15 Statments That Could Spell Doom for a Congregation

I love the way the Lord organized His church. I’m grateful that we have no earthly headquarters and that each congregation is autonomous. It is a joy to work with elders who see specific problems, opportunities, joys, failures, and challenges unique to each particular setting. God truly is all-wise in using this structure for His Church!

That being said, there are some common themes that are nearly universal. One of those is that a congregation is not “set” to exist forever, just because it has always existed. We must pray earnestly for our local congregation and pray that we will have the wisdom to always seek the best for our congregation to God’s glory.

However, some may say things that seem harmless enough (or just quite common), but could evidence a greater struggle. If these thoughts become “mainstream” within a congregation, the local church could still exist, but it may just be keeping house.

1. “If it was good enough for (grandpa, a former preacher, etc.), it’s good enough for me.” We often take exception to those in the denominational world who will not leave the practices of an ancestor or family hero; however, we will turn around and want things to be the same way they were in some “golden era” of the congregation. Such is putting tradition ahead of logic.

2. “It worked at the ___ church of Christ, so it’ll work here.” Never adopt a program just because a sister congregation did. It’s always good to be looking at ideas for programs (or publications, or order of services, etc.), but the other congregation does not have the same needs or the same situation as you do.

3. “This is my church.” I know what people mean when they say that, but it’s not! It’s the Lord’s church! When we think of the church as ours, we have, in effect, removed the Head from the body. That spells disaster.

4. “We’ve never done it that way before.”That’s an honest statement, and one that isn’t always negative. However, if it’s the go-to answer for every idea, there is a major problem! (Aren’t you glad someone didn’t say that when the congregation decided to add restrooms?!) While we should seek the “old paths” in doctrine, there are new ways that could be effective when it comes to matters of efficiency.

5. “Please bless our elders as they make decisions.” Nothing wrong with that prayer, so long as it ends with a comma instead of a period. Elders do not just “make decisions!” Godly elders should be shepherding souls, teaching, encouraging, praying, and doing a myriad of other leadership activities that, if left undone, will cripple the congregation and leave her spiritually malnourished.

6. “It’s new. Let’s try it.” New doesn’t always equate to better. I like a lot of new things, but there is no way a congregation can try every new thing. Nor should she! It is up to the wisdom of the elders (or those delegated in a specific area) to decide what “new” thing will actually help bring God glory in the setting of that local congregation.

7. “Sign broken; come inside for message.” I hate that church sign. I’ll admit that it has some humor in it, but the background message is what makes me angry. What is implied is: “We’ve got the truth and if folks want it, they’ll come get it.” That’s not the Great Commission, the last time I checked! It tells each Christian (and, thus, each congregation) to be going outside the walls to teach.

8. “We do ___ really well.” Great! But when is the last time  you evaluated that program or that aspect of work to make sure you were still doing it really well? Some congregations, just for example, have a good media ministry. However, when we begin to think we are doing something really well, we will get complacent, and that will cause stagnation. Not good!

9. “We need more young people.” I wrote about this on the blog recently, but we need to be reaching all people, and not just focusing on the young. [Read the previous article on this topic here.]

10. “Isn’t that why we have a preacher?”Far too many members see the preacher as “the pastor” of the congregation. In other words, he is supposed to do it all: make every visit and phone call, teach class every quarter, preach the sermons, counsel the lonely and hurting, and (while he’s at it) make sure the church van is taken care of. Friends, the preacher needs time to study and prepare. He needs to do other things because he’s a Christian, not because he’s “the” preacher! When Christians fall into this trap, they are lethargic and apathetic. That equates to spiritual death.

11. “I want my money used here.” We spend a lot on missions, but some Christians think it’s foolish to send money to those overseas (while others are just the opposite, thinking we have enough preachers in America). The truth is, all need the Gospel, and we need to trust the elders to make wise choices about where our funds need to go. Also, if you give with that attitude, you are not giving from a generous heart; instead, you are trying to control the money instead of giving it to the Lord.

12. “I can’t believe our elders did that!” What do most Christians seem to want to have for lunch on Sunday? Roast elder!!! (Thank you. Don’t forget to tip your waitress.) When we are constantly questioning the decisions of our elders, and doing so behind their backs, we are questioning not only their leadership, but also the very organizational structure of the Lord’s church. If you disagree, that’s fine. Take it to the elders in a loving and concerned manner, so they can see your concern. Don’t just talk about everything that’s wrong out in the world. Who’d want to come to that congregation?

13. “We don’t like to preach about sin (or hell).” Who does? No one likesto talk about those things (hopefully!), but they are a part of God’s Word. We need to preach sermons about these topics, not to scathe people, but to let them know all of God’s will for their lives. It’s nothing to be proud of if your congregation hasn’t heard a sermon on sin or hell in a while; it’s a sign of spiritual weakness.

14. “Our preacher can step on toes with the best of them!” On the flip-side, if all a congregation gets is “they’re wrong because,” and “that’s a sin because,” that’s not balanced preaching, either! If you enjoy hearing nothing but congregations about why this and that are wrong, you need to notice the balance found in God’s Word. Sure, we need sermons on sin, but we also need some on salvation! We need sermons on hell, but also on heaven. We need sermons on false doctrine, but also on mercy and love.

15. “I go to worship.” Notice, again, that the sentence ends with a period. When people only care about worship, they are missing out on so many other opportunities. Elders set aside other opportunities for growth, encouragement, service, and fellowship. If all we care about is showing up for 60 minutes on Sunday morning, we are missing the whole point of Christianity.

What would you add to the list?