It’s everywhere. You see it in the way people dress, the way they take care of their cars and houses. It’s become a way of life. We call it keeping it real. But it’s really something else.

In today’s laid back, casual culture, we’ve become slothful. In our pursuit of authenticity, we’ve become authentically lazy. In our attempt to keep it real, we’ve become real sloppy.

In my travels this summer, I’ve been amazed by the levels of cleanliness in different churches and ministries. Or I should say the lack of it. I was recently at a facility that has amazing potential. But because it wasn’t kept up, it was a far cry from what 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

We have a responsibility in the Church to maintain a level of cleanliness. And it doesn’t take much to ensure that happens.

Take a Regular Trash Tour
Delegation without investigation is merely relegation. So I regularly walk around our church (yes, all 5 campuses) to see what things look like. One thing I look for is signage. We don’t allow any signs to be taped to doors, windows or walls. It just looks sloppy. I also look for work spaces that are untidy or cluttered. And if I see something that’s sloppy, I make sure it gets corrected.

Don’t Think That Excellence Equals Expense
It doesn’t cost any money to organize a desk, pick up some trash or tidy up an office. You don’t have to have a big budget or large staff to have clean facilities. Every buiding, work space or entryway can glorify God, no matter where your church is or how many resources you have.

Make Sure Everyone Contributes
It doesn’t matter what it is, people will trash stuff that isn’t theirs. But if you are part of a church, it is your responsibility to contribute to keeping the facilities beautiful. That’s especially true for staff members, from the senior leader on down. I learned this lesson a long time ago from my father, who reprimands any staff member who walks by a piece of trash without picking it up. It takes a contribution from everyone to make sure that the buildings and grounds continue to reflect the greatness of God.

If someone walks onto one of Fellowship Church’s campuses, I don’t want anything to get in the way of them hearing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. That includes the cleanliness of the environment.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. So let me know your experiences with cleanliness (of the lack of it) in the church. And I look forward to hearing your trash talk soon!