Disobedience

Since 1979, when I first experienced the central power of the "Great Commission" to go and make disciples for Jesus, I have heard churches evaluated on a continuum that runs from "growing" to "dying." In the early days, this was a numeric evaluation. At first, growing churches were those that increased in numbers of members, while dying churches had a higher number of members passing away or leaving the congregation for other places of worship. Then we began to understand that having a name on a membership book didn't really mean much, if that didn't correspond to regular attendance and involvement. So we decided that growing churches increased their worship attendance year after year, while dying churches did the opposite. Eventually more people began to talk about the primary importance of a relationship with Jesus. (Imagine that!!) Then we started to say that growing churches had a high number of people who professed their faith in Christ or renewed their faith in Christ each year, while dying congregations tried to depend on people transfering from other churches.

In his book Direct Hit, Paul Borden reframes the entire issue. Instead of relying on the categories of "dying" and "growing," however they are defined, he says the issues are really obedience and disobedience. Rather than thinking only of the quantitative measurements that lean in the direction of assessing institutional maintenance only, he suggests that a missional assessment is in order. Either a church is obeying Jesus' commandment (not "suggestion") to go and make disciples (not to "stay put" and maintain and institution) or it is not. Borden says, "Perhaps the greatest sin of denominations and most congregations is the lack of urgency to bring good news to lost individuals." (Page 56.)

If you are a Jesus-follower and part of a congregation, how is your fellowship doing by the obedience/disobedience measure? I'll see you around the next bend in the river.