For the past two years, I have been monitoring the comments
and challenges mentioned by church leaders. I am attempting to answer the question:
What is hindering many of our churches from achieving health and vitality?
As I have categorized the problems and challenges the
church leaders shared, I have seen seven distinct categories of hindrances.
Since I am primarily concerned about church health, I call these hindrances
“church sicknesses.”
The good news is that none of these sicknesses have to
become terminal. They can be reversed from sickness to health. The bad news is
that, without intervention, each illness can potentially lead to the decline
and death of the church. Let’s look at all seven sicknesses:
Attitudinal
Angst: a church illness where church members are most focused on
getting their own desires and preferences met, rather than being a serving
member of the body of Christ. It is also called Church Country Club Membership.
Slippage
Syndrome: the church illness where a church stops focusing on its
primary purposes. Evangelism slippage is the most common.
Detail
Distraction: a church illness where there is too much focus
on minor issues to the detriment of major issues. For example, routine meetings
can become more important than compelling missions.
Institutional
Idolatry: a church illness where the members have an unbiblical
devotion to inconsequential matters such as facilities, order of worship, or
styles of worship.
Activity
Acclimation: a church illness where the members see
busyness to be the same as commitment and/or godliness. The church calendar
becomes the guiding document for the congregation.
Purposeless
Prayer: the church illness where corporate prayer is non-existent
or steeped in non-useful tradition. Such prayers can be perfunctory, showy, or
gossipy.
Detrimental
Defensiveness: a church illness where the members and
leadership are fearful to move forward because of memories of past conflicts
and the presence of troublemakers and bullies.
Source: Thom Rainer
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