A few years back I felt led to convene local pastors and
leaders to discuss the possibility of strategic partnerships among local
churches. The idea was to help declining churches find assistance to reverse their
trends. In Southern Baptist life, particularly in rural areas where population
is static, community needs have changed, and ministry dynamics have shifted there
is going to be an increasing need for creative solutions and ministry
partnerships. I believe that there is an
opportunity to think creatively about how to assist struggling churches before
some of them reach the point of no return.
Here are a few ideas I think we need to interact with:
·
Many churches, particularly bi-vocational
churches, are going to need to think about quality trade-offs to remain viable.
For example:
o Trading
off having a pastor live in your parsonage or church field if he is nearby and
is a quality leader.
o Trading
off a preferred schedule to share a quality pastor with another small
congregation.
o Coming
to terms with the reality that you are actually a bi-vocational church and
being okay with that.
·
Churches will need to be willing to have a “vigorous
face to face summit with reality” in evaluating the state of their ministry.*
o Consider
having leaders use Yates’ material to evaluate what has contributed to church
decline and take steps to correct it.
o This
takes courage.
·
Some churches will need to take a more humble
approach to receiving outside help. One reason churches don’t get help is an
unhealthy sense of pride. This can be solved when we realize that we are part
of God’s kingdom. No church is an island.
·
Churches that have developed healthy patterns of
doing local church ministry can start
being a resource to other churches that are experiencing decline.
o This
is 2 Timothy 2:2 lived out.
o This
epitomizes the Baptist principle of cooperation.
o Churches
might consider lending leaders to help struggling churches for a season.
o Churches
could consider helping other congregations with VBS, revivals, block parties,
canvassing and other evangelistic events.
·
Churches will need to repent of patterns of sin
that have contributed to decline. Sometimes churches have allowed carnal
leaders to wreak havoc and exercise unhealthy control without resistance. This
kind of tolerance to sin has to be interrupted if churches are to regain a
biblical sense of missionary urgency.
These are just a few ideas that may be worthy of
consideration. My concern is not that the church is going to oblivion; it’s
not. My concern is that some local churches will close without significant adjustments.
That ought to concern and motivate us all.
*See George L. Yates, Reaching
the Summit.
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