Sunday, October 21, 2007

Risk vs. Comfort and Challenge vs. Security

Just a few reasons why a church to might not ever grow, may never hold mature members, and always remain stagnant, sort of doing one fruitless thing after another:
  1. It's not in the budget. It is too expensive.
  2. I need more time to think and pray about it.
  3. I know a church who tried it and it didn't work.
  4. Some of our best tithers would oppose that. There are people who will stop tithing if we do it.
  5. It would never produce any tithers.
  6. It's a good idea, but several years ahead of its time.
  7. The older people (or younger) would never accept it.
  8. We've done OK all these years without it.
  9. We couldn't do it until we. . .
  10. The timing's just not right. Let's put it on hold for a while.
  11. I need to see more details before I can vote on it.
  12. That's what we hired the pastor for.
  13. It doesn't fit the culture of the people around here.
  14. Our people are already overworked and stretched too thin.
  15. That would be too radical a change at one time.
  16. Our church is too small (or too big) to try that.
  17. In a larger city that might work. Perhaps it would work in a rural area, but not here.
  18. Our facilities just couldn't handle it.
  19. Something just doesn't feel right to me.
  20. Everybody's not on board yet.
  21. That’s not the Baptist’s way.
  22. Our people have been asked to give too often.
  23. The woman's group would be against it.
  24. This could be divisive. I don't see any long term value in it.

5 comments:

CFHusband said...

Frustrated?

TerryKM said...

Maybe even dreaming.

Joshua said...

Good insights! I was talking to Nate the other day about how I believe being a missional Christian/church involves taking great risks. If Jesus rose from the dead to save the us from our sins (which we believe to be true), then that is the single most important thing in the world. More important than my own desires or preferences.

I think this list has identified some of the problems that occur when we allow our own preferences to rule us or when we become to complacent.

It is time to rise up against the status quo and truly give our lives (which includes everyday) to share Jesus with the world and those around us on the OBX.

Rick Lawrenson said...

Good post, Terry. Sounds like things you've heard before! Some are even familiar to me.

Don't forget that Thursday is your mother-in-law's birthday.

Faith, Hope & Lovebugs said...

Here is my two cents or sense worth based on Josh's post...

"There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."

Ok, so I didn't say that, John F. Kennedy gets credit for that one.

your sister in law