It may seem like a no-brainer but people should be encouraged to ask questions in their church. In my experience as a Christian who is also a pastor I have observed a few areas where people need to but don’t always ask questions. There are several potential reasons as to why people don’t feel comfortable asking questions, both on the side of the church leadership and on the church member. My aim here is to flip over a couple of the rocks of impediment, highlight a few of the important intersections, and encourage some practical ways for more conversation.
Here are three main areas where questions often need to surface:
Theological Understanding. Since nobody in our local churches has reached full maturity (Eph. 4.11-16) we all should have theological questions. We all should be working through our understanding and integration of theological truth.
Sadly, these types of questions can be scarce. Why is this? It could be because the member is afraid that he/she will be seen as theological idiot. They may be concerned that people may think less of them if they don’t have it all figured out. This could be a problem on the side of the member where they are fearing man. It could also be an environmental issue. If the pastors are aloof and distant with a proclivity for making people feel stupid then people are not going to be asking them very many questions.
It is helpful for pastors to be transparent about what they are learning while demonstrating humility that corresponds with the hard work of trying to better understand our infinite God. Pastors can also encourage talks and prayer together with members as they discuss various theological issues. Here in this environment such questions are safe and expected. If there is an environment of theological humility expressed in terms of community then doubtless more questions will come.
Christian Living. Just like the fear of a negative perception of theological knowledge above in this vein there is often a fear that people will think that we don’t have it all together. Some pastors and church leaders often don’t help this by pretending they have it all together with all of their performing as Christians. The tone that must be struck here is a gospel tone. From the top down a healthy church will have a gospel heartbeat, marching to its cadence and rhythm. Without this calibrating our churches people will live in fear of preserving their careers in self-righteousness instead of exulting together in the Savior’s righteousness for them.
Again, pastors and church leaders can help set this tone by honestly and consistently applying the gospel. This comes during the weekly gatherings as well as the private meetings. Of course it all springs from a heart that is melted by grace in the first place. Before a church can be led in the gospel its leaders must be led by the gospel.
Ministry Direction. I am a pastor at a church that is elder-led. A potential issue that can come up here is that the members think that all the important discussions and decisions take place in a secret meeting that only a few guys get in on. They begin to feel like they have no way or right to ask questions.
Again, this could be pride on the part of the members or a culture of separation by the elders. It’s my view that a healthy church will facilitate a steady stream of proactive communication between the elders and the members. This may come on an individual basis through time and/or meetings together or in a more formal setting like a church meeting. At any rate the members, it would seem, should be informed about where the church is going.
In our context we provide the elders’ meeting notes and summary after our monthly meeting. This helps to inform what we are discussing while also inviting them to pray alongside of us. We also aim to communicate at the beginning of the ministry year as to many of our goals for the upcoming year along with various items for prayer. Throughout the year we schedule a number of other progress reports for our church family. In each of these settings we ask (encourage) questions. These are just a couple of practical areas that serve as auxiliaries to our overall aim and culture of communicating where we are headed. We have found this to bring up very good questions, feedback and even fresh ideas (imagine that).
ConclusionIt may be helpful for pastors and church members to think through their current environment. Are questions being asked? If they are, great. If they are not, why not? It is not because there is a lack of questions there may be an environmental issue or leadership style that is not encouraging it. Or there may be pride and disconnection on the side of the member. Whatever the issue is, it is certainly helpful to think through your church and ask about how something so seemingly simple as the environment it is supporting the bottom line of making disciples (Matt. 28.18-20).
