Introduction

The time we live in—this current period in church history, is a difficult one.  This episode has been dubbed by several as “the great resignation,” due to all the pastors and men in church ministry who have resigned or have been forced to resign from their position in Christian service.  Considering all of the difficulty and upheaval, we can assume that certain churches will indeed survive and thrive, while other ministries will struggle and eventually close their doors.  In times like these believers must remember that it is God who builds His church and that He possesses both the power and the right to remove a lampstand from its place, as John reminds churches in Revelation 2:5.  Believers must also remember that every organization, whether a church, college, seminary, or whatever the case may be—every ministry has a life cycle and none of them last forever.

In light of all this, what are some keys for churches to survive?  What will be some of the important shifts that churches will need to make to navigate the difficult days ahead?  I believe that the time to come can be very fruitful for church ministries, but certain paradigm shifts must take place for this to happen.  Churches that adapt and adjust how they view and do ministry are the ministries that are poised to move forward and grow even though many churches are facing difficult times.  What does this look like, for churches to be poised for growth in 2022 and beyond?  Consider several paradigm shifts that need to happen in church culture for churches to grow in the near future.

1) A Shift from “Looking in” to “Looking out”

First, churches need to start looking out.  So many churches do not; they are far too concerned about looking in.  Many churches are only concerned about keeping up the legacy of ministry and programs that they have always had in the church.  Pastors, who are called to preach and teach the Word of God, become nothing more than CEOs who ensure that things are running smoothly, and ministry heads expend their time and energy ensuring ministries are fully staffed and have adequate supplies.  The result can be that while a church has an entire program designed for discipleship, little discipleship actually takes place because everyone is so concerned with managing the program.  The result is a church that looks nothing like its community and is struggling to reach people in their world, but the programs are run with smoothness and efficiency.  Churches that will thrive in the future will recognize the dangers of only looking in when a whole world exists outside the doors of the church that needs to hear the message about Jesus.

2) A Shift from a Stakeholder to a Teammate Mentality

 Another shift that must happen in the culture of churches to allow growth is a shift from a stakeholder mentality to a teammate mentality.  I have heard the term “stakeholder” recently more than I would care to admit.  Unfortunately, churches have begun using this term to describe those people in the church who have committed time, effort, and money to the growth of the church, and therefore should be leaned on as those who have more sway and say in the direction and future of the church.  I have developed a Biblically driven hatred for this term and the mentality it represents, especially when used in a church setting.  The only stakeholder in the church should be Jesus Christ; the church is His, He is the Head, and He can do with it what He wants.  It is Biblically inaccurate and unhealthy to view certain members in the church as those who have more of a vested interest in a church than others.  This mentality needs to die, and it needs to die quickly; if it does not, churches who hold this mentality will die.  Churches that thrive in the coming months will make a conscious shift from the stakeholder mentality to a teammate mentality.  All members of a church are on the same team and ought to have the same mission—to glorify Christ by pursuing Christlikeness and fulfilling Christ’s mission for His church.  This shift in church culture is essential for churches that are to survive and grow!         

3) A Shift from a Consumer to a Discipleship Culture

Another important paradigm shift for churches to thrive is a shift from a consumer culture to a discipleship culture.  The issue here is really a matter of selfishness.  Churches with members who want what they want are destined to die if they do not change.  Churches with members who focus on ministering to other church members and attenders are churches that will survive the difficulties that face churches today.   If people come to church because they like the music or the style of the service, or because it is “how they like church,” this is likely a consumer-driven ministry.  In a discipleship-driven ministry, however, people come for the preaching, or for the community, or because they simply want to be more like Jesus, and they recognize that this church can help them get there.  The reasoning and focus are drastically different!  One is in it for what they want, while the other is in it for what God wants them to be!  Churches that will thrive will develop a culture of discipleship.  I will say more about what this entails in the coming weeks, but for now, let me just note that this type of culture shift involves intentional training, a healthy value of the next generation of leaders, along with Christlike patience in discipleship that gives others the room to grow as God intends.  Churches that embrace this type of ministry philosophy are poised for growth.

4) A Shift from a Country Club to a Hospital Mentality

 A fourth shift that will help churches thrive in the upcoming days will be a shift from a country club to a hospital mentality.  The differences between a country club and a hospital are great.  One is a place used for pleasure; one is a place to go for help.  One is exclusive and requires membership; one does not turn people away.  One is for those who can afford to pay while the other is for all those who need help.  These two contrasting scenarios can represent how some churches view ministry.  Some are like country clubs, that want to keep out anyone who is not quite like the constituency.  Other churches are like hospitals in that their main goal is to give sick people the healing power of the Gospel, and it does not matter how sick people are, they delight in ministering to them.  One of these ministry philosophies is constantly changing due to the needs of people; the other prides itself in always remaining the same.  Churches that will move forward understand these concepts and are ready to offer the hope of the Gospel message to anyone who desires it and do not worry about keeping a country club church that never changes!

5) A Shift from a Pastor driven to a People Driven Emphasis

The fifth shift in a church culture that must happen for ministries to thrive is a shift from a pastor-driven ministry to a people-driven ministry.  When I was in the pulpit, I used to tell our people “ministry is not about one man!”  My point was this—do not make ministry about a pastor.  A pastor may be the spiritual leader of the church, but he is not the church, nor should he do all the ministry.  The truth of the matter is that the pastor is only one man!  Churches that will thrive take both ownership and responsibility when it comes to the church ministry.  Members are both involved in and take responsibility for the condition of the church.  Certainly, pastors have a responsibility before God to lead and shepherd, but church members each have a role in getting involved in the church and in taking responsibility for their part in the struggles of the church.  Churches need to understand these concepts if they are to move forward in the future.

6) A Shift from the church service to the church People in Evangelism

 A sixth important shift for churches to make is a shift from the church service to the church people as the means for evangelism.  Many church members today have the mentality that the pastor has the job of saving their friends.  They emphasize bringing their friends to church so that they can hear the pastor preach the Gospel and trust Christ.  Do not mistake me, many believers have come to Christ this way, but this is happening less and less in our world today.  Due to the change in our culture today, coming to church can often be confusing and difficult to understand for unbelievers and non-church people.  I believe a better alternative is to see evangelism as something done not by a church service, but by the church people.  Rather than bringing your friends to church to hear about Jesus, tell them about Jesus yourself!  Church members need to be building relationships with unbelievers and building bridges into their lives so as to bring them the Gospel themselves.  This is especially important in our culture today, as we encounter more and more individuals who have never been to church or have never even opened a Bible.  To expect those people to come to church one time, hear the Gospel, and then turn to Christ is a high expectation!  More time is often needed for unbelievers to truly understand and embrace the Gospel, and this is where church members come in because the people need to be evangelizing their own converts.  Churches that recognize this need in their culture today will make great strides in reaching unbelievers and adding them to the church.  They will not view the church service as the means for evangelism, but rather as the means for equipping church members to bring the Gospel of Christ to their own friends and neighbors!

7) A Shift from the Church as a Building to the Church as a Community

The seventh shift that church ministries need to make if they are to thrive in the coming years is a shift from the church as a building to the church as a community.  The church is not a building, the church is the people.  In my own ministry, I have attempted, best I can, to never talk about “going to church.”  If we are to meet in my office I will say “let’s meet at the church building” rather than “let’s meet at church.”  This might seem like a small nuance, but it is important—the building is just a building; the church is the people!  This idea comes into play in how we view the ministry of the church.  Many churches view the church through the lens of the building, and everything takes place in the building—all of the Bible studies, ministries, and services happen at the building and anything that does not happen at the building is not as important.  But the church community also needs to be gathering regularly throughout the week.  We need to meet with church people for coffee or lunch; these are the people you invite to your holiday picnic; these are people you fellowship with throughout the week and are regularly involved in each other’s lives.  Church ministry needs to extend beyond the church walls on Sunday and continue throughout the week!  Why?  Because the church is not a building, it is a community.  Community does not just happen one time a week, it is ongoing and intentional.  Churches that embrace this paradigm shift become an interwoven web of believers who love and care about one another, and these types of churches will thrive in the coming years.

8) Shift from a Cancel Culture to a Unified Culture

The final shift for churches that will thrive in the coming days is a shift from a cancel culture to a unified culture.  The cancel culture movement is all around us today.  This is the idea that if we do not like you or your ideas, we can simply cancel you.  This happens very obviously today in the struggles over morality, sexuality, and gender; those on the conservative side are simply canceled as irrelevant by the left.  Basically, if one side does not like you and they have enough support on their side they can simply declare that your vote does not count for whatever reason they deem appropriate.  What many believers today do not realize is that the cancel culture has crept into the church.  This stuff divides good churches!  Aside from being absolutely carnal, this mentality is incredibly unbiblical.  The New Testament picture of the church emphasizes unity amidst diversity.  If we understand the New Testament portrayal of the church as a body, we cannot merely cancel someone who does not agree with us; we need them!  Beyond all of this, canceling someone who disagrees with you is not a biblical strategy for conflict resolution!  Churches that are poised to succeed in the coming days need to exchange the cancel culture mentality that surrounds us today with a countercultural mentality: an emphasis on unity.  For churches to thrive today they need to embrace this culture shift so that they can exemplify the heart of Christ and move forward together based on the bond of Christ.

Final Thoughts

I could say much more on each of these points, but I have intentionally kept my remarks brief.  In upcoming weeks and months, I intend to take each one of these “shifts” and expand on them, devoting a single article to each one of them.  If you want to know more about what  I mean by each of these, I will be sharing more in the coming weeks about what shifts I believe churches need to make in order to thrive this difficult time in church history.  Times are tough and churches are struggling, but I believe this time can also be a fruitful time for some churches.  Churches that make a decisive shift in how they view, and even do ministry will be posed to navigate well the difficult waters of church ministry in our world today!