The Buck Stops Where?
Brian Davis
I have an extreme burden to see churches be more effective than ever before. Not just start a new program, or try a new method, but really be more effective longterm. One of the most revelatory statements I have ever heard is this: “Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership.” I believe this statement to be true.
I have so much respect for Church Leaders who are giving their best effort. Having served in many different church positions including the position of lead Pastor, I am convinced that the job of “Local Church Pastor” is the most demanding job on Earth. The type of frustrations and burdens cannot be explained to anybody who hasn’t been there before. It is a truly amazing position, and it takes a truly amazing person to fill the role.
So, please understand that this article is not to put down the efforts of anybody. I just want to bring some real thoughts to the table about our future. Hey, let’s be honest here-If our churches do not move forward, they WILL move backward. It is impossible to stand still. We must be aggressive, and move our churches forward. Satan smiles when a church struggles and becomes immobile. We have to destroy the satisfaction of the enemy. We must move our churches forward and enlarge the kingdom of Heaven. But, remember what it takes: “Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership.”
Please slow down and read the following statement carefully: Churches stop growing not because the Gospel stops being effective, but because the current leadership stops being effective. It is not a question of whether the Gospel of Jesus Christ still saves, sets free, delivers, and gives hope to the hopeless. That is not the question. There is no problem with the Gospel. In fact, in a world as dark as ours is, the Gospel shines brighter than ever before. The problem is not in the Gospel, but in the local Distribution Centers.
I’m not saying that your church isn’t trying. Maybe you are trying a ton of new things, and for that, you are to be commended. At least you aren’t sitting with your hands folded. But “trying things” is not the goal. The goal is to be Effective. The key is in Leadership.
If you as a leader are not growing, stretching, and becoming better than you have ever been, then your church will not be growing, stretching, and becoming better than it has ever been. You have the extremely important role to LEAD the pack. They will not run over you. They will not run past you. They will not demand it from you. They will settle into the mold that you create. You have the ability to create the thumbprint of your church.
Churches that are growing have Leaders that are growing. So, if you are in the position of a leader, the question is toward you. See, while we can do many things to spark quick growth, it takes much more to sustain growth. While we can start many programs, it takes much more to keep those things going, and to cause them to be effective. Leadership is the answer. And, as a church looks at their current situation, and they want to grow, but they are not seeing the results they want, the brutal truth is that there is only one place to look: To the Leader. If a church is going to Grow, the Leader Must Grow.
So, what now? What if you are the Pastor of a church, and you wish your church was growing faster and becoming stronger, but you don’t know what to do? What if you have tried, but feel frustrated? Satan is telling you that you are doing a terrible job. What do you do now?
Well, first of all, if you have been trying your best, you should rebuke the lies of the devil, and overcome those negative thoughts. If you look back and can see that you haven’t been doing your best, you have been taking off more than you have been working, you haven’t been focused and you don’t have the burden like you once had, you should quickly go and repent, and ask God to give you a fire down in your soul, and to give you the burden again. But, what else? This is a serious situation. If you keep doing the same things, your church becomes stagnant.
What are the Options?
The very best option is that the leader grows. That’s right! It’s time to grow. If you are leading a church, you have to be out in front of the growth. You have to be learning at a rapid pace. You have to be studying the things that are working. You have to be learning new things. You have to be training other leaders. You have to spend more time thinking, reading and strategizing. Please don’t misunderstand this statement because I understand the power of the
Word of God, but maybe you should skip the next Bible Study and go to a Leadership seminar.
Maybe you learned a lot a few years back, and that has gotten you to the place you are today. But, what about the next few years? What about the next growth barrier? Are you strong enough to lead on into the future? If not, it’s time to get radical about your leadership! Don’t take your role lightly. You are in the position to save or forget a city. You are in the position to either offer help or ignore a thousand people. If we truly believe that we have the true message of salvation, and if you are the leader of the station in your city, then you have the most important job in your entire town!
The buck stops where? The buck stops with YOU. So, it’s time to grow. It’s time to connect with new people, read more books, dig deep into the leadership principles of the Bible, and take on the next 10 years like you really believe Jesus is coming back. That is the best option. There are a couple of other options for your church if you are unwilling to do the first one:
* Option #2: The Current Leadership Quits
* Option #3: The Current Church Becomes Comfortable and Stops Growing
If Option #1 isn’t taken, and Option #2 isn’t taken, Option #3 will be automatic.
Honestly, I don’t want ANYBODY to be offended, but I do want leaders to be challenged to really take a good look at their current situation, and take action. The hope of the world is in the local church. If you have been blessed to be the leader of one of those local churches, take on that position with pride and courage! Lead and make a difference.
If I can ever be of assistance to you, please contact me.
Brian Davis
This article “The Buck Stops Where?” by Brian Davis was excerpted from: www.SoulsNow.com website. November 2011. It may be used for study & research purposes only.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
