Removing Distrations

In last week’s Reflections we discussed some of the personal distractions that occur in our lives.  Distractions are a tool of the devil to minimize our fruitfulness for God.  Distractions are not only a challenge for individuals, they are also a hindrance to churches.  Congregations can be distracted by the dazzle of the latest trends that we get distracted from substantive ministry.  It is not enough for the church to be active, we must be purposeful.  The mission of the church is determined by God.  Every congregation that belongs to Christ has the same mission: make and develop followers for Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).  The ministries of the church are vital in helping the church fulfill its mission.  As such, it should be clearly apparent how specific ministry events and activities help the church carry out her Christ given mission.  If an idea or ministry event does not help us fulfill the purpose for which God established the church, it should not be done by the church. 

Distractions can also impact our congregational worship.  The leadership continuously seeks to remove as many barriers to worship as possible, so that we can collectively worship God in spirit and in truth.  That is why announcements and visitor recognitions take place once worship is over.  That is why we strive to have the words projected on a screen for all of the songs that we sing.  It is also important for members to work to remove distractions to worship.  When we do things like arrive on time for worship, leave out during worship only when absolutely necessary, turn the ringer off on our phones, and not hold conversations during worship, we are removing distractions that can hinder the offering of worship that we are giving to God.