I’ve just read Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley. What a great book!
Andy Stanley really understands both churched and unchurched people. So many churches are designed precisely for those who do come, rather than those who might.
He writes: “I’ve never met a church leader who felt called to babysit a model that worked well twenty years ago but ceases to make an impact today. Nobody wants to work in a church that clings to an approach that doesn’t actually further its mission or vision. Most church leaders are intuitive enough to know when something is working and when it’s not. And that leads us to the question that begs to be asked: Why haven’t we already done something about this?”
Andy Stanley’s view is that it’s about lack of leadership.
What do you think? You can read a sample chapter here. Better still, buy the book – it’s just £2.99 on Kindle.
davideflavell 
And in a major denomination it’s also about idolatry of the structures. (Can’t say more than that publicly.) I read this a year or two ago. It is a very good book.
Being outside the structure is liberating – you really can do what needs doing….
I’ve wondered for a while how I could comment on this.
“I’ve never met a church leader who felt called to babysit a model that worked well twenty years ago but ceases to make an impact today.”
I have, and could name a few … Or perhaps not, as the models I’ve observed would be more than twenty years old – perhaps 120 or 420?
“Nobody wants to work in a church that clings to an approach that doesn’t actually further its mission or vision.”
How often do some churches think about their mission or vision? And what happens if reality shows they ignore any mission they say they have?
“Most church leaders are intuitive enough to know when something is working and when it’s not.”
It depends on how you define ‘working’?
“And that leads us to the question that begs to be asked: Why haven’t we already done something about this?”
I’d disagree with the conclusion.
I’d say it is impossible for a church to lack leadership. Instead you need to work out who the leaders in a church actually are. In many congregations, it isn’t the priest/vicar/minister/pastor but the chief member of the most important or oldest established family. You know who I mean – their great aunt was one of the founder members and they have worshipped in this one place for 80+ years. One look from them can silence anyone at fifty paces. In small congregations particularly, the ‘leader’ is the most change-resistant person as any change has to keep everyone onboard.
As David said: “Being outside the structure is liberating.”
That is where we are now too …