We Found the Killer. It Was Us.

Part 1 of 2

I sure do love Awaken Church!

Our church has been around for 67 years. Four lead pastors. A lot of seasons. We’ve had our struggles but we’re still here by God’s grace, and we don’t take that lightly.

Not every church makes it that long. A lot don’t. And most of the time, it’s not because the world beat them… it’s because something broke down on the inside.

A while back I came across a church newsletter from 1959. Buried in it was a short piece called “10 Ways to Kill a Church.” I read it three times. Every item on that list is still happening today, in real churches, with real people who genuinely love God.

Sixty-five years later. Same killers. Different century.

Here’s my version. Five today, five tomorrow. Read it honestly.

1. Just Don’t Show Up
   Absence isn’t neutral. It’s a slow bleed. Ask yourself honestly: what would your life look like if God only showed up for you as often as you show up for Him and His people? Hebrews 10:25 isn’t a suggestion.
2. Roll In Whenever
   You’d lose your job if you treated your boss the way some people treat Sunday morning. Chronic lateness is a heart issue wearing a scheduling costume. It tells everyone in the room where your priorities actually live.
3. Fair Weather Only
   Some people’s attendance is basically a mood ring. Life is good? Front row, hands up. Things get hard? Gone. The church isn’t a celebration venue. It’s a hospital. You need it most when everything’s falling apart.
4. Find Fault. Fix Nothing.
   Fault finders can spot a problem from a hundred yards out… they just can’t solve one. There’s always something wrong if you’re looking for it. A church full of critics and short on contributors is a church on borrowed time.
5. Watch. Never Touch.
   Too many people have a renter’s mentality… if something’s broken, that’s somebody else’s problem. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s showing up for something bigger than yourself and doing the unglamorous work. A congregation full of spectators is a church on life support.

Part 2 next week. Five more ways we quietly kill the thing we say we love.

BEN DAILEY
*www.awakenchurch.ac*
benwdailey@awakenchurch.ac
972.261.1919
LEAD PASTOR