Mark DeYmaz: Update for Success

By definition, an operating system (OS) is the software that supports a computer’s basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications and controlling peripherals. If the OS is not consistently updated, the computer’s performance, security and compatibility will be adversely impacted. A neglected OS that once was effective then becomes a limiting factor that constrains capacity, slows activity or even causes a computer to crash.

Churches, too, have an operating system—an intrinsic understanding of what drives mission founded on Scripture and then forged by certain metrics of success. As we make changes to apply God’s unchanging Word to our ever-changing world, unless this church OS system is updated, church leaders may be only managing stagnation if not the inevitable end of their churches. Why? In spite of otherwise good intentions, many churches are still governed by the metrics of the last century.

An outdated OS must be updated and metrics calibrated for 21st century impact and effectiveness. Are you chasing 20th or 21st century metrics? Consider these four comparative upgrades, then ask yourself whether your church’s system is outdated.

1. Explanation and Demonstration 

In the last century, people were drawn to the church, and ultimately to Christ, through a clear explanation of the gospel. But today people are not so much drawn by explanation as they are by demonstration. They aren’t attracted so much to what churches teach but what they do for the community. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says let them see your good works. Pastors should recognize that this century is a Matthew 5:16 century. Though proclamation of the gospel is still essential, it’s the demonstration of the gospel in our lives that opens the door for an explanation of the good news.

2. Homogeneity to Multiethnicity

In the 20th century, pastors were erroneously taught that New Testament churches were segregated along ethnic or cultural lines. They believed that they were to plant, grow and develop churches focused on a specific people group or demographic. Yet even missiologist Donald McGavran, who is considered to be the founding father of the Church Growth Movement, wrote in a letter in 1978, “Do, I beg of you, think of it as primarily a discipleship principle. There is danger, of course, that congregations … become exclusive, arrogant and racist. That danger must be resolutely combated.”

3. Size vs. Influence 

In the 20th century, “success” for churches was measured by numbers, dollars and buildings, but today it’s not so much size but breadth of influence that churches should pursue and measure. For instance, assuming structural health, the greater a church’s demographic diversity is, the broader its influence will be in what is already or certain to become an increasingly diverse community.

4. Tithes and Offerings With Multiple Income Streams

Today, 80% of U.S. households have two or more income streams, a statistic that is some 20 points higher than it was in 1960. As American households have gone, so goes the local church. Tithes and offerings alone will not be enough in the 21st century to fully fund, grow or sustain effective ministry. Going forward, pastors must learn to leverage church assets like their buildings to create multiple streams of income. 

As it has in the past and again in our time, the world is rapidly changing. To get beyond mere survival, stagnation or decline, pastors today and the churches they lead must change with it. Keep your church’s OS updated and you will be better prepared to make a difference in your community now and going forward.

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Mark DeYmaz
Mark DeYmazhttp://www.markdeymaz.com/

Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor and directional leader of Mosaic Church (Little Rock) and co-founder of the Mosaix Global Network. He is the author of eight books including Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church, Disruption, and The Coming Revolution in Church Economics.