What would happen if your church didn't open next week?

Approximately 100 churches close their doors every week never to reopen them.  What if your church was one of them?  What would be the impact if your church closed its doors?  No doubt it would have an impact on the fellowship you have with the other members of your church, and those relationships are important, but they could be continued in other churches.  Assuming your church has a pastor, it would have an impact on the pastor and his or her family, but there are other churches looking for ministers.  If your church has historical value to the community there would be some loss in that sense as your church's long history of ministry in the community would be ended.  But, would your church's closure have any other impact on your community, or would many people not even be aware that it had closed?

Sadly, I am afraid that many of our churches could close and few people would know the difference.  These are churches that have little, if any, impact in the community.  Several years ago I was trying to find a church that had invited me to a meeting.  The directions I had been given were not very good, it was growing dark, and the church was located in the middle of farm country where I had travelled very little.  Even though I am a man, I actually stopped twice and asked for directions to the church.  Neither place could tell me where the church was.  I finally did find it, and when I did I realized I was no more than a mile or two from either of the places where I had asked directions.  If that church closed, would there be much of an impact on those who did not normally attend?  I doubt it.  People living within two miles of the church didn't know it existed or where it was.

Several years ago a big-box store came to our community.  Many people cheered because of the low prices the store offered.  A few remarked that it would probably result in many of the local shops closing, but few seemed to care.  That would later change when many of the local shops did close and their stores remained empty.  Within a short time people began to miss their local shops and the goods and services they offered.  While the big-box store offered lower prices, people missed the service they received from the now-closed local stores.  They found that the merchandise carried by the big-box store did not always have the same quality they were used to buying from the local merchants.  More and more one began to hear people saying they wished this store or that one had not closed, but now it was too late.  The stores were closed and would likely never be re-opened.

Would people be sad if your church closed, or would they even notice?  The answer to that will be found in how much of an impact your church is having on its community.  How involved in your community is your church?  Are you doing ministry-related activities that make your church visible to the community?  Are you doing things that are changing the lives of people?  If you are you will never have to worry about your church closing because the people will not let it close.