I was recently asked what advice I’d give to a pastor getting ready to start a new transformation effort in a small church that’s been in decline for years. Here are the top 10 things I recommended.
Hand off everything you possibly can. Hand off regular hospital visitation, shut-in visitation, member care, etc. Instead, […]
Established: ~1904
Tribe: Protestant Mainline
Worship Style: Rural traditional, family informal
Congregational Demographics:
AWA: 32
Trend: 20 years steep decline; 8 years slow decline; followed by 10 years slight decline
Median Age: 61
Adult Generations: 21 Builders+; 8 Boomers; 2 Gen-X; 1 Millennial
Children/Youth: 2–3
Ethnic Mix: Anglo
SES: Mixed, mostly blue collar; income similar to ministry area
Debt: $0
Available Resources: ~$100,000 in endowments
Ministry Area […]
Simon Sinek, the author of Start with Why, teaches that every company knows its “what,” a few know its “how,” but few operate – or even know – their “why.” I’d say the same is true for most churches … and in my experience, is absolutely true for all declining churches.
Take a look …
There’s any […]
I was listening to Craig Groeschel at the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City and was struck by something he said:
There was a sharp intake of breaths across the room when he said that. I suspect his words will be quoted in blogs like this one, and perhaps whispered furtively in a few […]
There’s a saying, no one seems to know who said it first, that “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” I try to stay out of those rooms whenever possible. So it wasn’t surprising to me when I found myself in the same room as Will Mancini and […]
I was reading Luke 6 this morning and was struck by verse 12:
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
This passage immediately precedes the calling of the twelve apostles and it is one of only two times the Gospels mention Jesus going away […]
I hear a lot about “epic fails” these days. Typically, that means something has gone very wrong – and ended up on YouTube or Facebook. The truck was too tall for the underpass and it took out the bridge. The boat sank because it took on sixteen too many passengers. The kid broke his […]
Ministry in today’s culture is more difficult than perhaps at any other time in history. Sure, we’re in no danger of being fed to the lions, but today’s culture is more resistant to religion … any religion … than ever before. After speaking with pastors and staff, I heard some consistent wishes.
1. I wish […]
There are two ways to approach a new calling to a declining church. (1) Start slowly, build relationships, get the lay of the land, and then slowly effect changes. Ready, Aim, Fire. Or (2) Assess quickly, make changes, and then make adjustments. Ready, Fire, Aim.
The first method is the most common approach in ministry. […]
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