Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from Aftermath: A Book for the Spiritually Wounded (www.IntheAftermath.com) by Steve Grusendorf, who serves as the U.S. C&MA director for the Office of Ministry Studies.
Like you, my heart is grieved when I hear of another leader who has been overcome by the lure of sin. When a leader falls, all need time to heal. But it’s not just people that need to heal. The church itself must take a retrospective look in the mirror in the aftermath of crisis.
Today’s church needs to embrace a renewed outlook on its presence in the community. Grace and vigilance must become two inseparably defining hallmarks of the local church. Without grace no one will find new life in Jesus. Without vigilance too many who seek Jesus will become the unfortunate victims of the wolves who lurk within the walls of our churches who are open to all.
So, as followers of Jesus, we must work to build a new culture within our churches.
We have to build cultures that hold grace and vigilance in tension. But how do we do that? Let me suggest a few ideas that will help your church begin to value both grace and vigilance in a practical way.
Let go of the notion that a perfect church exists. Even those who are redeemed and part of the Church are flawed. If Christians within a church wrestle with sin, and the lost who join that church seeking hope in Jesus are mastered by sin, then the church is not a place marked by perfection but a place for redemption (ROMANS 6:12–14).
Actively participate in building Christian culture. You must understand the life Jesus has called you to, and live it inside and outside of the church. What does this look like?
- Service trumps power. The local church should be a place where serving others is more important than holding influence or power. Jesus commanded us to serve rather than be served. He lived His life as the ultimate example (MATTHEW 20:28). As you participate in the local church, make regularly serving others a priority.
- Forgiveness is fostered. The local church should be a place where forgiveness isn’t just encouraged, it’s nurtured. The Body of Christ will fail God and one another, so it must develop a culture of forgiveness where confession (the kind where we acknowledge our wrongs to God) is commonplace. As you participate in the local church, start by setting the example.
- Jesus is elevated. The local church should always seek to elevate Jesus and the Christ-like life. It should encourage its people to read God’s Word, pray, and sacrificially love others. As you participate in the local church, take proactive steps to build Christian culture.
Be vigilant. Jesus calls you to be on the lookout for those who would harm His church.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
—ACTS 20:28–31
Although this passage calls you to be vigilant, it doesn’t give permission to develop a culture of suspicion in the church. It does mean you work hard to protect the most vulnerable in the church from those who may have selfish or harmful motives. Our local church leaders should be able to demonstrate public and private holiness. Newcomers should be welcomed with open arms but given time to acclimate to the Christian culture before serving with the more vulnerable groups in the church. Proper processes should be in place to ensure safety when someone moves into a leadership role, whether volunteer or staff.
Vigilance isn’t an excuse to be exclusive. All should be welcome in the church. Rather, vigilance is giving appropriate weight to the reality that the mission of the church has eternal consequences, and without vigilance the mission may be compromised by others’ sinful actions.
I was intentional in the order in which I presented these three points. First, we let go of the notion of a perfect church. Second, we build a Christian culture. Third, we must be vigilant. Why? Each builds on the other. If the church is for only perfect people, then discipleship isn’t necessary. Without strong discipleship, vigilance becomes suspicion and elitism. If we create a culture of forgiveness, redemption, and service, then working through brokenness in our lives and the lives of others becomes the norm. Without such, a church can develop a culture where sin and temptation aren’t discussed and are even hidden, which leads to deeper issues.”
The church must work hard to offer grace to the hurting while vigilantly protecting all those who seek shelter within her walls. I believe by changing our culture and
The church cannot slack in being a place where grace is found and redemption is valued. But neither can the church allow itself to be a harbor for those with evil intent.
The church must hold both grace and vigilance in tension. When we let go of perfection, actively work toward building a Christian culture in our church, and stay ever watchful we contribute to a church where sin has no place to hide.