Continuing in my Reworking Church Communications series. Check out Constrains are a Blessing, Stop Speaking in Tongues, and No One Cares About Your Church to get caught up.
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There’s something in each one of us to want to compete. We like a challenge. We like to pick a fight. We like to come out on top. It’s just part of the survival instinct that’s inside each one of us. It’s part of what makes us human. While that can make for some healthy competition all throughout life it can also create an unhealthy pattern of striving to be the best or seeking to outdo the rest.
When it comes to church life and ministry we can sometimes bring that competitive edge to the table. Let me be quick to remind you of something simple: you’re competition isn’t the church down the street. It’s not the church across town that has a bigger auditorium or the church downtown that has all of the young people. It’s not the church that you read about in the news or the one that made the fastest-growing-most-innovative-largest list either.
Our competition is against the forces of darkness that enslave people in our communities. Whoa. I know. I think sometimes we forget we are in a spiritual battle. Our competition is with the things that are unseen. It’s the battle against destructive cycles and mindsets that trap people, it’s the battle against the golf club or country club, the big game or anything else that takes away people’s time and attention away from Christ. There are real forces at work around us [not to freak you out] and our job is to call it out and bring light to the darkness.
It’s really to easy want to compare or become envious of other churches’ success. Sure it would be cool to have the church with 20 campuses or the church with the rock star pastor, but the reality is God has a unique calling and plan for your church. Consistently comparing yourself to others will only dilute your own vision. It will cause you to be far more reactionary than visionary. You have a specific role you are called to fill in your community and in living out the mission and vision God has uniquely given you, there’s no room for competition with anyone else.
In Chicago there’s hundreds of churches and whenever we hear of a new church being planted in the city we don’t get scared or feel threatened — we get excited. The reality is there are nearly 3 million people in the city and that requires many different kinds of churches for many different kinds of people. It’s exciting to see what God is doing and to partner with other churches in the city to truly be the Church and be united in mission to see it transformed by the Gospel. The Church is most powerful when it’s working together across boundaries of congregations and denominations and is visibly the united body of Christ, working together to serve our communities and cities.
When you hear about another church’s success, celebrate. And take out a notebook and pen… see what you can learn. But don’t try to copy what’s working somewhere else or try to outdo another church. Remember our competition is with the things unseen. Our competition is against everything that keeps people from coming to our churches, connecting with our community, and ultimately with Christ.
