1. It's the Leaders' Fault

This is a continuation of a post I recently made here.

In it I expressed my dissatisfaction with church.  Not my own local church, but our experience of church as a whole across Australian evangelicalism.  Then I suggested a range of statements that I said I'd expand on.  The first is that the leaders of the church are responsible for its state and it's their responsibility to turn it around.

The first thing worth noting is that leader doesn't equal minister.  Whilst the minister is a leader in the local church he is not the only one, and so shouldn't shoulder all of the responsibility.  The minister has to be willing to relinquish authority and control of certain things and others need to be willing to take it up.  I think that a minister who doesn't allow others to lead presumes too much about his authority.

I hear from people in churches all the time that '20% of the people do 80% of the work'.  This really annoys me.  It annoys me because the people saying it always think they are the 20% of the poor, overworked Christians.  My first response is that being faithful to Jesus is hard work.  Get over it.  My second response is:  If you don't like it then do something about it.  It annoys me the most when I hear ministers say this as though it's a fact of life and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

I think that there are loads of Christians sitting in pews who are keen to do something, but never do.  It's not always their own fault.  Sometimes they are people whose gifts and talents are just underutilised in the chuch.  How many churches have you seen where the tradesmen who come along are mobilised and used to do good work in the community to get to know and help the lost?  Or are they just called upon to fix something in the church when it needs doing?  There is a big difference between these two things and the worth that they have.  Are we helping people to use their gifts in real, gospel ministries or are we relegating people to the back lines and support roles so that they are really only left to feel worthless in the mission of the church except to support the keen beans who are good at speaking, academics and teaching kids?

In the interests of keeping this post short, here's what I think without much qualification.  If you agree or disagree, please post a comment as to why.

1. Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in front line, gospel ministries in the church.  Jesus entrusted the gospel to us all, it's not up to the leaders of the church to pick up who's worthy to engage the lost with the word.  Take the opportunity to let people have a go and teach as they go.  No one's perfect, but good training and a little trust and faih that God will do what He said He will (build his church) goes a long way.  Don't let the guys who mow the lawn think that they are not welcome to speak the Word in your church community.  Jesus let some fishermen with crazy ideas take the lead in His church because the Holy Spirit is mighty and effective.

2. It's a leader's responsibility to inspire others to action.  If a leader can't do that then they have no business bitching about others and their unwillingness to participate.

3. Have a whole heap of varied ministry opportunities available for people to participate in. The Sunday service isn't the most important part of the week, nor is the participation in it a gauge of the usefulness of a Christian. 

4. Serve your community by helping them in practical ways so that you might share the gospel with them.  Participate in community events.  You will have parishioners who want to organise this.  Let them.  If no one wants to do it, then don't.  Run with what you've got, but encourage participation.

5. Not everyone has to do everything, but everyone has to do something.  Communicate this and let people know.  Do't neglect Christian responsibility.  Light a fire in others that makes them see that the lost are lost and need to know Jesus now.  To do this you yourself need to know it.

6. Jesus has appointed some to lead and others to follow.  Leaders should lead and others should follow.  If you're trying to lead and no one is following then stop trying to lead for now.  Maybe try again later.  If you feel you have something to offer your local church in terms of leadership then speak up.  Maybe you've been overlooked.  Maybe there's a reason.  If you don't get the response you're happy with then pray hard about it.

7. Be a church that prays.  A lot.  About a lot of things.  This is what I find hardest and need to work on.

These are some of my poorly ordered, possibly incoherent thoughts.  What do others think?