movement – that had been started by people from different doctrinal groups (some from the Arminian view and some from the Calvinist view) for the express purpose of moving beyond these divisions. The founders of our movement wanted to focus on the core beliefs that unite us (“the essentials”), rather than squabble over the secondary beliefs that divide us (“the non-essentials”), because they wanted to get Christians working together for the cause of the gospel.

The other ministers listened politely…we went on with our meeting…and I never was invited back again. It saddened me to realize that their narrow doctrinal view was more important than our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. Despite their expressed intention to work “together for the gospel”, they were more interested in working together for Calvinism.

I have no doubts that there are other groups within Christianity who – like the two I’ve mentioned here – equate their preferred activity or preferred doctrinal system with “the gospel.” How sad that we draw these artificial boundaries which Jesus did not create.

What really breaks my heart is that such boundaries and divisions within God’s family actually detract from our ability to proclaim the gospel to those who desperately need to hear the “good news” about Jesus.

So the question remains: what is the gospel? How should we describe it?

I will address that in Part 2.

- Bruce

The Liturgies of Non-Liturgical Churches

In my last post, I wrote about my tour through a variety of churches. Most of these churches would fall under the broad label of “evangelical” churches. Evangelical churches have several distinctives, such as a deep reliance upon the truth of the Bible, the importance of sharing the good news of Jesus with people who do not know Him, and a rejection of the “liturgical” practices of traditional Protestant churches. In the Christian Churches where I serve, we would certainly describe ourselves as non-liturgical.

But this is not entirely accurate, because a liturgy is simply a prescribed form or format for a public worship service. In traditional churches, this is seen in the recital of various confessions and creeds…in offering formal prayers that are written in a prayer book or lectionary…and by reading Scriptures that follow the seasons of the “church calendar” (such as Lent and Advent). And while it is true that our evangelical churches may not use the formal practices of the more traditional churches, we do create – and rely upon - routine formats for our services.

Over time, then, I realized that we were fooling ourselves when we called ourselves “non-liturgical”, because every church has a liturgy of some sort.

For example, in the little Baptist Church where I became a Christian, the worship service began in exactly the same way, each and every Sunday: the organist would play a few chords, we all would rise to our feet, then the minister and choir would step out onto the platform while we all sang the first verse (and only the first verse!) of the hymn “Come Thou Almighty King”.

This weekly “call to worship” was part of our liturgy.

As I reflect back on my tour of churches, it is now clear to me that every one of these churches had some sort of liturgy, because the worship service followed a similar format…week after week. I recently read a blog post by a man whose father was a pastor in a small Bible church. He said his Dad’s service planning each week was quite simple: he took the bulletin from the prior week, crossed out the names of the hymns and the sermon title, and then wrote in the new hymns and the new sermon title. But the order of the service never changed. The choir number always was presented at the same point in the service. The offering always followed the choir number and then was followed by a solo. Communion always preceded the sermon, and the sermon always was followed by an invitation to respond.

In other words: this church had its own liturgy; they just did not recognize it or acknowledge it as such.

We live in an age in which many churches are striving to be hip, cool, relevant, and contemporary. Such churches typically view themselves as throwing off the constraints of the past and operating on the edge. And yet, these churches, too, wind up creating their own liturgies as the following video spoof makes clear.


"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

If you have difficulty playing this clip, you can find it at http://vimeo.com/11501569

So...I find myself wondering: why do virtually all churches (even those identified as “non-liturgical”) create some sort of consistent pattern in their worship services?

I believe the answer is two-fold:

First, our God is a God of order and He prefers that our time together in corporate worship be peaceful, rather than chaotic (1 Corinthians 14:33). Clearly, it is much easier to accomplish orderly worship when people know what to expect.

Second, God has designed us as creatures of habit. Our normal method of navigating life is to explore options, learn those which suit us best (or which are most comfortable), and then adopt those habits as an ongoing part of life. This brings a sense of order and normalcy to our days.

As a point of comparison, imagine how disruptive and anxious our lives would be if each day when we arrived at work (a) our desk or work station was in an entirely new location and (b) we had a completely new set of responsibilities for that day. By the end of the first week, I think most of us would be a neurotic mess.

Orderly patterns, then, make life manageable. They give structure to our days and create a sense of stability and security. That is why established patterns in church – our liturgies, whatever they might be – are vitally important.

However, there is one huge potential downside to these patterns: our liturgies can take on a life of their own. They can stop serving as a pathway to the living God, and instead they can become the familiar and well-worn ruts in which we “do church”. If we are not careful, our liturgies can become traditions that even interfere with the movement of God’s Spirit.

Facing the pressure of providing a worship service each week, alongside all the other demands of ministry, it is easy for those of us in ministry to simply do things the way we’ve always done them (whether those ways are “traditional” or “contemporary”.) It takes time to prayerfully seek the heart of God, and ask Him what He wants to accomplish in and among His people each week.

So…as I strive to find some sort of balance in all of this…I find myself asking the Lord these sorts of questions:

How can we best structure corporate worship to lead people into Your presence?

How can we create familiar patterns to help accomplish this goal?

How can we bring some variety into these established patterns to keep them fresh…without creating chaos?

How do we insure that our worship is orderly...yet still sensitive to the promptings of Your Spirit?

- Bruce

Observations of a Church Nomad

It’s hard to believe that Julie and I left our former church one full year ago.

When we made the painful decision to resign, we also made the painful decision to stop attending the church. For many reasons, it is extremely difficult to continue attending a church where you have been serving on staff. And so…after nearly a quarter-century…we said goodbye to our church family and left behind many dear friends. Based on past experience, we knew that we would be able to stay connected to some of these people, but that other relationships would dissipate over time.

We also knew that our transition would last for awhile as we went “on sabbatical”, and then began the process of prayerfully searching for new ministry roles. In this situation, it did not seem wise to start investing in new relationships in a new community, only to disengage after a short time when we were called to serve in a new church.

So we have become “church nomads”. And what do church nomads do on Sundays? A variety of things:

• We have visited the church plants that I was connected to through Stadia. Many of these churches are wonderful places to worship, but few of them are geographically close to us, so attending is inconvenient. And though I have a relationship with the church planter, we do not have a relationship with the church. So we come and go as disconnected visitors.

• We have visited other churches in the area that are part of our national independent Christian Church network. In most cases, I know the pastor…but once again we are strangers to the congregation. We’ve tried to attend a few of these churches on a consistent basis, just to bring some sense of normalcy to our weekends, but it is hard to be a “regular visitor”. To simply show up, attend the service, and leave…week after week…produces a tremendous sense of emptiness. For us – both biblically and relationally – connection and community are a central part of what it means to be in church.

• We have visited other local churches of various denominations just to see what is happening in different congregations. We usually have been warmly welcomed, and in some cases even have had a collegial chat with the pastor…but it is clear that we do not belong.

• Sometimes, Julie and I just sit in our backyard and have “church” by ourselves. This avoids the painful reminder of being an outsider, but we recognize that this is a stop-gap measure at best.

As a result, over this past year, our small groups have become increasingly important. These groups provide us with community, interaction, and accountability. In these groups we are known, and in these groups we can practice “one another” ministry as the Lord desires. These groups have been a safe haven and a spiritual life-line during our year of sojourn.

But we continue to believe that God will open the door for us to return to ministry and to a full expression of Christian community within the context of a local church family. So even though our nomadic wanderings have been hard, we have used them as an opportunity to observe and learn…to see what various churches are doing to reach the lost and help them become disciples of Jesus.

We certainly have seen some healthy churches, both big and small. Sadly, though, such churches seem to be the exception and we have seen much that breaks our hearts. We have seen churches that are dying and do not realize it. We have seen dying churches that recognize their condition, but refuse to change. We have seen churches so out of touch with modern culture that visitors would think they had landed on a foreign planet. And we have seen churches so completely sold out to modern culture that they are barely distinguishable as a church.

Many churches in this latter group have fallen prey to what sociologist Christian Smith calls “moralistic therapeutic deism”; a uniquely American creed built on five doctrines:

(1) A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
(2) This god wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
(3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
(4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life…except when he is needed to solve a problem.
(5) Good people go to heaven when they die.

Underlying this creed is a belief that all other theological and ethical considerations are relative; they are true only if they work for you.

So…needless to say…as I described in a series of posts back in June (“What Does A Spiritually Healthy Church Look Like?”), Julie and I continue to be concerned about the state of the church in America.

Which brings me to this past weekend.

We were invited to visit a church in another state, where I was being interviewed for a ministry role. We have been in discussion with this church for the last few months, moving through their selection process. Our interaction to this point had been positive, but all communication had been conducted via phone and e-mail. This trip was our first opportunity to visit the church…and in the midst of our nomadic wanderings, this community of believers was a breath of fresh air.

Based on all that we saw and heard, this church is healthy. Not perfect…just healthy. Biblical truth is being proclaimed from the pulpit. The church members truly enjoy being together, and they offer a warm and sincere welcome to visitors. The Elders tackle difficult issues through prayer, biblical study, and open discussion. The Elders, Deacons, and other leaders have very different personalities and viewpoints, yet they are able to disagree in respectful ways and work toward appropriate decisions without gossip and division. And they are deeply committed to reaching their hard-to-reach community with the good news of Jesus.

On Saturday, we participated in a two-hour interview where the Search Committee asked us probing questions. On Sunday morning, we visited the worship services and interacted with the people. On Sunday afternoon, we participated in another two-hour interview…but this time, it was my opportunity to ask questions of them. They were honest about what is working well and what has not worked well. They were open about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

We flew home from the weekend exhilarated and encouraged, grateful that we had the opportunity to meet this vibrant and healthy group of believers. We are eager to stop being nomads and once again become an active part of a church family, and now we can visualize what this might look like. We do not know if we will receive a call to this particular fellowship, but we do know one thing for certain: we want to serve in a church like this.

- Bruce

What Does A Spiritually Healthy Church Look Like? [Postscript]

My last three posts on the issue of a “Healthy Church” have generated more response than anything I’ve written so far on this blog. I’ve received numerous e-mails and comments from friends and ministry colleagues, all indicating – sadly – general agreement with my observations.

I also received some questions, so I want to clarify a couple of points:

1. In Part 1 of the series (posted on Jun 10), I provided numerous quotes or specific examples to illustrate the points I was making. Except where I specifically quote another person by name, these quotes all are comments that were personally made to me or were overheard by me. And all of the examples come from my own personal observations. I did not pull these illustrations from websites or other sources.

2. Despite increasingly feeling like a fish out of water in the current evangelical world, I am not planning on venturing into some other expression of the Christian faith.

In response to these posts, I’ve received some heart-wrenching comments from ministry colleagues. Here are just a few:

• A pastor who was terminated from his associate position said, “The senior pastor never asked if I was producing disciples, or if people’s lives were being changed. He simply fired me because my program was not growing fast enough. I was told, ‘You’re not making your numbers, so you have to go.’”

• Another colleague is in fear of his job. He was told to double the number of people in his ministry in a year. He managed to accomplish that (at great personal cost) and now finds that he is expected to continue doubling his ministry every year for the foreseeable future. He does not see any way he can keep up the kind of pace necessary to accomplish this goal.

 • One of my friends is having a crisis of conscience, because he feels he is sacrificing the essence of pastoral ministry to produce the numbers his superiors demand. He told me, “I had to make a hospital call the other day. An elderly man was undergoing a risky operation, and his wife had no one to sit with her at the hospital while her husband was in the OR. I chose to stay with her for several hours…but I knew that I would be criticized for not using my time ‘productively’. My superiors would have preferred me to spend this time making evangelistic calls on potential new members. I’m all for evangelism…but we need to balance that against the care of our members. However, under the current leadership, there is no balance. It’s all ‘grow, grow, grow.’ And everything I do must be ‘measurable’ and ‘scalable’ and ‘reproducible’ to keep the numbers going up. I regularly ask myself, ‘Are we a church or a business?’”

• A young pastor I know is two levels down from the senior pastor in his church’s organizational structure. He told me, “Our pastor has been at the church for four years and I’ve never had a one-on-one conversation with him. He doesn’t know me, he doesn’t know anything about my family. I’ve requested meetings with him, and I’ve been told that the issues I want to address are not important enough to warrant his time and attention, so he refers me to the Executive Pastor or another member of the senior staff. It seems to me that the ministry staff is a key part of the senior pastor’s flock…but there is absolutely no shepherding, or discipleship, or development taking place within our staff. In fact, very little of a spiritual nature ever takes place within our staff. How will the church raise up the next generation of leaders if the senior staff does not invest in those of us who need to be groomed?” 

• Another pastor who was leaving his staff position under duress told me, “Outwardly, our church staff appears happy and healthy. But underneath the surface, it’s a different story. The staff pretends to be enthusiastic and supportive of the senior pastor…but it’s a sham. There really is no unity; there simply is an environment of conformity, and it’s driven by the fear of being fired.”

Needless to say, stories like this break my heart, and I find myself wondering, “What must the Lord Jesus think of all this?”

So I find myself responding in several ways. First, I pray for those senior pastors who have lost sight of God’s purpose for the church: Lord, help them to stop focusing on church growth at the expense of church health. Second, I pray for my friends and colleagues in these churches: Lord, please protect them and keep them spiritually healthy (and, if necessary, move them on to a healthier faith community). And I pray for myself and my wife: Lord, please lead us to a church family that shares our desire to become a healthy, transformative community in Christ.

[By the way - if there are others within your circle of friends or acquaintances who would benefit by reading these posts on church health, please encourage them to visit the blog.  Or you can e-mail a specific post directly to a friend simply by clicking on the e-mail icon beneath the post.]

 - Bruce

What Does A Spiritually Healthy Church Look Like? [Part 3]

My desire is to pastor a “healthy church”. Sadly, as I noted in Part 1 & Part 2 of this post, we see more and more examples of spiritually unhealthy churches in the evangelical world. To help me stay properly focused on God’s purposes, here is my attempt to lay out the principles and guidelines that can help a local church become a place of spiritual health.

Note: I considered listing the Bible verses that serve as the foundation for each of the following points, but ultimately decided this was unnecessary. I believe these principles will make sense to anyone who is reasonably familiar with Scripture.

1. A healthy churchy is not perfect, because it is comprised of broken people; recovering sinners who together are striving to learn how to live together as a community in Christ. We will strive to work out our issues and resolve our conflicts through an over-riding commitment to prayer, to biblical truth, and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2. The church will make every effort to connect with the culture, but we will not let the culture define us. Nor will we use cultural trends as the yardstick to evaluate our ministry. We will define ourselves biblically, then ask God to help us find culturally meaningful ways to communicate the good news about Jesus.

3. We will affirm the biblical truth that “spiritually healthy people produce spiritual fruit”. We will strive to live in faithfulness to biblical principles…and we will trust the Lord to produce such fruit from our efforts as He sees fit.

4. Pastors and leaders will not make plans for the church and then ask God to bless our plans. Instead, we will approach God humbly in prayer and ask Him to set the agenda for His church. In other words, we will not view our primary role as one of “holding meetings” and “making plans”. Our role is to intercede for, and on behalf of, the church.

5. We will plan worship services to be as participatory as possible so believers can use their spiritual gifts. We will strive for excellence, but we will not turn the service into a production. All of the elements – vocal music, instrumental music, prayer, communion, offering, preaching, and even announcements – will be viewed as an act of corporate worship to the Lord.

6. Preaching will largely be “text-based”, with message topics and themes derived from the Scriptures. In other words, we will preach from the text and through the text, letting God’s Spirit and God’s Truth drive the preaching agenda. Whenever I preach and teach, I will prayerfully open God’s Word, determine the main point of a Bible passage, make that the main point of a sermon, and then – with God’s help – apply that eternal truth to modern life.

7. The goal of our biblical proclamation will be: to reach lost people with the gospel, and to help believers become more like Jesus in thought, word, deed, and character. Therefore, we will promote an ever-deeper relationship with God through His Word, to allow the Spirit to continually transform us from the inside out.

8. We will welcome visitors and strive to do all within our power to make them comfortable… without watering down the difficult message of the Cross. We will be a safe place for spiritual seekers to ask questions and wrestle with spiritual truth. We will provide regular opportunities for seekers to choose to follow Christ, and we will do so by fully explaining the gospel message:

• We are separated from God by sin.
• Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we could receive God’s forgiveness.
• When we confess our sins, and repent of our sins, then God will choose to extend His mercy to us.
• To respond to the Father’s great love, we must choose to be baptized and demonstrate our desire to live a new life in relationship with Jesus Christ.

9. We will place a high value on “membership”, and we will ask members to commit themselves to live together as a covenant community. Members will be expected to give of their time, their talent, and their tithes. When conflicts and disagreements occur (as, of course, they will) members will be expected to engage in biblical principles of reconciliation. And the church will, when necessary, practice loving discipline to help members grow in godly character.

10. Church members do not exist to serve the pastors; the role of the pastors is to serve the members. We will do this primarily through (a) pastoral care of the members and (b) by developing people to use their gifts, so they can find their place and fulfill their purpose in the Kingdom of God. In other words, we will focus on actually equipping people for ministry…not just recruiting workers to staff the programs.

11. People who are called by God to serve as church leaders - whether paid or volunteer - will be interviewed and evaluated before they are placed in positions of authority. And while they serve, they must be willing to submit to ongoing evaluations of their character, lifestyle, and quality of ministry.

12. We will create community through small and medium-sized groups. These groups will be built around Bible–based discussion, participatory prayer, and member care.

13. The church will prayerfully determine how our ministry can have an impact that is local, regional, and global in nature. All such ministries will be subject to ongoing evaluation.

14. Recognizing the biblical mandate to help grow the Kingdom of God (whether or not our church grows), we will strive to be a church-planting church and a missionary-sending church.

15. The teaching ministry at all levels of the church will be unified and will function under the oversight of the leadership. All curriculum or topics will be subject to oversight and review. When new teaching ministries or programs emerge, or when a staff member desires to teach a new curriculum, it will be reviewed and approved before it is presented to the church. 

These principles may seem to be ambitious…perhaps even idealistic. I do not expect them to be easy to implement, because life together in community is a messy business. But I believe these principles are biblical in nature, and will lead to a healthy, life-giving, and reproducing church.

My prayer is that God will lead me to a church where I can - in partnership with godly men and women - learn how to truly live out these principles so that together we can be the church of Jesus Christ.

- Bruce

What Does A Spiritually Healthy Church Look Like? [Part 2]

Some pastors like to say that “healthy things grow”, and this principle is designed to support their drive for the continued physical (i.e., numerical) growth of the church. Seldom is this statement challenged, but it is arguably untrue…both biologically and biblically.

Biologically: as human beings, we grow physically for only a very short portion of our lives. To remain healthy, we obviously need to continue growing after adolescence in all sorts of ways - such as intellectually and emotionally - but we are not designed to keep growing physically. In fact, continued physical growth for adults is usually unhealthy (i.e., we just put on more weight).

Biblically: the Bible does not promote numerical growth as the cardinal virtue. Jesus tells us that healthy things “produce fruit” (see John 15, for example). As followers of Jesus, we can produce fruit in all sorts of ways…numerical growth being just one of those ways, as we share our faith and other people come to know Jesus. However, there are many…many…other ways to produce fruit, such as the fruit of a transformed life (Galatians 5:22-23) and using our spiritual gifts to enrich the lives of others (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The over-emphasis on numerical growth (described in detail in Part 1 of this post) is just one of many indications that too many pastors have stopped thinking biblically about what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. This produces a huge ripple effect, because the volunteer leaders appointed under a system where numerical growth is the primary value therefore are not trained to think biblically about the role of the church. All they know is that the church is “supposed” to grow. They have been conditioned to believe that a numerically growing church is - by definition – “healthy” (and therefore a church that is not growing must be unhealthy).

When it is time for such volunteer leaders to recruit a replacement for their pastor, the language of growth permeates their recruiting because they simply do not know anything different. Here are some examples of what I encounter in ministry want ads:

• “We are looking for a pastor with a proven track record of exponential growth.”

• “We desire a leader who knows how to grow a church above 500 people” (or 1000 people or whatever the leaders have picked as their magic number).

• “Our next senior pastor will have a proven method for using the latest technological tools to grow the church.”

• “We are looking for a man who knows how to read the culture in order to grow a church.”

• And the worst ad of all: after bragging about the numerical growth of their church, and describing what they wanted in a new pastor, one church summarized their ideal candidate by stating, “We are looking for a man that God can get behind.” [This statement is simply amazing. When I read my Bible, I don’t find the Father looking for people He can get behind. Rather, I find the Lord looking for repentant sinners who will respond to His mercy and grace by simply striving to be faithful to whatever He calls them to do.]

Every time I review such ads…and there are many of them…my reaction is one of despair. It makes me wonder if any of these people actually read their Bibles and have any understanding of what the church of Jesus Christ is to be and to do. But then I listen to the podcasts of the sermons these church leaders have been hearing…and I understand why they do not have any grasp of basic biblical truths. Far too many of these volunteers have been raised on a spiritual diet of cultural baby food.

As a result, these churches really are not looking for pastors – they are looking for marketing managers, or sales representatives, or strategic planners. And it breaks my heart to realize that dozens and dozens of pastors will respond, each claiming to have just the right track record to fulfill the desires of the search committee.

But as pastors, how can we dare to guarantee that numerical growth will occur? How can we claim that the numerical growth which may have occurred in a prior ministry will automatically occur in our next ministry?

When pastors tell search committees that they know how to numerically grow a church, then they are relying on themselves and their methodology…they cannot be relying on the Spirit of God. Why? Because sometimes God desires a church to grow in ways other than simply by adding numbers. And sometimes God allows a church to engage in efforts that fail in order to build the character of the leaders.

By God’s grace, I have been privileged to create, start, oversee, and perform ministry in a variety of ways. Some of these efforts have been numerically significant…some have not. Some of these efforts have produced numerical growth…some have not. Virtually all of them, however, have produced some kind of spiritual fruit.  So I cannot, and will not, even begin to attempt to guarantee numerical growth. Unfortunately, that is not what many search committees want to hear, because they have been conditioned to think culturally – not biblically – about the church.

The only thing I can “guarantee” to a search committee is this: God has equipped me to proclaim His Word through preaching, teaching, and writing. As a result, I have been able to help many people encounter God through His Truth. And God has made a firm promise that His Word always will accomplish His purposes (see Isaiah 55:11). Note that this is God’s promise…not mine. Therefore, when people encounter the Living God through the Word of God, they will begin to grow and produce spiritual fruit in all sorts of ways as He determines.

Beyond that…everything else is in God’s hands. Not mine.

I believe that a primary task of a new pastor is not to implement a system, or impose a methodology, or push for numerical growth. A newly called shepherd must join with the leaders of the church and prayerfully ask, “Father, what do you want us to be doing in this new season in the life of our church?”

I believe God will answer such prayers by revealing specific ways in which the church should live out core biblical principles, such as The Great Commandment and The Great Commission. And, as the church obediently carries out the Father’s will, then spiritual fruit will be produced. And if God so wills, He will bring about numerical growth at the times when it pleases Him to do so, because it is the Lord – not us - who adds to the church (see Acts 2:42-47).

Unfortunately, when we make numerical growth the over-riding goal, we so easily can fall prey to the temptation to manufacture results through our own efforts. Instead, we must focus on faithful service to the Lord and His truth. When we choose to live in obedience to His Word, then spiritual fruit can – and will – result in His way and in His time.

So as I search for a new ministry opportunity…I prayerfully wait. I read a lot of ads…pass many of them by…and I ponder. And each day I ask the Father to lead me to a church that is not enamored by the culture or the crowds. A church where the highest value is placed on God and His Word, and on the mission of proclaiming the gospel. A church where we faithfully can carry out our responsibilities...and leave the results up to God.

In Part 3 of this post (next week), I will lay out a list of my own personal principles where I try to answer the question, “What does a spiritually healthy church look like?”

- Bruce

What Does A Spiritually Healthy Church Look Like? [Part 1]

Since becoming a Christian at age 17, I have been something of an observer of Protestant Christianity, particularly the Evangelical wing of the church. I have had behind-the-scenes glimpses of numerous churches and parachurch ministries. I have attended many different church services, and I interact with many different pastors. I read extensively in the internet “blogosphere”. And because I am searching for a new ministry role, I have been visiting church websites and reading ministry “want ads” from churches across the country.

As a result my observations, I find myself concluding…sadly…that we have far too many unhealthy evangelical churches. Even worse, in many cases the unhealthy churches are celebrated as the most “successful” examples of how to do church.

Here is an overview of the all-too-common approach I observe in church after church:

• Pastors and volunteer leaders (such as Elders and Deacons) seldom pray together or study the Scriptures together. Very little time is spent seeking God in any meaningful way, or striving to discern His will for the church. Staff meetings and elder meetings are, simply, business meetings with little-to-no spiritual components. [One business executive stated, “There is one…and only one…difference between the board meeting at my church and the board meeting at my corporation: at the church, the meeting starts and ends with a brief and perfunctory prayer.”]

• Numerical growth, as measured by increased attendance and offerings, is assumed to be the result of God’s blessing. As a result, pragmatism…not biblical truth…becomes the guiding principle of the church, because the over-riding goal is to increase the size of the crowd. Ministry leaders most often ask, “What will work?” (i.e., draw a crowd). Such leaders seldom ask, “What is true?”

• Because pragmatism is the reigning value, for many pastors the wisdom of “the culture” now trumps the wisdom of God. [“…no one who reads the New Testament could come away with the idea that we are to turn to the culture for our methods of doing church and evangelizing. The seeker movement, however, is entranced with the wisdom of the culture. Especially the wisdom that comes from marketing, management, business, public relations and psychology. The warning sirens of Scripture about this kind of wisdom have gone unheeded among the seeker pastors.” – Michael Spencer, The Internet Monk.]

• In this environment, staff are evaluated by how well they numerically grow their programs. Little effort is made to discern and promote spiritual transformation and the growth of godly character – either within the staff, or within the congregation.

• To make the church more palatable to the larger community, topical sermons are offered that sound like Dr. Phil or Oprah…with a little Bible thrown in to make things spiritual. Difficult and uncomfortable subjects - like sin and the need for repentance – often are avoided. [As theologian and professor Dr. R.C. Sproul has stated, “By presenting a God who wants us to look at ourselves, who doesn't judge and command, who has a wonderful set of insights on how to have a happy, healthy marriage…we put God's imprimatur on narcissism. There's nothing evangelicals like more than to be told that God loves them just the way they are.”]

• To move people toward a response, pastors increasingly appeal to emotions…and can become emotionally manipulative. [Like the pastor who cried, right on cue, at the exact same point during each of his multiple weekend sermons. Like the guest preacher who asked, “When I speak, do you want the congregation to laugh? To cry? Tell me what kind of response you are looking for and I’ll give it to you.”]

• The worship service has become a weekly scripted stage production, with producers and creative staff who manage this “event” down to the minute. [As I watch these services unfold, I find myself asking: “If God’s Spirit wanted to break in and do something unplanned…would anyone on the platform even be listening for His voice?”]

• The church presents a menu of programs that appeal mostly…and in some cases solely…to surface-level “felt needs”, such as how to improve your marriage, how to manage your money, and so forth. The deepest needs of the soul often are not addressed at all.

• Small groups increasingly engage in “sermon discussion”, which often focuses more on what the Pastor said than on what the Bible says.

• Newcomers are encouraged to move through a series of canned courses that ostensibly teach them how to connect with God and discover their “spiritual gifts”, but in reality teach them how to function as the volunteer labor force for the church. [As one pastor told me, “We need to get people plugged into small groups so they have a place to belong…and then we need to put them to work.”]

• When people join the church, get in a small group, and find a place to volunteer, then leaders assume that such people are experiencing “spiritual growth”.

• At ministry conferences across the country, the celebrated heroes are the pastors who have large, growing churches. For pastors who attend such conferences, the message is clear: pursue growth and you will achieve success in the eyes of your peers.

• This numerically-driven, success-oriented model encourages pastors to be “church-growth entrepreneurs”, rather than “shepherds of the flock.” The result is an increasing number of pastors who are largely inaccessible to their church members. Isn’t that an oxymoron? [A church member once stopped by the office to meet with her pastor. She was told, “Pastor does not have time for meetings with lay people.”]

• As a result of these trends, we now live in the age of the “Rock Star Pastor” and the “CEO Pastor”. These church leaders show up at the office during the week to run meetings where they plan events and programs…they show up on the weekends to wow the congregation from the platform…then they return to their offices during the week to plan more events and programs. Is this what Jesus really expects from His shepherds?

• Anyone who disagrees with numerical growth as the justification for change is viewed as an unspiritual naysayer; a detractor who does not care about “reaching people.” (As if drawing a crowd is proof that the church is actually reaching people with the gospel.)

• Many faithful believers are leaving these kinds of churches, because the pastors seem to care more about their image and their success than about the proper care of their congregations. [A pastor who was making changes fast and furious in his church told me, “Hundreds will leave…but thousands will come.” He was oblivious to the fact that every one of those hundreds he drove off would be wounded because their community of faith was being dismembered in his pursuit of rapid numerical growth at all costs.]

The business world has a saying that goes something like this: “Every system is perfectly designed to achieve the results that it currently produces.”

Other than producing numbers, the church “system” described here has little to commend it. Survey after survey shows that our evangelical churches are filled with people whose attitudes, values, and lifestyles differ little from people who are not part of the church. Even worse, some recent studies show that Christians who become serious about their spiritual growth find that the church is unhelpful – and even a barrier – to their growth. While these kinds of churches may be drawing crowds…they are not producing faithful followers of Jesus in any significant way.

Clearly, then, this system is not designed to produce a faith community of Christ-followers who are on a life-long journey of spiritual transformation for themselves and their communities. This system produces crowds to generate volunteer workers who fund the church, serve in the ministry programs, and fuel the engine for more numerical growth.

In other words, many of these organizations are “churches” in name only. They really have become religious businesses, perpetually seeking growth in customers and income.

It grieves me as I see more and more evangelical churches falling into this trap that is so spiritually unhealthy. And – as a pastor who desires nothing more to than shepherd a flock where spiritual transformation can take place – I increasingly feel like a square peg in a round hole in the evangelical world.

In Part 2 of this post (next week) I’ll talk about how this trend in the evangelical world is affecting my search for a new ministry role.


- Bruce