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Does your congregation have a plan for the future?

My long-term goal has been to visit all 445 churches in the Ohio Conference during my ministry. I believe that I have visited about half of the churches to this point. If I have not been to your church, please call to make an appointment.

When I visit local churches, I often ask congregation members what they would like to happen in their church. People tell me they would like to grow in membership, involve more youth and children in church activities, experience vital and vibrant worship and grow spiritually.

But many times the congregation does not have a plan for how to achieve these goals. Evangelism is often seen as something that someone else should do. In a number of congregations, the large majority of members are beyond the age of child birthing. Changes in worship style offered by pastors often are not acceptable. While most people want more persons to attend, there is an unwillingness to make the necessary changes. And, unfortunately, few people read their Bible regularly.

If we expect something to happen in the future, we must plan for it to take place. If you wish to own a home, you must decide what type of home you would like, survey where you would like to live, determine what financial obligations you can assume, and then purchase a home with a plan for how to make the payments.

If we want something to happen, we must be intentional about how to make it happen. Yet I have discovered that we leave these planning ideas at home when we think about the future growth and development of our congregations, or we expect it is the responsibility of some other person to shape the future.

Many people never invite another person to visit their church home. Often we expect youth and children to be seen but not heard. And statistics tell us that less than 10% of the adults in our churches regularly attend any formal educational sessions or Bible study. Yet we expect that somehow our church should grow both numerically and spiritually. Yet we expect worship attendance to grow, even though we do not attend with regularity.

A lot of our congregations hold their annual meetings in late fall or in January. Typically these meetings receive reports of the past year and approve the budget for the year ahead. Many members do not attend the annual meetings of the congregation because they find the meetings boring and without substance.

I know that I am not writing about all congregations because there are wonderful things happening in churches as well. But I want to challenge the congregations that are feeling "stuck" in the past to use the annual meeting of the congregation to talk about planning a new future for your church. It should not be a time of just complaining about what has not happened. Rather, the congregation needs to focus on what God is calling your church to be about in the next 4-5 years. Imagine a new future while you plan with the same intentionality that you employ when your family wishes to dream about and purchase a home.

I am suggesting that you be intentional about your church home’s future and discover how your church will be a place where the joy and witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ takes place. Your pastor will help your people study the scriptures together as you envision God’s future for your church. Your pastor has many dreams and ideas that can excite your study and discussions.

I look forward to hearing the stories of how churches are growing, how more youth and children are involved and how your worship experiences are exciting and inspiring.

I look forward to seeing dozens of people involved in the regular study of the scriptures. I want to see how your church is a vital and vibrant witness of Jesus Christ in the world. Begin now to plan your future with God as your guide.