Prayerful Assessment Needed for Steps to Change

In a recent e-mail newsletter I encouraged readers to think through what unsaved, unchurched people would perceive if they were to visit their church. What would they see? What would they experience.

I received a response from someone who took this challenge to heart, concluding “I have discovered something is missing in my church in every aspect of the questions you asked …” I am sure that if most churches would be honest, they would discover that there is always more room to learn and grow in all of these areas.

Then came a plea for help to become that kind of church. While there is no quick fix solution, I was able to make some suggestions. Perhaps my response will benefit more people.

Questions for Assessment:

You’ll find questions similar to what I asked in that newsletter in this post: Questions About Your Church

A good exercise for your group would be to come up with your own list of six to ten questions based on God’s design, purpose, and mission for the Church. But, you may use the questions in the above link if you wish

A Process for Change:

Work through each of the questions one at a time and do the following:

1. Pray about each question in regard to your church, confessing to the Lord where you might be falling short and asking Him to work in your church to increase His desires for you in these ways. Remember passages like Proverbs 3:5-6, John 15:1-5, and 2 Pet. 1:3-9. Use Psalm 139:23-24 as a guide for each of the questions, praying that He will show you what you might be doing wrong or perhaps what you are not doing that you should be doing. Ask Him to show you what steps to take to make the necessary changes.

2. Write down a step you can take now, for each of the questions, to start heading in that direction. Perhaps the step will lead to changes in the way you think about God or His design and purposes for the church which might require a study from His Word on certain areas. Perhaps it will be the way you relate to God or one another. Maybe you will need to put certain systems in place to ensure you are following His ways. The steps your church needs to take might be different from where another church must begin. Keep praying about the steps you should take. Perhaps God will use some of the articles linked to in the above questions to guide you in steps you might need to take.

3. After you start to implement a step, go through this process again, asking God to show you the next step. Very likely you will not find a one step solution for these questions.

Why Prayerful Assessment is Needed for Steps to Change:

We need to ask questions that relate to who we are as a church, not just what we do. We can push our way through behavioral change making ourselves do what we should do but change on the inside, at the core of our being, is quite different. God isn’t looking for a people who merely conform outwardly but who are transformed inwardly. Romans 12:2 says you need to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

While God certainly is capable of instantaneous transformation, He often takes us through a process, incrementally, step by step (2 Pet. 1:5-7; James 1:2-5). We need to yield to Him each step of the way.

Pray continually. (1 Thess. 5:17).

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col. 4:2)

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Rom. 12:12)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Eph. 6:18)

For Help with Praying, Go To: Prayer Resources