As a child it was a privilege and rare occasion when my siblings and I received a soft drink. I can remember a time when we stopped for lunch on one particular trip. There were four of us lined up across the back seat of the car. Stopping like this for lunch usually meant stopping for a loaf of bread, a package of fresh sliced bologna, and a half gallon of milk. It may not sound like much today, but a slice of fresh cut bologna between two slices of fresh bread and a cup of cold milk, is a treasured memory for me.

On this particular occasion, instead of milk, Dad purchased a bottle of 7up for us to share in the backseat. Wow! Now this was a real treat. It started on the right side of the car. We each took a drink and passed it to the next person. Each one taking a drink (yes, out of the same bottle. This was before germafobia set into our culture) and passing it to the next sibling. When the bottle got to the left side of the car, the process started over from left to right.

It did not take long for my Dad to realize something we children had not comprehended. The two seated in the middle were getting two drinks to every one drink taken by the two siblings on the outsides. The two in the middle would drink as it went to the left and as it returned to the right. The two on the outside however, would take one drink and pass it back. Dad then instructed us in how to make it fair with everyone receiving equal amounts.

Sharing is a good thing. However, sharing can be done in an unfair and unfruitful way as well. These types of sharing will lead to mediocrity and away from greatness.

I want to consider one other approach we see in churches and other organizations that leads to mediocrity and keeps an organization from greatness. This often occurs in many small churches when two or three people pass a position back and forth. One, let us say Mr. Smith, will serve in a position for a term as per the church by-laws. When his/her term is over, the position is passed to a second individual, Mrs. Davis. When Mrs. Davis’ term is over, the position will go back to Mr. Smith. And the cycle continues with these two individuals swapping out key leadership positions.

Good is always the enemy of Great

What happens in this church scenario is the church had gone through phase one of decline without noticing it. And now having drifted into Phase two, the personnel, the leadership, of the church was being affected. While these people were likely doing a good job at their respective responsibilities and keeping the church alive, good is always the enemy of great. Our enemy, Satan, is not afraid of us attempting to be good.

I have witnessed this scenario in more than one church. What may have started with the best of intentions, can eventually lead a church to mediocrity and decline. In one such scenario, three people held the “controlling” positions in the church. What no doubt began as a good assignment for each of these three individuals, over a period of five to six years, as they decided to rotate the positions, they had largely assisted in leading the church from an attendance of 250 to about fifty. Sharing is not always fruitful. Settling for Good is settling for mediocrity.

To learn how to avoid and break these cycles in your church or organization contact George Yates and pick up your copy of Reaching the Summit: Avoiding and Reversing Decline in the Church.