does your church need a doctor? ways and means of finding out

Does Your Church Need a Doctor?

Why Diagnose Churches?

The purpose of a diagnostic process is to find the right cure.

The first step in the process is to identify any illness your church may have. Once you evaluate your church's health, it will be much easier to develop ways and means of curing the illnesses.

What the Bible Says

1 Cor. 1:10, 11

1 Cor. 3:1-3

3 John 9, 10

Gal. 1:6

Rev. 2, 3

Churches have internal quarrels.

Churches split into factions.

Individuals fight for power.

False doctrines cause divisions.Various conditions cause church illnesses.

Disorder. Independent attitudes. False doctrines. Dead, lifeless monotony. Unconsecrated members. Evil surmising and gossip. Haphazard work.

What Ellen White SaysWhat Ellen White Says

What Ellen White SaysSix evils that “disturb the church and

sacrifice her peace.” (5 T 241).

Spiritual pride. A desire to dictate. An ambitious longing for honor and

position. A lack of self-control. The indulgence of passion and prejudice. Instability and lack of judgment.

Church Diseases Research has identified

a number of common "diseases" suffered by churches.

These diseases are barriers to growth.

In order for a church to grow effectively they must be cured.

Church Diseases

Some diseases are caused by the church itself.

Others are due to changing communities, changing circumstances, or other factors that are often beyond the control of a local church.

What Makes a Healthy Church Grow?

Common SDA Perceptions

The biology bulge theory

The helping hand theory

The foxhole theory

The transfer theory

The Shining Saint theory

2 Prerequisites

1. The right attitude.2. A big enough faith.

7 vital signs

1. Dynamic pastoral leadership.2. A significant number of

mobilized members.3. A church big enough to sustain

growth.4. Right kind of internal

organization.

7 vital signs

5. Ministries of the church should reflect the community it wishes to serve.

6. Evangelistic methods that work.7. Priorities arranged in biblical

order.

Growth Oriented Leadership

Single-minded obedience to the Great Commission.

Clearly defined objectives. Reliance on discerning research. Systematic evaluation of results. An attitude of optimism and faith. Recognition of the validity of the

Pyramid Principle.

The Pyramid Principle

A church can only grow until it reaches the conceptual limitations of its pastor and its congregation.

Priorities Arranged in Biblical Order

Matt. 28:16-20 - The Great Commission.

Philemon. 6 - “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith.”

Eph. 3:10, 11 - Make known the ‘wisdom of God.’

2 Cor. 5:16-20 - Ministry of reconciliation.

Gal. 6:1-10 - The family of God must be a support group for ministering to each other.

Why Do Churches Get Sick?

Four General Factors

Local Contextual

Factors

Local Institutional

Factors

National or Regional Contextual Factors

National or Regional Institutional Factors

The Most Common Church Diseases

What is a Church Illness?

A church illness is simply some situation within a local church that impedes its spiritual and numerical growth.

Disease: Old Age # 1 This illness has to do

with a church that finds itself in a dying town, village or area of a city.

The church gets “old” and dies because the members move away and there is no one to replace them.

Disease: Old Age # 2

The church is made up mostly of senior citizens.

They do not have the energy to do much about church growth.

Disease: Ethnikitis This disease appears when a

community experiences sociological changes.

The original inhabitants of the area are replaced by a new group.

The change may be ethnicity, language, social class, etc.

Different church

The problem is usually that the church does not change its ministry to match the new community

That’s a crazy

looking church!

Disease: Ethnikitis This disease is almost always

fatal!

Rest in peace!

Signs of Approaching Ethnikitis

1. A new ethnic group or social class slowly begins moving into the neighborhood.

2. If it is a older section of the town or city, property values may begin to go down, and the new lower income group can suddenly afford the buy.

3. Suddenly “flight” begins to happen as the original inhabitants begin to move away.

4. There is often a marked increase in criminal activity in the area.

What to do About Ethnikitis

Adapt to the new situation and leave the church where it is

Teach the original church congregation that God is no respecter of persons and wants us to minister to everyone.

The original church will probably close down, but it can take on new life.

If most of the members move to a certain area, plant a new church there. The members are again working with people like themselves.

Ethnikitis: The Commuter Church

This is an urban church phenomenon. The members no longer live around the church and only come to it on Sabbath.

Ethnikitis: The Commuter Church

It is very difficult for the church to minister to the community when the members do not live around the church.

Disease: People-Blindness

Prevents a church from “seeing” the differences between groups of people living in close proximity to each other.

For SDA’s, the primary problem is people “who don’t look like us.”

Disease: People-Blindness “Those who suffer from this disease are those

who believe that the church is good for all and that the doors should be open to all. If people are not happy being with us, and they do not like what we are, the problem lies with them, not us.

“Christians suffering from people-blindness believe that all Christians should talk alike, worship the same, like the same kind of music, have their church services at the same time each week, and they should be the same length” —Peter Wagner, Your Spiritual Gifts . . .

Disease: People-Blindness

There are those who want to be part of our congregation, but some of our ways of doing things may make it hard to keep them for long.

Disease: People-Blindness

It is interesting that when people “not like us” leave, the congregation feels bad.

They often send them off with an attitude that says “find another church more to you liking, since you don’t like what we have to offer. We have always ‘done things this way,’ and don’t intent to change now.

It is also interesting that the church that does this usually has no idea it is doing it!

What is the Solution for People-Blindness?

A congregation needs to honestly face its attitudes toward new converts in terms of social standing, demographics, ethnicity, etc.

A church should develop methodologies, strategies, programs, etc. to reach its “own kind of people” as well as other groups.

Use appropriate methods for each group.

What About Biblical Equality?

What happens then to what the Bible says about equality and the universality of the Christian church?

“God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10:34).

What About Biblical Equality?

The theology of the Bible tells us that in the eyes of God, and in the eyes of the church, we are all one. The Kingdom of Heaven recognizes no national, racial, ethnic, or economic differences.

The problem we face is that the “world”, the “powers of this world” always organize themselves around “superior/inferior, ethnic preferences, racial biases, and economic classes.

What About Biblical Equality?

It is one thing to use evangelistic methodologies that reach people within the social context where they live. That is not “people-blindness.”

It becomes people-blindness when a congregation continues to think that it is better than everyone else and that everyone else must “meet their standard,” etc.

Ellen White on Biblical Equality?

“Thus Christ sought to teach the disciples the truth that in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, no aristocracy; that they must go to all nations, bearing to them the message of a Saviour's love.”—Acts of the Apostles, p. 20

“No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 386.

Ellen White on Biblical Equality?

“There are no territorial lines, no artificial distinctions, no caste, no aristocracy.”—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 294.

“Caste is hateful to God. He ignores

everything of this character. In His sight the souls of all men are of equal value.” —Conflict and Courage, p. 297.

Disease: Limited perception of “evangelism.”

The SDA tendency is to equate “evangelism” with public meetings. This results in very limited discipleship training.results in very limited discipleship training.

““Go and make disciples . . .”Go and make disciples . . .” Matt. 28:19. Matt. 28:19.

Disease: Arrested Spiritual Development

The “Laodicean condition.” For whatever reasons, people lose their close touch with the Lord.

Disease: Arrested Spiritual Development

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Heb. 5: 12-14.

What Causes Arrested Spiritual Development?

This disease is caused by poor Bible teaching or no systematic biblical learning at all. Poorly prepared

preaching. Poor Sabbath school

learning. Lack of Bible

classes.

Arrested Spiritual Development Indicators

When new and interested people, or new converts, stop attending after 2 or 3 meetings of Bible classes.

Established members may attend just because they are self-disciplined, but they don’t really enjoy it.

When regular members quit attending, the situation is really bad and the disease is serious

What’s the Remedy for Arrested Spiritual Development?

Use members with spiritual gifts of teaching who know what they are doing.

Pastors and lay leaders need to spend more time in prayer and preparation to make sure that what they do is interesting and effective.

What’s the Remedy for Arrested Spiritual Development?

Every church should have at least one revival a year to recharge their spiritual batteries. A weekend of highly spiritual

devotional activities.An all-night prayer meeting.A week of revival with prayer,

sermons, small groups, testimonies and lots of congregational participation.

Disease: St. John’s Syndrome

When soul winning takes a back seat to other activities, and preservation of the status quo takes precedence.

Disease: St. John’s Syndrome

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be

apostles but are not, and have found them false.

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Good

GoodGood

Good

Good

Good

GoodGood

Disease: St. John’s Syndrome

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

“Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

30 years

St. John’s Syndrome

Acts 19 Rev 2

“Repent and do the things

you did at first”

Disease: The Paralyzed Church

When the past, in one way or another, interrupts the present and interferes with the changes necessary for progress, a church becomes paralyzed. It can’t move.

Disease: The Paralyzed Church

The desire to preserve intimacy. The desire to retain power. The desire to conserve memories. The desire to protect turf. The desire to for comfortable surroundings.

Disease: The Paralyzed Church

The conflict between “pioneers” and “colonists.”

The pioneers are those who have been in the church ten years or more.

The colonists are those who have been there for five years or less.

Disease: The Paralyzed Church

Between the sixth and the tenth year is when “colonists” little by little begin to integrate into the church family and structure.

They either adopt the existing traditions or they develop a new set of traditions.

Disease: The Paralyzed Church

A number of related diseases show up in the paralyzed church.

Traditionalism

Koinonitis

Low discipleship

The 200 barrier

Traditionalism

Traditionalists want everything to be just like it always has been. Contemporary changes are seen as threats that should not be allowed.

They feel that what the church has always done has worked well in the past so we just need to keep on doing the same thing.

Traditionalism

Resistance to change is one of the main reasons many churches do not grow

“All human organizations come to an end. Their disappearance is due to their inability to maintain enough flexibility to face the needs of a changing society.” —Myron Rush

Traditionalism

The cure for traditionalism is to set up a parallel track system in the church. Keep the traditional systems in place. Add new programs and methodologies for

those who desire to participate. It is always good to have some people on

decision-making committees who have been members for five years or less.

Limit the time lay leaders can serve in a decision-making position.

It is indispensable to train new leaders

Disease: Paralyzed Church -Koinonitis

Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship and togetherness.

Koinonitis is too much of a good thing. Too much “insiderness”. People are locked out of the group.

Disease: Paralyzed Church -Koinonitis

Koinonitis appears when the local church will not admit new people into its inner circle, even when people of the same general sociological group are involved.

Koinonitis means that a group practices excellent fellowship among itself, but excludes all others.

Very often the “inside” group does not even realize it is excluding other people.

Disease: Paralyzed Church -Koinonitis

Spiritually, Koinonitis leads to the Great Saint Syndrome “Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!” (Isa. 65:5)

SDA Koinonitis Newcomers feel like “outsiders.” Don’t share the “Adventist experience.” Don’t speak the Adventist dialect. Don’t yet know the Adventist lifestyle. Not included in the social life of the

church.

Disease: Paralyzed Church- Low Discipleship

This is a disease churches suffer when members just won’t do much.

“I hope the church will

grow eventually”

Disease: Paralyzed Church- Low Discipleship

Members tend to feel that the pastor, or a small number of members, should do all the work.

The general attitude is “I don’t care!” Members become “consumers” rather than

“producers,” spectators rather than disciples. This is a universal problem in many churches.

Low Discipleship- Why Does it Happen?

Some pastors do not want to share responsibility and authority with church members.

Members don’t know what to do or how to do it.

Some don’t want to know what their responsibilities are or how to do it.

Many members have no idea what their spiritual gifts are or how to use them.

How to Cure Low Discipleship

Pastors must learn to how to share responsibility and authority with church members.

Create training programs about spiritual gifts and how to use them.

Church Size

70-85

Single cell

115-130

Small church

175-250

Critical size

350-400

Multiple cell

The 200 Barrier The pastor’s

philosophy of ministry changes from “shepherd of the flock” to trainer and monitor of activities.

175-250

Tamaño crítico

The 200 Barrier The philosophy

of ministry of church leadership changes to include direct ministerial contact with church members 175-250

Tamaño crítico

Disease: Sociological Strangulation

When your church is 85% full on Sabbath morning, some people will choose not to attend.

The same applies to your parking facilities.

Diseases: New Churches

High energy, but limited resources.

Limited infrastructure.Limited perspective.

Diagnostics First impressions. Growth Attitude Survey. Check statistics. Discipleship Quotient. Love/care Quotient. Worship Service. Organizational System.