MANAGEMENT

I Was Just Thinking About – MANAGEMENT.

In the secular world, there are reports of companies that have been managed successfully and others that are best characterized as being mismanaged. The news of today illustrates how an outstanding company, Sears, has steadily become less profitable and is now filing for bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal reports: “Sears Holding Corporation has hired a company to prepare a bankruptcy filing that to come as soon as this week…The cash-strapped company that once dominated American retailing faces a payment deadline…Sears, which has been losing money for years, has a $134 million in debt due on Monday…” Sears is not alone. Other companies that were household names in the past are greatly diminished or no longer exist. One of the more recent has been Toys-R-Us.

When it comes to the spiritual realm, there are all kinds of reports that describe once thriving churches having become diminished and no longer effective in ministry or appealing to those seeking a substantial ministry that is focused and fully functional. One needs to be careful in making comparisons with the so-called mega-churches and campus-network churches. When compared to a Biblical model, they are actually an anomaly rather than the ideal for developing ministry. With both the mega-church and the diminishing church, what do they both have in common? Is this the way the Bible defined a Church of Jesus Christ to be?

C. Jack Miller in his book, Outgrowing The Ingrown Church states: “The threat to the modern congregation is its tendency to despair and defeat because it has redirected its faith toward its past or human resources, rather than to the promises of God with their focus on the power of the Spirit to revive us.” He goes on to share seven areas that should be reviewed, assessed and remedied: (1) Tunnel vision that limits potential ministries to those that can be accomplished by the  visible, human resources at hand. (2) A shared sense of group superiority that tends to exaggerate the positive qualities that  they possess. (2) Extreme sensitivity to negative human opinion. (4) A shared desire to be seen as ‘nice.’ (5) A Christian ‘soap opera culture’ characterized by gossip and series of endlessly repeated conversations. (6) Confusion about leadership roles within the church. (7) Misdirected purpose that focuses on survival rather than growth through conversion of  the lost.”

What are some Biblical remedies? One of the primary passages pertains to what a pastor (shepherd) teacher is supposed to be doing consistently. Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV): (Pastors) Shepherds and teachers, (are) to equip the saints (Church Attenders) for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,  to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

To assess how well a Church is doing, the test will be Revelation 2 and 3. The objective is twofold: (1) Remember, Repent, Return, Restore; and (2) Those who have ears to hear – hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. Why is it that of the seven churches mentioned, only one was commended by the Lord?  Why is it that the contemporary Church ignores the remedy stated by Jesus Christ as He is pictured walking in the midst of The Church? As someone once said, “A Church that is in a rut is in a grave where both ends have been removed.” 

Many Churches, while still trying to survive, are more dead than alive – standing on the edge of a grave – almost ready to be buried. Can they be restored? Will the leaders and people in these churches repent (change)? While most of them would respond affirmatively, their actions (or inactions) speak louder than words. Too often, the key word that defines them is: mismanagement.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.