Epiphany Last - Shrove Tuesday - Seven Question Every Church Should Ask Itself - Number 5B

Happy Shrove Tuesday!

On the eve before the annual forty-day journey of Lent, let’s reflect together on an issue in the Church that plagues many a parish and the institution. It is one of the great dangers in our churches today. The issue is that of mediocrity.

A reminder of Gary Nicolosi’s fifth question: What issues does our church need to face within the next year so that five years from now, we won’t have to say, “We wish we had…” If you would like to read his entire article, you may do so by clicking here: Seven Questions for the Church

In an article on the need for uniqueness between churches, Marshall Shelley has written: “If you look at the official statements of purpose for most churches in North America, you might conclude they are a franchise operation. A religious version of McDonald’s or K-Mart, with each establishment identical except for its function” (CoachingPastors.com).

Most churches that I have been associated with desire to be a “full-service” organization: that is, all things for all people. I have experienced many churches throughout North Carolina, where I served for seventeen years, and here in Northeast Ohio who try to be all things for all people with very limited resources. There is a church on almost every corner here in Hudson, Ohio and each is vainly trying to do the same thing. The end result is that these churches are often bland and mediocre.

So, how does a parish, a denomination, avoid the pitfall of mediocrity?

Thom Rainer is an author, church consultant, and leader in the Southern Baptist Church. I had the pleasure of working with Thom a number of years ago when he assisted the Diocese of North Carolina with a long-range plan for ministry. Thom believes there are three significant actions churches can take to avoid mediocrity.

First, Acts 6:4 – Called, Praying and in the World

Thom writes: “It would be naive to assume that every pulpit is filled with someone who feels called to the position. In my years of working with churches across the country, I have come across some leaders who view their role in the church as just a job. They see it no differently than someone who works a secular 9 to 5 job just to earn a paycheck. The first important key to moving beyond mediocrity is to have a sense of calling by God to be in a position of leadership in the church.

“The early church leaders were called by God to their ministries. We see in Acts 6:4 that their first priority was to “devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”  Breakout churches have leaders who spend a large portion of their time studying, preparing their sermons and praying. While this may seem like an obvious requirement for a great church leader, most church leaders spend less than five hours a week in sermon preparation and prayer.”

Second, Looking Beyond the Walls

Rainer believes that “a body of believers focused solely on the needs and preferences of those inside their building will be doomed to mediocrity. It is too easy to become caught up in the insignificant and forget the mission of the church. Mediocrity says, “It’s all about me.” 

“It is vital that leaders move the church to look beyond the walls of their buildings. A great ministry is one that seeks out the hurting and needy. A great ministry is one that becomes the hands and feet of Christ in the community. A great ministry proclaims the gospel in word and deed.”

Third, Bold and Passionate

Thom concludes: “I realize that many people think that “greatness” comes with a certain personality type. Those with a quick wit and a large congregation are the great leaders while more subdued and quiet leaders must settle for mediocre ministries. This stereotype could not be farther from the truth.

“A great leader is passionate about the things of God, but that does not mean that he/she will be on the front page of the local paper. A great leader is passionate about the people in his/her community, but that doesn’t mean he/she’s the life of the party. Passion is not about a certain personality type. Passion is an obvious love for Christ and His Church.

“Along with passion comes boldness. A great leader steps out of his/her comfort zone. His/her answer to God will always be “Yes.” He/she will put him/herself into positions where success is only possible if God Himself intervenes” (www.ThomRainer.com).  

If my local parish, or the Diocese in this area, is truly going to impact the culture, it will require the Church to take wild and crazy risks. It will require entrepreneurial innovation instead of the usual routine or casual approach. It is going to take leaders with fearless vision who care more about mission of Jesus than the maintenance and status quo of a religion. Albert Einstein said: “If an idea is not absurd it has no hope.” If we profess that we believe in a God of resurrection, then as disciples of Jesus committed to making a difference in the world, we must be willing to risk everything and journey along new avenues of ministry that we have never explored cfor the sake of the Gospel.

Terry York and David Bolin, professors at Baylor University recently wrote that “congregations must speak to and among the surrounding culture in a voice so unique, authentic, and unified that it turns heads: ‘What was that? It sounded like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I’ve never heard anything like that around here’” (www.kncsb.org).

Now a challenging response like that could lead someone to inquire more about a local church or it could be seen as ridiculing our efforts. Either way, what would be different, and refreshing, for us as representing the Body of Christ is that we would actually be influencing and engaging the culture instead of simply reflecting it.

In researching for this post, I came across a website created by Lance Martin, a church planter and blogger. On this issue of mediocrity, Martin wrote: “Great leaders hate mediocrity and know that when life is tough and situations are difficult God is in control. The promise of Jesus should always be the focus. When we begin to take our focus off of Jesus we become intoxicated with fear. Fear promotes hopelessness, desperation, apathy, and allows the negative people to have a voice! Each day we have a choice to do what is simply necessary or to rise above mediocrity. Rising above mediocrity requires courage, passion, and faith” (www.lancemartin.net).

The Christian Church must reject any sort of mediocrity found in the life of the parish or Diocese. I believe that the leaders in the 21^st century Church must reclaim the courage to risk everything for the Gospel of Jesus Christ facing whatever fear we might have and trusting that the Lord will lead us safely into new truths and opportunities for service.

How many churches stand vacant and empty across this great land these days in a horrifying legacy of mediocrity? These churches died because their witness was neither hot nor cold but in far too many instances it was because the faith community and its leaders settled for bland and mediocre.

Not on my watch!

Join me during this season of Lent in praying for ways in which to lead the Church that we love out of mediocrity into a courageous retelling of the faith by word and deed engaging a new generation to learn to sing the Lord’s song.

Love One Another - Brian