For Pastors Only: A Lesson From Politicians
For Pastors Only: A Lesson From Politicans
How to affirm your base AND include newcomers
For Pastors Only…Most of my posts are directed to helping individuals, but occasionally I slip in a post that’s directed specifically to pastors. Having been a pastor for 30+ years I want to help them find success in helping people in their church. Today’s post is for them.
If you aren’t a pastor, this post might help you understand a tension that exists in every church. Consider sending this post to your pastor.
A Lesson From Politicians
My thoughts today were prompted by observing politicians. I’ve noticed how, over the past few years, people often refer to a politician's “base,” that is, the loyal group of people who follow and support the politician almost without question.
A Pastor’s Base
Pastors also have a base of loyal supporters. These are people who believe in the pastor and have stood with her/him through thick and thin. They are quick to support the pastor’s initiatives by showing up, volunteering, and giving generously. They believe in the pastor when others doubt. These people are priceless to a pastor, encouraging them in their lowest moments.
The Danger of Having a Base
But having a base can have its downside. That is: you want to affirm your base and show them your gratitude as much as possible, but you don’t want to be controlled by them or please them to the exclusion of others.
Again, learning from politicians, they are loyal to their base but that can backfire on them. If you aren’t in their base it can feel like you don’t matter to them. The politician might have raving fans but their base may not grow because people outside of the base don’t feel like they count. They don’t feel welcome.
This happens in churches too.
Growing Your Base
In politics, business, and the church, the goal is to maintain your base while you grow it. It’s imperative that you find a way to affirm the loyal support of your base while still extending an open hand to those who are new. You want people outside of your base to know that they are just as important as the insiders. This is no small task.
The Mistake of Playing to Your Base
I see churches err on both sides of this issue. On one hand, pastors pay so much attention to their base that new attenders sense that the church is a club with limited membership. This is communicated in a variety of subtle ways:
Spending more time visiting with church members than seeking out the new person.
Preaching sermons that assume listeners know the Bible, the church history, individuals in the church, and your church acronyms (VBS, etc.)
Asking for insider input but never input from newcomers.
Using complicated biblical terms that a novice may not understand.
Not openly communicating what’s going on in the church but expecting people to “just know” by word of mouth, etc. Poorly maintained websites and social media convey this message.
Allowing the base to quench innovation and new ideas for fear of losing one of them.
Pumping life into projects and ministries in the church that should have been terminated years ago.
Keeping people in leadership whose time has passed.
These behaviors create a culture that can feel warm to insiders but cold to newcomers. When newcomers don’t feel a part of the inner circle they will eventually leave. As a result, these churches never grow. And as the church ages, it is doomed to dwindle.
People often wonder why their church doesn’t grow… my bullet points above are often the root cause.
The Mistake of Ignoring Your Base
The other extreme is that pastors put their entire focus on reaching new people, ignoring the needs of long time attenders.
They take the commitment of the base for granted without ever thanking them for all they do and give.
They don’t make themselves available to their base or seek them out for input.
Their services are always geared towards the non-believer with a narrow focus on coming to faith.
They make changes without considering the impact on people who have been a part of the church for years.
They are constantly seeking to innovate and change to reach new people.
These behaviors create a culture that might be exciting, and even cause the church to grow short term, but it will cause the church to lose their base of support: emotionally, spiritually, and financially. One by one the base slips away, feeling ignored and offended, and the church is left with new attenders who don’t have the same level of commitment or participation that is needed to sustain the church.
Balancing the Needs of The Base and Newcomers
Addressing the needs of both the base and newcomers isn’t easy. What’s easy is to please one group over the other. But you need both groups of people if you want your church to be a success.
Let me give you a few quick ideas that might help you address this tension.
Including newcomers:
Eliminate insider references from your communication: website, social media, announcements, sermons, etc. What I mean by “insider references” is anything that can only be understood by an insider, such as acronyms for church ministries (i.e. VBS for Vacation Bible School), or theological terms, or the names of people in the church that only an insider would know. Speak as if everyone is new to your church and even new to the faith. In grocery store terms, this is putting things on the lowest shelf so everyone can have access to what’s happening. This makes your church feel welcoming.
Follow up with new attenders immediately, in some non-invasive/non-obnoxious way, to let them know you see them and welcome them.
Have easy “on-ramps” for new people to volunteer and serve in leadership. Don’t set the bar of inclusion so high that people walk away and lose their passion to serve.
Celebrate new people who serve and lead to show that even newcomers are welcome to participate.
Affirming insiders:
Explain to them the tension discussed here… that the needs of insiders and newcomers are different and you are doing your best to meet the needs of both. Ask for their patience and understanding. Remind them of the vision of the church.
Invite highly committed members to an intimate dinner or dessert (6-8 people) to simply thank them for standing with you during hard times (like COVID). This might require a few meetings but it’s well worth it. I can tell you what I did at my church if you are interested.
When considering big changes, follow the R.A.T. plan:
Tell them the REASON for the proposed change.
Give them ADVANCE NOTICE of the change… preferably months.
Let them know it’s a TRIAL, not set in stone.
It would be worth asking a few people, from both groups in your church, how they feel they are being treated. Do insiders feel thanked and valued? Do newcomers feel welcomed and included?
Growing Your Church
I hope these ideas help you to reach both groups of people in your church and to continually include new people.
If you’d like to get an occasional email from me with timely tips on leading your church and preaching, send an email to remy@readingremy.com. I won’t spam you or try to sell you anything. I’m just looking to help pastors do their best.
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