Chasing the past can shape how a church responds to growth and renewal. Recently, I spoke with a lay member who was preparing the communion elements. When I asked why they placed a cloth over the elements, they simply replied, “I don’t know; that is how I was taught.”
Every church established for more than a few years has set in motion the way things have always been done. Leadership teams establish markers for growth, spiritual renewal, and partnerships each year. Many of these practices arise unintentionally to meet a temporary reality, yet they often freeze expectations of what should be done in the future. This mindset sneaks up on congregations, becoming set in stone almost overnight.
In many cases, these innocent activities become small idols, making any break from tradition feel antireligious. Chasing the past is characterized by a refusal to update decor or remove furniture for fear of losing old memories. This mindset holds churches captive, leaving leaders unable or unwilling to move forward due to the fear of upsetting others.
In whatever assignment God has placed me, I have had to deal with the past as I have tried to help the church enter the new God chapter. I came to realize that the past is not the enemy nor are the people who harken back to the days when everything was great in their eyes. Here are a couple of other lessons I learned.
The past is the hero.
Unless planted in the last year, the local church you are in has a rich history of tremendous highs and incredible lows. Looking back on its history, you can see the moments where God moved; in those seasons, the marker of “hero” is set in place. The pastor who was leader at the time of the great awakening of growth through numerical increase, new buildings, campus relocation, or large community gatherings has a shadow that looms large over the leaders who came afterward.
Those glory days are held in high esteem by those who were there. As the paradigm has shifted to slower growth or even decline, the need for a leader-savior in some people’s mind becomes more vital as the emotions of what was and what is come is put into focus.
If you are serving in a church that is hero-worshiping the past, begin to help them see that the past cannot dictate the future but can help the church know the potential of the church. Honoring former leaders and the church’s history celebrates what God did, but is also a reminder of what God can do again. God is doing a new work inside of the church, and while the past is remarkable, God has plans that fit your current neighborhood and where he hopes to lead your congregation. Help your church focus on Jesus, not people, and watch how things begin to happen earnestly.
The past dictates the future.
In the example I shared at that beginning, my dedicated volunteer was doing everything just like the previous volunteer had taught them. But on a bigger scale, what if your church is so focused on doing things the way they have always been done that it is missing out on what God is doing now?
Refrain from falling into the pattern of doing something that looks right but feels wrong. Begin to lead your people to pray for what God wants them to do right now. Become a right-now serving church that reaches the needs of those inside and outside the church today. God has a plan for your church. Pray and allow the Spirit to guide you to that plan, and then enable the future to dictate your pattern of serving.
In a world challenged by division, do not allow the past to divide members with the future reality of where God is leading the church. The glory days are not behind the church but before it. There are people in the community today where you serve that need your people, programs, and love for the community. Be a church where people feel welcome to enter and find a home in your pews. Strive to stay open to what others say by allowing God to do a fresh new thing as you celebrate the past, but strive forward to the future. God has a perfect plan for your church if you are willing to chase the present more than the past.