Thom Rainer, church consultant and author of many books on church development offered an interesting post on his website the other day. I have posted it here in its entirety. I am wondering what my readers think or have experienced in regards to “happy" churches? Are there such places? And if so, what makes them successful? Thom writes:
“Recently I reviewed the files of 17 of the happiest churches where I consulted. As is typical in consultations, patterns emerged. In the case of these churches, I found nine common characteristics among the congregations. In each case, the characteristic seemed to contribute to the overall happiness of the churches.
“The pastor was a strong leader, but not an autocratic leader. He was able to maintain that healthy balance of providing clarity of vision without imposing his will on every decision.
“The pastor regularly demonstrated and affirmed love for the congregation. In both his actions and his words, the pastor communicated clearly that he loved the members of the church. And he loved them regardless of their apparent feelings toward him, though most of the members genuinely loved the pastor as well.
“The pastor regularly demonstrated and affirmed love for the community where the church was located. Though he could not be omnipresent, the pastor made it a point to be involved in many of the affairs of the community. He genuinely loved people in the community and viewed the entire area as his mission field.
“The ministry staff liked each other, and they worked well together. If there are tensions among the staff, they cannot be hidden from the congregation. But if the staff is unified and banter in fun with one another, the members feed off that joy and unity.
“A high proportion of the membership was actively involved in ministry. When church members are doing the work of ministry, they have a sense of fulfillment and joy. When they aren’t, they often have extra time on their hands to be divisive.
“Business meetings were brief and friendly. These meetings were rarely a time of infighting and complaining. To the contrary, most of the members were too busy doing ministry to be negative (see #5).
“A high proportion of the members were in a small group or Sunday school class. Community grew in these small groups. People who are true members of a community tend to be happier people.
“The pastor’s time in the Word was protected. It is easy for a pastor to yield his time in the Word for the tyranny of the urgent. Thus he becomes frustrated, as he has to rush to complete a sermon, or as he does not have sufficient time to do the sermon well. The members likewise become frustrated because they don’t feel like the pastor is feeding them. A happy church makes certain that the pastor has adequate time every week to be in the Word.
“The pastor had a small informal or formal group to whom he was accountable. This group includes those members who clearly love the pastor. They offer both encouragement and accountability for him. The interchange between this group and the pastor is frank, transparent and, overall, healthy. And all communications take place on an unmistakable foundation of love.
How do these nine characteristics compare to your church? What would you add? Which of the nine “jumped out” at you the most?”
Love One Another - Brian
What struck me was that people who have too much time on their hands, not actively engaged, were the complainers. This is true for the most part, but I can think of a few examples where this isn't the case. I can also think of pastors who did everything in their power to love the congregants, and they were locked in a battle off wills and were unable to receive that love. What a miracle that it was given even under those circumstances. It is a testimony that God keeps trying to speak to us even when we are being incorrigible and unloving. What a great, wonderous love God has for us all. In the midst of great suffering lies His love and grace. A conundrum to be sure.
ReplyDelete