Home Pastors Articles for Pastors The Problem with Being an “Average” Church

The Problem with Being an “Average” Church

A few weeks ago, I ran across a post from Seth Godin entitled “If You’re an Average Worker, You’re Going Straight to the Bottom.”

In the post, Seth goes on to highlight the changes that are happening in the way business is done.

“For 80 years, you got a job, you did what you were told, and you retired. If you’re the average person out there doing average work, there’s going to be someone else out there doing the exact same thing as you, but cheaper. Now that the industrial economy is over, you should forget about doing things just because it’s assigned to you, or never mind the race to the top, you’ll be racing to the bottom.”

As I read Seth’s words, I couldn’t help but think about how this advice applies to the church. In the same way business is changing, our society and culture looks very different than it did 50 years…10 years…and 5 years ago.

Therefore, the way we do church must adapt as well.

Now, I know this topic is quick to stir up controversy. I’m not saying that we should ignore teaching the truth of Scripture so that we can get as many people as possible in the doors.

However, what I am saying is that if your church is focused on maintaining the same strategies you’ve used for the past 50 years, trying to be like every other church in your community, you’re going straight to the bottom.

One of my favorite quotes from Andy Stanley speaks to this very idea:

“If we want to reach the people that no one else is reaching, we’ve got to do things that no one else is doing.”

If your church is comfortable with embracing its “average” ministry, it’s impossible to grow and reach the people God has called us to reach.

Therefore, let’s resist the temptation to be “average” and embrace the opportunities to change and reach our community in new ways.

What are some ways your church resists the temptation to be “average”?