Thom Rainer shared thoughts on his blog about churches being outwardly focused. He suggested that when a church becomes inwardly obsessed, it ceases to be a Great Commission congregation. I think I can safely speak for Dr. Rainer by saying every pastor ought to lead his church to be more outwardly focused. I also believe that every pastor who reads these words wants to serve a vibrant, blessed, spiritually healthy church.
Here is a great irony: Just as an inward focus is a sign of self-centeredness in a church, an outward focus with the wrong motive can also be such a sign. If our goal in becoming outwardly focused is simply to move our church from decline to growth, we have not well understood Dr. Rainer's heart.
We want your churches to grow, but not in the same way or for the same reason a good bread-route salesman grows his business. A good bread-route salesman constantly focuses outwardly, seeking to increase his customer base and thereby increase his paycheck. We must avoid the temptation to focus outwardly for the purpose of influence and attendance.
Balancing inward and outward focus is a tricky equation. Not many thinkers would suggest that a church not spend money on a facility, a nice nursery, or musical instruments that actually stay in tune. Few would argue about paying salaries to full-time and part-time vocational ministers. We certainly should take care of widows and orphans (James 1:27), and perhaps even provide financial assistance to those who adopt children. In almost every case where an inwardly focused dollar is spent, we should be able to say it was spent with the hope that it would further the cause of Christ.
So how do we develop a balance? I suggest you try this exercise.
1. Take an inventory of how you are leveraging your five key resources (people, money, time, facilities, and influence).
2. Mark an "I" next to the resources that are inwardly focused and an "O" to the resources that are outwardly focused.
After compiling the list, evaluate if your church and your ministry is balanced. Here are some examples of "inward" and "outward ministries" (recognizing that some of the inwardly focused resources may lead to outreach to the community). Surely you will have many more ideas and examples to add.
Inward: Worship services, Bible studies, preschool child care, children’s and youth programs and activities, leadership training, new member classes, discipleship, prayer meetings, buildings, staff salaries, counseling services, capital campaigns.
Outward: Crisis pregnancy help, job counseling, GED classes, mothering classes, financial counseling, benevolence, food and clothing pantries, local, national, or international mission trips, disaster relief, block parties.
Remember that both "inward" and "outward" are important. You must take care of the "base" (inward) in order to have "place" to launch vibrant ministries (outward).
Outward focus is the end in itself. Our goal is obedience to the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:19-20, a desire to see lost persons come to Christ and see converted persons grow to full Christian maturity. The response to this kind of focus and its effect and consequences will likely be growth, but growth as a by-product of obedience. We absolutely thank God for new converts and other signs of church growth, but we must anchor our outward focus in our Christ-given mission. It must originate in God's heart and manifest itself in our strategies that will take the "good message" to all who need to hear it.