Our Diverse Church

In my extensive travels to over 200 larger churches (with over 1,500 members) nationwide, I've observed a diverse range of focuses and practices within church communities. To help understand and compare the roles they serve, I've developed a diagram that balances Faithful, Biblical, Cultural, and Satisfying aspects. This framework aims to guide church leaders and mature Christians in recognizing their church's strengths and opportunities for growth. By plotting your position on this diagram using the X (Cultural to Biblical) and Y (Satisfying to Faithful) axes, you can better understand and appreciate the dynamics at play in your church, without passing judgment on the distinct missions of others.

Serving (Cultural and Faithful)

Serving (Cultural and Faithful): This quadrant represents those who focus on actively helping others and engaging with their community, driven by a sense of duty and commitment. It appeals to those who prioritize cultural relevance while maintaining steadfastness in their service. Where you fall in this box depends on how much emphasis you place on cultural engagement versus faith-driven service.

Pros:

• Stronger community engagement and support, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.
• Practical application of faith through service, demonstrating love and commitment to others.
• Adaptive to cultural contexts, making the church relevant and accessible.

Cons:

• May neglect deeper theological understanding or scriptural accuracy.
• Risk of burnout due to high demands on time and energy for service activities.

Balance: Balancing Serving with other aspects ensures that service activities are rooted in stronger theological understanding and personal spiritual growth, preventing burnout and maintaining a holistic approach to faith.

Holy (Faithful and Biblical)

Holy (Faithful and Biblical): This quadrant is for those who emphasize faithfully adhering to Scripture in ways  that set them apart, illustrating the love of God in all they do. It appeals to those who value a deeper spiritual life anchored in Scriptural truths and lived with integrity. Your position in this box reflects the balance between your commitment to faithful living and adherence to Biblical teachings.

Pros:

• Deeper theological understanding and strong doctrinal foundation.
• Emphasis on personal holiness and spiritual practices.
• Commitment to Scriptural accuracy and faithfully relevant applications.

Cons:

• Can become overly rigid or dogmatic, alienating those who value flexibility and adaptation.
• May struggle to relate to or engage with broader cultural contexts or appear inviting.

Balance: Moving toward balance from Holy might mean adopting more practical applications and cultural relevance, potentially risking some doctrinal rigidity while making the faith more accessible.

Learning (Biblical and Satisfying)

Learning (Biblical and Satisfying): This quadrant represents individuals and churches that prioritize understanding and applying Scriptural principles in ways that produce tangible results and practical success. It appeals to those who see effective ministry outcomes as a sign of divine favor and value ongoing spiritual education. Your location in this box indicates how much you focus on Scriptural understanding versus achieving satisfying outcomes.

Pros:

• Focus on understanding and applying Scriptural principles in practical ways.
• Emphasizes ongoing spiritual education and personal development.
• Recognizes and values tangible ministry outcomes and success.

Cons:

• May prioritize results over faithfulness, leading to a performance-based approach.
• Risk of superficial engagement with Scripture, lacking depth in theological understanding.

Balance: Balancing Learning with other aspects ensures that practical application is rooted in deeper theological understanding and faithful living, avoiding a purely results-driven approach.

Served (Satisfying and Cultural)

Served (Satisfying and Cultural): This quadrant is for those who focus on the benefits and positive outcomes of their faith practices, seeing success and satisfaction as indicators of divine blessing. It appeals to those who value practical results and cultural relevance, enjoying the fruits of their spiritual and community efforts. Your position in this box depends on the emphasis you place on cultural relevance versus achieving satisfying outcomes.

Pros:

• Emphasis on positive outcomes and practical benefits of faith practices.
• Strong cultural relevance and adaptability, making the church accessible and engaging.
• Focus on enjoying the fruits of spiritual and community efforts.

Cons:

• May neglect deeper spiritual disciplines and theological understanding.
• Risk of becoming consumer-oriented, focusing more on satisfaction than transformation.

Balance: Balancing Served with other aspects ensures that positive outcomes and cultural relevance are grounded in deeper theological understanding and faithful living, preventing a purely consumer-oriented approach.

Balance: Benefits and Risks

Benefits of Balance:

• Ensures a holistic approach to faith, integrating service, theology, practical application, and cultural relevance.
• Prevents burnout and superficial engagement by fostering both internal and external growth.
• Creates a dynamic and adaptable church environment that can engage with various contexts while maintaining doctrinal integrity.

Risks of Balance:

• Can be challenging to maintain, requiring constant reflection and adjustment.
• Risk of becoming overly generalized, losing the distinctive strengths of each aspect.
• May struggle to appeal to individuals or groups who strongly prioritize one aspect over others.

Natural Concerns of Church Leaders:

Serving: "Maintaining balance might dilute our strong service focus and spread our resources thin."

Holy: "Balancing could risk compromising our doctrinal purity by incorporating too much cultural relevance."

Learning: "Striving for balance may lessen our emphasis on practical success focus on learning."

Served: "Pursuing balance might lead to losing the immediate satisfaction and engagement our congregation values."

Loving God Includes Loving Neighbor and Self

Some are challenged by the notion of  loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and having enough love to include neighbor, much less themselves.  But true holiness recognizes we can't truly love God in all those ways without loving both our neighbors and ourselves.  For those who believe it's a struggle between choosing one or the other (Bible and Culture), or trying to balance the two, the truth lies in 'they are the same,' not in conflict.  And in that respect, the Holy option naturally balances all of the characteristics we've been considering, otherwise it's not truly Biblically Faithful, is it?

Observations from My Travels

In visiting over 200 larger churches, I've discovered that Biblically Faithful churches as described here are rare given the struggle to serve communities in satisfying ways, but they are exceptionally healthy and growing too. These churches foster deeply meaningful and fruitful relationships with God, emphasizing a holistic approach to faith that integrates service, theology, practical application, and cultural relevance. Culturally satisfying churches, while more attractive in numbers, often lack the depth and spiritual fruitfulness required to keep Biblically faithful members fed and serving. However, it's important to recognize that any effort to share and live the gospel is valuable and can be used by the Holy Spirit to work in people's lives, especially when they match the specific needs of the communities they serve.

Conclusion

The ultimate goal is to recognize and promote a more holistic approach, which The Better Ministry suggests is "Better" when it includes willfully and progressively adding value. This approach prioritizes a deep and growing relationship with God, fostering both spiritual growth and community engagement. The grey arrow pointing toward Balance from Holy represents the caution against compromising growing intimacy with God for the sake of balance when it already includes loving others and self too. By striving for an approach that prioritizes a deep and holistic relationship with God that is truly faithful Biblically, churches can grow in both number and spiritual depth, fostering a community that truly reflects the love and teachings of Jesus.

Your comments are encouraged!  The more we learn from each other the more we grow together too.  So if you have any comments to share that can help everyone grow, potentially negative or positive, they can be used but the Holy Spirit for good.