{"id":800469,"date":"2023-03-28T05:00:51","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/?p=800469"},"modified":"2023-03-27T22:47:25","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T03:47:25","slug":"seven-reasons-we-preachers-dont-always-know-what-our-church-is-thinking-and-a-reason-to-get-a-know-your-church-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/seven-reasons-we-preachers-dont-always-know-what-our-church-is-thinking-and-a-reason-to-get-a-know-your-church-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Reasons We Preachers Don\u2019t Always Know What Our Church is Thinking . . . and a Reason to Get a \u201cKnow Your Church Report\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

I can\u2019t remember how many times I was surprised by what my church members were thinking, even though I was their pastor. What I thought was the case wasn\u2019t always so. How does that happen?<\/span><\/p>\n

1. We assume we hear everything in the course of ministry.<\/b> We know we don\u2019t, but we act as if we do. After all, we\u2019re constantly with our church folks over the course of a week, and we\u2019re always talking with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. We assume people tell us what they\u2019re thinking.<\/b> In many cases, of course, they do (and even painfully so at times). Many others, though, don\u2019t tell us anything. They don\u2019t tell us when they\u2019re rejoicing over our ministry, and they don\u2019t tell us when they\u2019re struggling with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. We assume everyone in the church is comfortable coming to us.<\/b> We\u2019re the shepherds. We love them. We want them to come to us with concerns. We tell them that, inviting them to set up a meeting. Still, some folks simply aren\u2019t willing to bring their issues to the pastor\u2014even though they may talk with others.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Sometimes those struggling with the church are planning their response behind the scenes.<\/b> I\u2019m not arguing that\u2019s a right move, but I am saying it happens. Sometimes we don\u2019t know about a problem until the forces have already united against it. They\u2019ve intentionally kept their distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. We focus more on <\/b>telling <\/i><\/b>than on <\/b>listening.<\/i><\/b> After all, that\u2019s our job. We proclaim the gospel. We cast vision. We make announcements. We give advice. We do counseling. We lead staff. We do so much communicating proactively that we sometimes fail to listen, even when others <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> seeking to share their concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Sometimes our heart and mind are already thinking about the next place of service.<\/b> We\u2019re trying to pastor the church we currently lead while also dreaming about the church where we want to be. When our heart\u2019s divided like that, we\u2019re likely not even paying attention to what\u2019s happening around us.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. We never ask them what they\u2019re thinking. <\/b>This may be, in fact, the primary reason we don\u2019t always know what our church is thinking. Seldom do we take opportunities to hear from folks like small groups, focus groups, or student groups. Even less often do we seek to survey the entire church about their thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the reason I\u2019m such a fan of the \u201c<\/span>Know Your Church Report<\/span><\/a>\u201d available through Church Answers. I\u2019ve used this survey in some format for more than 20 years, and I find it to be an incredible resource to understand your church. I encourage you to consider using it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I can\u2019t remember how many times I was surprised by what my church members were thinking, even though I was their pastor. What I thought was the case wasn\u2019t always so. How does that happen? 1. We assume we hear everything in the course of ministry. 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