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7 Steps to Start Becoming a Church People Want to Commit To
People are not less committed than they used to be. They just commit differently. But too many churches haven’t caught up to that reality. So how do we get people to commit to the church we pastor? Especially when our church is small and struggling?
I don’t have all the answers, not by a long shot. But I’ve learned a handful of principles over three decades of ministry that have helped our church become a place people are excited to be committed to.
These steps won’t cost you any extra money and very little extra time – the extra time because of the learning curve. It’s not about adding to your already limited schedule and overtaxed budget. It’s not about doing things bigger. It’s about focusing on doing church better. Working smarter, not harder.
People Aren’t As Loyal to Their Church Anymore – Good For Them
The so-called “good old days” when a person committed to a church, then stuck with it no matter what, have come to an end. Many churches just don’t know it yet. Maybe that’s why I keep hearing ministers harping on the same old complaints. “My church can’t get good volunteers any more!” “People aren’t as faithful as they used to be.” And, my personal [ahem] favorite, “What’s wrong with this generation? You can’t count on them for anything.”
If those complaints sound familiar (as in, you’ve heard them come from your own mouth) please take this in the way I’m giving it – with all the love in my heart. Stop whining about people’s lack of commitment to your church and give them something worth committing to!
Do You Have to Be Crazy to Go Into Full-Time Ministry? (An Overdue Conversation)
You’ve heard of someone Going Postal? Maybe we should be more concerned about them Going Pastoral.
Ministry is not for the faint of heart. The stats mount up every day about how hazardous it can be for our emotional, financial, even spiritual health. But, according to Forbes magazine, it may not be that ministry makes you crazy, as much as it attracts people who are crazy. Clergyperson is #8 on the list of jobs most likely to attract psychopaths.
Is It Wrong If I Don’t Want My Church to Grow?
One of the foundational beliefs of the church growth movement is that every church should desire to grow. And if you don’t want your church to grow, there’s something wrong. Probably something wrong with you. So let me get right to it and answer the question in today’s title.
Is it wrong if I don’t want my church to grow? YES. Always. Without reservation. No excuses allowed. No “buts” added. It is always wrong when a follower of Jesus, and especially a church leader, doesn’t want their church to grow.
I Don’t Go to Church to Worship Jesus
Since the Day of Pentecost, all believers have the Holy Spirit living in us from the moment of salvation, so we carry his presence with us. This means that every act of my life, whether alone or in the company of others, can and should be an act of worship.
But I still go to church every weekend. And I would go every weekend, even if I wasn’t a pastor.
Why?
I don’t go to church to worship Jesus. I go to church to worship Jesus with other people. Because I need to worship Jesus in the company of others. We all do.
A Small Church Moment: Keeping Little Changes From Becoming a Big Deal
Way too many Small Churches think that, because they’re small, they can fly by the seat of their pants all the time. But when we do that, people learn that they can’t rely on anything that’s announced, so our church volunteers become as unreliable as the church calendar.
Constantly changing announced plans is one of the quickest ways to erode trust, get half-hearted commitment from volunteers or lose them entirely.
Do you want reliable church volunteers? Be a reliable leader. Keep a reliable calendar.
People can handle change if we do it right. Here are 9 principles you can use to assure that a last-minute change in your church plans goes smoothly.
Why Don’t Small Churches Grow? They Do. Then We Call Them Big Churches
“Why don’t small churches grow?” That’s one of the most common search terms that leads people to NewSmallChurch.com.
So today I ‘m going to take a stab at answering it. But before I offer my answer, I’m going to do something that may surprise you. I’m going to challenge the premise of the question.
The presumption that Small Churches don’t grow is false. Small Churches do grow. Some grow numerically. Most grow spiritually. Many grow in both ways.
Stop Thinking Like a Big Church
In a big church, the ranching/spiritual triage model makes sense. There’s no way one person can care for thousands of people individually. A well-trained team of staff and volunteers is essential to every aspect of ministry.
In a Small Church, when the pastor stops doing hospital visits, ceases having an open door policy and starts delegating those responsibilities to others, the congregation members feel neglected and unimportant.
Then they start looking for another church. I know. I’ve experienced it first-hand.
I’m not the only one with this experience. I’ve talked to many discouraged pastors with stories just like mine, who tried the rancher model only to find their congregation members feeling neglected.
That neglected feeling is understandable. After all, when Jesus commissioned Peter, he told him, “feed my sheep” not “tend my ranch”. The ranching model tells us that our primary focus needs to move from “doing the caring” to “develop and manage a system of care” for the body we serve. There’s just one problem with that. As a pastor friend of mine says, “People want to be pastored, not spiritually managed.”
The 10% Grace Rule: Judging Without Being Judgmental
The more you speak or write, the more mistakes you’ll make. It’s unavoidable. Those who put their opinions out for public consumption in blogs, books, sermons, etc., take on a huge risk, because their mistakes will be amplified by the amount of information they’re putting out and by the size of the audience.
Unfortunately, there are many of us – and way too many in the Christian community – looking for people to trip up. Instead of giving people the benefit of the doubt, they’re very quick to pounce on any misstatement (real or perceived) as the judge, jury and executioner.
But we can’t just nod and smile at untrue, unkind or unChristian statements, either. We need to practice reasonable judgment about what people say and write. Sometimes those statements need to be challenged, lovingly, but firmly.
As always, Jesus said it best. We need to, “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” But how do we do that? As Christians and as consumers of content, how do we balance wise discernment with forgiveness and grace?
