“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36)

Jesus sees stuff and so do we. Most church leaders see the gaps and the hurts. Last week, sitting with church leaders, I heard an elder say, “there are hurting people all through our congregation and in our city. What are we going to do?” He was right. There are hurting people in the Sunday pew, and they are also in the Sunday supermarket buying groceries for another grinding week ahead.

Jesus sees stuff and is moved with compassion. What about church leaders? Some certainly are moved with compassion. It may be that some have become jaded, overwhelmed, and simply struggle with the vastness of it all. And it may be that some may no longer see at all. Yet central to Jesus’ mission is Jesus’ deep empathy for the frailty of human experience. And that empathy drives Jesus to present a startling request.

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into this harvest’” (Matt. 9:37-38).

Jesus engages his imagination and calls for prayer. Rather than see the environment as it presents itself, Jesus imagines all the human frailty as an invitation to abundant opportunity. Such a move takes faith—faith to see the world one inhabits not merely as it is, but also as it could be. In short, Jesus is asking, “What if?” What if we ask God to respond? What if, in asking God to respond, we ourselves begin to imagine new things?

The question “What if?” is a question that leaders in Christian communities need to ask. So many churches are faced with hard realities of declining church budgets, increased financial challenges, aging populations, or lackluster ministries. Often, the leading question is not “What if?” but rather “How are we?” How are we going to get more volunteers? How are we going to get more young people? How are we going to pay the bills?

Naming the reality of things is important. Facing the facts is a good practice. Yet if leaders remain in the world of present reality without the hope-engendering question of “What if?” then leaders falter in their leadership. So what might asking the question “What if” look like in congregational leadership?

1. Pay attention to hidden assets rather than perceived liabilities. When we find “trouble” in our environment, we often can only see the trouble. There is something about the human spirit that tends to focus on the problem instead of imagining a solution. Yet, what if leaders would look without anxiousness for the strengths within the congregation or community, imagining what possibilities might be there? Often, congregations have “hidden” assets, resources that are not necessarily obvious at first glance. One church I knew had two retired chefs, a cadre of retired people, a commercial-grade kitchen sitting unused in their building, and a walking neighborhood full of lonely people. With imagination, this small church began a brunch/lunch café and soon had dozens of people showing up to share a good meal. Then a counseling center moved into some empty rooms. Then community groups began to utilize space. And then, according to the minister, he was having people asking about the Christian faith and showing up for Sunday worship. All because a church found some “hidden” assets.

2. Lead with your strengths, not your weaknesses. In my travels and work, it is not uncommon for me to find a church that is lamenting the lack of a youth group. One midwestern church was down to four high school students—when everyone was actually at home. Yet, upon some probing, I discovered that they did have a day-care program running in their building and that an array of younger families was beginning to attend their congregation. So I asked, “What if you worried less about not having a youth group and began to imagine how to launch a ministry and community around children and young families?” If we look around, we see that nearly every congregation has some strength, some possibility for flourishing. Nurture the thing that is strong.

3. Look for where God is already at work. Our lack of imagination can often be enlivened by asking a related question: “Where can we see God already at work in our congregation or in our community?” Such a question fuels imagination, especially when we remember that God is quite alive and is deeply invested in renewal and new life. By exercising some curiosity and openness, congregations are likely to discover all kinds of ways to partner with God’s action and life in the world. That newness might be a small group of teachers in a neighborhood school, an informal yet regular gathering of folk at a local restaurant, a group of parents working with at-risk children in the neighborhood, or a local sports club that wants to use your gym, parking lot, or field. I love the story of a congregation located across the street from a high school. Because several of the teens within the church were active and vibrant with their faith, the church decided to lean into the energy of the youth group. They started to use their building to host a weekly lunch for students. Soon, over a hundred students regularly showed up for lunch. And that was over a decade ago. The original teens have long since finished college and beyond! Looking for God’s action will spur imagination.

So, do you see trouble? Or do you see people, harassed and helpless? Does your leadership team only see problems? Or can your leadership team see fields white and ready to harvest? With Jesus’ empathy and imagination, I suspect that you will find ways to join God in good kingdom work—if only we ask “What if?”

Blessings,
Carson