An internet acquaintance who writes the "Semper Reformunda" blog has a video titled "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Pastors". It was funny and thought i'd share it with you all here...
While i enjoyed the video it brought to mind to me that the church is not a small/medium/large business. It cannot, nor should it, be run like one. I realize things like the Evangelism needs to take place. Outreach ministries to help those in need. I have even heard of church leadership being based on business principles (how many converts, how many church members, how many ministries, etc.), not by checking on the the overall health of the people that are there.
Are the members of the church reading their Bibles? Are they seeking out ways to serve within the church or are they just attending on Sundays? What about the spiritual fruit within their lives? Is it evident?
When a church focuses on ensuring that the body of Christ is fed and cared for the other things fall into place as much as God has given grace and gifts to that local body of believers. Not everyone can be a Billy Graham. Not every one can be a Mother Terresa. Not everyone can be missionary, inner city worker, or soup kitchen volunteer. It's not even possible for every church to be able to do all those things. Instead each church needs to seek to help the members grow in Christ, not to stay huddled in their own pews... 
and definitely not trying to push them all out to try and do it all themselves. 
Instead seek to develop each member in their gifts from God, help them get up and out doing what God has for them... and develop the ministries that can actually be supported within the framework of what God has placed there. Seek to expand as God adds, but also be willing to contract when the support has waned as well.
While i enjoyed the video it brought to mind to me that the church is not a small/medium/large business. It cannot, nor should it, be run like one. I realize things like the Evangelism needs to take place. Outreach ministries to help those in need. I have even heard of church leadership being based on business principles (how many converts, how many church members, how many ministries, etc.), not by checking on the the overall health of the people that are there.
Are the members of the church reading their Bibles? Are they seeking out ways to serve within the church or are they just attending on Sundays? What about the spiritual fruit within their lives? Is it evident?
When a church focuses on ensuring that the body of Christ is fed and cared for the other things fall into place as much as God has given grace and gifts to that local body of believers. Not everyone can be a Billy Graham. Not every one can be a Mother Terresa. Not everyone can be missionary, inner city worker, or soup kitchen volunteer. It's not even possible for every church to be able to do all those things. Instead each church needs to seek to help the members grow in Christ, not to stay huddled in their own pews... 
and definitely not trying to push them all out to try and do it all themselves. 
Instead seek to develop each member in their gifts from God, help them get up and out doing what God has for them... and develop the ministries that can actually be supported within the framework of what God has placed there. Seek to expand as God adds, but also be willing to contract when the support has waned as well.
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