As I have worked with smaller churches over the years I have noticed that many of them have old pictures hanging in their foyers or in hallways showing large crowds of people posing for the picture outside the church building. Some churches have had three or four such pictures lined up in a row. Many of these churches now have maybe 30 people attending on a good Sunday. One had the sense after talking to folks about these pictures that they represented a reminder of when people felt good about the church. Maybe things aren't so good now, but as they looked at these pictures they could think about a time when their church was something special.
Before I go any further let me state that I have nothing against such pictures being displayed in the church. They represent an important part of a church's history, and people need to be reminded of what God has done in the past. What is tragic is when people look at the pictures and walk away shaking their heads believing the best days are behind their church. Such beliefs do nothing but create a defeated mindset in people's minds.
One of the few questions the pastor search committee asked me in 1981 when I interviewed for the pastoral position of that little church was, "Do you think there is any hope for our church?" Only later I was told that there had been a vote as to whether to call one more pastor or lock the doors. A picture such as I described above hung in the entrance area of the church, and I am sure many of the members believed that their best days were behind them.
What such thinking forgets is that what God has done in the past He can do again. I am convinced that He has a plan for every church, and the church that catches His vision and begins to live into that vision will enjoy a fruitful ministry. However, a church that believes it's best days are behind them and the only thing they can do is to try to survive isn't likely to see things improve much.
The apostle Paul wrote that he forgot those things that were behind him and pushed forward for the prize that was set before him. That is good advice for churches trapped in the mindset that their best days are behind them. Forget the past - the good, the bad and the ugly - and look to the future that God has set before you. The fields are white unto harvest and more workers are needed.
I've read that at least 80 percent of every county in the US is unchurched, and in some counties the percentage is higher. That is an incredible number of people who need Christ in your community. That is your Jerusalem! Will your congregation rise to the challenge of reaching out to these individuals, or will it just walk past pictures of bygone days and wish things could be like that again?
Our nation and the world desperately needs the church to rise up once again and be the church God intended. We need to speak up and point the world to Jesus Christ as the answer to the pain and confusion they are experiencing. The solutions to our nation's problems will not come from the White House, the Courthouse or the state house. They will come from God's house as we boldly proclaim the truth of God's Word and humble ourselves as we pray and seek His face. When we do that we can be sure that the best days of the church will always be before us!
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