Where is your church going?

What moves your church? What is the driving force behind it? Churches moved by tradition have a favorite phrase, which is: "We have always done it like that." The goal is simply to perpetuate the past. Ancient churches tend to be bound by rules, regulations and rituals.

Those churches that are motivated by a big personality also have a theme question: “What does the leader want?” If the pastor has served the church for a long time, it is most likely that he is the one who has this leading personality. Its agenda will be based on the background, needs and insecurities of their leader.

Churches moved by programs concentrate all their energy in maintaining and sustaining their programs, not focusing on people’s growth but on covering positions. No one ever wonders if the program continues to work.

It looks like those churches moved by events cherish keeping people busy as their main goal. As soon as a great event is over, people start working on the next one. There is a lot of activity, but not necessarily a lot of productivity. Assistance to those events becomes the only way to measure fidelity and maturity.

Churches moved by the unsaved aim at the needs of unbelievers: "What do they want?" There is no other higher purpose. And then they adapt their values ​​and their communication style to the prevailing culture, setting aside the essential principles of the gospel.

There are also churches moved by finances where their main question is: "How much will it cost?" It seems that nothing is more important than the budget. In the early years, many churches were moved by faith, but later they moved on to finance.

Rick Warren states that the true Biblical paradigm is churches driven by a purpose. The strong churches are built on this. Our church, no matter what the size or location, will be healthier, stronger and more effective if it turns into a church driven by a purpose. That is, a church that knows exactly what God has called her to and knows what its interest and identity are.

Until we know what our church exists for, we will have no foundation, no motivation and no direction in our ministry. If we want to build a healthy church, capable of growing, we need to explain to everyone involved exactly what the church exists for and what it should do. There is incredible power when defining a statement of purpose.

I want to share five benefits of having a clear purpose. First, it promotes a good mood. Mission and mood always go together. There is nothing that discourages a church more than not knowing why it exists. People who work together for a great purpose, do not have time to discuss small things since they are committed to a common purpose.

Second, it reduces frustration. A clear purpose not only defines what we do, but what we don't do. We can't do everything! There are many noble suggestions and activities, but the filter should be: does this activity fulfill any of the purposes that God established for this church? When we forget our purpose, we have a hard time deciding what is and isn’t important. And an undecided church is an unstable church.

Third, it encourages concentration. The more concentration there is at church, the more impact it will cause in society. Most churches try to do too much. We exhaust people. Let's not try to start a new ministry without first having someone to lead it. Those few churches that are effective focus on their purpose.

Fourth, it attracts cooperation. People want to join a church that knows where it is going. The reason is that everyone is looking for something that gives meaning, purpose and direction to their lives. If you want your church members to get excited about the work of the church, to actively support and give generously to it, explain them where the church is going.

Fifth, evaluation helps. How does a church evaluate itself? Not comparing with others, but asking: “Are we doing what God expects us to do? How well are we doing it?”

If we want our church to be moved by a purpose, first, let's define what its purpose is. Second, let's communicate it periodically to each person at church. Third, let’s organize the church around its purpose. And finally, apply the purpose to each area of your church.