All the cars I’ve ever purchased have been used, including the ones we drive now. Buying used cars over the years I’ve learned that a vehicle’s history makes a big difference in its potential for problems in the future.
A Carfax report, as you probably know, gives you a glimpse of a vehicle’s history. It tells you if it has been in any major accidents. It reveals how many owners it’s had. Sometimes even maintenance records can be found on a Carfax too. It’s like a little security blanket that comforts you about the car you’re about to buy. If the Carfax is clean (no major accidents or other surprises) it’s more likely that the car will not prove costly or problematic down the road.
What if in your search for a new church there was such a thing as a Churchfax? Would such a report be necessary, or even useful? Would a pastoral candidate find it helpful? Would potential new members be interested in seeing it? What about those nominated for leadership?
The answer to those questions would depend on whether you believe a church’s history has bearing on its future. Do problems from a church’s past foretell problems in the future? If those problems are yet to be fixed, yes. Like a car with a knocking noise in the engine, they can be signs of real trouble. Or, like a car that rarely ever got its oil changed – you should be prepared for the cost of major repairs.
What if you’re considering two similar churches? If “Church A” suffered a major split twelve years ago and has never been able to keep a pastor for more than three years since that point, what might that tell you about the church? What might it tell you if you’re candidating as the next pastor or if you’re a lay person being asked to serve in leadership?
If “Church B” had one pastor for the past twelve years but also went through a major downturn in attendance, (however you discover it was due to their planting a daughter church) how would that history speak to the health of the church? What would its history suggest about its prospects for the future?
Churches, like cars, can vary by make (denomination), model (philosophy of ministry) and market (target audience). One thing they all have in common though is spiritual history. Where that history reveals that godly leaders took care of maintenance issues to keep the church healthy, you can bet the church’s future is bright. Where church leaders have neglected to address maintenance issues (church discipline, mission/vision fulfillment etc.) danger signs will appear.
Furthermore, where church leaders have failed to make necessary repairs from corporate wounds and painful crises that impact the congregation, you better watch out. Your church likely needs to spend some time in the shop before things get worse. Serious problems develop when too much friction causes damage to the way the “parts” were designed to work together. To paraphrase Paul, “the engine cannot say to the transmission; ‘I have no need of you!”
You may be in a church where you know the history is not what it should be, make the necessary repairs! Don’t ignore your history. Haggai told the Israelites of his day, “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5) Those ways consisted of the negative corporate behaviors that existed in their history.
You may not know the history of your church, but believe me the Lord of the Church does. Depending on what’s there, He may be waiting for you to find a “Body” shop and make repairs. We will never arrive at a renewed spiritual landscape if our church is stuck on the side of the road, steaming and over-heated.
Let me suggest you start by taking the ChurchScan ministry assessment found on our website. It may not give you the whole story a Churchfax would, but it will give you an indication of whether or not you need to look deeper into your church’s history. It may be just the thing you need to get your church ready for a new and exciting road-trip.
Mark Barnard serves as President of Blessing Point Ministries and is the author of The Path of Revival – Restoring Our Nation One Church at a Time and co-author of the Healing the Heart of Your Church Facilitator Guide. Like us on Facebook.