The Bullard Journal for June 4, 2019

Tuesday, June 4, 2019: “A Call to Prayer”: Making Decisions Without God. In too many congregations in too many situations, major decisions are made without prayerful spiritual discernment that involves dialogue with one another and seeking God’s will for the congregation and the people involved and impacted by the decision. How does this happen when the Christian faith in its congregational expression is all about God?

Decisions are often made about calling a pastor, dismissing a pastor, building a building, engaging in a major new strategy, entering into a close relationship – like merger – with another congregation, choosing an interim pastor, starting a new program, constructing a new building and many other things without prayerful spiritual discernment. Again, how does this happen when the Christian faith in its congregational expression is all about God?

Without prayerful spiritual discernment congregations can make major decisions based on what the people want rather than on what God wants. Without spiritual discernment decisions are often made based on people declaring that this is my or our church, rather than this is God’s church. Since every congregation is God’s congregation, every church building is God’s building, every pastor, staff person, and lay leader is God’s redeemed creation, don’t you think it is appropriate to ask God for the direction that supersedes our direction?

I call on every congregational expression who is making a decision that impacts its future ministry to ask God for guidance through a season of prayerful spiritual discernment.

About the author 

Kyndra Bremer