Issues That Might Be Blocking the Realization of These Objectives<\/h2>\n
Obstacles of both a physical and spiritual nature can sometimes block church growth and health. This post won’t provide solutions but rather point to other resources for you to read, reflect on, and pray about.<\/p>\n
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- Physical concerns like safety and legal issues can get in the way of spiritual growth and health if not dealt with effectively. They could become distractions and even cause people to become disillusioned with the church. Perhaps the following resources can help you with these kinds of issues:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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- Article: Safety Measures in the Church?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Safety Measures in the Church: Trust God or Take Precautions?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Variety of Articles for Leaders on Church Safety<\/a><\/li>\n
- Book: Church Security: Providing a Safe Worship Environment<\/a> by Kevin Robertson<\/li>\n
- Book: The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches and Ministries<\/a> by Basyle Tchividjian & Shira M. Berkovits<\/li>\n
- Resources: Church Safety Resources for a Variety of Areas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Sometimes people stray from God and His ways. Similar to the account of Achan in the Old Testament whose disobedience to God affected the whole camp (Josh. 7), so will sin left unchecked in the Church lessen its light and saltiness in the world (Matt. 5:13-16). If the people in the church act and react no better than everyone else, what’s the benefit of becoming part of it? Church leaders can find help thinking about their role in these situation in the following resources:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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- Article: A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not By Leaders Taking a Hands-Off Approach<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not Legalism<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Leaders & Church Discipline<\/a><\/li>\n
- Articles: Variety of Articles about Church Discipline<\/a><\/li>\n
- Download: Steering the Church Toward Christ-like Character Leadership Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- When conflict festers in a church, it tends to derail real ministry and can even lead to division. Jesus clearly stated that a house “divided against itself will not stand” (Matt. 12:25). Leaders can become so consumed with putting out relational fires that they have little left to steer the church toward health and growth. If we can’t reconcile with one another and find ourselves wrapped up in political power plays, how are we any different than the world around us?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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- Article: Church Leadership Skill: Conflict Management<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Healing in Divisive Church Situations<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Harmony in the Midst of Conflict?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Obstacles in Becoming More Purposeful: Fleshly Resistance & Conflicts<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: The Pastor’s Role in Managing Church Conflict<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: The Slippery Slope: Staying on Top of Conflict<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Unity Prohibited by the Need for Control<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: When Resistance from Others Hinders Pursuit of God’s Purposes<\/a><\/li>\n
- Articles: More on Managing Conflict<\/a><\/li>\n
- Book: Caring Enough to Confront<\/a> by David Augsburger<\/li>\n
- Book: The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict<\/a> by Ken Sande<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Keeping These Issues from Blocking Church Growth & Health Requires Aligning with God’s Purposes<\/h2>\n
We must always remember what Jesus identified as the Greatest Commandments — to love Him with all of who we are which spills over into loving others (Matt. 22:37-40). Jesus also said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35). Church life will at times get messy as a diverse group of people come together as one living in a world full of trouble (Jn. 16:33). But, if we keep bringing each other back into alignment with God’s overriding purposes, we will overcome and continue to grow and mature in Him. To keep from letting issues destroy and divide rather than build up and propel us, we need to “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). Use the resources below to work through how to continue on this pursuit:<\/p>\n
![\"Keeping](\"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/church-purpose-bundle-sm.jpg\")
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- Articles: Do You Have a Church Purpose Based on the Greatest Commandments to Love?<\/a> (follow links in that post)<\/span><\/li>\n
- Articles: God’s Purpose for the Church – Help Breaking Through Barriers<\/a> (follow links in that post)<\/span><\/li>\n
- Article: Fulfilling God’s Purpose to Love<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Our Greatest Purpose in Life Made Clear by Jesus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Resource: Church Purpose Ministry Manual<\/a> by Ministry Tools Resource Center<\/li>\n
- Resource: Steering the Church Toward God’s Purposes Leadership Guide<\/a> by Ministry Tools Resource Center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
More Help for Leaders: Leadership Resources<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We want to see our churches grow and become spiritually healthy. Yet, church leaders must deal with many issues that can prevent or stunt reaching those objectives. We can, and should, learn as much as we can about the obstacles but keeping issues from blocking church growth and health requires aligning with . . . Continue reading Keeping Issues from Blocking Church Growth & Health<\/span>
- Articles: God’s Purpose for the Church – Help Breaking Through Barriers<\/a> (follow links in that post)<\/span><\/li>\n
- Article: Healing in Divisive Church Situations<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Church Leadership Skill: Conflict Management<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not Legalism<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: A Christ-like Church: Holiness, Not By Leaders Taking a Hands-Off Approach<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Safety Measures in the Church: Trust God or Take Precautions?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Article: Safety Measures in the Church?<\/a><\/li>\n