
By Gord Martin
Gord is the founder of Vision Ministries Canada. He continues to volunteer with VMC.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard about the glories of the New Testament Church. We imagine believers full of the Holy Spirit living in loving harmony and sharing everything in common! But all the New Testament letters were written because there were problems in the churches. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” Jn 16:33.
Don’t be surprised or ashamed that you have trouble in your church. Every church goes through seasons of difficulty. Sometimes the most flourishing-looking churches have deeply hidden conflicts that lead to a “sudden” explosion. Admitting we have problems may be the first step forward. Keeping it all under wraps is not helpful. I am a great believer in the possibilities of problem solving because we all have Jesus on our side, “who has become for us wisdom from God” I Cor 1:30.
When churches request help, I ask myself:
- Does the person asking represent a wholesome element of the church?
- What are the surface problems and underlying causes?
- “Lord, are my gifting, experiences, and training a good fit for this situation?”
- What relational credit do I have with this group?
- How can I get a solid invitation from the right people? Are mature and respected people in agreement about seeking external assistance? Are the leaders together about inviting me? It’s a promising start when an invitation is from a viable core of leaders and “influential” people.
After being invited to consult with a church, we discuss and establish expectations.
- What do we expect of each other and how long will we work together?
- How will we make and implement courageous decisions from this process?
- What will it cost in time, energy, prayer, and money? A fruitful church is worth it!
“Don’t be surprised or ashamed that you have trouble in your church. Every church goes through seasons of difficulty.”
After creating and agreeing on a plan, I facilitate a dialogue with leaders to explore and search for agreement on their church purpose(s).
Clarifying the Essentials:
- Can we clarify our primary Biblical purpose(s) and agree on why we exist?
- God helping us, how will we accomplish our big, faith-requiring purposes?
- How will we communicate them to the congregation?
We also discuss secondary issues that are often killing a church:
- How will our leaders and leadership structures facilitate achieving our purposes? What adjustments are needed?
- Do we have the right people in the right places? How will we make the necessary changes?
- How will our leadership groups learn to function as teams? How will they make and enact decisions? What will they do when they disagree?
When congregations agree on the big questions, they often discover the unifying beauty described in Acts 15:28 which says, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us.” And the unity mentioned in Ps 133:1, “How good and how pleasant”!
An experienced outsider, like a VMC consultant, can be a great help because they’re not part of the problem, and they have no stake in the outcome. They bring hope, fresh perspective, and direction. There is nothing like seeing a group of leaders at peace, who feel confident in God’s guidance and equipped to make important decisions!