One of My Frustrations With Church Ministry
What I am about to share is not specifically about our current congregation, but rather is an observation from twenty-five years of pastoral ministry in a variety of positions. There is one thing that continues to frustrate me.
It actually began when I was a youth pastor. I was doing what I thought was effective ministry. I saw the youth group growing and more importantly, I saw spiritual growth. But there was a complaint from some people in the congregation.
“Where are they on Sunday morning?”
While on one hand I can understand that all the congregation sees is what happens on Sunday mornings. They do not necessarily see the other things that I was seeing.
But there was a persistent idea that unless ministry translates into more people sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings, we should be questioning the effectiveness and value of that ministry.
This is not limited to youth ministry either. I have seen it in other outreach ministries. The measurement of success is that of Sunday morning attendance.
But I don’t think that’s the way it should be. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing growth on Sunday mornings. I want more people in church.
But ultimately, our job is to see the kingdom of God grow, not just the attendance of one particular event (Sunday worship service) in our congregation.
I hope that the church is beginning to look beyond Sunday mornings. I hope that the church sees that effectiveness is measured in changed lives and not filled pews.
What about you? Have you encountered this attitude as well?
My dad (a Baptist preacher) used to always say, ”If we really wanted the church to be packed every week, that’d be easy … just offer free beer.”
That’s not what quality ministry looks like. A full house means very little to a good ministry. Joel Osteen, and other well-known heretics, have packed houses every week.
I recall a conversation I had with a pastor I had come to know. This was years ago. I happened to work as a janitor with this Assemblies of God Church (I was homeless at the time and living in a car on the Church parking lot). He had told me that one of his frustrations in ministry is seeing new people come in and worship on Sunday. Only to inform him that they were considering attending however, felt there were no real miracles happening. He pointed out the best miracle is when people come forward and give their heart and lives over to Christ and follow Him.
Sometimes, we see what we want to see because our own personal vision is clouded and limited. I think this happens with those who are in ministry leadership. They become clouded with their own vision and limited on what they believe ministry ought to be about rather than live out their ministry and calling in a way that magnifies and brings honor and glory to God.