We hear about it all the time. Congregations that were once active, growing, vibrant – now they’re gone. Dried up, lifeless, dead. What happened? They were once full of such potential, now they are no more. I’m not pretentious enough to assume that I can take a wide brush and cover each problem that has faced each congregation that has met that ultimate end. However, I cannot help but think that the reason a lot of congregations are dying is because of certain attitudes that have plagued them.
The Bible talks repeatedly about the impact that our attitudes will have not only on our own spiritual development, but also in how those attitudes can extend even further to the collective development of the church. And just as much as our attitude can help to build congregations, it can also kill them. Particularly today there seem to be some prominent attitudes that are causing repeated destruction on churches around the country. I want to mention just a few of them I have personally witnessed below:
When a congregation has gone through a period of time in which they have experienced growth and harmony it becomes very tempting to sit back on their heels and enjoy their success. So whenever a preacher, eldership, or deacon presents ideas to challenge themselves for the hope of reaching out even more so often they are met with this attitude – “We’re happy with the way things are.” Don’t kid yourself into believing this doesn’t exist. I know a preacher who went into a new work excited for the possibilities that it held. He walked into his first meeting with his new elders, offered some fresh ideas of what they could do to build up the congregation only to be told by one of the elders that they were very happy with the size of the congregation and he did not want for it to grow. That attitude is about an anti-Biblical as any I could imagine. When Jesus told us to go into the world His purpose in that command was in view of church growth. Teaching, baptizing, and further instruction are at the heart of what we must do as the church (Mark 16:15-16). If we fail in that responsibility we have failed God. We should never be satisfied that the comparatively few comprising our congregations are saved while the rest of the world dies lost. If we are truly happy with the way things are then we are either ignorant of or apathetic toward the real problem that sin is causing among us. So if a congregation has the attitude that they are happy with the way things are they are dying. They just don’t know it yet.
The Pharisees were the tradition based productivity killers of their day. Everything they did they did under the guise of protecting the purity of God’s will. But realistically they were only concerned with protecting their own opinions and self-image. In fact, just before Jesus went on His lengthiest condemnation of their overbearing attitude He essentially summed up the type of people they were – “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matthew 23:4). Everything they did or taught was based on what had ever been previously done or taught. That same attitude is manifested in the response that is so often offered in response to ideas that are both scriptural and effective – “We’ve never done it that way before.” I know (but do not understand) that there is a stigma against stepping outside the norm and trying new things to reach out to the community and world. Granted, it takes a degree of faith to step out into unchartered waters. Of course, I am not, nor will I ever, advocate that we do things that are unauthorized or inherently sinful. But there are a lot of good works and programs that could be truly effective that many congregations will never even consider all because of the fact that they’ve never done things that way before. So often these type minded people do not realize that their “tried and true” practices at some point had never been tried before. But someone took the time to honestly and objectively consider its practicality and purity and then stepped out in faith and tried it. However, but the dismissive attitude shown by the words “but we’ve never done it that way before” – that is the rallying cry of a dying church.
Another of the great church killers is a line used by the high and mighty know-it-alls among us who hear of a new idea with great possibilities. Their response? “That will never work.” Do they know it will never work? No. Do they have any evidence that it won’t work? No. Their opposition is typically based on the fact that they just don’t like it. In fact, I would respect someone coming out and saying they just don’t like an idea than hiding behind the guise that their “educated assumption” is that it won’t work. I think we would often be surprised at what would work if we did try it. Is every idea a good idea? No. Does every good idea yield a good result? No. When that happens we should either tweak the idea or abandon it and go a different direction. But to put our own self-interest and comfort ahead of exhausting all opportunities to serve God is beyond reprehensible. And it is a leading cause of death among many churches.
The final fatal attitude afflicting many churches is one that I particularly despise. How many times have you suggested a potentially great idea, outside of the norm but perfectly scriptural, only to have a response with either these words or this thought in mind – “What will everyone think?” Now don’t get me wrong. I understand that impression is important and we want to be respected and not cause any unnecessary conflict. But I have sat and discussed matters with Christians who agree in the validity of a certain decision but refuse to make it all because they are afraid of what others will think. They’re afraid that stepping outside of “church norm” will cause them to be branded in a particular way (even though it is perfectly scriptural) and they’ll face backlash from outside forces. I understand the fear. Some decisions are harder than others and that’s why men have to be particularly qualified to serve in leadership positions. However, I remember Paul informing the Corinthians he cared none what his critics thought of him: ‘But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4). Everybody might have thought that Paul was a nut but he didn’t care because his sole concern in life was what God thought about him. Because of that Paul exhausted every avenue possible to evangelize the world. Churches cannot be overly concerned with what everyone around them will think or that fear will consume them and kill them.
The reality is that God revealed His will in a two fold way. He revealed certain aspects of His will in a binding way – telling us what to do and how to do it. But at times He also left some details to us, allowing us to use our own best wisdom in discharging His command. When it comes to how we handle our duties we should always keep the restoration plea in mind – “in matters of doctrine, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things, charity.” We need each church, more so than ever today, to be a working, growing, vibrant congregation; active in reaching the lost souls around them. Part of that is dispelling fear and disrupting the type of divisive attitudes that I’ve mentioned above. They will not only hurt, they will kill.
-Andy Brewer