Beware of Fake Fruit!

Posted on 2/3/2012 by Tim Nations in the Learnings Blog

Being a leader of a rapidly growing church requires a keen sense of discernment to ensure its health and continued vitality. Increasing numbers can serve as a false sense of stability, while systems, structures, and staff suffer under the strain of fast-paced change. The outcome can be much like the shock of biting into a perfect looking apple only to come away with a mouth full of wax. 

If you grew up in the 70’s or early 80’s, you likely had a bowl of wax fruit displayed somewhere in your home. Even if you didn’t, you know what I’m talking about: fresh, crisp, and polished-looking on the outside, but a hard, flavorless, synthetic mass on the inside. The fruit looks good (perhaps even convincing enough to fool and unsuspecting relative or guest), but on the inside its just wrong—fake.

Some leaders can relate their church’s growth situation to a bowl of fake fruit. Like the fruit, the external look of the ministry could easily fool someone into thinking all is well on the inside.

Ben Cachiaras, Mountain Christian Church

“We could see the life change and the growth and it all looked great, but internally the leaders were going, ‘Wow, is this really it?’” We had to acknowledge as a team that we were doing the work of God in a way that was killing the work of God in us. There was a spiritual malaise in some of our key leaders, which started with physical fatigue and led to a kind of flatness. [Eventually] there became a low-grade resentment about keeping the machine going…”

When the growth of a church outpaces its structure, it becomes a threat to the health and vitality of the staff and, ultimately, the church.

Organizational structure is one of the many core issues being addressed in Leadership Network’s Rapid Growth Leadership Community. For more information on our Rapid Growth Leadership Community, visit the Rapid Growth website where you can learn about past groups through videos and free downloadable concept papers.

The first gathering of Rapid Growth Group 4 is November 5-7. If you’re interested, please contact Tim Nations at tim.nations@leadnet.org or complete an application here .