About fifteen years ago, I was interim associate minister at a medium-sized church with two Christmas Eve services. For the couple of years I was there, I used the five hours between those worship times to take a deep dive into all the stuff that had accumulated in the big walk-in closet where everybody looked for crayons, irons, VBS set pieces, and anything else they needed. (I was an overfunctioner - a trait I now work hard against - and my husband was tied up with the bazillion Christmas Eve worship opportunities at his big congregation.) There I learned how much junk can pile up that keeps churches distracted from their vocation and the tools they already have for living into it.
Here are some of the things congregations need to sift through, and it’s not all fabric scraps and crumpled rolls of streamers:
Clutter. Churches are notorious for keeping every used Sunday School curriculum, dried up glue stick, and stale sleeve of lemon cookies. Offices, classrooms, and resource closets also become repositories for items that members no longer want in their homes but that they don’t have the heart to trash or recycle. Please keep what your congregation might actually use or what you could possibly donate in good conscience to another church or organization. Otherwise, take it to the dumpster.
Limiting beliefs. I recently wrote here about the constraints that can keep congregations from imagining a different future or a better way. These assumptions must be unearthed and countered so that churches and the Church can live more fully into God’s dream for them.
Ministries that are pulling resources that could more faithfully be used in other ways. It is essential to reassess programs on a regular basis to ensure that they align with the congregation’s vision and values and that there is widespread buy-in. If these boxes aren’t checked, it might be time to sunset the ministries in question, taking care to celebrate the impact they have had and the people who have led them.
Structures that no longer fit. Many congregations have more committees (and spots on those committees) than their current size can support. If that’s true in your church, then it’s time to get lean and nimble. Decide what standing bodies are necessary, then consider moving other teams to a seasonal or project-based model. This has the side benefit of allowing more people to participate, since those who can’t commit to a three-year term might be energized by the prospect of a three-month engagement.
Physical space. In the late 20th century, the trend was toward expanding the footprint of churches. Many a fellowship hall, gym, or educational wing was built then and sits empty now, while its HVAC system, boiler, and roof still need maintenance. Your congregation can consider selling off part of its property or renting it out to other faith communities, nonprofit organizations, or for-profit groups. (Be sure to check into related considerations, like tax status and zoning, as you do so.) Everyone involved can benefit from these kinds of arrangements.
The idea that the pastor must do and/or be at everything. Everyone is tired and stretched thin, and volunteerism is down across the board. Add to that the experience of the pandemic, when ministers took on a lot of extra work to keep people connected and never redistributed it, and the expectation can become that the pastor will do it, whatever “it” is. Church, however, is the work of the people. If there’s no energy among the laity for a ministry, maybe it needs to end or simply not begin.
Have you ever felt lighter after making a big Goodwill, recycling, or trash run? Did you sense the possibility that comes from having more physical and mental space? If you as one person are different after getting rid of what no longer serves you, think of what a good clean out could do for your whole church.
Yes, yes, yes to all of this! I continue to ponder how getting rid of physical church clutter somehow allows us to shed mental clutter. I can’t explain why it works, and yet it’s true every time. Thanks for this!