Every now and then I run across great information that MUST BE shared with my readers. I subscribe to Church Leaders, a blog dedicated to helping leaders lead better everyday. Today’s article by Chad Missildine, Pastor with LifeChurch.tv in Fort Worth, Texas is SO GOOD that I had to share it with you.
What is a Plastic Church?
A Plastic Church is a church that looks like church from the outside: building, services, staff, etc. Who knows, there may even be a steeple! On the inside, however, the Plastic Church barely resembles a church at all. No real community of believers, no prayer, no real concern for people, no application of Scripture in real life, no transformation. These are all signs of a real, authentic church. Could you have a Plastic Church or be on your way?
A plastic church looks like church from the outside, but inside there’s no real community.
Here are 10 Ways to Become a Plastic Church:
- De-value authenticity. Don’t create an environment where people can come as they are, baggage and all. This is easy when you, the church leader, are not authentic and genuine. Act like you have it all together, and everyone else will act the same way!
- Don’t push people to serve out of obedience to Jesus.Talk instead about what’s in it for them. Better yet, don’t encourage people to serve at all.
- Be a fake Follower of Christ. There is no better way to have a fake church than to be a fake follower of Christ as a church leader. Talk the talk, but don’t get off your tail to walk the walk. Be a Plastic Church leader.
- Don’t ever talk about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Stay instead on the perimeter- the safe stuff. You don’t want to get into confronting people with their need for relationship with God. Smells like Plastic.
- Don’t be relevant at all. Instead, confuse people with your lofty scriptural explanations. Make it so complex that only the spiritually elite like you can follow. Make application of Scripture a low priority and your methods of teaching the highest priority. Make people depend on you as a leader instead of empowering them. For bonus points, show off all your Greek and make people feel guilty for not knowing as much as you.
- Care more about your agenda than about honoring and loving people. Push, push, push your church-centric agenda. Don’t respect and honor the role your people have in the community, in their neighborhoods, in their workplace, and in their families. Make it all about the four church walls. This has Plastic Church written all over it!
- Make spiritual growth a low priority. Spiritual growth is so tough to track, why even bother? Focus instead on the programs you’ve been running for the last decade. They are way more predictable than diving into a new arena like authentic spiritual growth. Plastic.
- Don’t invite God into the picture. Instead, create everything out of your wisdom, your resources, your understanding. Christ as head of the church? Forget that, you’re the head, baby! Take it and run with it.
- Don’t talk to other churches or community organizations. You are too busy, too important, and have too many of the answers. Everybody should only think about your church and your name, not what God may be doing down the street.
- Do all the talking. You do all the talking, all the time. After all, it’s your show, right? Don’t think at all about using other message resources, telling stories through video, letting others cast vision. People need you; they want you. You. You. You. Plastic.
More from Chad Missildine or visit Chad at thewayitcouldbe.com
