9 Signs Your Church Is Legendary

A legend is an iconic story that occurred in the past but continues to resurface in order to remember the actions or activities of an individual or organization. 

Legend is based on a shared history of revered and renowned collective experiences that are often romanticized or even embellished in an effort to encourage present generations to perpetuate that story for future generations.

Legends influence the future in spite of present circumstances, needs, or relevance. Most legends do not earn that designation until they are no longer active or even living. Consequently, perpetuating those legends in the life of a church has the potential to limit that church and its members to their past performance.

Nine Signs Your Church Is Legendary

1.    Instead of creating new stories to impact future generations, time is spent trying to resurrect or recreate old stories of former generations.

2.   One particular style or genre of music has been canonized.

3.   Most conversations begin with Do you remember instead of Can you imagine.

4.   An inordinate amount of time is spent planning and preparing for reunions and anniversaries.

5.   Those who have joined your church in the last decade or two have no knowledge of or experience with the original legend beyond what you have told them.

6.   Much more time is spent protecting old programs and ministries than praying for and considering new ones.

7.    Church vision looks in the rearview mirror for the way things used to be instead of out the windshield for the way things could be.

8.   Time and monetary resources are invested in the physical and organizational institution instead of the spiritual mission.

9.   Leaders are considered and selected only from those who can best represent and perpetuate the legend.

Intentionally designing the vision, practices, procedures, and future of your church to replicate the Good Old Days usually succeeds in getting it half right…it is old.