So, how do you stop a monster from destroying itself and everyone in its path? Here are a few ideas:
• Seek Christ, the foundation, leader, husband and purchaser of the church. All issues of power struggles and authority disputes must end at the cross. If Jesus is not Lord of your church, you must repent as a congregation.
• Pray for repentance. Giving intellectual ascent to Christ’s rule over your church is not enough. The congregation must be whole-heartedly submitted to Him. This does not happen without serious heart change. Therefore, you must pray for repentance. Prayers may start with just one person or a small group. God loves to answer the prayers of the few on behalf of the many.
• Beg for revival. I’m not talking about a set of meetings. Revival is an awakening of the church in light of the glory of Christ! Much like a doctor uses the defibrillator pads to awaken a dying patient, the Great Physician awakens His Body through revival.
• Be willing to exhort and rebuke (2 Tim. 4:2). This is not a call for vigilante church discipline. In fact, don’t exhort and rebuke without first seeking Christ, praying for repentance and begging for revival. If you can’t speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) with a heart for Christ’s glory in the church, you will only make things worse. However, keep in mind that most Monster Churches are created because people neglected to have hard conversations with church members who seek to create division (I Cor. 11:18) and strife within the church for self-serving reasons (1 Cor. 3:3).
• Be willing to ask for help. There are many ministries willing to help churches identify problems and work through solutions. Sometimes, an objective point of view helps a congregation see things more clearly. One word of wisdom, however: If you think your church needs outside help, the request needs to come from the pastor or current leadership. “Going over the head” of a pastor or leader can cause more harm than intended. Don’t be guilty of helping “create a monster”!
If you are a pastor or leader of a local church in need of assistance, feel free to contact DiscipleGuide. I am blessed to serve alongside wonderful folks at DiscipleGuide who have a heart for helping churches make disciples. You may contact us at info@discipleguide.org.
