Woolworth, Toys R Us, BHS, MFI and Focus all have one thing in common. They have disappeared, having once been a prominent presence throughout the country. Other well known chains have also struggled, closing a number of their stores in order to survive. Of course it was not always thus. At one time they had been popular outlets, supplying goods that people wanted. In every case the decision to close and render thousands of people without jobs will have been preceded by a series of Board Meetings at which the directors noted the steady decline.
In many cases the decline has been linked to changes that happened around. Sometimes businesses have failed because of online shopping. In other situations they failed to keep their businesses in touch with the changing culture surrounding them, and lost out to competitors. Some of the big businesses that have survived have done so because they have recognised that the cost of the floorspace was disproportionate to the amount of sales.
Reflecting on this I am aware how the Christian witness in the UK has similar problems, not least in rural areas. Churches that once saw many more people attending Sunday services, now have relatively few people attending, while the cost of maintaining our premises has become ever more disproportionate. In many situations where once a building served the purposes of a congregation, now the congregation serves the building.
It is generally understood that 11.00 am services were established as a suitable time to allow the cows to be milked and essential chores to be done before church gathered. Now, it has become a convenient time that demands little and fits conveniently between a lie in and an extravagant lunch. Consequently, congregations dwindle and those charged with responsibility hope that somehow the decline in footfall will be miraculously reversed.
In my Open University Business Studies we were repeatedly taught that the main thing is that the main thing must remain the main thing. Jesus left his disciples with one task. They were to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. Clearly, that is the main thing. Of course, having premises where Christians could meet, makes sense, but many of our buildings were erected to impress rather than simply serve a purpose. In the past they also became places where the gospel was proclaimed and where people came to faith. When was the last time that happened in your church building?
It is not only commerce and churches that have inherited buildings that are no longer ideal for the main purpose. Hospitals and schools have also had to adapt in order to remain efficient, where efficiency is related to what is the main thing for them.
Simply shutting down stores will not cure an ailing business. Shutting down church buildings will not cure what ails so many of our churches today. What is essential is to return to first principles. If our churches (i.e. the believers who meet in the building) do not have a clear sense of purpose - a commitment to the main thing - then messing about with the building is like rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic. So the most important thing we can do, if we have buildings that are taking most of our money and energies, is to ensure that everyone in membership or who has a regular commitment to the life of our churches recognises that the main thing is spreading the gospel and making disciples.
Having done that, we can then evaluate whether or not our premises are enabling that purpose or, possibly, hindering it. Sometimes making some adaptations could make a difference. But not change for change sake; but change that enables or enhances the main thing.
So, here’s the challenge. Make a list of the resources of your church both in money and people hours. Calculate how much is being spent on the ‘main thing’ and how much is being spent on your building (maintenance, heating and lighting). If things have got out of proportion, then consider ways in which a proper balance could be restored.
Now I suspect that some purists may be thinking that this is all ‘business speak’ and seems to have discounted the work of the Holy Spirit and the importance of prayer. But I have not done so. If Jesus were to turn up in your church next Sunday and ask you all how you are getting on with what he asked you to do, I don’t think he will be very impressed with answers such as we have raised funds to decorate this old building or to instal a better heating system (though they could be useful!), God has entrusted us with his message to share it with the people he wants to receive it. How are we doing with what he has asked us to do?
As to prayer: are we sitting around, praying that God will turn up and do for us the very thing he has asked us to do for him? Some churches do not even have prayer meetings! Imagine that! Faced with serious threats and opposition, the first Christians met for prayer. The focus of their prayer was greater effectiveness in their witness; not for deliverance from their problems. (See Acts 4: 23-31). It’s a model we would do well to follow.
I find myself wondering about these mega-businesses that have disappeared from our High Streets. If they still had products that were needed and which they could supply, could they have re-imagined their businesses to move from what was inherited to what would still be effective.
Almost all our inherited churches need reviving, and probably some need radical action. Watching the decline and loss of engagement with the surrounding community is not an option if we want a future. If what I have written here strikes a chord with you then I would love to take this conversation further, if you would appreciate my advice on how to move things forward, I am only an email or phone call away (07720 322 213).
Yours for a more effective witness in the land,
Barry
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