Thoughts born of frustration...kinda.

First of all, if you ever read a personality assessment I've taken, it would tell you that I don't necessarily take criticism well. If you ever talk to certain people who know me well, they could probably tell you that I don't take criticism well, though they may not know that, since I am more likely to receive critiques from those people who do know me well. If you ever asked me how I feel when criticized, constructively or otherwise, my response would be something akin to "Not good."

That is something that has slowly been changing, through prayer and life experience...and divine intervention, I'm sure.

But after a couple of recent frustrations, and after reading through the introduction chapter to Andy Stanley's "7 Practices of Effective Ministry," (Why is there a bold option and an italics option, but no underline. The grammar nazi in me knows that the book title needs to be underlined.), some of my "criticisms" have driven me to this thought:

Have we created selfish Christians with our modern church system? 21st century Pharisees? Stanley's principle that stuck out to me, "Focus on who you're trying to reach, not who you're trying to keep," has started the question within me, did the "Holiness movement" begin a trend of creating legalistic, resort-like churches that first answer the question "What will keep our people happy?" Or maybe not begin, but further the idea.

I wonder if we need to look more closely at the bible for our church systems. I mean, obviously we should base everything we do off of the bible. But, for instance, in the Wesleyan church, the congregation has a whole lot of power. Where, in either NT or OT, do we find an example of "the entire body" having power ending up well?

Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

My main thought is that Stanley has nailed the reason that churches under 100 are dying, I think. Because their pastors are stuck in situations where they feel their only option is to ask the question "What can I do to keep my people happy and in their pews?" Or, in some cases, "How can I keep my job?"