Building a Better Church

A friend was recently telling me that his church just announced that they'd be building a new building, a bigger building to fit their growth.  While it is great that a church is growing so much it needs more space, issues arise.  Not everyone will like it, being the key one.  But there are costs to be assessed, logistics to be worked out, and, hopefully, much prayer to engage in.

            Now, I've been in a few churches that go through building projects.  Some were to construct all new facilities, some were simply renovations.  All of them paid close attention to the things it needs to make a good building- in other words, the right materials and a good blueprint.  As a I listened to my friend talk about his church's plan, it got me thinking about a different kind of church construction, the spiritual kind.  See, my current church in a building plan, but we have no desire to invest in bricks and mortar, steel and wood.  No, we are at a juncture where we must become very intentional about how we build our church.  Here are a few of the things we need to make the structure sound.

Foundation

            It may sound like a cliché, but the foundation of a church is the most important thing we do.  It must be planted in Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, and His teaching, including the taking part of ordinances (baptism and Lord Supper- the act of doing them, not the manner in which they are done, that comes later).  This is non-negotiable.  This must be rock solid.  A crack here will destroy everything that comes after.  Think of Jesus' own parable of the builders who built on sand and who built on rock.  The solid foundation is the clear winner.

            The problem I find in a lot of churches is that they try to put too much in the foundation.  They fill this base not just with Christ, but with denominational history, with tradition, and with preferences that have become dogma without being necessary to identifying with Christ.  These things are important, but they are not foundational.  The reason is that they are not eternal, unchanging things.  Christ alone is.  If you put something in the foundation that you later regret, you have to destroy the building to get it out.  So keep the foundation simple.

Framework

            Once the foundation is laid, you build on it.  Several things go into this:  Those beliefs that shape the core culture of the church beyond the foundation and the leaders. 

            These beliefs (probably called doctrine and/or policies by some) are important, but they are not foundational.  Baptism provides a great example of how these separate from the foundation.  Jesus teaching on baptism as a symbol of salvation- not the actual act of salvation- is foundational.  Whether that baptism is by sprinkling, immersion or another means is vitally important to the structure of the church, but it is not foundational.  You need to know where you stand as a church on issues like these, but they are not what makes or breaks you in the body of Christ.

            Now the leaders.  Leaders, as much as the doctrine, give shape to the church.  And I'm sure you'd agree when you look at the rise of the 'celebrity' pastor of today.  Major mega-church leaders shape so much of the views of their church. 

            But I'm not just talking about the pastors who lead.

            A church cannot survive or really even be healthy if the only leaders are the staff.  As a pastor, I'm begging you, if you are so called, to lead out in your church.  There are many non-clergy who are as much or more of a leader than the pastor.  You lead with your influence, with your skills, with your attitude.  If something comes up in church and people come to you- congratulations, you're a leader.  And you are part of the framework of the church.  Be active, be strong, and be careful.  Not all the framework is as important as others- support beams carry the bulk of the weight in a building and are more important than the smaller 2x4s that are also necessary to good construction.  Basically, be a leader, but don't overstep your bounds- for your sake and the church's.

            And the clergy- they better be solid or their failings and faults- as those support beams carrying so much weight- with bring the church down quickly.

Bricks

            The rest of the people in the church who are not leaders are the bricks.  They are what the rest of the world sees most often and therefore judges the church by.  A house with cracked, dingy brick is judged unappealing by the world.  As the bricks, you are the representative of the Framework and the Foundation.  You also protect and give strength to the church.  You may feel that you are not needed from time to time, but you need to realize that if even one brick were to leave it's place, the whole structure is weakened. 

            This doesn't mean that your only job is to be there.  You must be involved, engaged with the rest of the church.  Serve, don't just sit.  Find the spot you fit best and do the most and do it.  With all your heart.  With passion.

Mortar

            Without a bonding agent, bricks will eventually fall apart, no matter how good they are.  Mortar bonds bricks.  In the church, mortar is a combination of love and community.  And it is vital that both are present.  You can love people from a distance, and you can have community with people you don't really care about. 

            When love and community come together, you get groups of people who actually want to hear what your prayer needs are.  People want to help you through your struggles.  People want to share their lives- good and bad.  There are many churches out that that have good foundations, good framework, and good bricks.  But they fall apart because they don't connect to each other.  So, be attentive and eager to reach out to the people around you, whether they are new or old.

Doors and Decor

            Remember all those things in the foundation section like denominational history and preferences?  They are the doors and décor.  They give the church it's atmosphere, it's personality.  And they act as doors to allow people in or keep them out.  They are aesthetics.  Important to the overall finished product, but easily changed if needed.  The truth is, some people will “Love what you've done  with the place,” while others will hold their nose.  If these things become so off-putting, you might want to consider redecorating, as long as the redecorating doesn't damage the rest of the structure, especially the foundation.

Roof

            And over all this, must be prayer.  Simply put, prayer is the protection that puts the church 'in the dry.'  Without it, you are exposed, you are weak, and you will be destroyed.  Honestly, this section really ought to be included closer to the beginning of this little 'construction,' but it's here because it needs to be what we're left with.  Many churches try to make prayer part of the décor, but it is what encloses and holds together all that has come before:  foundation, framework, bricks, mortar, and doors and décor.         

            Pray for your church, and all the beliefs, people, and actions that make it what it is.  Cover each other in prayer.  Weather the storms that rise.

            My friend's church that is beginning a Church Construction phase has been blessed with growth in numbers.  There are many churches that have been down that road- and that is great.  But unless they properly construct the spiritual church- the physical building will itself become abandoned and decrepit. 

            Be wise builders, fellow Christ Followers.  Build not with the easy way, the palatable way, or the common way.  Build with the blueprint God enlightens you to.