This article was taken from
“The Invitational Christian” by Dave Daubert
Priorities: While there is a picture of the ideal church in many of our members’ minds, it is most often a memory of something that was, rather than a commitment to what is or can be. This means that a healthy congregation has engaged God, their members, and community neighbors to discern what is most important. Not every good priority from 1965 is relevant today. Many of the most helpful things about a dynamic congregation emerge from local context and sometimes aren’t useful in a congregation only a few miles away. Congregations that are clear about what is most important can make a case for the work they do and are better able to invite others into that work. “Would you like to come to church? Is replaced by, “My congregation is working on _________ and I know you care about that. Would you be interested in helping?” You can hear the clarity and winsomeness in that already!
A congregation that knows why they exist, what they embody, and where to focus their energy is in a much different place than a congregation that continues doing business as usual. Business as usual is what got us here. It will take something else to change course and produce different results.