What Is Vibrancy?
Foundational to every congregation who might consider their desire to be a Vibrant Church is the issue of life or death. In order to be a Vibrant Church the commitment to be Vibrant must override everything else within the confines of the gospel.
What is Negotiable?
- That ministry that has existed for the last 20 years.
- Those plaques and pictures on the wall.
- The style of music.
- The color of paint, pews and hymnals, even the “dedicated” ones.
What is Non-Negotiable?
- The only non-negotiable in a congregation that desires life is the message of Scripture. Everything else is negotiable. At the end of the day do you really want to say a plaque on the pew is more important than a person?
The commitment to life will be perpetually tested and is always easier to digest when we take away a program or ministry that is dear to someone else. The real test is when we need to remove a barrier to the lost that involves something I really like. Our attitude can be one that rejoices at the loss of the temporal thing we value in order to earn the right to speak into a life that will exist for all eternity.
If your church is in decline you can continue to stand by and watch the decline or you and others in your congregation can decide that the loss has gone far enough. Decide to put everything on the table for discussion, except the gospel of Jesus Christ. I commend you for the decision. The Lord is with you in this decision and you are taking the first step to becoming a vibrant church.