If you have been around the church very much, you know that it is very easy to become very busy with activity. Whether you are part of the paid staff of the church, a volunteer, a regular attender, or a member of the congregation, there always seems to be something to do or a meeting to attend. As I have been pondering the various activities within the church, a question has begun to nag at me: Is the Spirit in it? Let me share my thoughts regarding this question.
I think that it is vital for churches and the leadership to regularly take a look at all the components of the ministry in which they are engaged. This examination needs to include the programs, the outreach, the use of resources (financial, physical, and human), and the activities that occupy the time of those involved. The difficulty that seems to occur when leaders begin a process of evaluation is what is the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the ministry component. While I believe that there are various criteria that need to be used, I have come to view one of the most important is the role of the Spirit in the ministry.
I know that the concept may seem way too obvious when we are talking about the Church of Jesus Christ, but the role of the Spirit I fear often gets lost in all the other evaluation tools that are used in the church. We often concentrate on the financial costs of a ministry. Sometimes we may also focus on the number of volunteers or the need for staff within the ministry. But how often do we step back and look at what the Spirit is doing in the midst of the ministry area? How often do we look to see if the Spirit is actually part of the endeavor to make sure that it is not solely human driven?
I would propose to you that if the Spirit is not in the midst of whatever ministry we are evaluating, then the ministry probably should not be a part of the church at this time. I realize that may be very radical in nature but I know that there can be evidence found in Scripture for this idea. If we are considering a new ministry, I believe the leadership of the church must first discern if this is of the Spirit or a human desire. If we are looking at the current programs, activities, and ministries of the church, I believe that the leadership needs to prayerfully discern if the Spirit is still active in the ministry. This to me is a vital responsibility of the leadership within the church.
When the discernment of the Spirit's involvement occurs, there should be one of two actions taken by the leadership. Either the leadership will determine that the Spirit is present in the ministry and will ensure the resources are provided for the ministry; or the leadership will determine that the Spirit is not present in the ministry and then will need to take the appropriate actions. These appropriate actions will vary depending on the situation but may include one or a combination of any of the following: communicating with the individual(s) that the leadership has discerned the Spirit is not leading in this direction; creating a plan on how to bring the ministry to a close; searching for alternative ways the ministry may be led according to what has been discerned from the Spirit. I am sure that some of you may determine other appropriate actions. The point is that it is vital to follow the Spirit in this.
I believe that one of the most difficult actions for leadership of a church to take is putting a close to an established ministry component. There are so many emotions and the investment of time previously by individuals. However, I feel we do a great disservice to the ministry of Jesus Christ when we do not take this action after discerning the desire of the Spirit. Above all, grace, listening, and compassion must be a part of the process of closing out a ministry component. Again, if the Spirit is the force behind this decision, then the Spirit will lead the process in the right way.
The point of all these thoughts is that I think we need to become much more deliberate in looking at the various ministry components in our churches and asking.... "Is the Spirit in it?"
Please let me know what you think.
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