Alignment keeps your church tires from balding. Car ownership includes ensuring your car has a proper alignment. Without proper alignment, your car’s tires will wear unevenly, causing either the inside or outside tread to go bald if left unchecked. This will cause your car to handle poorly and is dangerous. As you should have your car periodically checked for alignment, so also your church or other organization needs a periodic check your organization alignment.

What is church alignment? What is a church to align to? Scripture? Yes, but every church has a specific alignment obligation. Every Bible believing New Testament church is to align every aspect of the church to The Great Commission. It is our one and only driving force. This is all inclusive, every sermon, every song, every class, ministry, every leader, and every decision made is to align with The Great Commission.

The Great Commission is not your mission or mission statement. It is God’s directive for every church. Each church then must develop a mission statement to align within their context – their community, according to the Great Commission.

There are three tenets in The Great Commission;

 Go and make disciples, this is evangelism, take the gospel to the people outside the church. Unfortunately, many churches have only a supposed alignment here. If it were properly aligned would we not be seeing more baptisms?

Baptize them, just what it says. When a person has surrendered to God’s plan of reconciliation, baptize him/her as a demonstration of what has taken place in his/her life. Baptism does not save a soul but is a public demonstration of what has already taken place inside that person’s heart and soul.

Teach them to observe all Things I have given you, A lifelong ever-growing process in Christlikeness. We never outgrow maturing as believers. There is always something to learn and to achieve in Christ. What evidences and testimonies are being regularly shared and observed of spiritual growth in church members? How many members are disciples making/nurturing other disciples?

It is imperative to periodically evaluate every aspect of your church as mentioned in paragraph two above, for proper alignment to The Great Commission. Even if much of your church is properly aligned, it only takes one area out of alignment to bring catastrophic damage and destruction to your church/organization.

There are other subsequent areas of alignment required in the church as well. Yet, being properly aligned to The Great Commission is by far the most crucial and necessitated. Without it what devastation awaits your ministry? What will you do this week to begin the alignment check for your church?

For more information or assistance contact your denomination leaders or reach out to George Yates. My desire is for every church to be properly aligned for greater fruitfulness.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.