10 Years From Now

If the Lord tarries where will church be in 10 years? If you don’t think that really matters look at how many people have passed away in your community in the past 10 years. As morbid as it sounds you or I could be next. I know when we start making requirements for volunteers, making ministry changes, or doing whatever we need to improve our work for the Lord somebody’s going to get mad. That’s always the case, because people don’t like change. Some will take their toys and walk out the door because even though they don’t participate in those areas that are changed, they don’t want change. But again it’s not about me or even you-it is about tomorrow. The Bible tells us that “tomorrow will take care of itself”. Yet it also indicates that we must prepare today for what may happen tomorrow.

How important is ministry to you?

You may have been a part of your church since it was established or you may have joined in worship within the last 5 years. But there are some questions you have to ask yourself personally regarding her future-let’s say 10 years from now if the Lord doesn’t return.

Are you coming to church out of habit or because you really want to worship God?

Do you complain more about things at church because there are legitimate reasons or because you don’t get you way? 

Do you think this is your church so much that you don’t want to share it with anyone new? 

Will your actions today help your church 10 years from now be the church that God wants her to be or will your present actions keep her from growing and reaching out beyond your four walls?

Let’s face facts-Because of health issues many of us probably won’t be here in 10 years. If we don’t try new methods of ministry then who will be here to take our place when we’re gone? If pleasing self is more important than pleasing God then the church will not exist in 10 years.

My Pastor's Council in a meeting told me to do what I felt needed to be done to make changes in ministry as God directed me to stabilize us and help us grow. One of the biggest difficulties that we dealt with was that it’s hard to bury something that isn’t working. Usually the people that fuss about any kind of changes, even to programs that are dying, are the ones that don’t get their way or those that only come once a week and don’t really know what’s going on. And to me that’s really sad.

Yes, pastors do expect a promotion when they move, but for most it isn’t. Most churches are not the churches that some outsiders still think they are or even what they we once were. Some are still holding on to things about the past that they need to get over and concentrate on what we can do now to keep the church alive 10 years from now. That has to start today. If your pastor haven’t earned your trust in a year then maybe you need to find another church or another pastor. God called for someone to be your pastor me and you voted for him to stay. It probably confirmed what God had spoken into his heart about coming there. He was comfortable where he was and could have stayed there until he retired. He came because God ordained that he should be you leader and wants rebuild your church into the church God destined her to be.

Most churches have less than 1/3 of their congregation who come to Sunday School on a regular basis and only 3 or 4 of our teachers who even show up on time. The SS offerings do not even cover the cost of the materials that are purchased. As much as I loved Sunday School growing up, it kills me to see the condition it is in in most churches. Only a commitment from the members of that church and a renewed effort by your teachers can bring it back to life. We need a commitment from members to come to the scheduled times of music practice to prepare for the services. We can’t learn new music because we never have the same group together to practice and learn it. We need a commitment from our leaders, teachers, and volunteers that they will be faithful in their attendance and support of the church. The Minutes of our General Assembly require that those in any leadership position within the church be faithful in all areas of membership. Some do have service on Sunday night and Wednesday night. I know people can’t be in every service because of health issues or jobs, but some have just gotten away from their vows of membership when they united with the church about being faithful.

I was going to build a cemetery on one of the church properties that I pastored as a service to our people and one lady made it known she didn’t want dead people on the property. Well, I can honestly say your pastor doesn’t want dead people in the church either. He wants a church that has a vision for now as well as for the future. So let me ask you again-Where will your church be 10 years from now?

If we continue to have a choir in both Sunday services