Thursday, April 09, 2015
Mission creep is going to kill the church...
Every church wants to grow. And, if they are honest, a whole of churches worry about not being around in the future. There is one absolute certain way to ensure that your church does not die: make new disciples. If you are constantly reaching new people for Jesus, you will grow. Followers making followers is the mission of the church. Almost every church I speak at will say that is their mission, or it is vitally important, or that they really want to reach the lost. But the reality does not match the rhetoric.
By the way, if your church does not see evangelism as critical, then you do not have to read the rest of this. Your church is not going to make it anyway.
Mission creep is killing the church. Mission creep is when you think you are on point with the purpose. It is when you lose focus without even realizing it. It is when you talk about the mission without noticing that talk is all you do about the mission. Or you assume everyone is on point with what really matters, yet no one is talking about it or doing it.
So here are some signs that a church has mission creep.
When leadership discussions about the future are primarily about how to keep our young people from leaving.
Your big worry is about losing members, not making new ones.
You deceive yourself into thinking that troop transfer (having Christians leave their current church to come to yours) is actually growth.
Most of your talk about mission is about "over there" and not right here.
Your young people can go on mission trips year after year and never have to talk about Jesus.
Your ministry staff is more about doing for the flock than sharing Jesus in your community.
Your hire pastors, not evangelists.
Your people can argue about worship activities and women's roles, but not share their faith with a non-believer.
Most of your members are at least third generation Christians.
You never give an public invitation to non-Christians to engage in conversation about Jesus.
You never celebrate/announce/bless new converts.
When every baptism you can remember was one of your own children.
When you do talk about reaching lost people, it is about what you need to do to be ready to reach them. Never about actually talking to them.
Mission creep. It will kill your church.
By the way, if your church does not see evangelism as critical, then you do not have to read the rest of this. Your church is not going to make it anyway.
Mission creep is killing the church. Mission creep is when you think you are on point with the purpose. It is when you lose focus without even realizing it. It is when you talk about the mission without noticing that talk is all you do about the mission. Or you assume everyone is on point with what really matters, yet no one is talking about it or doing it.
So here are some signs that a church has mission creep.
When leadership discussions about the future are primarily about how to keep our young people from leaving.
Your big worry is about losing members, not making new ones.
You deceive yourself into thinking that troop transfer (having Christians leave their current church to come to yours) is actually growth.
Most of your talk about mission is about "over there" and not right here.
Your young people can go on mission trips year after year and never have to talk about Jesus.
Your ministry staff is more about doing for the flock than sharing Jesus in your community.
Your hire pastors, not evangelists.
Your people can argue about worship activities and women's roles, but not share their faith with a non-believer.
Most of your members are at least third generation Christians.
You never give an public invitation to non-Christians to engage in conversation about Jesus.
You never celebrate/announce/bless new converts.
When every baptism you can remember was one of your own children.
When you do talk about reaching lost people, it is about what you need to do to be ready to reach them. Never about actually talking to them.
Mission creep. It will kill your church.
