HOW DOES GOD WORK THROUGH OUR CHURCH
If we take the priesthood of all believers seriously, then evaluation of ministry should include the whole congregation. While the clergy and staff are critical components of the ministry of a congregation, they are only one part of the body. It is the whole congregation that is the Body of Christ, and it is within the whole congregation that the Word is fleshed out or incarnated. Because we believe that God has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings . . . and chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” (Eph 1:3-4), we have the exegetical task of understanding God’s word as expressed in our particular congregation.
A first step is for the session and pastoral staff to sit together and look at their whole ministry. See if you can pare it down to eight strengths and eight areas that might at first be considered as weaknesses. The eight strengths can be considered God-given gifts that can be affirmed and recognized as part of the framework for this congregation’s call to ministry. If God has provided us the gifts necessary for our ministry, then what do the gifts we recognize say to us about the shape of our ministry.
The so called weaknesses can also be clues for our call as a congregation. If, for example, we are not a large church, then we might reverse that and consider what are the benefits we can derive from our smallness? If we have lost members due to our changing neighborhood, then how can God call us to respond to our new neighborhood? If we have been weakened by squabbles and conflict, then can God, whose good news was proclaimed in the midst of conflict that led to the cross, also guide us in our response that can deepen our faith and strengthen our witness?
A second step is to be conscious of the values of our society that affect our understanding of ourselves. We are all affected by the values that infuse our society. Our society offers certain standards of beauty and many young people have been devastated because they didn’t meet up to that standard. Our society places such a value on dollars that many gifted members of society feel unappreciated because they are paid low salaries. Look at teachers as an example. While we know that excellent teachers are critical to the development of our young people, because society places such a high value on salaries, many of them feel under appreciated.
That is a long introduction to the fact that churches also feel the pressure of values that society holds. How many pastors have felt the pressure when someone asks them what size a church they serve? Let me alter your perspective. If you knew, for certain, that God intended you to be a church of 75 people so that you could demonstrate to the world that in this particular situation, small is better, would that alter your feelings about the size of your church?
Ask the session and clergy to try over a couple of meetings to identify some of values of our society that might be in tension with the values of faith and therefore affect the congregation negatively. Be general at first. What are the messages of success, the values of prosperity and the importance of popularity that might run counter to the way of Jesus? Move to more specific pressures. How might the pressure on families for their children to participate on sports teams or the fears of our shaky economy impinge on church life?
What you are trying to do is understand the context in which you are seeking to live out the Gospel faith. In some instances that may even suggest new avenues for ministry.
Third step Begins With Grace
Sometimes when we try to evaluate either the clergy or the congregation, we can become immersed in negative criticism. It is too easy to allow fault finding to triumph over the sovereignty of God. Division within the church and among churches is not a new phenomenon. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Corinthians 10 ff) Then he proceeds to talk about the divisions that he has heard exist among that community. Later, in chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians, he suggests that sometimes conflict is necessary in order to clarify the truth. (11:19) But all of these events take place under the umbrella of the incredible grace of God that prepares a church “so that you are not lacking n any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 4-7)
Even the negative realities within a congregation hold potential for redemptive possibilities if we listen to the call of God. A cold church can rediscover the ministry of hospitality. A self-absorbed church can begin to experience the power of generosity one step at a time. No church is in such a condition that it cannot open itself to the grace of God and rediscover its special calling.
As part of a congregational evaluation, one should continually remind herself that the congregation’s existence is based on the grace of God. It might be important that a congregation review its history and identify graceful moments that reinforce its awareness of the role that grace has played in its life. A powerful biblical image might well be Peter’s denial of Jesus. Three times Peter denied Jesus out of fear. Rather than reject the one who had denied him, we are told in John 21:15-20 that the risen Lord led Peter through a three-fold affirmation of his ministry of responding to others in need in order to restore Peter to full acceptance. If a congregation is feeling despondent about the ineffectiveness of their ministry, perhaps they need to engage in some specific acts of ministry to the less fortunate as an opportunity to restore their awareness of the power of the grace of God.
Fourth Step: a Scriptural Framework
Psalm 23 offers an interesting framework for continuing the evaluation of a congregational ministry. Begin by replacing the name of your congregation where the personal pronoun exists in the psalm and pause to review the implications of taking what the psalm says as directly applying to your congregation. As an example, hear the Psalm for First Community Church.
“The Lord is First Community Church’s shepherd, FCC shall not want.”
If that is true, that FCC does not lack anything necessary as long as God is shepherding her, what does that about her ministry ?
“(God) makes FCC lie down in green pastures; (God) leads FCC beside still waters: (God) restores FCC’s soul. (God) leads FCC in right paths for his name’s sake.”
Look at the ways that God has provided your church with experiences of restoration. If God is leading you in right paths, what are some of those paths that beckon to you as a congregation?
“Even though FCC walks through the darkest valley, FCC fears no evil; for you are with FCC; your rod and your staff — they comfort FCC”
Review some of the dark moments in FCC’s history and upon reflection how have you been both prodded (the rod) and rescued (the staff) from those experiences. Does that past history provide you some comfort and strength that you are not alone in this journey?
“(God) prepares a table before FCC in the presence of FCC’s enemies; God anoints FCC’s head with oil; FCC’s cup overflows.”
All churches have negative experiences or opposition that acts like an enemy to their practice of the faith. Sometimes it is people, or the values of society, or the conditions that surround you. It may even be a negative spirit among some of the members. Yet even in the midst of such experiences, there have been moments of joy and celebration. It might be a liturgical event, like Easter, or it may be a birthday of an elderly member that is recognized. Maybe it is just a good church picnic in which you just enjoy the pleasures of eating and fellowshipping together. Whatever it is, how have you allowed those experiences to interrupt the power of negativity and reminded you of the joy of faith?
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow FCC all the days of her life, and FCC shall dwell in the house of the Lord her whole life long.”
God has been with you at the beginning of your journey as a faith community and will be with you at the end. How can you affirm that faith as a congregation?
Having made use of Psalm 23 for session reflection on the ministry, it can also be used liturgically to engage the whole congregation. It can be printed in bulletin or on screen for a responsive reading. Then the sermon can draw upon the work of the session with respect to the Psalm and the ministry of the church. This way the whole body is engaged in the conversation.
