VIEW FROM THE PEW: The Cost of Staying the Same

Where are we at? Where are we going? How are we going to get there?

Almost all organizations, families, and individuals, have at one time asked themselves these three questions. Success in any endeavor requires an honest evaluation of present realities, a vision for what the future should be, and a plan for getting from the present to the future where goals are reached and dreams are realized. However, asking and answering these questions does not ensure success. Rethinking past assumptions, crafting a plan, diligently working the plan, and revising the plan when necessary, is what leads to success.

Churches, just like all organizations, should also be asking and answering these questions on an on-going basis if they want to successfully reach their goal of sharing the gospel with an unbelieving world. By asking these questions, and being honest with their answers, churches would have a vision for where they are headed and how they are going to get there.

Sadly, most churches today would have to answer the first question by saying they are basically at the same place they were at ten to fifty years ago. The strategy for most of these churches is to continue to do what they have always done. Ten more years of doing the same thing is not going to produce better results. Most likely, it will produce many more empty seats. The seats that are not empty will be filled with lots of gray hair and bald scalps.