On April 15, 1912 the unthinkable happened when White Star Lines unsinkable ship, the Titanic, sank. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Could the Titanic have been saved? Could this disaster have been averted and what lessons can the Church learn?

Many mistakes were made by those who were responsible for this voyage, but five problems stick out, from which we can learn.

1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.

Captain Smith ignored seven iceberg warnings from his crew and other ships.

2. The Ship builder's decided to cut corners.

About three million rivets were used to hold the sections of the Titanic together. Some rivets have been recovered from the wreck and analyzed. The findings show that they were made of sub-standard iron.

3.The ship's speed and course was not allowed to be altered.

To meet this schedule the Titanic could not afford to slow down. The owners had something to prove.

4. Improper Structure's

The Titanic had sixteen watertight compartments that did not reach as high as they should have.

5. Failure of others to pay attention and help

At around 11.15, Californian's radio operator turned off the radio and went to bed. Sometime after midnight the crew on watch reported seeing rockets being fired into the sky from a big liner. If the Californian had turned on the radio she would have heard the distress messages from Titanic and would have been able to reach the ship in time to save all passengers.

Like the Titanic, many churches and their leaders are shocked when they find themselves in a desperate situation. These leaders, like those involved in the disastrous voyage of the Titanic, made these five mistakes. 

1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.

Many churches and their leaders have been hearing and experiencing the warning signs of plateau and decline, but they have failed to listen to these warnings, steam ahead and now find themselves in a disastrous situation.

2. The Church leaders decided to cut corners.

Far too often church leaders cut ministry corners. Instead of doing the hard work and paying the price to protect the vision, create disciples and grow healthy leaders, they look for the quick fix or easy road to growth. All the while, under the surface major problems develop. What seems so small on the surface eventually leads to the demise of the church.

3.The Church's speed and course is not allowed to be altered.

To often leaders are afraid to slow down, think about the course of the church and make positive course corrections. Instead they stubbornly steam ahead feeling like they have something to prove to the rest of the community. These leaders refuse to make mid-course corrections in the ministry of the church, its relevance to the community and its philosophical methodologies.

4. Improper Structure's

Every system is perfectly designed for the outcome it produces. A failure to look at the church's structures and systems will simply perpetuate the problem and weaken the church's ability to hold up under pressure. Most churches don't grow due to structural problems they are unwilling to face.

5. Failure of others to pay attention and help

Allow me a brief opportunity to get up on my soapbox. Too often Pastor's tend to be either to timid to confront  a problem head on or opportunistic. We are to be accountable and responsible to one another. I think the Bible mentions this idea a few times. If we see a disaster coming, we are to help others see it. I know we all want our churches to grow, but we should never wish for the demise of any other church in our community so that ours might grow. That is not the Great-Commission!