What's Wrong With the Fortress Mentality?

Years ago I came across an author and pastor from Colorado who had some innovative ideas about the work of the church. Long before churches became “purpose-driven” or mega-churches, Frank Tillapaugh was doing the amazing. His church had about 3000 people involved, but a sanctuary with about 300 seats. The church was made up of several groups under the banner of a single church. The books I read were called, The Church Unleashed; Getting God’s People Out Where the Needs Are and Unleashing Your Potential; Discovering Your God-Given Opportunities for Ministry. These are two life and ministry changing books.

Below are notes from Unleashing Your Potential, the first chapter: What’s Wrong with the Fortress Mentality?

Unfortunately, many of today’s churches evidence little of ministries that result from members of the Body going out into the world. This is called a fortress mentality. This kind of mind-set is limiting our efforts to penetrate our communities with the Gospel and to do effective ministry. We must go out to them, rather than waiting for the masses to come to the church. 

1. Just what is the fortress mentality?

   1. The church will minister to anyone who will come within the four walls of our church building, and fit in with us.

   2. As we grow, we tend to build bigger buildings: What happens when a Sunday School class gets too large? Why do we not do the same to churches?

2. The focus of fortress churches.

   1. The majority of programs and ministries are built exclusively around the middle-class family. Where are the needs of the community? Street people, young unwed mothers, internationals. Evangelize world leaders who are studying in the United States, because these are “upper level” people. While we spend millions on foreign missions.

   2. We need to unleash the masses of people who are currently inside the walls of the fortress churches. Think of the manpower potential. We are saved to serve, not to sit and soak.

3. The success of parachurch ministries.

   1. Most organizations are not limited to a certain place: They are not confined to within walls. They have tremendous flexibility.

   2. Most are effect in stimulating the vision and commitment of lay volunteers: They solicit, cultivate, train and utilize people. They’ve moved to the front lines.

   3. Two critical questions: 1) Why must so many bypass their churches in order to carry on effective ministry? If we have ministry potential, we should not be confined to our pews on Sundays. God is at work in each of us to do His work. 2) How long can a parachurch organization effectively minister to its clientele? The church has an advantage: Visibility, authority and credibility. A solid base for operations. Offers total ministry. They have the luxury of specializing: Limited intent: focus solely on students. Serious problem: once the client’s needs are met, that person faces a difficult transition problem for the next stage of life.

4. One more time!

   1. Put aside the fortress mentality, and stop boxing in our lay people and pastors.

   2. Get outside the walls of the church into the streets.

   3. Look for groupings of people and design ministries with their life-styles in mind.

   4. Entrust lay people with ministry: they have gifts.

   5. Recognize that guidance is available: books and conferences to motivate people to ministry.

   6. Employ our facilities as home base for decentralized ministries.

   7. Believe in God: leadership, facilities and finances.

5. Taking our ministries to the streets.

   1. Richard Halverson, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, in his books, How I’ve Changed My Thinking About The Church, and, The Timelessness of Christ, discusses the theme of  the church getting outside of the walls of a building, and our task of reaching the world will take every member in action to do it!

   2. Those who minister faithfully inside the walls of the church are crucial in the work of the kingdom: But the larger the congregation, the smaller the percentage of people who will be needed for the internal ministries. What does this leave the larger percentage of people doing?

6. Are you willing to reach out?

   1. Various social agencies are crying for volunteers.

   2. A typical commitment in this type of ministry is to spend three hours a week with your “client.”

   3. Imagine the impact of your time on an abused child.

   4. Our adversary will work relentlessly to keep us boxed in and comfortable within the walls of our churches.

   2 November 2007