“Solid Foundations” What do these words evoke or conjure up for you in regards to growing your church? Strength, security, permanence, durability or maybe even a super structure comes to mind. Interestingly we tend to think more about the symbols of foundations than the substance of the foundation. The tendency is to rush into the more visible and often awe-inspiring phase of aspects of growth, the stage that suggests progress. It’s only after we’ve concluded the building that the consequences of our oversights are manifested.

Several years ago the construction of a facility in a northeastern city of the United States was completed, using the latest in architectural technology and the best in construction materials. The awe inspiring structure was the subject of conversation among all of those familiar with its construction. Shortly after its completion however, this extraordinary spectacle started to reveal unexpected problems. The doors had trouble shutting, the ceiling started cracking, and the floors began to buckle so much that the building was rendered unsafe for occupancy. The problems became progressively worse. The doors would jam and could not close while others wouldn’t open. The roof’s shingles began to fall off for no apparent reason. The facility eventually collapsed.

Later investigation determined that the problem leading to the inevitable implosion was a fissure in the foundation that was missed in earlier inspections. It was also discovered that an underground river deep beneath the foundation contributed to the erosion of the ground supporting the foundation. This all occurred beneath the scene of a beautiful structure that appeared to be the epitome of a super structure.

Undermining & Eroding Church Growth

This illustrates how failing to first assess the groundwork and then lay a solid foundation before building may have dire consequences. This of course is not only true in constructing buildings, but it also holds true in growing a church, building leaders and building organizations. Thousands of churches and leaders look great at ground level, but lurking beneath the surface are flaws that will eventually cause great initiatives or even an entire organization to implode. A great Carpenter once said every one who follows His instructions “… is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was well built.” What’s true of an individual following this Carpenter’s teachings is true of organizations following the counsel of qualified organizational leadership specialists.

Strong, enduring, service-based organizations, built upon SOLID Foundations are built to last. The foundations churches lay in the next few years will inevitably determine their growth, effectiveness and efficiency in the 21st century. Oversights in planning, lack of leadership development and rapid changes in society, coupled with turbulent economic times, are all contributing factors in poorly performing service-oriented organizations. The improper identification of internal problems compounds and magnifies each of these and can collapse the foundation your church needs to grow.

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