Where will your church be five years from now?

In the book Alice in Wonderland Alice came to a fork in the road she was traveling on.  She asked the Cheshire Cat which road should she take.  The Cheshire Cat asked her where she wanted to go, and Alice replied that she didn't know.  "Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter."


Before one can decide which choices he or she should make in life, one must have a destination in mind.  Otherwise, it really doesn't make much difference which road we take.  This is true in our family lives, in our businesses, in our careers, and it is certainly true in our churches.

I sometimes ask churches where they see themselves in five years, and I continue to be amazed at the number of churches that have never considered that question.  Without a sense of purpose, without direction, without a vision of what God wants to do in and through them, these churches are content to drift along Sunday to Sunday hoping that one day something good will happen.  It is only when we have a destination in mind that we become intentional about what we are doing.

Just as I believe that God has a purpose for each person I believe he has a purpose for each church.  We need to be intentional about seeking that purpose and then be intentional about taking the steps that will help us achieve that purpose.

So, where do you see your church in five years and what are you willing to do to achieve that?