Growing Pains

God continues to drive new families and young people to our church, and thus the inevitable growing pains are beginning to appear. What are growing pains? For some churches it is the need for more parking or seating. That yet is not the case at Wakefield. What then are these pains? I believe it is the adjustment that the long term members and attendees make to new ways of ministry and the new people this attracts.

I looked up Growing Pains on the medical websites. They document that these pains come upon children at night and in the leg area. However, they all state that the cause of the pain is a mystery, because it should not hurt to grow.

Why then does it hurt to grow in a church? One is the attitude of "We've never done it that way before." When church people hold onto methodology and even elevate that to dogma, then the pain appears. Another is when the culture of one group conflicts with that of another. Church should be always in flux as a younger generation moves up to assume places of leadership and as the community around it changes.

My parents moved into their current home about 38 years ago. At that time the neighborhood was packed with kids and the community had a young feel. Then things changed. Kids grew up and moved out, and the neighborhood aged. Now, many years later the older people are moving out to retirement communities and young families are moving in to replace them. The public schools that had to close will probably reopen and businesses that served older people are adjusting to a younger client.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because churches go through similar transitions. However, churches should not wait 38 years to reinvent itself. We should be looking for new ways to tell the same story and to worship the same God. There is dogma that should never change and methodology that can change as the need arises. Pray for Wakefield as we adjust to the world around us without compromising on the absolutes of the faith.

-Mark


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