Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #2

Chapter 3: What drives your church?
There are many different things within a church that “drives” it. Sit in on a board meeting and you will hear many of them mentioned. It is important for the church to be driven by common things. If you have multiple things driving, you will face problems. There are many different forces that can drive a church. Churches can be driven by tradition. These are churches that never change. They do what they’ve always done. They feel stabile because of their traditions. Churches can be driven by personality. In this church the focus is on the leader and what they want. If the church has a history of changing leaders, this is where a problem can be found. When the person leaves, the church comes to a standstill. Churches driven by finances are ones that focus merely on money. They worry about the cost of everything instead of the souls being won. Churches do not exist to make a profit. Churches can also be driven by programs. In these types of churches, all the energy is focused on the programs it offers. Churches can also be driven by buildings. Sometimes churches can get caught up in needing a large, beautiful building that they get in over their heads. Other times a church will refuse to get a larger building so the attendance is restricted. Churches can be driven by events. At this church you might be overwhelmed when you look at the calendar. When do the people have any time off? A church can be just busy without any real purpose as to why they do what they do. There are also churches driven by seekers. These churches make reaching the unbelievers their sole objective. They cater to their needs and wants. God’s purpose of the church includes a lot of different things including evangelism. Purpose driven churches are different. Purpose driven churches are exactly that, driven by purpose instead of force. Remember that not all programs are meant to last forever. They must maintain a purpose. Have a driving purpose that your congregation knows about. If your church is struggling, redefine your purpose and use this as a fresh starting point. When your members are on the same page as your staff, you will find success.

Chapter 4: The foundation for a healthy church
A strong church begins with a strong foundation. When there is a clear purpose, there are many benefits. The first being a clear purpose builds morale. When people come together for a great purpose, they have high morale and little time to argue. Therefore if you don’t have a clear purpose, your morale will be low. “Nothing discourages a church more than not knowing why it exists (87).” A clear purpose reduces frustration. Just as stated before, when people have a common purpose there is little or no confusion. “A clear purpose not only defines what we do, it defines what we don’t do (87).” When there isn’t a purpose, it is easy to become distracted by other things. Once your purpose has been set, it is easier to make decisions and move forward with your church. A clear purpose allows concentration. When something is concentrated, it has so much more power. Think about sunlight being focused through a magnifying glass. It can set things on fire! That’s what a focused congregation can do. You must be focused on what your purpose is. God wants churches to be effective. This means He wants them to be doing the right things. A clear purpose attracts cooperation. People want to join a church that has direction. When people know where the church is headed, they are eager to join the team. Just like Paul was clear in his purpose, people will follow where there is clarity. This brings cooperation. When people join your church, make sure they have a clear understanding of what your purpose is. A clear purpose also assists evaluation. A church evaluates itself by asking, “Are we doing what God intended us to do?” No matter how big or small a church is does not decide its strength. Becoming a purpose driven church does not happen overnight. It is a process.