What the Church needs now is ...

One of the problematic areas for the Church in America has to do with lay leadership. A recent publication by The Alban Institute states that for those who do serve as lay leaders in the local church, "it is not uncommon for them to become less active rather than more active in their congregation when their term or office is complete and they move off of a board or committee." A part of the reason for this: "leaders often times view their role as a decision-making manager rather than a spiritual leader."

Another problem we face with our lay leaders has to do with the changing times. The task of leading is becoming more difficult, especially for senior, managerial or traditional minded leaders. The old solutions and programs they want to revert back to more frequently seem not to fit the contemporary situations the Church faces today. Or, "they lean more heavily to the management side of the operation and can get stuck in the status quo that eventually strangles growth and development in a changing environment."

Another problem we face in the Church today has become known today as "the missing generation." Most churches (including ours) is missing a generation of people available and equipped to serve in leadership. For us, it's not that they do not attend but that they simply choose not to become members and submit themselves to leadership training and positions. This makes it difficult to pass on leadership responsibilities simply by handing it off to the next person in line (generationally speaking). In many congregations (including ours) the missing generation has interrupted the smooth flow and transition we need to to fulfill our mission.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on how we can change this scenario in our congregation?

(The quotes are from Gilbert Rendle's book, Leading Change in the Congregation. Alban, 2008)

Thanks for stopping by!
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Adrian