Recently, Bro. Roger shared with me an article by Tejado Hanchell. Tejado serves in a church that has been around for over 80 years …kind of like Emmanuel. His church has had its struggles, but it has survived. Research suggests that between 3,500-4,500 churches close their doors (or die) each year. Church “deaths” occur for a few simple (and oftentimes avoidable) reasons. One of Tejado’s church members gave him a newsletter from 1959. In the newsletter was a list…ten ways to kill a church. The thing that is most interesting about this list of “church killers,” written in 1959, looks like the usual suspects in many church deaths today.
The list of ten is…
- don’t come;
- if you do come, make sure it’s late;
- only show up when the weather is good;
- find fault with everything (and/or everyone);
- never accept a leadership role or responsibility;
- get mad if you’re not appointed to a leadership position;
- never give your opinion in a meeting, but wait until AFTER the meeting;
- do nothing more than absolutely necessary;
- hold back on your giving to the Lord; and
- don’t reach out to the unchurched.
Wow! These are still “church killers!” One of our primary purposes as a church is evangelism… to introduce people to Jesus…to multiply. Let’s not kill Emmanuel! As I preached last Sunday in my closing, let’s pray for unchurched people… let’s bring unchurched people to church…let’s share Jesus with the lost and hurting.
-Bro. David