The Church is a Business

by Tim Schraeder on 03/10/2010 in Books, Principles with 21 Comments

This is Part 2 of 4 in a series of posts reviewing and sharing ideas gleaned from REWORK.

Disclaimer: This post isn’t about the work of the Church [proclaiming the Gospel, being a biblical community, loving God, loving others, etc], this post is solely about HOW the church works.

Dear Church Leader,

The Church is a business… get over it and start acting like one.

Sincerely,

Tim

I think one of the tensions most church leaders deal with is the issue of the church being like a business.

No one likes organized religion.

And the idea that the church is a business where the pastor is a CEO and the product we sell is salvation [or fire insurance] isn’t completely accurate.

The fact that I’m a paid “professional Christian” give me anxiety some days.

We can try to ignore it or deny it, but the truth is, churches have a business side to them…

THIS IS TONGUE IN CHEEK: We have customers [our congregation] who pay us, well… God, [tithe] for the services we provide [services, classes, experiences, etc].

Some churches employ hundreds of people and bring in millions of dollars each year. My own church employs over 30 people and has an annual budget of $4 million.

You can say all of that is wrong and that churches shouldn’t be like that, but it’s the reality of what the Church is… and we need to figure out how to live and do what we do in spite of it.

This isn’t consumer-driven Christianity, it’s just Christianity in a consumer-driven world.

This tension is nothing new.

In Acts 6, we read about the early church and how people [customers] started complaining about systems in the church that were broken. The apostles realized they needed to focus on what was important [preaching/teaching] so they appointed people who were good at business [elders] to run the day-to-day operations of the church. They had to REWORK the system. And you know what happened? It says that Church grew. [Coincidentally, one of the people chosen was also the first martyr of the modern church, but we'll overlook that.]

That doesn’t mean pastors need to be professionals, it just means we need professionals in the areas of the church that act like a business.

At Park, our lead pastor focuses completely on what he should… teaching and providing vision for the church. We have an executive pastor [who acts like a CEO] and a director of operations that oversee the day-to-day operations and finances of the church. Our lead pastor has no clue who gives what and isn’t involved in issues that relate to finances… that’s not his area of giftedness or what he should be doing with his time.

From first-hand experience and leaning in to the experience of others, I’ve seen that churches are notorious for turnover, burnout and low employee morale.

I think there’s one key reason why: the way we work.

We say  “we’re a church” too frequently as an excuse to be unprofessional, work inefficiently, and do things that no other business or organization would get away with doing.

Have you ever wondered why many of the premier church leadership conferences feature speakers from the business community? They say things most of us would be stoned for saying and challenge the ways our systems work.

Think about how many pastors and church leaders have books by Seth Godin, Maclom Gladwell, Jim Collins, Daniel Pink, the Heath brothers, etc. on their bookshelves. We love what they have to say but often fail in implementation.

We’re afraid to act like a business in the areas and spaces where need to the most.

I’m tired of seeing churches that have great potential never reach it because they can’t figure out how to work properly. I can’t tell you how many incredibly gifted and talented people I know that have been a part of churches who have been burned out and would never work for a church again.

As the Church, we have a responsibility to wisely steward the resources we have… be it money or our people… and while everything we do is ‘spiritual work’, it’s all influenced the decisions we make day in and day out as to how we run and operate.

We need to change the way we work, we need to REWORK.

Tomorrow I’m going to post 10 Things That Drive Me Crazy About Working for a Church.

—

This post was inspired by reading REWORK by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals. It’s an important book that I think should be required reading for any next generation church leader.

I’m giving away three copies this week…
Here’s how to win…

Congrats to @DaveSandell, you’re the winner!

Tim Schraeder
Tim Schraeder is passionately committed to helping churches effectively communicate the timeless message of the Gospel in a way that’s relevant to our ever-changing culture. He presently serves as the co-director of the Center for Church Communication and is the creator and general editor of Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication, a field guide for church communication leaders. Tim lives in Chicago where he can be found in any neighborhood coffee shop that has free wifi. Subscribe via RSS | Subscribe via Email | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Sign Up for My Newsletter
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  • http://twitter.com/isaacdowning @isaacdowning

    I'm 100% with you on organization / professionalism / etc — BUT — I think we need to be careful how we talk about the church in terms of "business" issues. Specifically that "We have customers [our congregation] who pay us, well… God, [tithe] for the services we provide…" statement.

    I realize it was written tongue-in-cheek, but I still think it's important to be as accurate as possible in speaking of the church's role in culture. As it was written, I think it's in danger of misrepresenting the church's function in order to make the analogy to business culture.

    When we start to think of our church community as "customers", it changes the conversation. It changes the expectations from serving to being served.

    When we look at tithe as paying for a service, we lose the revelation of God's control over all resources throughout creation, evidenced by us trusting Him with a small portion of our money. When the congregation believes their "paying for a service", it can end up making the musicians into a glorified jukebox. (It sound harsh, but I know this from experience)

    Maybe most people think the distinction is insignificant, but I disagree. Like I said, I know your heart is in the right place, and from what I've seen of Park, it's an AMAZING community. I just thought it was worth bringing up.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder timschraeder

      Thanks, Isaac.

      Yeah that was not my intention but moreso to drive home the idea of the business side of church. Who we are called who serve ultimately is Jesus… but yeah, for the sake of the illustration I just played it out like I did.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/KevinRossen KevinRossen

    Great insights. You definitely have a well-balanced idea about what the church really is. I know of a lot of people who I went to Bible college with who despised the idea of the church as a business. They didn't think churches should register as 403(b) organizations, and thought they should only focus on spiritual matters. Needless to say, most of these people didn't end up lasting in ministry or church work.

    The truth is that all churches (or almost all) have two functions: 1) being the bride of Christ; and 2) non-profit organization. Churches must live in both worlds if they want to survive these days. The challenge is to find balance between the two. It's rare that they stand in stark opposition of each other, but when that does happen the spiritual body should win out (in matters regarding remaining true to Scriptural mandates).

    You're right, though, that too often we, in churches, allow for sub-par performance simply because we're a grace-filled community. I like some of this, but it usually goes too far.

    Thanks for the post!

  • http://TonjaC.net Tonja

    One of the things that frustrates me is the ignoring of sound, effective business practices rationalized by "Well, God can use anything." While this is true, this should be no substitute for doing your best. Whether it's communication (dated clipart, copyright infringement, etc) or campus issues (fire marshall rules, etc) or whatever, churches shouldn't circumvent common sense (or actual laws). Obviously no one should, but it seems to me that churches should have an even higher standard.

    I have books on my shelf from 4 out of the 5 authors you mentioned, and I'm frustrated by the number of times I read something and say, "Yes! That makes sense!" and then see the Church do the exact opposite.

    My Twitter handle is @TonjaC. I'll go tweet the link right now. Thanks for this offer! One of my tweeps just recommended this book to me yesterday.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder timschraeder

      preach it!

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/the1stfollower the1stfollower

    Part 1

    Another great post! My initial reaction is similar to @isaacdowning above. There are FAR too many churches that are not organized and unprofessional when it comes to the "business" (financial) side of the church. And if they aren't organized and professional, then quite frankly, they aren't being good stewards.

    However, even with your disclaimer, I still cringed with the words, "the church is a business…get over it and start acting like one." We DO need more professionalism and accountability in the church, but the church isn't about making money, it's about making disciples.

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/the1stfollower the1stfollower

    Part 2

    I run a business and I am an assistant pastor. I try to bring the same professionalism, drive and integrity to both vocations. But I have never thought of my role in my church as a business role. It is a ministry. It's about people, not about Benjamin's. It's about prayer, not profit.

    I totally get where you are coming from (i think). But I think if we FOCUSED on a Christlike ministry, the business side (professionalism, integrity, organization, drive, and progress) will take care of itself. Those things should naturally flow out of Christian character.

    God Bless. Keep up the good work. Your work has blessed me abundantly.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/dannyjbixby dannyjbixby

    Excellent post.

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/the1stfollower the1stfollower

    And I'm entering for a chance to win REWORK!!!! my twitter handle @the1stfollower

  • http://www.inthenameoflove.org Bianca Juarez

    Seriously, one of the best posts I've read on the church in a long tim!

    Kudos, Tim! Well done.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder timschraeder

      wow, thanks Bianca! really appreciate it!

  • Kate

    A breath of fresh air in a stifling time @ my business – I mean, church! Now, how to persuade the big dogs…

  • http://WeAreStAndrews.com Greg Shore

    Tim,
    Love this conversation!

    What I hear, with your disclaimer, is that if you strip away all of the God stuff, we're a business or some non-profit and that we need to use sound business practices. Having come from the business world, I once believed the same thing. However, I have come to understand that you can't have it both ways because we live in tension.

    The reality is that we live in this tension of being in the world but not of it. We use the resources of the physical world to further the Kingdom.

    We don't need to look to the business world to see the advantages of good organization. Look at the building of the Temple and the detailed instructions for both construction and materials. Sounds pretty organized to me. Luke records that Jesus himself instructed the disciples to have the multitude sit in groups of 50 before feeding the 5,000. Again – good organization. There are many other instances as well in scripture where things were highly organized and instructions detailed.

    So what? We learn that God is a god of order and if we are to imitate him, we will be people of order as well. (Don't read too much into that- He loves spontaneity as well – All according to His purposes.) Good order leads to good practice.

    But keep in mind that the religious life is a contradiction to the entire world. The church is different from everything you know. The world says it is ethically wrong to commit murder. The world would say Abraham was guilty of attempted murder when he came within inches of slaying his son, Isaac. Yet, we call Abraham good, just, and righteous. Kirkegaard said Abraham is either a murderer every minute or we stand before a paradox higher than all meditations.

    Tension. We live in a kingdom that is now and not yet. Because of our relationship with God we live in paradox, in turmoil, and with passion.

    Like @the1stfollower, I get where you're coming from but the world and its ways are not the answer to 'business' issues in the church. Focus on Christlike ministry. We can learn from other parts of life but we don't dare separate them. Every good thing, including good business practice, comes from God.

    To me this is how it works:
    1. Love Jesus
    2. Love Jesus and Love his Bride, the Church
    Get the first two and obedience begins to flow out of a changed life. And the two are essential – you can love Jesus a lot but you can't do it in a vacuum. Things begin to flow into place – even the business issues. And this is not only a personal thing. This is a corporate thing as well.

    You write "We’re afraid to act like a business in the areas and spaces where need to the most." I think that more importantly, we're afraid to act like the Church in the areas and spaces we need to the most. We're afraid to work hard and face rejection as we look to build authentic disciples. If we don't do the 'Church' work well, how can we expect to do the 'business' side well? The symptoms are slightly different but the disease is the same.

    We look at the church as the OS of life and programs as the product. The church has it wrong – Discipleship should be our operating system and the product should be an authentic church.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder Tim Schraeder

      Totally agree with you, Greg, but at some point we have to accept responsibility for some of the process and blindly hope God will take care of the details … we've got to play our part, too.

      That's why I said I think pastors/leaders need to focus on what they are called to do… preach, teach, disciple, etc… but we need people who are gifted in administration to lead the areas of the church that act like a business [operations, finance, day-to-day] and to do that with excellence.

  • http://twitter.com/mamyjo @mamyjo

    I loved this post and can't wait to read tomorrow's!
    There are a million things I love about working for a church, but I'd say one of the things that gets extremely frustrating is the attitude that being a workaholic is fine, as long as you're doing it for Jesus. Don't get me wrong-I believe working hard to show the love of God to others is a great thing and a vital thing, but when you're stressed to the point that you can't think straight and your family isn't seeing you anymore, there's a problem. We're quick to judge some one with a "secular" job who works too much, but we tend to look away when it's happening in the church work environment.

  • Tim Davis

    Twitter name: @timothy_b_davis

    -I would have to say that one of the things that is frustrating is the need to appease certain members in the congregation and failing to target primary groups that are essential to seeing others reached with the Gospel

  • http://www.cautiouscreative.com Katie

    I agree with much of what you said, Tim. I struggle though, with holding that in balance with not becoming corporate. I feel like when we become corporate we forget about personal relationships and the people we are called to serve. Doing that defeats the purpose of being a church.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder timschraeder

      completely agree with you Katie… that's why I stressed up front this wasn't about the work of the church [relationships, discipleship, etc] but about how the church works internally. it's a line and something we have to cautiously balance!

      • http://www.cautiouscreative.com Katie

        Do you think churches know how to separate the two? Or are able to separate the two? I guess maybe that's the root of the issue, huh?

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/timschraeder Tim Schraeder

          :)

          indeed.

  • http://web.me.com/love101 A. Amos Love

    Just wondering…

    I have some question’s about the use of the word “Pastor/Leader.”

    The word “leader”seems like a “high place.” Yes?

    Jesus always took and recommended the “low place.” Yes?

    Jesus humbled Himself, made himself of no reputation
    and took on the form of a servant. Php 2:7

    How do “you” reconcile the use of the word "Pastor/leader"
    when “Jesus” told “His disciples” not to be called "leader?"
    And NO one in the Bible has the "Title" pastor? Oy Vey! :-(

    Jesus in Mat 23:10 told His disciples “NOT” to call
    themselves master/“leaders”
    for you have one master/"leader” the Christ.

    King James Version –
    Neither be ye called masters:
    for one is your Master, even Christ.

    The Interlinear Bible –
    Nor be called leaders,
    for one is your leader the Christ.

    Phillips Modern English –
    you must not let people call you leaders,
    you have only one leader, Christ.

    Today's English Version –
    nor should you be called leader.
    your one and only leader is the Messiah.

    The Amplified-
    you must not be called masters ( leaders )
    for you have one master ( leader ) the Christ.

    Jesus told His disciples not to be called "leaders" and none did.

    Ro 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
    Php 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,
    Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ,
    Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God,
    Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God
    2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant

    His disciples all called themselves "servants,"
    none called themselves "leaders." None? None.
    None called themselves "servant-leader." None.

    If Jesus instructed “His disciples” NOT to call themselves leaders
    and someone calls themself a "leader"
    or thinks they are a "leader;"

    Are they a "disciple of Christ?"

    And can you name one person in the Bible who was called pastor?
    Can you name one congregation in the Bible "Led" by a pastor?

    Just wondering. Be blessed.

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