Growing Pains

 Last night, when it came time to pray for our pastors, no one remembered to call the church council up to help pray. This morning we got to church for prayer only to find out that prayer had been cancelled today. Eight of us prayed anyway. These do not seem like big problems, but to me they indicate some growing pains.

Have you ever seen a child who is big for his age? Taller and bigger and stronger than the others his age. But in his head he is still very young and immature. I suspect that there is a similarity in churches that experience dramatic growth. They are big in numbers and they have money to do things. But they seem to be lacking in the day to day operation of things like remembering to call up the council and announcing no prayer. We got there this morning and the building was like someone just turned off the lights and went home. Saturday morning after conference in some places and you can hardly tell that conference ever happened.

We have three pastors plus a trainee on staff. Delegation and innovation ought to be flourishing with  that many people. But it isn't. Nothing can be done without pastor's approval. Maybe it is time for our pastor to delegate some of his duties and expect innovation from his subordinates. Especially since our pastor is in demand around the world. It makes sense to me that someone needs to be trusted to do more than fill in behind the pulpit when pastor is busy. 

I am here as an outsider from another place where everything runs like a Swiss timepiece. That is the result of years of trial and error; finding what works, and what is the best thing to do. This church seems to be experiencing growing pains, where they think they know what to do, but they seem to be stumbling and unsure of what is next.

Great churches rely on the spiritual covering of their pastor. But demanding that the pastor run everything is a sure recipe to keep any movement or organization or church from growing. Do not challenge us to change the world while structuring our church like it really is us four and no more.