Church is not a business!

Continuing my discussion with a few friends and colleagues, we return to the issue whereby people people argue, and even sneer against, sound business practice in a Church setting. So let's look at a few more business examples and see whether the 'spiritual' take on church is as sound as a pound or merely over-inflated!

It is good business practice to put the right people in the right jobs, the marketing people market, the sales people sell, the technical people listen to the end-user and design something that meets the need, the techies build and maintain the product and so on. Putting square pegs in round holes is extremely costly in terms of people management, efficient operating and of course in monetary terms too. A focussed and coherent  workforce is a happy and productive workforce and being in a church setting is not different from anywhere else (except perhaps in secular places people pray less and swear as much!!).

Manager's deal with plant (the church buildings), finances (the offerings of God's people), planning (large-scale projects through to weekends away and the like), organisation (structures need to have clear reporting lines and well-functioning channels of communication) and more besides.

I can already hear the dissenting spiritual voices muttering about the heresy I'm writing and all I can say is, "Stop and look where you 'spiritual only' people have taken the churches over the past years!" We need sound managers who are not only spiritual but willing and able to listen to God and discern His voice.

So let's have some Bible (before you all pray for my redemption!) to show how being a good administrator is a Spiritual gift (1 Cor 12):
   
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts."

Being a manager is a spiritual role. It is both calling and a gift to the people of God and if there is a gift of administration then those who go down the 'spiritual' track are despising and limiting something that is obviously of God.

Now, we move to Matthew 25 (1 - 13):
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
    
Another point for the sound management school! So often we run our churches like the foolish virgins, living in the expectation of what is to come and yet totally unprepared for it!

Again (Acts 6: 1 -7) we find evidence of skills based team selection. Another sound management model:
"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."

Sound management models bring a clear division and utilisation of labour (with the blessing of God it seems). Here, rather than neglect the ministry of the Word to wait on tables they appoint others to fulfil this role. Time and time again we can see sound business models employed in a Biblical Old and New Testament setting. Look at Joseph and the provision he put in place when famine was on the horizon. Is not bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse (Malachi) not good management? Can anyone tell me that living in one's own home and yet ensuring that no one goes without is not a model for co-operatives, a successful means of running companies (Acts 2:42 . . .)?

Being businesslike is to be Godly and spiritual and to be a good steward of the talents God has given them and a good steward of the money and people God has given His Church. We don't do stuff as a business and we don't ever forget who we serve and why we serve Him but we do employ sound practice. We just never let the world subjugate the things of the Spirit but never let being Spiritual be an excuse for our own foolishness.

Getting the picture yet guys?