Leadership Journal

We can put a man on the moon, but we can't cure the common cold. This complaint, which dates back to 1969, has its church leadership variation. It goes something like this:

We can organize more and more ministries—worship experiences, Bible classes, small-group fellowships, support groups, outreach opportunities, missison encounter—and yet, for all this, we still struggle with the most basic goal: fostering spiritual growth. The Willow Creek Association's recent Reveal study made it evident that church programs and activities do not necessarily lead to spiritual maturity. In fact, church activities sometimes get in the way of spiritual growth. How can churches help and not hinder the Great Commission—the making of disciples of Jesus?

What's a pastor to do? Leadership sought the wisdom of four church leaders:

Bill Easum is a church consultant and regular contributor for ChurchCentral.com.

Mel Lawrenz was senior pastor for ten years and now serves as minister at large for Elmbrook Chuch in Waukesha, Wisconsin; he is the author of Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement (Jossey Bass, 2009).

Adele Calhoun is co-pastor of Redeemer Community Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and the author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (IVP, 2005).

Rich Nathan is senior pastor of the Vineyard Church of Columbus, Ohio, and serves on the National Executive Board of Vineyard: A Community of Churches.

We asked them: How do you guide congregational life so that it contributes to spiritual growth and doesn't become a hindrance?

A lot of conversations and misunderstandings have arisen as a result of the Reveal study. No, Willow Creek is not suggesting that churches drop all their programs. But Reveal does show that participation in church activities does not automatically make spiritual giants.

Most churches have too many programs that are never evaluated. Every program should be evaluated regularly by asking one question: "Is this program making or growing disciples?" If not, drop it.

Reveal shows that the most important thing the church can do to move people deeper into the faith is give them opportunities to study and reflect on Scripture. But the study also shows that spiritual growth isn't linear. You could couple this insight with Larry Osborne's concept that people grow in spurts—when they need to know something or when they need to grow.

Also, as people grow in Christ they depend less and less on their church. Worship becomes less important, and more of their spiritual growth comes through personal disciplines and personal relationships. At the same time, people want their church to challenge them and hold them accountable. And since the most mature, Christ-centered folks are the best evangelists, tithers, and servants, they are the ones depended on most by their church.

The decisive dynamic in congregational activities that have an enduring influence is engagement—that is, bringing divine resources into real contact with human need. I challenge our church's members to be able to answer these four questions:

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