Loading..."The church," a wise old hand once told me, "is the one place where hard-charging people can get away with mediocrity."
"The church," a wise old hand once told me, "is the one place where hard-charging people can get away with mediocrity." Career-minded winners, he explained, can accept ministry assignments and then fail to follow through. They can show up late to meetings, step up unprepared to lead discussion or read lessons, and complain like adolescents expecting to be heard but not held accountable.
People whom God has gifted can hide their gifts, lest they be asked to use them. People who know better can bicker like children, bully like teenagers, and act out like randy collegians. My friend was sympathetic. As he saw it, people who behave this way often are acting out a freedom they don't feel at work. They are allowing themselves to be taken care of, forgiven, indulged. Problem is, this is self-destructive behavior. When grownups behave like irresponsible children, they lose touch with themselves and they become weak, self-serving and merciless. When leaders cannot count on follow-through, their leadership zeal turns to resentment. When leaders describe their work as "herding cats" and "middle school all over again," they won't accept other assignments. It isn't the hard work and ambiguities of serving in a troubled world that drag down leaders. It's people, especially people living down a generation or two and fostering a system where no one is held accountable. "I didn't mean to" -- becomes an evasion of personal responsibility. "I tried" -- becomes an avoidance of outcomes. "Don't blame me" -- shifts the burden elsewhere. As a result, consequences vanish like the morning mist. And failure -- which should be a great teacher -- becomes "the one who shall not be named."
Nowhere is non-accountability more visible than in stewardship, when 50% of active constituents give nothing and the rest give far below their spiritual need to give and God's expectation of the tithe. Unable to count on follow-through on low-level assignments, the church shrinks from the bold ministries that God wants and the world needs. Minimalist thinking -- inside the box, survival-only, don't rock the boat -- becomes normative. Strategic planning degenerates into tweaking a few easy irritations.
Mission degenerates into doing the least for others and expecting the most in applause. Worship becomes inoffensive entertainment. Education becomes slogans and sweet stories. Chrustian community becomes polite nods. There's no single answer to all of this.
But here are a few practical suggestions.
- Start and end all meetings on time. No late-comers allowed.
- When someone reneges on a commitment, relieve them of duty.
- When people gossip and bully, call them out.
- When leaders don't exercise responsible stewardship, relieve them of leadership.
- Set the bar high for strategic thinking. Don't waste time debating low-hanging fruit. Just do it.
- Insist on normal business practices -- meetings with agendas, information distributed in advance, people's time honored, stay on topic, no sand-bagging.
- Love the complainers and change-resisters, but don't appoint or elect them to office.
- Teach and preach the tithe, and when people complain, preach it again.
In these and similar steps, help people give their best to God. In doing that, they will discover true grace, true mercy, true compassion -- not the sighing of a weary parent worn down by adolescent whining.
Church Wellness — Best Practices for Healthy Churches
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