Make no mistake about it – the church is an organization. It has leaders, systems, policies, procedures, functions and outcomes. It's accountable to its members and the government and must be good stewards of the resources. Biblically, however, the church is an organism; full of people with destinies, desires, and tendencies. The church is described as a family; families don't always run like organizations. So, how do you blend these two concepts and make them interchangeable? By incorporating these seven things into your church.
A clear sense of mission. It all has to start with "why do you exist?" If you can't answer that succinctly and pull everything you do back to that mission, you will be like a rudderless ship. You'll stay afloat for a while but eventually, find yourself drifting to places you never intended to be. A clear sense of mission will help you avoid using outdated models as you return to your "why"?
A target on who we're reaching. Many churches will ignore this one and say, "everyone." The truth is, identifying who we are trying to reach will help us reach a broader range of people. Understanding who is around us and who we are equipped to reach sends the church on a wonderful discovery of its gift mix and opportunities for kingdom growth. It all starts with asking, "who are we called to reach?"
A strong financial system. Churches often lack a strong financial system and hope that they'll figure it out as they go. Most of what we want to do as a church rides upon our ability to raise and spend money. Take time to build annual budgets, accountability when it comes to receiving and spending money, processes for raising funds and celebrating what God has done through the contributions of its members and reporting structures. Don't overlook this area. Work with people in your church that understand this and build the systems that will allow you to accomplish the mission.
Outbound ministry. The church in Canada has spent too much of its resources on the people inside the building. This has resulted in the sense of irrelevance by the majority of Canadians; after all, why advocate for something you don't know about or use? Outbound ministry and community connection will help restore the church's reputation in the community as being beneficial and useful for the quality of life community members can enjoy through your presence. Meeting needs in your community is a way to build a connection to your community and become a vital part of your community once again.
Engaging services. There's no way around it – the weekly gathering is one of the key parts of the church. It can be micro or in a home or on a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon, but it is still a key part of what your church is about. Therefore, there must be intention given to the gathering. Recognize that new people will come to your gathering. How do you engage them? Understand that people who come are looking to experience something. How do you prepare for it? Every week is an opportunity to create community, equip the saints, invite new people into the family of God and lift up the Name of Jesus.
Discipleship pathway. Churches exist to fulfill the Great Commission, to make disciples who make disciples. What does that look like in your church? What does a fully devoted follower of Christ look like in your church? What attitudes and actions accompany one who is full-on for Christ? It's important that churches identify that, celebrate that and help people become that. Developing disciples should be the main business of the church.
A process for developing leaders. Churches need multiple leaders who are leading and developing people. We don't need people to accomplish tasks – we use tasks to develop people. The more leaders we have, the more likely we are to accommodate more people. If one person is doing all the leading, we're missing out on a great opportunity. Pastors must develop a ministry leadership team to lead the church alongside the pastor. Team leadership is always better than solo leadership.
Once you agree to focus on these seven things, you can begin to work and develop them as you go forward. The blend of organization and organism that's embedded in each of these areas will keep you growing in numbers while also growing in depth of relationship and commitment to Christ.
Jeremiah works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.