The 10 Warning Signs of an Inwardly Obsessed Church

Any healthy church must have some level of inward focus. Those in the church should be discipled. Hurting members need genuine concern and ministry. Healthy fellowship among the members is a good sign for a congregation.

But churches can lose their outward focus and become preoccupied with the perceived needs and desires of the members. The dollars spent and the time expended can quickly become focused on the demands of those inside the congregation. When that takes place the church has become inwardly obsessed. It is no longer a Great Commission congregation.

In my research of churches and consultation with churches, I have kept a checklist of potential signs that a church might be moving toward inward obsession. No church is perfect; indeed most churches will demonstrate one or two of these signs for a season. But the real danger takes place when a church begins to manifest three or more of these warning signs for an extended period of months and even years.

  1. Worship wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required while others are prohibited.
  2. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely the topics of discussion.
  3. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church’s buildings and grounds.
  4. Program driven. Every church has programs even if they don’t admit it. When we start doing a ministry a certain way, it takes on programmatic status. The problem is not with programs. The problem develops when the program becomes an end instead of a means to greater ministry.
  5. Inwardly focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church.
  6. Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Some members expect the pastoral staff to visit them regularly merely because they have membership status.
  7. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch-all for many of the points named here. The overarching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment.
  8. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives.
  9. Anger and hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members.
  10. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and community in which they live.

My list is not exhaustive. You may have some items you could add. Have you ever been a part of an inwardly obsessed church? What signs were evident that led you to know the church was inwardly obsessed? Do you affirm some of the items on my list?

Posted on May 2, 2012


With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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72 Comments

  • I am a pastor in Louisiana who is currently pastoring a church who reflects all ten of these characteristics of an inwardly focused church. It did not surprise me that I could check all ten of these as “Yes, this is true about the church I pastor.” Any ideas about how to help churches who reflect these symptoms to heal and become Christ-centered once again? Any ideas about what scriptures could be used to gently approach this problem from the pulpit to bring the word of God to bear upon the problem? The church where I serve is diseased, but I want to be an usher to the table of God’s word so they can find the cure because I love the people God has called me to lead and serve with all my heart.

  • Praying for you Pastor!! God is still on His Thrown. You are called by the Almighty to preach it. The Holy Spirit is assigned to convict!! If God moves you, go if not preach on.

  • Bob King says on

    You are obviously out of touch with grass roots churches. Every church I can think of has at least three of these signs going on at any given time!

  • Anonymous says on

    Dear Thom, I am a member of our church’s leadership team and find our church going through quite a stressful time. Our pastor has just recently used your piece on 10 warning Signs of an Inwardly Obsessed Church to more or less threaten our congregation that our church will die in 10 years if we do not make the changes he wants. He has received some criticism lately for sermons he has given, using unusual techinques to create humor. He has also been evaluated for the last year as having a lack of organization and as recently as a month ago we had to bring it to his attention again. In leadership meetings, he is tense and confrontational. I am sure you did not write this piece for pastors to use as a shield nor as a weapon against criticism which is what I see happening in our church. Everyone feels our pastor is a nice guy, but does have areas that could be helped. He does not see it that way. He thinks it is everyone else. How can we combat this?

  • Wow – what a powerful and true, but sad article.
    So many churches are obsessed inward … it is one of the reasons I have not attended church in the past 5 or so years.
    There are beautiful children of God all around, seldom in formed church groups – I look them up … I commune with them … I am surrounding by siblings in Christ who form my community – a place where I can grow spiritually and then go out to reach out …
    but I believe the time has become urgent to reach our siblings within the obese churches …. a part from praying, I am not sure how to go about it. Visiting them, without appearing to be “thinking my way is better or what ever” , I also don’t know how … people who make up the church – are sensitive beings …
    but I def pray for answers ….
    all I know, is that our Father is so soon to return – we can not afford to be unfaithful and sleepy nor obese!
    Willa

  • I great book that addresses this question is “The Trellis and the Vine”

  • Phyllis Tadlock says on

    When my husband & I followed God’s call to serve as missionaries in Africa we dealt with a very brief bout of culture shock but it did not take long to embrace our new home & culture and vastly different worship style. Nothing like encountering God when your culture grid has been stripped away to help a person begin to see the world through God’s eyes. The number one issue in life quickly becomes “where is that person next to me or in front of me going to spend eternity?” I guess I could say Church no longer was a place it became a lifestyle.
    Now, 20 years later, we are now in the throws of a culture shock that has been of a 2 year duration as we followed God’s leadership back to our homeland. Problem is, this was definately not the place we left and truly does not feel much like home! Nowhere does this hit home more is in the arena of church. In a general culture where Godlessness is SO prevalent it is appalling to see so many churches either stuck in time or totally existing behind their walls or both. Midst the paganism of Africa we believers who called ourselves Church, African & missionary side by side, stayed on our knees as we set our focus way beyond the walls of the church buildings. Hmm, maybe that those walls were so often made of mud and manure it helped us keep looking outward but I honestly believe it reality came down to the simple truth that we are but a mist and have no promise of a tomorrow that drove us to embracing “church” as a way of life not a place to go.
    It is a shockingly pagen society we have returned to and we are dismayed at the totally lack of urgency around us within too many of of our churches here. Brothers & Sisters in Christ lovingly praise us for “our service over there” and welcome us back to a “normal” life here. Well, on thing I know, TRUTH does not change with geography. We are still but a mist, with no promise of a tomorrow and every time we walk out the door we will encounter people who have no promise of eternity with our Lord. What keeps us weeping before the Lord is way too many of American Believers have absolutely no desire to fall to their knees, join their hands and really see what God sees beyond the walls.
    Too many churches want to quote 2 Chron 7:13-16 & Matt. 28:19-20 just don’ t want to write those words on their hearts nor make them the actual heartbeat of the Church. How SAD, for this is the true prescription for the dynamic Body Of Christ that, Praise God, I see contributors to this blog expressing. I have seen it happen in impossible places against impossible odds across the ocean, my friends. Last time I checked (something I do rather regularly, by the way) America is still a part of God’s world and it can happen here as well! Step on out there in faith!!!

  • Thanks for sharing your incites on the “inward church.” I would add to your list:
    11. Attitudes of position. Church members or staff exibit personal ownership of a church activity or function. Often expressed by titles designed to distinguish and otherwise noticably set apart from other church members and staff.
    “See how important I am” is out of touch with what Jesus taught, but unfortnately is to commonplace.
    Thanks again for your message.

  • Rosanna Pacheco says on

    Grateful to out of an “inward church.” It was so harmful to me and I know I hurt others. Very judgemental of anyone who
    watched television, missed church to spend time with relatives or friends. Had any type of owls or went to the movies….. so anti-Jesus, and the list is so long. : (
    The thing that sticks out most would be #11 Don’t interact with family that doesn’t know Jesus, don’t visit them or make them a priority. If they are visiting and it’s time for church you leave for church.
    My father in law was very ill and I will forever remember that we were told not to visit him but to go to church. We were young in Christ and that day my husband’s father died. I had mentioned to my husband let’s go see your dad before/or after church your mom said he’s been really sick…… He had survived a horrific car accident and was doing well and died of a cold. Vomiting after taking prescribed medicine on a stomach that had been empty for 3 days.
    They lived just blocks from the hospital. My mother in law could have used help caring for him. We would have perhaps seen his condition and suggested he go to the hospital…My grown sons would know their sweet, kind, wonderful Papo…. Can’t dwell on the past .
    Grateful for God’s grace and the whisper of his voice distinguishing HIM from religion.

  • Christina says on

    Do you have a hidden camera in my church? Hits way too close to home. Time for a change.

  • Phillip says on

    Regarding Program driven, when they become their “job,”
    it fails to fulfill its purpose.

  • Wonderful post! It is so easy to fall into the trap of being an ingrown church. Keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ and following in His steps helps to break up these pitfalls. We do need to pray for our church and leaders daily because we face a real foe in this world. Blessings to you for bringing such an important message.

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