GREATEST NEEDS IN THE CHURCH TODAY

(The following list was submitted by Pastor Mike Walls of Freedom Baptist Church, Smithfield, NC and shared on an email list earlier this month.)

On Monday, February 28, 2000, I hosted a pastor's fellowship at our church. There were eighteen preachers in attendance. When the letters announcing the fellowship was sent to the preachers, they were asked to think along these lines: "What do you think the two greatest needs are for our churches today?" The information that precedes this is a summary of their responses at that meeting.

1. More doctrinal preaching
2. Preachers having more love for their people
3. Church members more committed to Christ and their church
4. Practical Bible living
5. Develop a desire for a Bible based revival
6. Getting people excited with the things of God especially prayer
7. Not being as quick to condemn others without first looking at ourselves
8. People getting busy for the Lord
9. Letting the Lord develop people's convictions
10. Try to get people committed to the ministry who are not already committed
11. Teach people to set priorities
12. Get people grounded in the basics of the Bible
13. Get a passionate love for the Lord Jesus
14. Train people to be able to take the place of the older men in the ministry
15. More personal soul winning
16. More personal holiness
17. Taking heed to ourselves first and then to doctrine
18. Getting a proper balance in the ministry
19. More pastoring than preaching
20. Develop discipleship
21. More emphasis on prayer
22. Make ourselves available to the blessings of God
23. Become better leaders
24. Develop better standards in our lives
25. Greater intensity to the study of God's Word
26. Maintain our love affair with the Lord Jesus like we had when we were first saved.
27. Teach our people the capabilities of God
28. A Spirit-filled life
29. Provide enough avenues of service for our people
30. Develop more faith to live by the Word of God
31. Have a greater burden and vision for the lost
32. Reach our youth for Jesus Christ
33. Have a greater relationship with Christ
34. Teach the basics of what and why we believe in the Bible so they will know what and why they believe
35. Ask God for proper humility
36. Remember the importance of the ministry

I compiled this list because of what Proverbs 13:20a says: "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise". May we glean from these words of wisdom!