In recent months we’ve been helping several churches in the UCAN network with their mission, strategy, and activity alignment. Time and again in UCAN, we come across churches that have inspiring mission statements, and committed, hard-working staff, volunteers and congregations serving their church and community with love. It is wonderful to see.
But there are also many cases where the level of activity is simply too much. The services, programmes and events don’t match the level of available resource. The necessary brave leadership conversations about pruning and stopping some things should happen - but don’t. The result is that good people choose to move elsewhere; or stress, exhaustion and even resentment creep in – we see it in both lay and ordained, full and part-time church workers.
If that feels like your reality today – then be brave and have an honest conversation. Ask your line manager, pastor/vicar, or a trusted friend for help. Speak truth to yourself. Don’t try to rescue everything and keep it all running – you won’t be able to. At some point something will break – maybe a relationship, or your grace levels or your physical health. You are worth more than the endless task list you currently resent. You are a child of God. Jesus chose to die for you so that you can enjoy an abundant life with Him. Are you living that way?
Even if the activity and the resources DO balance beautifully, in many cases there’s a lack of alignment with the ultimate mission that we are called to fulfil. Is our activity actually ‘getting the job done’? By that I mean, can we confidently trace that each activity contributes in some way to fulfilling the mission and commission Jesus has given us?
We might have enough resources for now, but if we’re using them on things that don’t fulfil our mission as church, then we’re putting a limit on how much God is going to work through us, and our church will decline. It might take a while and we’ll have a lovely time with all the enjoyable activity for many years yet. But, if people aren’t coming to know Christ and making Christ known then at some point God will stir another local church expression somewhere else near us to do that - so that the community we live in WILL meet Jesus.
Much of the activity in our churches is enjoyable and worthy. But surely, we need to ensure it helps people meet and deepen their relationship with Jesus. Is our church activity ultimately enabling Jesus’ disciples to live transformed lives in their homes, streets, and workplaces?
Do our friends/ parents/ spouse/ children/ work colleagues/ neighbours/ the person who serves us in Tesco (delete as applicable) look at us and find what we have attractive? I don’t mean our house/ finances/ career /fashion-sense and all the cultural measures that try and define us if we let them. I mean deep relationship with God, deep community with church, deep peace, hope, generosity, kindness and all the other fruits of the Spirit that God is faithfully trying to grow in us. Can others see that in our lives?
Challenging words. I know - I’m challenging myself here too!
Here are a couple of questions and challenges for us to mull over this Easter:
1. How does our church activity in this Easter season help us - and those that visit us - ‘live life in all its fullness’ with Jesus?
2. How does my personal diary time and choices I make over the Easter season help me to enjoy the full and abundant life that Jesus has given me?
Jesus was very clear on his purpose and mission in coming to earth – “I came that they may have life in abundance” (John 10:10). Everything he did aligned with that purpose, and he said no to plenty of other worthy things that others wanted him to do with his time on earth. There was no ‘mission drift’ in Jesus’ ministry.
This Easter season gives us fresh opportunity to focus, celebrate and be thankful for Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. It gives us chance to intentionally decide to align our time and activity towards living abundant, transformed lives empowered by the presence of God.
Take the time. Make the time. Sit in thankfulness and awe at the foot of the cross this Easter. Stop within the activity. Let’s realign. Let’s rediscover our purpose to know Jesus more fully and make him known. Let’s enjoy living the full and abundant life that He has given us.
Have a blessed, Jesus filled, abundantly joyful Easter season. Enjoy celebrating in your church. Enjoy showing those around us that THIS is why our lives are full to the brim. Full of purpose and full of God’s love and presence……not full of relentless activity.
Jules Morgan
UCAN Executive Director