DON'T BUY THE HYPE - BE BIBLICAL

There’s a lot of hype getting slung around the interwebs targeting pastors. It shows up on social media feeds, it finds its way into our inboxes. 

Stuff like…

“Tired of empty pews? Get our marketing plan!”
“Unlock the secrets that can take your church from 200 - 22,000!”
“Get _______ program and discover how to increase your guests by ____%”
“Learn from proven church growth experts that can help you take your church from _____ to ____”

99.9% of the time the solutions being offered have more to do with marketing, organizational and human/social psychology or crowd manipulation than pastoring and discipling people and sharing Jesus.  

One offer actually said this: (our exponential growth) …didn’t happen just because the people in our church were more spiritual…. What made it possible is (insert the plan, video series, steps, handbook they are selling: read man made stuff) 

Spiritual snake oil. All of it.

Does all that make you tired? Is it discouraging? It is to me.

I'll be honest. It makes me mad.

The church growth industry has become a way to make some nice scratch on the side for the retired gurus or a new source of income for those needing an exit ramp from their ministry because they are burned out from building what they are telling you to build with their formulas for numerical success.

I get it, people who have a proven track record of putting butts in seats can come to believe that attracting a crowd is an evidence of God’s blessing - maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.  

Crowds aren’t the point, Christ is.

Seems like Jesus drew crowds too, he also noted that sometimes the people showed up not for who he was, but were there for the hype. 

There is a better way brother Pastor.  

Preach. Pray. Love. Stay

Your crowds may not grow to the point you’ll be invited to share your ministry plan on a national platform. 

You may have to be bi-vocational or co-vocational to feed your family.

You may never be podcast famous.

You may be exhausted, resourced challenged, and struggle with envy wishing for greener ministry pastures.  

It's hard, but that's okay, you're not supposed to do ministry in your own power, wisdom or with some man made plan you bought from a dude who is selling strategy.

Tend the field God has assigned you, do it to the best of your ability, let the scriptures be your guide and God be the definer of your success.

Questions for Reflection

1. Am I guarding myself against the ministry marketing plans of men and filling myself with God’s word?
2. Am I working faithfully in the field God has assigned to me?
3. In what ways can I improve and grow in my Pastoral work - for the good of people and the glory of God? ​