It broke my heart.
Another church closed. This church had unbelievable potential. Indeed, it had its own “glory days,” but only for a season. But, 10 years ago, few would have predicted this church’s closure. Today, it is but another statistic in the ecclesiastical graveyard.
I know. We don’t compromise doctrine. I know. We must never say we will change God’s Word.
But many of our congregations must change. They must change or they will die.
I call these churches “the urgent church.” Time is of the essence. If changes do not happen soon, very soon, these churches will die. The pace of congregational death is accelerating.
What, then, are some of the key changes churches must make? Allow me to give you a fair warning. None of them are easy. Indeed, they are only possible in God’s power. Here are nine of them:
- We must stop bemoaning the death of cultural Christianity. Such whining does us no good. Easy growth is simply not a reality for many churches. People no longer come to a church because they believe they must do so to be culturally accepted. The next time a church member says, “They know where we are; they can come here if they want to,” rebuke him. Great Commission Christianity is about going; it’s not “y’all come.”
- We must cease seeing the church as a place of comfort and stability in the midst of rapid change. Certainly, God’s truth is unchanging. So we do find comfort and stability in that reality. But don’t look to your church not to change methods, approaches, and human-made traditions. Indeed, we must learn to be uncomfortable in the world if we are to make a difference. “We’ve never done it that way before,” is a death declaration.
- We must abandon the entitlement mentality. Your church is not a country club where you pay dues to get your perks and privileges. It is a gospel outpost where you are to put yourself last. Don’t seek to get your way with the music, temperature, and length of sermons. Here is a simple guideline: Be willing to die for the sake of the gospel. That’s the opposite of the entitlement mentality.
- We must start doing. Most of us like the idea of evangelism more than we like doing evangelism. Try a simple prayer and ask God to give you gospel opportunities. You may be surprised how He will use you.
- We must stop using biblical words in unbiblical ways. “Discipleship” does not mean caretaking. “Fellowship” does not mean entertainment.
- We must stop focusing on minors. Satan must delight when a church spends six months wrangling over a bylaw change. That’s six months of gospel negligence.
- We must stop shooting our own. This tragedy is related to the entitlement mentality. If we don’t get our way, we will go after the pastor, the staff member, or the church member who has a different perspective than our own. We will even go after their families. Don’t let bullies and perpetual critics control the church. Don’t shoot our own. It’s not friendly fire.
- We must stop wasting time in unproductive meetings, committees, and business sessions. Wouldn’t it be nice if every church member could only ask one question or make one comment in a meeting for every time he or she has shared his or her faith the past week?
- We must become houses of prayer. Stated simply, we are doing too much in our own power. We are really busy, but we are not doing the business of God.
Around 200 churches will close this week, maybe more. The pace will accelerate unless our congregations make some dramatic changes. The need is urgent.
Hear me well, church leaders and church members. For many of your churches the choice is simple: change or die.
Time is running out. Please, for the sake of the gospel, forsake yourself and make the changes in God’s power.
Posted on March 27, 2017
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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173 Comments
Perhaps, as well, embracing a changing paradigm of the faith and Scripture, one that is more primitive, or even progressive, if that word does not set off too many how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin alarms.
Years ago John Shelby Spong called “Why Christianity Must Change or Die”. He argued that Christians must alter their message if they’re going to reach this new generation. Alas, the “new” message he promotes bears little resemblance to Christianity. Still, many churches in Canada took Spong’s message to heart, and the Washington Post (which is not a conservative newspaper) posted a study on the results. You might find it quite interesting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/04/liberal-churches-are-dying-but-conservative-churches-are-thriving/?utm_term=.cbc034630ecc
Don’t know if your list is prioritized, but, if so, number 8 should be number 1.
Thom, you are wonderful i must say. Thank you so much for this post
3 and 4 are really among my pet peeves. How many times have we pastors heard this: “Pastor, we need to be doing more activities for the children”, or “Pastor, we need to do more for the youth”? Yet when we talk to these same people about actually getting involved in some of these ministries, they offer one excuse after another as to why they can’t. I can’t tell you how frustrating that is to me, and I’m sure I speak for many other pastors.
I saw an internet meme that sums up the issue quite nicely. It was a picture of the late actor Bob Denver in costume as Maynard G. Krebs. The caption was Maynard’s famous signature line: “WORK?!!!!” Lest anyone think I’m picking on millennials, there’s no shortage of this problem among other generations – including my own. Ironically, the ones who often complain loudest about a church’s attendance are the ones who make excuses as to why they can’t work in Sunday School or other ministries. As a pastor, I’ve often had to restrain myself from telling people to put up or shut up.
Great word Michael. especially ”not in word only, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” This power is what will answer any problem, any church has. Thanks
You’re most welcome, Tom. Blessings to you!
Sorry ” where”
Thom, were are we getting the statistics that around 200 churches will close this week?
Please see the earlier comments where I explained this data.
FIrst the church of Acts grew for 3 reasons.
Layity proclaimed the message – they taught and preached. Paul mentions preaching more than once. Deacons were chosen to take care of the day to day tasks.
Second they prayed!!! Repeatedly Acts pointedly mentions praying. Intentionality in prayer is evident.
Third they gave sacraficially so that “no one had need”.
I believe the church has become far too regulatory and in it the clergy have become an elitist core rather than passionate shepherds. Growing churches are present nationwide and are lead by, most often, clergy who are passionate about ministering, are grounded in prayer, have a heart for pastor I guess.
The problem with the laymen is apathy
At 84 I love reading and teaching the Bible but few want to learn. I am continually apauled at how little people in the pew know about the Bible. Sunday School once an integral part of church activity is all but absent in dying churches.
I was raised with the habit of tithing or more. Now we talk about it with”tongue in cheek” acknowledging that it is doctrinal but not expected. And sacrificial giving is almost unheard of.
For all the moaning and hand wringing there are pockets where the church is thriving and there you find clergy who have a passion for their calling who inspire layity to minister.
Read the book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” the story about Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York
I see these church critique articles regularly. I’m wondering a couple of things.
Is the ideal we’re supposed to be reaching actually a Biblical ideal or a cultural one?
Have any, or many, of the writers and commenters actually built a church, worked on the front lines of ministry or helped a struggling church pull out of a nose dive and grow? Some of the warnings & recommendations are probably helpful, but some seem a bit unrealistic.
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I’m just wondering.
Powerful article for sure. As an “aging” Pastor (56), I’m trying hard with God’s help to not get stodgy, bitter and cynical as time moves on. Great young leaders are coming behind us, and we must be ready to hand off the “keys” to vibrant churches to the glory of God.
Thank you for sharing so many great articles, and I plan on sharing this.
Thank you, Norm. You’ve got many good years left in ministry.
What ailes the American church is an easy fix. In fact it’s so easy, that it often times gets glossed over for a more educated assessment. We have so convoluted the process, that we can no longer see the forest because of the trees.
Simply stated, the church will return to being the powerhouse God always intended it to be when we return to doing God’s work, God’s way. And by repenting of the sins of compromise and prayerlessness and begin ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul stated in Corinthians, that he came to them ”not in word only, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
Before we get our nation back, we need to get our churches back. Back in alignment with God’s intended purpose as we see in the book of Acts.
I personally believe through Christ all things are possible unto us, but it doesn’t come without cost. In order to achieve a visitation of God upon our churches and nation, God needs to see a visitation from us. A visitation to the altar of repentance. A visitation to the scriptures. A visitation to prayer. A visitation to pure worship. And a visitation to the total surrender of self to God and His purposes in the earth.
Thom,
Great article, I suspect that the 200 weekly count is spot on if not over conservative.
I am a lay person in my late 30s, trained in a campus ministry. I met you at Murray and at Cape St Blas 15years ago.
My wife and I in our 20s tried to start a evangelistic bible study with others our age that were semi connected to our church and our pastor asked us not to facilitate it because it was not in the scope of the churches vision. This older church was not growing and worried about the Christmas musical as well as the color of the carpet. God opened the door and we had an opportunity to move to another town for work. After we moved we then had a chance to join a young plant church that had no other option but to evangelize. It was the greatest opportunity and biggest challenge, but very rewarding. We targeted the disenfranchised and unchurched, it is a true community. It was raw and beautiful, tough and messy. The young church now (8 years old) is a vibrant community and it is not uncommon to have 50+ new believers baptized on a Sunday. The church just planted their first church in another town.
I write this to say that I am starting to believe that the solution for the American church isn’t to reform but to plant. Planting forces you to live out Matt 28. I have not seen many success stories from an existing stagnant church that has made the turn to impact but I expect there are some great stories. I know you have the data, but I just don’t see these churches changing.
Thanks for what you do,
Jason
Cape San Blas! Love that place.
Thom, curious as to your thoughts on Jason’s belief that the solution for the American church is planting and not reform. Thanks..