“If you don’t like change, you’re
going to like irrelevance even less.” Those
are the words of General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, who is
currently in the news because of the VA scandal.
There are few things as sad as watching a
once great church grow old, become irrelevant
and slowly
die. What is worse is that they either don’t know they’re dying, or
they simply don’t care as long as those remaining are happy. Sadly, I have
witnessed this more times than I wish to count. In addition, I have
attended this type of church before.
Here is what I have noticed about many of these
churches—at a pivotal point, a decision was made to
continue doing
ministry the way they always have rather than alter their
approach to reach a changing community or the next
generation. After months of committee meetings and off-line
conversations, the church finally utters the The 10 Last
Words of Dying Churches—“We’ve never done it that way before. We’re
not changing.”
Those 10 powerful words
subsequently have a ripple effect that lasts generations. As
a result, the following are additional comments those attending these
churches are bound to say and/or hear shortly thereafter:
1. “Isn’t
it great that our music is
never too loud?”
2. “Isn’t
it nice seeing people in coats and ties and not disrespecting God by
wearing jeans and shorts?”
3. “We’re more
spiritual and doctrinally pure than that fast-growing, watered-down
gospel, baptizing-hundreds–maybe-thousands-every-year church down the street.”
4. “Can
you believe that church is stealing
all our young people?”
5. “I
hear we’re having to cut the budget because
giving is not what it used to be.”
6. “Isn’t
it great having all this room on the pew to spread out.”
7. “I
love singing all four verses.”
8. “Don’t
worry about our attendance. Let
me tell you how large our membership is.”
9. “Are
you coming to Monday night visitation? How about the Wednesday night
prayer service?”
10.
“Remember the good
‘ole days.”
11.
“Visitors,
please stand.”
12.
“I hear it’s just a show over there.”
13.
“We just formed a Committee on Committees.”
14.
“We don’t talk about money. We preach the
Bible.”
15.
“You don’t want that fast growth. Slooooow
growth is what you need.”
16.
“Isn’t it great getting out of the parking lot
quickly?”
17.
“The poor will always be with
us.”
18.
“I’m really tired of having to hear about
lost people all the time.”
lost people all the time.”
19.
“Pastor, I think we need to start praying
for revival.”
Do these phrases hit close to home for you? Are there
any more comments you want to add that you’ve heard?
Source: First posted HERE
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