MAJORITY RULES
This is an adaption of a community building game adapted to a church community.
Explain that they are going to be asked a series of questions and that there is not a right answer. You are offered four choices. Just consider them and choose the one that you think is best. We will compile the decisions and then build a graph picture of the total church.
The purpose of the game is to have fun in testing the image of the church held by our members. Of course there could be other alternative answers, but for now, just enjoy building the image of our church.
The following questions are suggested for the decision of the majority.
- To nurture a warm, welcoming church, each member should commit to:
- a. Speaking to a least seven people before they leave the sanctuary.
- b.Take notice of and speak to people they can’t call by name.
- c. Always sit in the same place so people around them are familiar.
- d. Pray by name for members who seem lonely.
2. To lessen conflict and create harmony, pastors should:
- Avoid preaching on Scriptures that might be controversial.
- b. Only preach on subjects about which everyone agrees.
- c. Acknowledge potential disagreements about points made and encourage further conversation.
- d. Allow people to vote on which parts of the Gospel they like and preach accordingly.
3. To build transparency with respect to church finances, the leadership should:
- Always report on and invite feedback on major expenditures.
- List by name and amount all pledges to the church.
- Identify the faith principles you want to proclaim by your budget.
- Encourage open conversation about church expenditures as a faith issue.
4. Identify the biggest contributor to distrust among church members.
- Inadequate communication.
- Feeling that only a few people make all the decisions.
- Failure to understand how decisions are made in the church.
- Failure to hold a shared vision about the nature and mission of the church.
5. Characteristics of a successful preacher
- Ability to popular sermons that inspire but don’t offend.
- Preaches sermons clearly grounded in the Bible.
- Preaches with integrity even when it offends but is open to feedback.
- Preaches sermons that address personal issues but avoids commenting on social issues.
6. Cynicism and distrust are reduced in a congregation when:
- People accept that none of their opinions are perfect in God’s eyes and continually seek to grow in understanding.
- People are committed to a shared vision of the church’s mission.
- Diverse opinions are heard and respected.
- Controversial issues are not discussed.
7. The major reason churches split is:
a. Refuse to accept that we are all sinners and need to continually forgive each other.
b. Choose to emphasize right beliefs over loving behavior.
c. Refuse to accept Jesus command that we be one has priority.
d. Allow personal beliefs to take precedence over being faithful to the church.
8. Loving your enemy is most difficult when:
a. Your enemy is from a different culture.
- Your enemy belongs to your church but has different beliefs.
- Your enemy treats you with contempt.
- Your enemy affirms a different faith.
9. You know you can trust your pastor if:
- S/he totally agrees with your opinions.
- S/he is committed to interpreting Scripture and the faith with integrity.
- S/he prays daily to be a faithful pastor and obedient to God.
- S/he is unafraid to preach with integrity but also to listen sensitively to those who disagree.
Once we have created a picture of our church, we can dig deeper with more questions, address issues raised by sermons, and provide a foundation for deeper discussion with our neighbors. Have fun and allow this to be the beginning of a larger conversation. (Sorry for the issue with formatting.)
