Pastors are tempted to compare the size of their churches and that can end up as competition. This usually isn't intentional, and rarely is it helpful. All Christian churches are on the same Kingdom team, but church leaders are human and can become discouraged.

Let's be honest.

If you are a pastor of a small church and a megachurch moves in down the street, your first impulses aren't usually filled with thoughts of praise and worship. Candidly, it really doesn't matter what size your church is if a larger one moves in near you. That can feel threatening. We want to rise above and think "Hey, there are plenty of people here who need Jesus and don't go to church!"

But instead, you wonder how many of your people might leave, right? That's normal. What you do with that initial thought is what matters.

Does that thought turn to a healthy competition or unhealthy competition?

Healthy competition will help you and is driven by:

• A desire to remain relevant and innovative
• A passion to become better at what you do
• A dedication to reach and help more people

Contentment is found in healthy competition. It's energizing and rewarding.

Unhealthy competition will hurt you and is driven by:

• Pride
• Insecurity
• Fear

Unhealthy completion is draining and never satisfies. It's never enough.

Comparing Campuses

At 12Stone Church we recently launched five new mobile campuses and all five are in schools. These new campuses are located in Buford, Braselton, Bethlehem, Grayson and Snellville; which bring us to a total of nine campuses. We launched all five on January 11th this year and God has blessed each one in amazing ways. Each campus is doing well and each has its own challenges and complications like any new endeavor. One challenge is the temptation for any leader at 12Stone to compare the attendance and quality of the facility rather than celebrate what God is doing. This can lead to unhealthy competition.

Unhealthy competition is part of the devil's plan. He doesn't want churches to help each other, cooperate and cheer each other on. He wants to blind church leaders to the good God is doing by allowing comparison to turn into unhealthy competition.

The devil doesn't want churches to help each other, cooperate and cheer each other on.

How about you? Are you comparing and competing? Are you getting discouraged? Make a decision to think differently. Maybe even take a pastor of a larger church to lunch this week ... and you buy!

Dan Reiland is the executive pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY.

For the original article, visit danreiland.com.

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