Tyranny of More: 6 Common Myths that Drive Churches to Do Too Much
Tyranny is a good word to capture the dominance that myths can have over our mind. It’s so easy in ministry to do the wrong things for the right reasons. Imagine that- totally pure motives, great kingdom intentions and white-hot love for Jesus- all misdirected due to a stupid little myth.
Every week, I watch churches try to do too much. The six reasons are really six common myths. I have divided them into three strategic myths and three pastoral myths:
STRATEGIC MYTHS: Saying Yes to the Wrong Things with Good Intentions
- MYTH #1 Since Larger Churches Do More, We Should Do More to Grow Larger
- MYTH #2 More Options Will Attract More People
- MYTH #3 Designated Funds Alone Justify Something New
PASTORAL MYTHS: Failing to Say No to the Wrong Things with Good Intentions
- MYTH #4 Starting New Ministries Honors the Passion and Gifts of my People
- MYTH #5 More Programs Will Meet More Needs
- MYTH #6 A Good Leader Involves More People in Decision-making
In 2011, I will be releasing the writing I have been doing since Church Unique came out, almost three years ago. These myths are a part of a Tyranny of More ebook that will be released for free for a limited time only. If you would like to receive the ebook, please post a comment and I will put you on the list.
Myth #6 gets me every time.
Interesting ideas! Definitely been through the wringer on them. I can’t wait to read more about them in your e-book!
These myths are very insightful. I beleive that if a pastor/leaders is unclear on what he’s called to do then we get into the anything goes mentality of more is better. Half the battle is to eliminate what your NOT called to do. We get to focused on what the other guy is doing that we lose our UNIQUENESS and become another church on the block.
Great insights! Developing a “stop doing” list is so necessary if your church has been open for any length of time. Thanks!!!
This is right in line with our church’s new direction in following the Simple Church.
It is amazing how you succinctly address some of the difficulties with our church body. As an 75+-year-old church with a congregation that has grown and shrank, grown and shrank, it is frustrating to know we may be our own worst enemy at times. Looking forward to more education from you.
Will…well said. I’d love the e-book.
Great advice!!!
Love Church Unique, looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Tyranny of More!
I love the way you press hard to ask hard questions, often painful questions.
Thanks!
While the free book is always a good thing, this post really resonated with me. It seems the entire culture as well as eveangelical church culture is caught up in “what’s next”? Next rather than simply being next steps in our journey with God too many times has meant next in beginning a new ministry, program, or emphasis which must be propped up with leaders, volunteers, and money. Then when we fail to keep all the plates spinning we usually are completely frustrated by the “failure”.
Sure would like to see/read more of what you have to say about these and how you address them.
Blessings,
~allen
MYTH #4 Starting New Ministries Honors the Passion and Gifts of my People.// Just leads to passionless and burnt-out gifted people!
Just had a discussion centering on #2. I look forward to reading more in the ebook.
I so enjoyed your workshops at last summer’s NACBA conference in Orlando. I’ve brought your materials home and shared them with staff and other leaders. Would love to have this to add to what I have. I’m hoping this will be available soon because we are actually in the process of examining the programs and things we do to get ourselves out of the tyranny of too much!
Wow! What great wisdom! I find that I have been fooled by all 6 myths. I would love to get a copy of the e-book. Thanks.
Looking forward to reading the book!
I serve in a church of 100 and #2 is a real struggle. It’s so difficult to narrow our focus that at this point in church life we need to target a particular demographic and meet their needs. We tend to chase our tail trying to cover all our bases.
I’m looking forward to the ebook. But another tyranny that gets us is not recognising the life cycle of ministries. It’s so hard to give an old ministry a graceful death.
I think that you have captured the root problem of what my church is facing the lack of clarity & being cluttered with too many programs. This in turn have been stretching the pastoral staff to the maximum, and eventually making our ministry to be shallow and ineffective.
It is not that our church is not doing enough, but rather we are not doing enough to strategize our effort in sharpening and clarify what God wants our church to do.
Recently, I heard from my friend that the prestigious Michelin Guidebook for top-rated restaurants (is an equivalent of Oscars to the movie world) has for the first time had listed more restaurants in Tokyo than in Paris. The Parisan Restaurants owners were not happy about that as they had always been recognized as the city with the best restaurants. So the Parisan bosses asked the Michelin Guidebook why the Tokyo restaurants had taken over them? And the answer from the Michelin is “Simplicity”. The Japanese restaurants do not have too many dishes on their menu, in fact they normally specialized in one kind of food, and many of them have been doing that for centuries, from one generation to another. And they are so good in doing that one specialized dish that they have perfected the dish to perfection. That is why the Japanese restaurants could out do the French restaurants because the chefs could cook so many varieties of dishes, yet they could never master and perfect all of them.
Like some others who have commented, am most intrigued by myth#6 about leadership. Looking forward to the read…
I used to soldout on Myth #4. Foolish really. It has led us to a lot of ministry unrelated to vision.
I’m looking forward to understanding the thinking behind why some of these are myths.
I find it interesting that we always strive for more. If we followed Jesus’ example we would spend much more time determining how to go deeper in connecting people to Him, the true Source of more!
Will this stuff is spot on. Of course!
I’m busy with church unique in my new setting. Can’t wait for this new one. Having been in the biggerisbetter environment of a previous church in (location deleted) i am now working to preempt the tyrrany of which you speek. Constantly reassuring folks that less is more is tough when they perceive they are already in the LESS position.
And the organization said, “Compare and copy, compare and copy.” We can preach against the covetous attitude of “keeping up with the Joneses” and then as a church act like we have to “keep up with the attendance increase at the Joneses’ church.” Why isn’t that organizational covetousness? “Well, this is for God’s glory!” Yeah? I could use a 10,000 sq ft house like the Joneses have for the glory of God, too. And that Humvee, and that ………
Myth #1, “Since larger churches do more ….,” assumes people using their corporately sponsored quantitative methodologies define these words the same. “Larger” in what? Attendance, budget, money spent, acres occupied, square feet, number of pews, or even “number of baptisms” or other responses (measurable by similar methods to count number of customers). And, then, there’s “do more.” Do what? Spend more money? Or, lead in fulfilling the anointing of Jesus that He also placed upon His church (Luke 5:18-19). Think about it; who else will preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, release the oppressed, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor? If a “larger church doing more” means more effectively proclaiming the Lord and correcting the injustice against people over this globe for the glory of Jesus Christ, that great. Problem – how does one measure that for evidence of success?
“How can one church congregation do all that?” Brilliant question.
The “larger churches” should be “larger in effectiveness” because they collectively understand what unity in the body of Jesus Christ is all about It Christians understood what “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” really means, we would be too busy working together for the glory of our Lord to have the time to spend on the myths of competitive measurements.
Very interested in your take on Myth #6.
These myths are exactly where Satan attacks me at times. I would love to see the ebook when it comes out.
(Correction: Luke 4:18-19)
Looking forward to the ebook. These are some great points. Can’t wait for more…
Good stuff. I will be interested to read more of your thoughts on this. Especially since I’m currently reading a book right now that claims the opposite of a couple of these points.
I’ve been an associate pastor in a my church for one year now.. and I believe that while we struggle to some extent with operating according to all of these myths, in particular our church operates according to Myth #4, and I personally struggle with Myths #1 and #6. Would love to read a copy of the book if it ends up being available.
Thanks for bringing attention to these things. I’m looking forward to being able to read the entire book.
Churches that are doing too much are ineffective at accomplishing the mission God has given us and in my experience create Christians who are busy with too many church activities & responsibilities and a culture where maturity is measured by activity and time at church rather than spiritual growth and the fruitfulness of influencing others for Christ. As someone who struggles with doing too much and sees churches doing too much, thanks for writing about this. Looking forward too it…
Sure that we have been guilty of most of these at one time or another, and still act on several. Can’t wait to get more info on each. Looking forward to reading the book.
I like this. As I desire to pastor, again, in the near future, these are pitfalls I want to watch out for. Sometimes a church can feel that a new “ministry” is needed, but the congregation relies on the pastor to take care of that ministry. Looking forward to the book.
Looking forward to the book.
These myths are definitely a problem where I am at. I used to think that the church should honor each individual vision as a chance to involve people in ministry. Now everyone is stretched too thin.
I’ve had a feeling for a while now that more is not necessarily better. I look forward to reading your work in more detail.
You are on target brother. Look forward to reading and using it as a resource for planning and organizing. Thank you.
I’d like a copy of the eBook!