By Phil Scott
Consider the parable of the Bilge Pump.
There once was a great shipyard that built the world”s finest vessels. Great care and company pride was taken in selecting the finest materials and employing the best shipbuilders. As commerce expended worldwide, the demand increased for larger, cost-conservative ships. Even though extensive attention was given to design, workmanship and materials, the stresses of ocean waves, the continual deteriorating effect of salt seas, and the fact that heavier vessels run deeper in the water, all proved to be too much. These fine ships had leaks.
Without diminishing any quality in construction, the ship maker authorized the engineers to install bilge pumps in the hull of their great vessels. This caused some craftsmen to quit because they said the bilge pump was an insult to the quality of their work. This also caused some ship buyers to shop around for other less costly ships that had been using bilge pumps for decades. (Why pay for extra quality, if they all have bilge pumps?)
One day a crew member on one of the ships decided to measure the amount of water the bilge pump was pumping out of the belly of the magnificent vessel every day. He made four important discoveries.
Discovery 1. The amount of water being pumped out was constant whether the ship was anchored in the harbor or at sea, or whether the ship was loaded or empty.
Discovery 2. By calculating the total volume of the ship and comparing it to actual volume of water being pumped out by the bilge pump, the crewman concluded that the vessel would sink in approximately 143 days if the bilge pump failed.
Discovery 3. The bilge pump didn”t fix the leaks. It could only postpone the ship from sinking. It would be more than adequate until new leaks pushed the intake of water beyond the pump running at maximum capacity every minute.
Discovery 4. Though the bilge pump was buried deep in the vessel”s hull, it was not a luxury. The pump was actually more essential than comfortable living quarters, ship cleanliness, and even the itinerary. So he suggested that a backup bilge pump be installed and that all crew members be bilge-pump-certified.
Staying Afloat
Thousands of friendly, Bible-teaching, loving, popular, and historic congregations are trying to stay afloat today. Some congregations are in serious trouble and serious denial. Some have gone under when members have abandoned ship. The demands for space, parking lots, newer technologies, competitive programming, and variety have stretched congregations in ways previously unimagined.
Many specialty seminars suggest how to navigate a church to grow under the leading of the Holy Spirit in the changing cultural seas. Some seminars are designed to improve congregational morale, or motivate better communication and cooperation, or eliminate the addictions and garbage of our lives, or super-charge the family, or promote spiritual health and renewal. Thousands of church leaders intuitively know the risk of leaving the harbor (there is comfort and security in routines). Attempting to make great changes for God may result in fragmentation and mutiny in the church.
Because the Church of Jesus Christ is a living organism””a body””and because Jesus is a living, ruling king, some believers have mistakenly assumed their particular congregation is immune to death (unsinkable). Tucked away in every sunken congregation”s history is a someone who once said, “Surely, God will never allow this church to die.” (Usually it was said in the lobby after a tense board meeting or after the departure of several families, or after a devastating summer slump).
Thousands of Christians have believed that if they love God, read the Bible, pray, abstain from evil, and attend worship, God will sustain and bless the congregation they serve. This makes for pretty good Judaism, but not Christianity.
The church will always coexist with the influence and consequences of evil that threatens to sink her (Discovery 1). Devoting more than half of congregational resources, energy, and planning to maintenance efforts (finding leaks) is typical, but tragic (Discovery 2). Congregations of various denominational stripes, of all sizes and ages, will lose members “out the backdoor.” Combating apathetic leadership and chasing backsliders often feels like ministry but in reality it consumes enormous energy and triggers “the law of diminishing returns” (Discovery 3). Remember, Satan knows how to poke new holes in slowly sinking congregations.
Numerous approaches are being promoted to help congregations understand church growth. The practical suggestions””like well-lit parking lots, flexible meeting times, multiple sites, casual food courts, public advertising, and music styles to fit every flavor””may not seem very biblical or essential to quality spirituality. But arguing about their importance is arrogant and inaccurate.
The assumption that spiritually healthy Christians will naturally reproduce faithful, devoted believers, and will automatically result in congregations that are dynamic, sacrificial, attractive, and culturally relevant, has simply not consistently proven true (Discovery 4). Hoping that those who are receptive to the good news of Jesus will be attracted to the quality and history of a congregation, is a pointless luxury. In theory, congregations should be healthier than they actually are, but in theory properly built ships shouldn”t need bilge pumps either, right?
Energy and Fuel
Congregations often take on heavy program expectations and promotional cargo in hopes these choices will bless the current members and also attract new participants. Some suggest the church is supposed to be a battleship waging war against the forces of evil, that it is commissioned by God to rescue the lost and take back captured territory. Others who prefer the church behave like a cruise ship on a leisurely vacation, stopping at quiet islands and enjoying beautiful sunsets, will be suspicious that outsiders will be turned off by the military minded model even if it seems to be a more accurate biblical picture of the truth.
The energy and fuel for all congregations that want to stay afloat and do the work of Christ outside of the harbor is innovation, imagination, the synergy of gifts, Holy Spirit intuition, courageous leadership, celebration, momentum, and sacrifice. Were you expecting this list to include strong Bible teaching, small groups, a compelling vision, worship and prayer, and good leadership?
No congregation is healthier than the bonds of love and cooperation that hold it together (like rivets on a ship). So the prayer meetings and great preaching that stir our hearts, the Bible studies that motivate transformation, the children and teen programs that promote holy living, the supercharged fellowship that spills into service, and the worship that pulls us into the very throne room of Heaven, will never be enough to keep a congregation afloat (alive). But using these disciplines to win the lost and to mature the saved will help us leave the safety of the harbor for the open sea where God invites us to sail (live life) for him.
If Jesus told you that in 143 days your congregation was closing its doors forever unless it repented and became aggressively evangelistic, would you know the strategic changes the church could make to not only bring it to life, but move it with power into the world?
Consider making a list of every facet of what makes the church (your church) worth keeping alive (afloat). Would your list include such things as great friendships, tremendous heritage, meaningful support groups, life changing worship, authentic preaching, family focused, and purpose balanced? Fine.
Now, to each item on your list ask questions like these: Are these functions being done with excellence, innovation, and courage? How could we better celebrate the victories that contribute to increased momentum? Am I willing to encourage others to use their skills and gifts in order for the Holy Spirit to move us all beyond simple comfort or maintenance? Could the great friendships we already enjoy be deepened by collective sacrifices above and beyond our regular giving? How could I help the leadership be more courageous and intuitive toward God”s leading?
By asking the right questions, and pursuing the right course, almost every church can do far more than just stay alive. The church you serve could once again make its way to the open seas, and rejoin the battle for changing the world.
Phil Scott ministers with First Christian Church, Kingsport, Tennessee.
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