The "machine mentality" is the idea that bigger is better and that machines are more efficient than manpower.
We depend on machines (programs and organizations) to be the key to success and neglect the value of individual effort. Every church needs to use both individuals and machines to reach the lost in today's world. We need to have eggs in both baskets. However, the problem is that we have almost all our eggs in the wrong basket! We need to completely rethink our approaches to evangelism. We don't need any new programs or ideas: we just need to adjust our attitudes when we employ the old ones.
The key to church growth is to activate the general membership to be seekers of the lost. But this is a difficult tradition to overturn. Disinterest in reaching the lost is not the only problem we are battling today.
We are also faced with general apathy, poor attendance, compromising of moral standards, and morgue-like worship services. Actually, all these little problems are merely symptoms of one large central problem: a superficial relationship with God. So, rather than cracking the whip or laying guilt trips on members to reach the lost, deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through a daily Bible reading and prayer program. Then they will volunteer to work at saving the lost! Couple this with some leadership in soul-winning by example rather than pep talks from the pulpit and you will have a winning combination. Evangelism is not something we do it is a lifestyle we learn to live.
Our traditional method of reaching the lost has two basic components fancy programs and money. The preacher supplies the fancy programs and the members supply the money to run them. Yet, nobody is really doing anything personally to reach the lost. We have evangelism by proxy. We hire the preacher to do all the work of soul-winning while the members pursue other interest.
I encourage you to fill the church with new people coming to Christ, then pour into them and create disciples!!
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