Element Church Insider

This is something that was stirring in my heart and I’ve scribbled it down in my journal.  Since it isn’t all processed it’s a bit random.  Shared with the Lead Team a few weeks ago.  You can read part 1 HERE if you’d like.

The first stage of the church is Establish.  Established in my book means “We can stay this size, do this stuff, stay in this place and keep the doors open.  Staff will be paid.  Ministries will run and we can “remain” established”. You can be what you already are forever…OR

Stage #2 is Enhance: After the church reaches an established stage it has a choice.  Do we remain the same, or do we enhance?  HOPEFULLY it makes the choice to enhance.  To enhance the established church you need to re-think your systems and structures.  What can we do that will help us BE the church, and DO church BETTER?  More efficient?  More excellent?  What upgrades can we make to equipment, programs or ministries?  What conferences, seminars or education can we send our team to so we can be better ministers?  Enhancing is a tough choice because it threatens the establishment.  People who want to “remain” won’t like it.  But if we’re to advance God’s Kingdom it MUST happen.  It sets up the church to maximize impact.  If a church refuses to enhance, it will remain established and never reach its full potential.  SADLY, it is where MANY churches are.

The biggest saying is “Whatever makes it better!”:  What can we do to make EVERYTHING better!  Not for better sake, but so that we can better fulfill our mission and vision.

The biggest question is “Ok, now what?”:  What’s next?  That question should ALWAYS be in our vocabulary.  Wha’st next?  We enhanced that…what next?  We reached that goal…what next?  God fulfilled that…what next?  It leads us to the NEXT stage of church life.

The biggest danger is “Let’s not blow it!”: It is the “We’ve made it” mentality and it’s really just human nature.  A human nature to be avoided.  When you’re trying to reach establish,  you’re in survival mode.  “Will we make it?  Will we make it?”  Then BOOM you’ve made it and…”Ahhhhh, we’ve made it so lets not blow it!” And you relax.  Relaxing in the church leads to atrophy in its ministry.  The church with the “We’ve made it” mentality wants to save money for “A rainy day” or “The emergency”.  “We worked hard to get here, we don’t want to blow it.”  The established church has a fear of spending money on making things better cause that money helps KEEP them established.  They aren’t willing to continue to do “whatever it takes” which is what got them to where they are, at and it will get them to where they are going.

Processing,

Jeff