Paralysis of A Church-Cheryl D Browne

Sometimes we forget the main focus of our job here on earth, is to do the work of God. Repeatedly, we should ask ourselves, “are we working at our fullest potential for God”. Deciding what, when, or if you will do certain projects for your church, based on any others agenda, except God’s, is not the proper approach we should be taking as Christians. Working as a team for God or should I say as a family, you find that your church will grow to unexpected levels, your  pews will fill, parishioners will act in a more Godly manner, your tithes will generate, and all of the positive effects of working together will have a great  final outcome.

Paralysis of a church often happens when people don’t want to let go of jobs they have been doing for years. What is gravely misunderstood is that you do not have to fundamentally let go of the job you have been doing, but you are required by God’s law to teach your brethren how to do the works of the church. Nothing is run on a one man system. You must teach other members of your church how to collectively operate the church, so in the event someone cannot do a particular job for any reason, your church doesn’t become paralyzed. Your church does not stop growing.

Paralysis of a church happens often when we feel a sense of insecurity of our positions in the church. We don’t want to discuss certain agenda’s around specific people, because we are afraid they may learn how to do something that only you know how to do. When you think of Christ’s teaching, isn’t that what Christ wants? He wants us to learn to do all the components of the church, so the church never dies. Paralysis of a church happens when you don’t open your mind allowing God to use you at your fullest potential, because we tolerate insecurity, back-biting, divisiveness, malevolence  and many of the excluding mind-sets that come into play. You create a feeling of exclusion among your church members.

The church is made up of everyone and everyone should be included. Inclusion plays a major factor in how well your church grows. This is not to say there should not be boundaries set forth, but when you make your church more inclusive of your members, the willingness to participate reaches phenomenal levels of achievement. Projects are completed, agenda’s are made, timeline’s for events are reached, the development continues to prosper.

By paralyzing our churches we create an atmosphere set up for failure. We look like we are going forward, but with each project forward, you take two projects back. Meeting and greeting people in a positive manner, inviting members to all functions-personally inviting them to take part, helps to make a member of your church who normally would say no, feel included in the day to day operations of the church. If you are participating in the paralysis, remember that the church is run on more than one person-something like “it takes a village to raise a child”-“it takes an entire congregation to grow a church”.  That means it takes every single body in the church to help a church grow. Inclusion by numbers is the ultimate goal. God Bless St. Augustine’s.