The mission is more important than the method

July 24, 2025

By Rev. Rick King

With the vote approving the Plan of Union on July 13, we’ve entered a new chapter and are moving into life as a NEW church with a new mission, vision, and identity. Carey Nieuwhof, one of my favorite church futurists, wrote an essay ten years ago, titled “13 Predictions about the Future Church,” and these are remarkably relevant to what we’re trying to do. This is the second in a series of columns on these predictions in light of our merger opportunity.

It may be true, as I wrote last week, that the church is resilient—Carey Nieuwhof says that “the potential to gain is still greater than the potential to lose” concerning the church.

But he also says that churches that love their model more than the mission will die. It’s always helpful to ask, “What is the need which this program meets?” And then to ask, “Is this still a need in the congregation, and is this the best way to meet it?”

You may have encountered what’s called The Seven Last Words of the Church: “We’ve never done it that way before.” You may have heard different versions of this: “We’ve always done it this way,” or “We’ve been doing this as long as I can remember.” Or the simpler, “We’ve always done this.”

As in, “We can’t stop now; we’ve got too much invested in this.”

Churches have a way of getting attached to particular activities, practices and programs, and for some reason, these may make it hard to envision a successful future for the church without them.

Every church’s history is filled with programs or activities well-loved in their time, but no longer part of the church’s life. A women’s fellowship concludes after celebrating its years of faithful ministry; an instrumental group replaces a choir; “Sunday school” is replaced by other small groups for deepening faith; a mission or outreach project struggling to stay alive in a church is replaced by another that fulfills the same part of the mission but which people are excited to take part in.

A healthy church approaches change by asking, “What is the need, and how are we called to meet it? Is this part of our mission?” Healthy church members discern whether to continue serving in a particular ministry by asking, “Am I serving out of my JOY, or out of a sense of obligation?”

If we hold the MISSION high and remind each other that our programs are just ways of fulfilling the mission, change becomes more possible.

What model or method are YOU holding onto, and is it still fulfilling FHC’s mission?

Next week, we’ll look at how CLARITY on the mission of the new church can lead to health, vitality, and joy!