What Are We Risking . . . and Why?
In the unending quest for transformation, churches in our area have been asked by their regional leader to take risks.
Sounds very daring!
But look before you leap!
What are congregations being asked to risk and why?
We presume our leaders are asking us to change. They are never very clear on how. Just change. (When they bring their experts in to to evaluate, they usually try to set things up the same old way.)
So what are our leaders expecting to happen now?
They could be looking at society and seeing a spiritual desert. They could be concerned for the troubled individuals, broken families, the children who live in two houses with torn parental loyalties, the outcasts of society, the people who struggle with illness and addiction, the jobless, the homeless, the youth who feel left out, or the lonely and unnoticed in general. They could be concerned with the growing number of people who do not know God and can’t pray.
They could be looking more globally at a world of injustice, hunger, disease, tension, prejudice and discrimination.
Most Christians would agree that if these were the major concerns, taking risks and making changes would be well worth a congregation’s efforts.
Unfortunately, the changes sought by the Church are economically based. The risks we are being asked to take are so the Church can survive—that the hierarchy can survive— just the way it always has. No changes there!
Small churches have proven to be resilient. Immigrants and pioneers, uprooted from the established Church of the Middle Ages, came to America and started the Church anew. These small churches survived for hundreds of years. They changed over the years without prodding. Many actually grew!
The cost of hierarchy is weighing down the small church. The need for change and risk today is because hierarchies are failing.
They don’t intend to fail alone.
Change will happen in the small church when hierarchy demonstrates that they, too, can take risks and make significant changes. This doesn’t mean cutting ten percent of the staff or freezing salaries. It means revisiting everything they do. Reallocating initiatives more in line with the modern world. Changing the way they relate and communicate with congregations, and how they value the contributions of members—all members.
It means looking at our relationships with our schools and seminaries and our social service agencies. Are they serving the mission of the Church or have they adopted a secular mission while expecting support from the Church?
It means examining what is expected of professional leaders at every level. If pastors can be settled in ministry for 10 years while statistics steadily drop — and be applauded for nothing but having a satisfied congregation — well, it’s the same problem academia has with tenure. Security tends to trump mission.
Things are just fine here. Let someone else take the risk. Ten years to retirement.
The Church will not survive the present age without taking risks. Let’s make sure the risks are for the mission of the Church, not the survival of our comfort and way of life.
And leaders, congregations are more likely to take risks when we see you in front of us, not prodding (or picking our pockets) from behind.