HEALTHY CHURCH: The Road To Health
A prescription without a diagnosis is referred to in medicine as malpractice. If you can prove negligence, it is very possible that criminal charges could be filed and a lawsuit won.
In church health, proper diagnosis is also crucial. There are principles to consider on your road to recovery and revival. The proper pathway to the right prescription must be preceded by the correct diagnosis. You must determine and establish biblical priorities, directed by a Holy Spirit-led pace, and see His church from God’s perspective. One principle to greatly consider in this process is to always think slower not faster (see Psalm 27:14).
The proper priority is God’s glory — without that awareness, you may find yourself dispensing the wrong medicine. If you go too fast or too slow, you might be guilty of administering the wrong dosage. Without the proper perspective (Psalm 73:16-17), you can easily prescribe a medication you are allergic to, which can cause you to shut down due to shock. Sam Rainer suggests the following questions in these areas:
• Priorities — How do you determine what is most urgent?
• Pace — How fast can you lead change?
• Perspective — Are the church’s expectations properly aligned?
Let’s talk priority first. A healthy church necessitates leaders with healthy souls. In Replenish, Lance Witt stated, “We have neglected the fact that a pastor’s greatest leadership tool is a healthy soul.” Frustration will dominate if you lead while emotionally empty and spiritually dry. If this describes you and you continue to neglect your soul, you run the risk of being destructive in your ministry instead of productive. You may be okay 85-90% of the time, but anger issues will surface, impatience will become overwhelming and an unhealthy desire to micromanage magnifies insecurities.
Depth is more important than width, and Psalm 1 is a constant reminder of the value of deep spiritual roots. The priority is a healthy soul, and that requires refusing to disregard the importance of prayer. All too often, prayer has become an afterthought and has been relegated ridiculously low on the priority list. Wisdom is desperately needed, and James 1 tells us when you lack wisdom, ask God. Prayer is seeking God’s wisdom and surrendering to His agenda. Bill Elliff shared in our ReCharge Conference that God can do more in 5 minutes of prayer than in 50 years of our effort and energy. How true that is!
The value of all the leadership books in the world pales in comparison to the power of prayer. It has been estimated that 75% of the messes leaders get into are caused by not inviting others into the process. How much worse is that for spiritual leaders who have not sought God’s agenda through fervent prayer? You cannot overestimate the importance of listening to God. What does God desire to accomplish in your life and your ministry? Discern it, execute it and then crucify it (offer it back to Him). Do not give away God’s voice in your life. Who is the loudest voice in your life?
Priorities are determined by God’s Word and God’s voice. Once discerned, it is time to focus on the pace of implementing His plan. There are two things to remember about how fast you move forward. John Maxwell says that if you think you are leading and no one is following, you are only out taking a walk. Second, you must lead out front, but you might become a martyr if you get too far out front. Execution is the key after determining the most urgent item God is focusing you on. The time has come to move from transformational to transactional because implementation separates leaders from dreamers.
Consider working out a Vision, Plan and Timeline (VPT) to enable you to move the action required from your head and heart to your hands and feet. Contact me if you would like a copy of how to develop a VPT.
Robby Gallaty simplifies this process in Rediscovering Discipleship by utilizing the KISS paradigm, which does not stand for what you may be thinking. If you are considering changing your programs, consider this: What do you need to Keep? What do you need to Increase? What do you need to Start? What do you need to Stop? Every program and ministry must be brought to the table. Nothing is off-limits.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery stated, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Gallaty said this about this quote, “This kind of evaluation is very difficult because it removes what you want and reveals what God wants.”
In The Church Revitalization Checklist, Sam Rainer helps you to evaluate some items you may need to stop doing and some things you need to start. “Nostalgia is more prevalent than devotion.” Does your church discuss its history more than the Bible? Are you worshipping the past and traditions more than worshipping Jesus and obeying His commands?
The priority is ensuring you and your church have an upward and outward perspective. Without it, your perspective will be inward and downward before long. When Isaiah looked upward and saw the Lord sitting on His throne in Heaven, it immediately caused him to look outward. When the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah responded, “Here am I; send me!”
Perspective asks if your church’s expectations are properly aligned with God’s call to make disciples who make disciples. Are your church’s expectations focused not only on serving your community but also on how you will effectively share the gospel?
The road to health begins with proper diagnosis by discerning the one priority God is leading you to focus on in the next six months. If you discern an important God-directed change every six months, in two years, you will have led your church to become spiritually healthy in four major areas. Discern, execute and remain surrendered to His plan. The reality is that resistance to change is one of the largest hurdles in leadership.
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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