Being Uncomfortable

It’s uncomfortable.  Our church’s attendance on Sunday mornings is dramatically less than it was a decade ago.  Our once-thriving children and youth programs are on life support.  As the congregation ages, people wonder what will happen when the older generation is gone.  I feel confident that everyone who is involved in the life of our congregation wants it to grow.  We’d like to have more activity, more fellowship, more ways to grow in our faith and to reach out to encourage others.  We wish that things were the way they used to be.

And that’s the problem.  The growth of a congregation does not come from trying to turn back time, but by looking toward a new future.  Those who have drifted away from our fellowship are not looking for “what used to be.”  If they were, they never would have left!  And those who are thinking about joining our congregation don’t care what we like five or ten years ago.  They are interested in where we are going.

Thom Rainer, a church consultant and president of Lifeway Christian Resources, recently published a book entitled “Autopsy of a Deceased Church.”  It’s the result of his study of 14 churches that have “died,” or closed their doors.  He identified themes present in these churches during their demise: lack of vision, poor use of finances, dwelling in the past, disconnection from the community, and so on.  One line from the book struck me: “Members of the dying churches really didn’t want growth unless that growth met their preferences and allowed them to remain comfortable.”

For Old Union to be faithful to God’s call – which will bring growth to the life of our congregation with it – we must be willing to be uncomfortable.  Scripture is full of stories when God’s call made people uncomfortable.  For example:

• Abraham and Sarah gave up their familiar surroundings to travel to a far-away place.
• Moses confronted the most powerful man on earth and tell him to free his slaves.
• Gideon was hiding from the enemy when God told him to lead an army to drive them out.
• Jeremiah thought he was too young.
• Mary faced people’s disapproval because she was an unmarried mother – something that could get you killed in those days.
• Peter had to walk away from his fishing business.

God does not want us to be comfortable.  He wants us to be faithful.  He does not want us to grow on our terms, the way we want to grow.  He wants us to grow in his terms, the way he wants us to.

When our church tries a new venture, the question should not be “Is this something we’re going to like?” but “Is this something God wants us to do?”