Mark's Blog

Sherrylee and I were just sitting with some friends in Nashville today talking about church. Our friends told us about a church in Georgia that had just expanded and doubled the size of their usable space. To encourage one of the church leaders, she commented, “Just think, with God’s help you will soon outgrow this new space as well!”  He replied, “Well, we don’t want to grow too fast! You know, you don’t want just anyone in your church.”

That’s a pretty good illustration to introduce a conversation about church diseases that are silent killers—those insidious ideas or actions that, if not reversed, will certainly lead to congregational death. Here’s my list. It’s probably just a good start, so please add to it through your comments!

Vision Deficiency

The church leader in the above conversation had pretty severe vision problems. First, he didn’t see the same people that God sees. He probably only saw people like himself–and probably only people who were already some kind of Christian. A church that is happy simply being a nice club for nice people suffers with very narrow tunnel vision, not seeing many at all of all those God loves! If this church does not get new eyes, it will die.

Then there are those church leaders that see as far ahead as the next contribution, or the next capital drive, or the next new minister. These leaders are so short-sighted that they only see what they can do and have no vision of all that lies beyond that God can do! When “we” get tired or external challenges reduce visibility to zero, then this church will become virtually blind and definitely endangered!

Leadership Deficiency

No one doubts that lack of leadership in a church will hasten its demise, but perhaps it is not the lack of leadership that is the biggest problem, but the wrong leaders that is the silent killer in dying churches.  God has promised to bless His church with the gift of leadership (Romans 12:8).

Unfortunately, instead of looking for those that God has given the gift to, we look for those who are recognized by the business world or by society as leaders. So churches suffer under a lack of spiritual leadership as well as an overabundance of “gentile” leadership—as the world leads. Such churches are much more ill than they often realize.

Generosity Deficiency

Love is meant to be given away. Mercy is meant to be given away. Blessings are meant to be given away. Grace is meant to be given away. Forgiveness is meant to be given away. Hope, kindness, encouragement are meant to be given away. Wealth is meant to be given away. Time, Energy, really Life itself is meant to be given away.

A church that hoards any of the above will suffer spiritual bloat! If it doesn’t love, nobody will even know that they are Christians. If they are not merciful,  if they are not forgiving, if they are not kind, if they are not full of grace, that church is dying a pitiful death!

A simple blood test will help you diagnose this illness: ask yourself, if Jesus had not emptied himself and poured out His blood, would I have any hope of Life?  If I don’t empty myself, if my church doesn’t empty itself, is it really imitating Jesus? And if we are not imitating Jesus, are we really alive?

Mission Deficiency

Let me suggest you ask your church leaders what the basic raison d’etre for your congregation is. Why should you not join the larger more successful church down the street?  What would the kingdom of God be missing if you closed your doors?  For that matter, what would your community miss?

Having no unique reason for existence steals the strength of a church—as well as its future!

Identity Deficiency

We are in a time of identity breakdown! Established churches are abandoning their denominational names, traditional churches are becoming untraditional, liturgical churches have brought in evangelical praise bands. Someday some scholar will show us that there is a correlation between a church knowing who they are and their ability to thrive and persevere!

We may have created a Jekyll and Hyde situation, i.e., a false dichotomy between that which we have always been and that which we believe we need to be in order to live  I fear that most of our identity crisis is the result of observing the world around us and trying to adapt to what we see out there!  If our mission is clear, if our theology is alive, then changes will happen, but they will happen from the inside out, not from the outside in!

Prayer Deficiency

If your church leaders meetings do not begin and end in prayer, then your church may suffer severe loss of vitality! If your ministers do not lead the church in prayer, your church is ill. Jesus taught us to pray, not because God needs our words in order to know our hearts, but because we need to pray. Not going to the throne of God is avoidance of the Great Physician.

The Doctor’s Advice

People hate doctors. Some even refuse to go, saying that doctors just make you sick!  Jesus spoke to a group like this once, saying, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12)–but don’t miss the irony. His words were condemnation to those who rejected His offer to heal.

These are words of hope for churches/church leaders who recognize their illness and turn to the One who heals!  Jesus may be asking you as he did the Centurion in Matthew 8: Shall I come and heal you?