What Disease Hinders the Mission of Your Church?

by Chuck Lawless at Thom Rainer.com:
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1. Community Disconnect Disease. Churches with this disease meet within a given community, but they do not know that community.

2. Methodological Arthritis. I give credit to my former student, Kevin Minchey, for naming this condition. The name says it all: this church is stuck in doing things the way they’ve always done them.

3. The "Grass is Greener" Syndrome. This syndrome is a malady of leaders who are always looking for the next church leadership position.

4. Professional Wrestling Sickness. I grew up watching professional wrestling (with my Church of God grandma, no less). Professional wrestling is hero vs. villain, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil—but it’s all fake.


5. Program Nausea. Churches with Program Nausea try a program, toss it soon, and then quickly try the next one.

6. Baby Believer Malady. This congregation is doing evangelism well, but they have no strategy to grow new believers. 

7. Theological Self-Deception Ailment. I am cautious here, lest I leave the impression that theology does not matter. No church with an unbiblical theology can be healthy. TSDA, on the other hand, is characterized by a belief that teaching theology is all that is required to be a healthy church. 

8. "Unrecoverable Void" Syndrome.  Church leaders and laypersons alike suffer from this syndrome, characterized by statements like, “This church will close its doors after I’m gone.” 

9. Talking in Your Sleep Disease. You may recognize this church. They go through the motions, but the motions lack energy.

10. Congregational Myopia. The congregation with this condition is nearsighted, focusing on themselves only.
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More details on these ten diseases can be discovered here.