I am noticing that the older I get the grumpier I get. It’s like some kind of scientific formula ratcheting it up as each birthday approaches. And to make it worse—the grumpier I get—what triggers it most is when people do not take my advice, especially on a professional level. I have to fight off the WB syndrome that often times comes with getting older.
Oh…the WB syndrome? That’s when you ever so slightly roll your eyes and say on a loudness scale that ranges from “under your breath” to “bursting out loud”—WHY BOTHER!!
Before you turn and walk away from your pastor(s) all disgusted and frustrated like I wanted to, turn to your fellow Christ Followers for advice. At least I did, and all of you who responded helped me tremendously. It worked as promised:
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
Last week we talked about literally one of the biggest failures in my career. For those of you who missed, I did a year-long case study working with 50 local churches and their pastors asking them to take a baby step of asking their congregation how they are doing spiritually. The question would be asked and answered in a simple 4-minute survey (customized to each church’s needs). In the three lunch meetings we had with them, they were all pretty much excited about how Back to the Bible was using this process and were “very interested.”
Yet over the last 12 months, only 1 church out of the 50 took me up on the offer. That is something like a 98% failure rate.
So I have been fighting off WB big time. Then many of you came to the rescue with great advice, so much so that I ran an analysis on what you said about this lack of success.
The survey's failure can be attributed to a combination of factors that touch on both logistical and some deeper, systemic issues within pastoral leadership. The key reasons include:
Reluctance to change due to pressures from congregational expectations.
Overwork and time limitations that prevent pastors from engaging in non-essential tasks.
Spiritual or moral concerns that discourage self-assessment.
Practical barriers in terms of seeing clear benefits or receiving adequate support.
Challenges in church leadership dynamics where pastors may not feel empowered to take action.
So in future attempts with pastors, I’ll do my best to have solutions for these issues. Your recommendations can be summarized into these categories:
Clear communication and relevance: Ensure that any new initiatives or surveys directly address the practical needs of pastors and clearly communicate the benefits.
Offer support and follow-through: Provide resources or mentorship to help pastors implement the insights from surveys or assessments.
Foster a culture of openness and spiritual health: Create environments where pastors feel safe to confront personal or leadership challenges without fear of judgment or failure.
Address leadership dynamics: Engage broader church leadership, including elders and deacons, to ensure buy-in from all levels of the church hierarchy.
And the real kicker is most of you encouraged me to not give up, but to continue these dialogues with pastors in the original group.
I thought, “Wow. Ok. When I can approach them with a sincere attitude of gratitude, why not? After all we are all a work in progress—even pastors.
I learned a great lesson from you, the reader. Thank you. I hope this helps you like it did me. Do you ever struggle with WB syndrome? How do you resist and fight it? I’d appreciate hearing from you.
Send your comments to me here.
-Arnie
Comments