By Thom S. Rainer
“Happy” is a nebulous term. It is usually understood better than defined. So I know I am taking a risk when I used such a subjective word.
Please allow me to explain. For
almost twenty years, I served as a consultant to churches in the United States
and Canada. After working with hundreds of churches, I saw several patterns
develop. One of those patterns correlated directly with the happiness of the
church. I was able to discern happiness by the interviews with members and
staff, with diagnostic tools we used, and with a grasp of the histories of the
churches, particularly in the area of church conflict.
Recently I reviewed the files of 17
of the happiest churches where I consulted. As is typical in consultations,
patterns emerged. In the case of these churches, I found nine common
characteristics among the congregations. In each case, the characteristic
seemed to contribute to the overall happiness of the churches.
1.
The pastor
was a strong leader, but not an autocratic leader. He was able to maintain that healthy balance of providing
clarity of vision without imposing his will on every decision.
2.
The pastor
regularly demonstrated and affirmed love for the congregation. In both his actions and his words, the pastor communicated
clearly that he loved the members of the church. And he loved them regardless
of their apparent feelings toward him, though most of the members genuinely
loved the pastor as well.
3.
The pastor
regularly demonstrated and affirmed love for the community where the church was
located. Though he could not be
omnipresent, the pastor made it a point to be involved in many of the affairs
of the community. He genuinely loved people in the community and viewed the
entire area as his mission field.
4.
The
ministry staff liked each other, and they worked well together. If there are tensions among the staff, they cannot be
hidden from the congregation. But if the staff is unified and banter in fun
with one another, the members feed off that joy and unity.
5.
A high
proportion of the membership was actively involved in ministry. When church members are doing the work of ministry, they
have a sense of fulfillment and joy. When they aren’t, they often have extra
time on their hands to be divisive.
6.
Business
meetings (i.e., vestry) were brief and friendly. These meetings were rarely a time of infighting and
complaining. To the contrary, most of the members were too busy doing ministry to
be negative (see #5).
7.
A high
proportion of the members were in a small group or Sunday school class. Community grew in these small groups. People who are true
members of a community tend to be happier people.
8.
The
pastor’s time in the Word was protected.
It is easy for a pastor to yield his time in the Word for the tyranny of the
urgent. Thus he becomes frustrated, as he has to rush to complete a sermon, or
as he does not have sufficient time to do the sermon well. The members likewise
become frustrated because they don’t feel like the pastor is feeding them. A
happy church makes certain that the pastor has adequate time every week to be
in the Word.
9.
The pastor
had a small informal or formal group to whom he was accountable. This group includes those members who clearly love the
pastor. They offer both encouragement and accountability for him. The
interchange between this group and the pastor is frank, transparent and,
overall, healthy. And all communications take place on an unmistakable
foundation of love.
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