Two Metaphors that Hinder Change

Many of you already know from last week's post that we need to change the trajectory of our churches in the Prairie Hills district.  We've been declining in attendance instead of growing by reaching new and younger people.  What I am about to say may be hard to hear for some;  The key to change is pastoral leadership.  As one who has watched and studied and led churches to reach new people and make new disciples for Jesus Christ I've come to understand it's leadership, leadership, leadership.

In the book, Hit the Bullseye, by Paul Borden, he argues that two metaphors hinder change.  The first is the image of Pastor as Shepherd.   This is leading from the inside and it perpetuates the idea that church is for those on the inside.  Pastors who see themselves primarily as Shepherd, will spend their time caring for the people; visiting in homes, going to the hospital, steering away from conflict, leading studies, focusing on how to better care for the people under their care.  The problem with this is it goes against the Biblical understanding in Ephesians 4:10-16 that says pastors aren't to do the ministry but equip others to do it.  Furthermore, it ignores the Great Commission to go into the world to make new disciples.  Caring for people is important! But not at the expense of failing to reach outward.  Your job is not pastoral care but congregational care; creating a system so that lay people care for each other and then go out into the world to make disciples.

A second image that leads to ineffective ministry is the concept of church as family.  If church is a family then every Sunday is a family reunion.  Imagine not being family and walking into a family reunion.  All these people know each other, they are talking, laughing, reminiscing, telling stories, eating around the table - and you know no one.  You're an outsider.  People look at you with weird expressions on their face like you don't belong here.  Because you're not family people won't talk to you.  This is the church on most Sundays.  We see ourselves as family  and we have lost our missional focus of being a group of people, touched by grace, who will go out into the world and welcome people into the church with grace.

In order to bring about missonal change, change that moves us outward to reach new people and make new disciples of Jesus Christ, we must adapt how we lead and the concepts we use to talk about church.  As pastors, you are not just Shepherds, you are missional leaders.  Claim the role of being a missional leader in your congregation. Learn what it means to be missional and then lead from that perspective. The caring of people will happen, the leading doesn't unless you are intentional.  Stop using the concept of church as family since it perpetuates an inward focus and start talking about the church as a base camp from which we go out to save those who are lost by sharing the good news of God's transforming grace and then welcoming them into the base camp and teaching them how to go out with us on the next mission so that those who are lost and wandering, hurting and struggling, addicted or abusive, may experience their hearts, touched by God, strangely warmed.  And may that warming of the heart lead to a new and better life in Christ.

With you in ministry,

Kevin