Fifteen Characteristics of Dysfunctional Churches

By Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div., M.S.A.

1) Abusive Relationships

Abusive relationships are found when the organization (or parts of it) seek a Scapegoat (an individual or a group) designated to suffers pain for others or the organization. Anyone who chooses not to share in the Scapegoating will also be scapegoated and or face severe consequences (e.g. rejection, blame, physical and/or emotional abuse, censure, et al) for rejection of that role. Dysfunctional organizations tenaciously maintain the Scapegoat role, for without it, they would be unable to project their dysfunction on others but would have to bear the pain of the dysfunction themselves.

2) Perfectionism

This goes beyond merely seeking excellence. Instead, it is a controlling tactic by which individuals or groups replace a healthy sense of trust and spontaneity with a legalistic, over-zealous, destructive focus on minute defects of others, their leadership styles, their procedures, the organization, et al.

Mercilessly drawing attention to otherwise irrelevant minutiae, it directs energy from focusing on the big picture to an over-attention to details. Bureaucracy-perpetuating constitutions, detailed bylaws, and detailed policies and are all part of a dysfunctional organization's on-going prescription for aggravated conflict as they simply provides more ammunition for those enforcing the perfect way of operation.

3) Rigidity

Rigidity, like Perfectionism, relies on unbending rules and strict adherence to various "objective" standards (Constitutions, Policies, Doctrines, supposed denominational dictates, the "right" way). The main purpose of the bureaucracy (formal or informal) is to enforce and enlarge control over others while squashing spontaneity and risk taking. No surprises are allowed…although those in or seeking control may instantaneously and repeatedly change any dictum or direction without warning. However, hose being controlled must do everything the "right" way.

4) Silence

People don’t speak up at appropriate times in appropriate situations with appropriate people. Results: Repeated "unanimous" decisions that get undermined, sabotaging supporters.

5) Repression

Unspoken rules that it is not "Christian" to express feelings of disagreement, dissent, or anger. Instead, one must hide how one really feels or suffer censure for expression of emotions. Instead of expressing feelings, feelings must be hidden. Result: Repression ultimately must be released in episodes (or series of episodes) of uncontrollable anger and hostility.

6) Rationalization and Denial

Groups or individuals re-work truth and reality to fit their distorted view of situations, individuals, and other groups.

7) Triangulation

Triangulation is using "go-betweens" to communicate indirectly with other parties. Results: Unsuspecting, but sympathetic message-bearers become entangled in an unwanted destructive web of blame, anger, and miscommunication. Result: They become uncomfortable with their roles and jump ship.

8) Double Messages

Such duplicity or "two-faced" aspect is exemplified by people whose actions always have an opposite "flip side." Some examples: "I care/get lost;" "I love you/don’t bother me;" "I need you/You’re in my way," "Yes, I accept you just as you are/Why don’t you change!".

9) Lack Of Fun/Anti-Spontaneity

Dysfunctional churches can’t loosen up, let go, play and have fun. Being overly serious, humor will be seen an un- "unrighteous" and "undignified" church activity. When play is attempted, people get hurt…the deeps wounds experienced endure for decades as warnings to others to avoid use of fun humor. Any humor that is used is used to hurt (e.g. "low blow", humiliation, double messages, etc.)

10) Martyrdom

High tolerance by individuals or groups to bear abuse, pain, and extreme sacrifice for the organization. No real atmosphere or opportunities exist in the organization for expressing pain, loss and providing healing mechanisms. Designated martyrs are made to feel "deserving" of their pain.

11) Entanglement: The "Hooterville Syndrome"

This is the situation where everyone knows everyone else’s business but the information is never accurate, relevant, timely or constructively directed.

12) "We Care" Syndrome

An extension of the double messages mentioned above, dysfunctional individuals and organizations will often claim to care but, when given opportunity to assist, have other "priorities and needs" which will cause presented needs to go unmet on a regular basis.

13) Elevations of Dysfunctional Leaders

When certain attention-seeking individuals can’t find attention in their family, job, or elsewhere, the church becomes a convenient—and easy—place for such "attention addicts" to get their attention by becoming a Chairman of a congregational group. By not saying "no" to such incompetents, the church succumbs to an inordinate amount of incompetence, incomplete tasks, and other types of associated narcissistic fallout.

14) Inability to Grasp a Positive Vision.

Those entrenched in perfectionism, procedures, victimization and control will be too pre-occupied to deal with positive things such as present and future organizational vision. Instead, there’s a self-defeating zealous preoccupation with the past and present which leaves no possibility for deliberating regarding the future.

15) Dysfunctional Expectations of the Pastor

The general disrespect for the Pastoral Office, testified by an on-going succession of short-tenured pastors often indicates that either one or both of the following dysfunctionalities are present and operative in the given congregation.

a) Clerical Reductionism
Clerical Reductionism is when pastors are stripped of all appropriate authority. Instead of being encouraged and supported to carry out their ministry to the fullest appropriate extent, dysfunctional churches minimize the expectations of the pastor.

Activities are monitored in a legalistic manner with a clear intent to control--and limit--proper pastoral authority. Common monitored items may include the number and types of pastoral visits, whether various congregational policies are precisely followed by the pastor in every respect, limiting the pastor's "voice" in congregational affairs including those which are specifically pastoral responsibilities, micro-managing church office expenses, etc.


b) Clerical Expansionism
Some passive dysfunctional congregations will compensate for their passivity by placing on the pastor the expectation to carry out all the responsibilities and functions of the ministry single-handedly. In these dysfunctional situations, the preacher is more than just a preacher.

He's the janitor, Sunday School Superintendent, Choir Director, Chairman of boards and fellowship groups, initiator and coordinator of every new ministry activity, and doer of everything in the church as others passive watch and judge. Pastoral spouses often are enmeshed unawares and/or unwillingly into this unhealthy "expansive" view of the pastoral office.

Young upstart pastors and their spouses fresh out the seminary, as well as pastors who start a ministry in a new location, are especially vulnerable to dysfunctional clerical expansionism.

The Rise of the Casual Christian Tribe

Religious researcher George Barna has named a new Tribe on the religious spectrum, the Casual Christian. Barna writes,

“Casual Christianity is faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee – and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves.”

For the full article read HERE

Envisioning Replant: Practical Issue - Prt 5 of 5 (by Scott Thomas)

Seriously explore a name change (Prov. 22:1; Eccl. 7:1).
A name change can communicate a change in focus, in approach, in product. A change in name can be effective if the product lives up to the change.
If the only change taking place is the name, it will not produce the desired results.
Changes need to be in place (or ready to launch) prior to a name change!
What does your name communicate to the community in which it ministers?
Do you believe your denominational label (or lack of one) is contributing to or detracting from your mission?
Determine the cultural valuation of a denomination. Is it honored or dishonored in the community?
This could be the greatest point of conflict in an existing body that has associated itself with a denomination both corporately and individually. Members of a church are prone to say, "I've been a Methodist (et al) all my life."
Likewise, a person may be adamant about not being a particular denomination. Neither position is healthy. With whom will your church be affiliated?
Leading a church through a name change must be led by the mission statement. If your mission statement is "Retaining Our Members for Life," you may not want to explore a name change. If it is "Penetrating the Darkness - Sharing the Light," a name change may be imperative.

Determine if a relocation is profitable.
Is the church located in a growing area?
Where is the fastest growing area in your community?
What are the most densely populated areas in your community?
What are the demographics of the ten-mile radius around your meeting place?
How equipped or called is your church to minister to the residents in your church location?
What are the three most desirable locations for a meeting place for your church?
What equity does your church building have?
Would relocating create more opportunities for ministry and outreach?
Would relocating free assets for ministry or place a greater financial strain on ministry?

Fearlessly Lead the Replanting Process (1 John 4:18).
Prayerfully determine if God has called your church to enter a replanting at this time. Do you feel God is calling you to replant your church?
Once affirmed, lead fearlessly through the rough waters, people jumping overboard, seasickness, and mutiny among the crew. Many people (including leaders and even spouses) will become disoriented, discouraged, and dissenting. Lead the body patiently, lovingly, but firmly—just as Jesus would. But don't lead fearful of losing popularity, friendship, or a comfortable, secure job. A manager is a pleaser of people. A visionary leader is a pleaser of God.
Do you have the visionary, God-called leader in place?
If so, does he have the support of the leadership?
If not, where will you begin to look for a shepherd leader with the skillset to replant your church?

Center your faith in God (Matt. 17:20).
Reject the temptation to have faith in your resources, your givers, your buildings, or even your idea. Have faith in God's ability to honor his name by his body becoming more obedient to the principles of Scripture.
Follow God's calling even if it threatens being tossed into the lion's den (Daniel 6). God will shut the mouths of the hungry lions (and disgruntled members) if he is calling you to replant a missional church for his glory. It is his church—Christ is the head.

Envisioning a Replant: Leadership, Mission, Values - Prt 4 (Scott Thomas)

Define Church Leadership
Identify the top three or four lay leaders of the church.
What will each of their roles be in leading change?
What resource or encouragement do they need to more effectively help guide the ship?
Do they fully understand the vision for replanting a missional church?
How could they lead organized groups of men as you work through this process of change? Try to identify at least six key positions of leadership.

Staff Leadership
Does the staff (if applicable) need to redefine their job descriptions to accommodate the changes desired?
What role will they play in the leading of the body?
What knowledge or encouragement do they need to be effective in their redefined roles?

Board, Officers, Elders
Identify the governing structure of the church. Is it congregational rule, elder rule, deacon/trustee rule, pastor directed?
Determine if the structure is a biblical model and if it is functionally healthy.
Examine the qualifications of the church officers according to 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5. Work through the process for purging the existing appointed leadership if necessary.
Whom do you believe God has appointed as lay leaders in your church?

Establish a Clear Mission (Prov. 29:18)
Write (and rewrite) a mission statement that is easily understood and easily repeated, and that reflects exactly what will guide the church when determining the value of ministries (establishment and continuance). An example of a mission statement is adapted from Willow Creek: "Turning unchurched people into fully devoted followers of Christ." Another example is "Making True Disciples" (our former statement) and "Penetrating the Darkness - Sharing the Light" (our current statement).
What are the values of the church that could be incorporated into a mission statement (evangelism, discipleship, worship, etc.)?
Write out a first draft:
Can it be recited easily?
Is it easily understood by non-theologians?
Who could be given the responsibility of forming the mission statement?

The mission statement acts as a filter for all ministries. Is this specific ministry contributing to or taking away from the God-given mission statement?
How will ministries be dissolved without creating division among the body?
How open are the leaders of ministries to exploring other ways of doing things to be more effective in your mission?

Communicate your mission statement often in as many avenues as you can.
Publish it on everything (bulletins, business cards, letterhead, websites, pens, etc.)
Preach the mission statement in detail at least once a year. Exegete every word. Include it in preaching regularly.
Determine Core Values
Your core values are the foundations which allow you to build all other ministries. Core values are expressed by the term "We will," not "We might." For instance, we will worship God passionately. We might have communion.
Think of ways you could creatively and visually express those core values to the body.

Envisioning a Replant: Prt 3 (by Scott Thomas)

Envision
Envision what the church could be if no pre-existing traditions existed. Dream big. Now add God to the equation. Dream again. Then dream short-term to see the immediate needs of the body.
Envision what the worship gathering could be (Acts 2:42-47).
Attitude of body during worship
Music
Prayer
Teaching
Communion
Children
Exaltation of God
Incorporation of arts

Envision what the evangelism could be (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
Who can you reach immediately?
What attitudes toward evangelism need to change?
Where or how could you boldly make an impact with the gospel?
What steps of faith need to be taken to reach the unchurched and the unsaved?
How could your youth evangelize?
How could households evangelize together?
What worldwide impact could you make as a body (i.e. foreign missions)?
How are you going to be an eternal value to your community?

Envision how education and discipleship could be effective (Acts 2:42).
How will it become a passionate pursuit of the body ("continue steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine," Acts 2:42)?
What resources (people, qualities, gifts) do you have in place to launch greater disciple-making?
How will the fathers and heads of households (single moms, etc.) be trained to be the priest and spiritual head of their homes?
How will the older men and women teach and interact with the younger men and women? (Titus 2)
Will the age groups be segregated (children, youth, singles, college, married, etc.) or will they be integrated into the body?
What role will small groups play?
What training will be needed to help develop disciples who are passionately pursuing Christ?

Envision an Acts 2 commitment to fellowship (Acts 2:44-45).
In what ways will the body seek to meet the needs of one another (spiritual, social, financial, physical)?
What attitudes need to change to be sacrificially generous with time, money and resources for the encouragement and edification of the body?
How will the body serve one another actively and responsively in an unprompted way?
What will the membership requirements be? How will it communicate a covenantal commitment?

Envision an effective youth and children's ministry.
Will they be integrated into the church ministry? If so, how?
How will families be strengthened through the student ministry?
How will the youth be encouraged and trained to evangelize their friends?
What role will the heads of households play in the student ministry?
Who (person or groups) will lead the youth and children's ministry?
What facility changes are needed to communicate the value of children and youth?
What other positions of leadership need to be filled to be effective?
What leadership development with the students will be put into place?
What programs or customs need to be extracted from the youth and children's ministry to avoid distractions from the ministry goals?

Envision an equipping staff (Eph. 4:11-13).
What changes need to be made with the staff (paid or volunteer) to meet the church's goals?
Are the staff members doing the ministry or leading people to do the ministry? If they are doing the bulk of the ministering, how will they develop the body to do the work of the ministry?
Are you over-staffed or under-staffed to meet both financial obligations and the development of lay people (taking responsibility for ministry)?

Envision a body not reacting to finances to determine God's call (Matt. 6:24).
How will faith in God calling a body to reach out to the community and world be weighed against financial responsibility and stewardship?
If mortgages or debts exist, how will they be paid off in a realistic way over a reasonable time period?
What attitudes or practices about money and finances need to be changed?
Is a budget in place? Is it a true reflection of the church's giving and spending (balanced budget)?
What expenses can be cut immediately to be redirected toward the church's mission?
Is the body (especially the leadership) making decisions based on finances or on God's calling?
What creative ways can you generate more income without sacrificing resources, biblical principles, or expending paid personnel?

Replanting: The Story (prt two by Scott Thomas)

The Puritan Idea
In October of 2002, I felt the strong tug of God to become more effective in reaching the unchurched and in structuring the mission of the church more in line with the historical model of the apostles mainly found in the Book of Acts. As a Reformed Baptist, I have read extensively about the Reformation of the church and about the Puritans. Their goal for the church was to renew it back to the pattern of the Bible and away from the traditions of their culture.

The Dream
I dreamed of a body that loved the Lord, loved his word, loved the church, and loved the calling from God to be instruments of righteousness in their community. I dreamed of a people who practiced spiritual holiness, rather than judging others for their lack of adherence to man-made rules. I dreamed of marriages that visibly demonstrated the relationship of Christ and the church. I dreamed of homes that were led by the Holy Spirit, by godly heads of households and by the Scriptures.
I dreamed of a church that had influence in its community: spiritually, morally, evangelistically, and socially. I dreamed of a church that served willingly and enthusiastically according to their spiritual gifts, passions, and God-given abilities.
I dreamed of a church body that had a burning passion to share the gospel in their city, their state, their nation, and their world and to be a vital link for the establishment of churches all across the world. I dreamed of a body that had an insatiable thirst to encounter God in a real, personal, and intimate way.

The Recurring Nightmare
But was it just a dream? Could it be realized? Was I stuck in an endless continuum of leading one self-centered, apathetic, prideful, spiritually-arrogant, biblically-ignorant church after another with no real lasting change? I have always abhorred contented mediocrity, and yet I found myself again in an average church with an above-average indebtedness and a below-average love for one another. That was not exactly what I had hoped for. My own spiritual enthusiasm had grown average itself—and that was on a good day. Had my dream become instead a recurring nightmare of mundane Christianity? I was discouraged and disappointed with myself.
My discouragement did not lead to hopelessness. I fought through the overwhelming struggles to make financial ends meet with the clear call of God to be more spiritually effective. My top priority was to meet with God but that meeting was often overshadowed by meetings with refinancing organizations, with bankers, with creditors, with private loan resources. I felt as a church we had become more responsive to the call of finances than we were to the call of God. I had never made decisions based on finance, until this time. The financial demands were high ($16,000 per month mortgage) and the resources were weak (primarily low enrollment in the affiliated Christian school).

A Whole New Church
I felt the only way to be effective and remain faithful to this church (having served for less than a year at that time) was to start a new church in our youth center with a whole new approach to church ministry. I presented the idea to my pastoral staff. Their response was mixed, but they believed in me and hung on to that even though they couldn't fully catch the vision I had received from God.
They were enthusiastic, however, about the possibility of doing ministry like the New Testament instead of in accordance with the much-too-common phrase heard around the church, "This is the way we've always done it." No one really knew why we did it that way; it was just familiar and comfortable to the staff and congregation.
As a staff, we worked on details and vision for the new church, now called The Encounter Church. It was a regular part of our weekly staff meetings. In fact, it was the most fervent part of our meetings. I passionately worked on ideas for our new church plant and shared them with staff at our subsequent meetings.

First Approval
In January 2003, the church officers (highest ruling body at the time) approved the starting of The Encounter Church. I am not sure they fully knew what it was about, but at least they accepted the idea enough to pursue it from a church-wide basis. I announced it at the annual church business meeting in mid-January and held my breath when I said it would be a church, not just a Bible study.
Very little excitement was generated from that meeting. I guess they had heard unusual ideas at those business meetings before. Perhaps they never came to fruition and they were expecting (hoping?) this one would die as the others. Their silence to me, however, was the primitus annuo (first approval) that we needed to go forward.

God Changes The Plan
One unsettling incident happened in the early spring of that year. Tyler (the student pastor) and I were visiting a church member in the hospital. The hospitalized lady was not available for another hour. While waiting for her, we went to lunch and discussed the ideas we had for the new church. We were both caught being more interested in The Encounter Church than we were in discussing our current church.
I stopped and looked at him and said, "Do you realize we have been talking about Encounter for over an hour and we are both filled with energy and zeal. Do you think that would be true if we had been discussing our original church?" He was silent. I did not realize at the time how that incident would be a seed that would not germinate for a few months.
In May, Tyler and I went to Seattle to attend a church planting conference and to view a couple of churches in that area who held to a similar vision to the one we were pursuing. After attending a 100-person church on Sunday morning and a 1,700-person church in the evening, I pulled Tyler aside and asked him if he felt God was calling us to plant a new church or if he was calling us to replant our current church. He didn't know what to say.
I had heard the disconcerting statement that 3,500 churches in America are closing their doors every year. I had also heard the alarming statement that the church planting organization we were there to learn from (

the Acts 29 Network) had a 100% success rate, compared to the 20% success rate of other church planting attempts.
During the conference and immediately afterward, I sensed a clear call of God to get into the replanting of churches in America, beginning with our church. That is all God had used me to do in the previous pastorates and I had acceded to that calling. I didn't know the extent of that call and I didn't know it included our current church, a 60-year-old church with a rich history.

A Missional Church on Purpose
Many churches had indeed started out as missional churches. To be missional means that the individual members and the body as a whole understand and follow their calling from God to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ fervently to as many people as the Holy Spirit would lead. It means that we are engaged in personal relationships with the lost on purpose in order to show them the love of Christ and how he sacrificed his Son to die for our sins so that we could escape the condemnation already placed upon us as sinners by birth. It is not unusual for a church to lose their vision—our church was no exception.
In general, the congregation where we served did not spend time with unbelievers. In fact, every effort was done to ensure that we would come out from among them and remain separate. Our accompanying Christian school sometimes fed that separatist philosophy. Our church had become a church that had been trained to rapidly identify the lost (by outward appearances) and run from them, fearing their personal holiness would be stained by some contagious strain of sin.

Church Business Is Not The Mission
This church had become an institutional church and I had no interest in running an institution. That would be crazy! It had become a church business staying busy under the roof of the church, and had forgotten that our business is to share Christ with those who have never been under the roof of the church. Our mission is to share Christ with others who, when redeemed themselves, will be affected in such a profound way that they will in turn share Christ with their lost acquaintances, relatives, and friends.
Before my tenure, our church had contracted a consulting firm, and their conclusion was that it was a church for the "already churched community." We had to become personally missional and not leave the evangelism up to the paid staff and the foreign missions program, in which the church found inordinate pride.

A Whole New Church, Again
God called me to lead this church to become a whole new church. We did not try to turn the Winnebago around in a tight cul-de-sac, but we rather traded it in for a whole new vehicle. Jesus said we can't put a new patch on an old garment. Instead, we start again brand new so that Christ's message will be as fresh now as it was in 33 A.D. (

Matt. 9:16-17). I felt strongly called by God to lead the entire church body to follow Christ and replant this church, instead of planting a brand new church with those who desired change. We had to decide if we had the faith to follow God's leading. We did not ever want to be the same!
“And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved.” (Matt. 9:16-17 NLT)
To be continued.

Replanting Church - Living by Dying Prt 1 (by Scott Thomas from Acts 22 Network)

A Cemetery of Churches

Christ established the church, is the head of the church, appoints elders to lead it, and personally died for its members. Yet an alarming number of churches all over America are closing their doors for good. Empty, neglected church buildings stand with their peeling paint as morbid headstones for these former houses of hope.
Alongside many of these decayed bodies are bouncy baby churches toddling along with limited resources, stability, and identities. Most of the newly planted churches are led by young, energetic, talented (though not always experienced) men who have a vision for a living body—one without the stench of death emanating in every worship gathering.

Flabby Church
Decaying churches are somewhat interested to find a solution—but only if it's a quick fix. Like a couch potato who hopes to get healthy by watching Richard Simmons' workouts (short shorts and all), the flabby church likes to see faith in action but are much too comfortable in their spiritually lethargic Lazy Boy to get up and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called them in Christ Jesus (

Phil. 3:14).

Seeds Die To Give Life
Instead of signing "Do Not Resuscitate" orders or trying one more fad-laden religious program, the sickly body could instead become alive by replanting itself. Churches are attempting life-saving measures by transitioning their bodies or by turning them around. They are trying to bring about change in the church without killing it.
What I am proposing is that we intentionally bring death to a comatose body so that it could become the seed planted in nutrient-rich soil that gives life to a new body. Jesus said that unless a seed dies, it cannot give life (John 12:23-25). Jesus himself was the first fruits sacrificially planted in the ground (in a tomb) as an offering to his Father, and by doing so he made life possible for others.
"Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8).

Again or Anew
Dictionary.com defines replanting: "To plant (something) again or in a new place." In a church replant, a church avoids permanent death by recognizing it will no longer flourish unless conditions are drastically changed to facilitate growth. A "transition church," on the other hand, starts with a healthy organism and applies biblical principles to foster new growth.

Living By Dying
Instead of holding on with inordinate pride to the past, a replanted church dies to its former glory, its methods, its structure, and its practices and strategically plants its resources (body, budget, and buildings) in the spiritual ground. The result is a virile replanted church with a God-renewed mission to give life to the spiritually dead community in which it ministers.
I believe God is glorified significantly when this happens. It can be a corporate example of the spiritual renewal many individuals need. Is your church ready to live by dying?

The Global Leadership Summit

Well the Global Leadership Summit is coming up soon and I for one am pretty excited!

I appreciate the Southern DAB and their commitment to getting leaders along to this great conference, with encouragement and also a little financial help!

But, don't think this is just for pastors - its not even just for leaders! This is a great conference for anyone who want to be encouraged in their faith.

This year we are hoping to take most of the board members from Croydon Park, and if its like last year, we'll bump into the Gawler guys there too!

So, anyway, if you're interested then make sure you check out the dates and get along. For more info check out their website here.

Dreams & Visions

I have been thinking alot about dreams. I was watching the last speech ever given from Martin Luther King on youtube and what a surreal speech it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8

It has this prophetic nature about it, almost like he knew what was coming his way in the coming day. He had a dream for society that was much bigger than a single man or voice! His dream was in a sense 'eternal', it was a dream that looked beyond his own life and abilities.

So what are our dreams and visions that God has given us?

What dreams and visions do Nazarenes have for the church in Australia?

What would you like to see God do in our Church?

What would need to happen to see that vision fullfilled?

Church Planting - thoughts and views

Hi all,

I have a deep belief that the Australian church of the Nazarene needs to 'plant' new churches. How we go about this is the million dollar question.
What are your thoughts regarding our current church situtaion and should we be intentionally seeking ways to start new churches?
I know we dont have the pastors, and maybe we could say we dont have the 'money' but i do believe we have a mission to fulfill.
How many people would be interested in starting a new church?
How would you go about doing it?
where abouts in Australia do you think a new church plant is needed and would work?
Thoughts, ideas, rebukings?