Today, I met the pastor who quit...

Five years in the making here in metro St. Louis the church closed its doors and people scattered. In their hay day they had around 70 people. When they closed they had around 40 people. The part of the story I heard didn't make any sense.

Early they rented a commercial property and then broke the lease and had to pay $50,000. They purchased another property and remodeled it. I saw it today, beautiful and state of the art. Well done! It even had a coffee shop. Super sound and lighting. Nice tables and chairs. But they closed their doors. Why?

They closed their doors. The pastor is the only one left and he is selling off the stuff to pay off the debt. The building may be sold if the building is zoned commercial. Why did they close their doors?

From what I gathered there are more factors than I know. But one thing I do know is that they spent there time in the early days trying to have a Sunday service in a building just like the other ones. In the end they had a building with all the trappings and a pastor who was doing everything and a budget they could not meet and building they could not afford. It crashed! The pastor crashed! It was so very sad and unnecessary.

While their mission was a building, a budget, a style to attract a certain target and a service or programs that set them apart from other churches down the street, it crashed. What they failed to see was the mission of having a congregation mobilized to reach people where they live and show them who Jesus is and allow Jesus to work through them, to accept Him.

They missed the most important thing (my consulting coming through). They forgot the purposes of the Great Commission and what it means to live Jesus in the world. While they were trying to look legitimate they missed being legitimate. While they tried to be effective their actions made them ineffective. While trying to have a different style to reach their target they missed their target.

I saw what man can do and it was done well. I didn't see what only God can do. The result is a drained pastor, a scattered flock and a people who are still without God. What did they accomplish? Wrong question. What did they let God accomplish through them? Correct question. It is never about what man can do and it is always about what only God can do.

The pastor and the church did the right thing. They closed their doors. It is the right thing to do until they are willing to take the "business" and "man can do out" and let the only what God can do in. If only God could have been in charge and if only His missional purposes were engaged. If only....