Closing the Gap

Dr. Paul Borden
Executive Minister, GHC
Email Pam
January 2012

Pastors are often frustrated when the mission and vision they are communicating do not fit the expectations of some in their congregations. When the gap between mission and vision and the behaviors of the congregation is small, amazing things can happen. The larger it gets, the greater is the potential for conflict and eventual failure. Pastors are not alone in facing this gap; it confronts our Lord Jesus Christ as he oversees his Church.

Will Mancini states that most Christians go to church for one of four key reasons:

• People: Many attend because of the congregation. This is why a congregation often sees itself as the friendliest one in the community: it has become the key social network for many.
  
• Person: Others attend because of a person such as the pastor, a Sunday school teacher or a small group leader.
• Programs: People like the children’s ministry, the worship experience, the youth ministry or some other area of congregational life.
  
• Places: Some like the architecture of their building; others have meaningful memories related to weddings, funerals, baptisms and other activities that have occurred in the building in which the congregation meets.

Most people attend, support and identify with their congregations for one or more of these four reasons.

Of course these reasons for attending a local congregation are valid. The New Testament is quite clear that relationships that form a community are foundational to church life. We are called the Body of Christ, which reflects many individuals forming one entity; therefore the people who attend are important. God tells us that he gives gifted leaders to the church to help build up the Body into Christ. Certain persons are also important. Programs are simply ways that congregations carry out Biblical mandates for evangelizing, teaching, caring and other ministry areas that serve to strengthen those who are a part of the community. Finally, God has created all of us to have a sense of place. This is particularly true when we experience those events in life that create profound memories. People, persons, programs and places are good reasons for attending congregations.

Yet people, persons, programs, and places are not the major reason for which Christ created his Church. The main reason is to have a group of people accomplish a grand mission. Jesus created the Church to make more and more disciples for himself. The Church was created by a missional God to defeat the purpose of the Evil One.

The tragedy is that for most Christians our Lord’s purpose has been lost to the four lesser reasons already stated. A consumer Christianity has taken the good things of Christianity and substituted them for the best. In most congregations the focus is on me and my needs, not our Lord and his purpose. There is a gap between mission and vision on the one hand and behaviors on the other. I believe this is why the Lord of the Church is allowing most congregations in our nation to languish and, in many cases, to die.

There are two implications here for pastors who want to lead: First, these pastors need to realize that their Savior and Lord has called them to the same task that He Himself is leading and that there are times when, sadly, the results for Him and for them are the same. Second, when the Spirit of God shows up and people realize that one and all are called to a much higher agenda, the results are awesome. God has made us all to experience great joy when we follow his creative intent for us: to serve, give and live in missional community with others.