Signs of a Mature Church
The Church is called to be mature – yet so often it’s full of immaturity. In this insightful and honest article, Roy Todd looks at some of the signs of a truly mature church.
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Church isn’t perfect. But it is called to be mature. Maturity isn’t about how old somebody is. It’s really to do with how much wisdom they’ve developed along the way. I’ve met people who’ve been Christians for many years – and they still act like little babies who just haven’t grown up. It’s not that they lack experience – it just seems that they haven’t learned from their experiences. On the other side of the scale, I’m often amazed at how much maturity there is among people who’ve only been Christians for a short period. Length of time has nothing to do with it. Willingness to learn does.
Here are five signs of a mature church.
1. A mature church recognises that their way isn’t the only way
Many churches are convinced that the way they do things really is the only way – and are completely intolerant of anything different. But a classic sign of immaturity is when someone feels threatened by anyone who does things in a way that even slightly differs to their own. Such short sightedness is a blight on the landscape of the Church of Jesus Christ. For example, some churches like really loud music. Others prefer a more meditative expression of worship. So who’s right and who’s wrong? Surely it’s possible for both to be right – so long as God is the focus of how they express themselves. I once heard a preacher criticise another church for being ‘too reserved’. But the 3000 people who attend the ‘reserved’ church would obviously beg to differ with the critical pastor who leads a church of just over 100 people. There’s more than one way that people can connect with God - and a mature church recognises that.
2) A mature church acknowledges they’re not always right
No-one holds a monopoly of truth. That’s not to suggest that we shouldn’t have strong convictions regarding certain areas of doctrine. But someone who’s growing in maturity is open to correction and refinement. I once witnessed an argument between two people who held opposite opinions regarding a certain aspect of Christian teaching. I watched as the argument became more and more heated – until the two had to be physically restrained, such was the force of their arguments. You see… its one thing to believe something strongly. But it’s quite another to develop arrogance that simply refuses to even listen to another view. That’s a sign of immaturity.
3) A mature church has realistic expectations of others
Church can be the easiest place in the world to get hurt. If you’ve never heard that before – then I’m sorry to shatter your illusions. So why can people get wounded? It’s because of the high levels of expectation we often place on other Christians. Then when those expectations aren’t met - disappointment sets in. So often, it’s not that people let us down – but it’s our expectations of people that end up hurting us.
A mature person manages their expectations and keeps them real. If you do, you’ll save yourself a lot of heartache. Remember, no human being is worthy of 100% of your expectation. Only one person in the entire universe is – and his name is Jesus Christ. That’s because he is totally incapable of being unfaithful. Therefore, it is wise only to have high levels of expectation in him.
4) A mature church doesn’t become cynical after a bad experience
Another classic sign of immaturity is the development of a cynical attitude when something goes wrong. Here’s some breaking news that may come as a shock…..it’s inevitable that things will not always work out as you want! But how we respond to challenges like this can actually make or break us. An immature response acts like a little kid who doesn’t get their way – throwing the toys out of the pram and sinking into a bad mood. But here is where the analogy unfortunately ends. Little kids usually come out of their bad mood within a short space of time. But many Christians develop a permanent bad mood, often revolving around issues from years ago. Maturity learns to move on. Bitterness is no way to live.
5) A mature church cares for people, even when they get it wrong
Have you ever met someone who always backbites about others, never having anything good to say? When you find yourself in a conversation like that, just remember that how they speak about others is how they’ll speak about you too when you’re not listening. Never forget it! A mature church wants to see people reach their full potential. It simply refuses to kick someone when their down – but instead, desires to lift them up.
I’ll never forget hearing about a fallen preacher who was sent to prison for financial irregularities. While in jail, the preacher was genuinely repentant – deeply sorry for what he’d done. While his former colleagues in church leadership had nothing more to do with him – one man, himself a well known pastor, risked his reputation and visited him every week in the prison. The day eventually came when the fallen preacher was released from the jail. Unsure of where he’d go and what he’d do – he saw in the distance a familiar figure. It was the well known pastor who had visited him every week. He took him home and made him feel like part of his own family until the fallen preacher felt he was ready to get going again.
A mature church doesn’t give up on people when they make mistakes – but believes they can learn from those mistakes and become even better than what they were before. Surely that’s what the Gospel is all about. Surely that’s one of the signs of a mature church.
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© Roy Todd, 2008.
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