We Aren’t Broke!

by Dan Holloway

As a consultant, I am painfully aware of the many challenges being faced by Christian congregations these days. Between political fights, denominational struggles, and the loss of interest in being a part of the church among a growing number of people, it is easy to sink into depression about the present and future potential of the church. As one who tends to be pragmatic about such issues, I completely understand where many church leaders are coming from. As an old saying goes, “You can’t do anything with what you don’t have.” If we are dealing with fewer people, less opportunity, and less money (and the majority of us are), one can fully
understand the frustration and fear.

Yet I am more and more convinced the way forward is an emphasis on the things we do have. As one pastor has said, “We can’t do something with what we don’t have… but we do have something. And despite our focus on all the things we don’t have, we aren’t broke.” The key to transformation is identifying those “somethings,” the gifts the community of faith still has, and following the Spirit’s Leadership to imagine how they might be used.

For many churches in our day, those resources include their buildings. One of the places where the most exciting ministries are being done are in those congregations using their facilities in new ways for community engagement. We are not broke if we have buildings that can be used for ministry.

Neither are we broke if we still have people asking important questions about faithfulness, justice and love for all God’s people. At a time when too many are asking the question, “What’s in it for me?” we can ask the question, “What can we do for others? How can we follow Jesus into the streets around our gathering places?” Those who ask these questions have some significant social capital to share and their voices are desperately needed.

None of this is meant to minimize the significant challenges of being the church today. There is no doubt that hard choices are having to be made in many places and I pray we will be gracious with those who find themselves in such situations. Yet it seems to me that an approach to ministry which focuses on the gifts we do have will be far more beneficial than an emphasis on what we no longer have.

We aren’t broke!