Switch to a Focus on Investing in New Relationships Instead of Ministry
It’s back to school season. How is your church using this season as a relaunch opportunity? As the cooler days set in, summer vacations come to an end, and people reset their schedules for a new fall routine, what has your church planned to leverage this moment? Connecting or reconnecting doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In this series, we will explore a few ideas to consider if your church would like to leverage this fall opportunity.
Churches have a natural knack for relationship building, right? Afterall, isn’t building relationships at the very core of what the church is all about? Unfortunately, churches are often distracted by their programs and events (the doing) and fail to remember the purpose (building relationships with people and sharing Jesus). It’s the classic Martha versus Mary struggle!
What if the church began to think of themselves more as a relationship depot for the community? How would our community be positively impacted if church leaders set out to understand some of their community’s common denominators to bring people together in a variety of relationships? The church could become a place for people to find community – meaningful relationships and connections.
But please notice the shift offered here. The focus is on helping people find community – not on increasing the number of butts in the pews and bucks in the offering plate. The focus is helping people overcome loneliness and isolation – not on reversing church decline. The focus is a holistic approach of well-being for your community – not on building the church’s Sunday morning attendance. The focus is on loving the people of your community first and foremost – not paying off the church’s building debt. This shift of “why” is critically important for both the community and the congregation. It’s my belief that when the “why” starts on loving others first, the rest will take care of itself.
As you think about creating flourishing communities, how might you see your church participating? As you consider the natural human desire for connection, nurturing relationships, and extending care to others, how might your church respond to this need in your community? How might shared experiences be a starting point for building new relationships with neighbors?
As individuals and families find themselves establishing a new routine this time of the year, be sure your church is seeing this new season as an opportunity to invest in people not offering the perfect ministry.. Without meaningful or valuable relational connection points, families will become too busy with other activities and not have the time or desire to engage in the life of the church. Which idea or two from the list might your church decide to try?
