Some churches have the uncanny ability to prolong infighting for decades. Other congregations get to a point where the fighting creates collective exhaustion. Thom and Sam discuss what happens when a church stops fighting because everyone is tired.
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- When the fighting stops, the church is not necessarily starting to get healthy again.
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- Two groups form: those who decide to leave defeated and those who stay and become apathetic.
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- In most cases, the church takes a reputation hit in the community.
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- Pastor churn and staff church begin because few in the church want to volunteer or have any responsibilities.
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- A new pastor can get permission to lead change, but change does not happen because too few people will do what is requested.
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- The way out is through a renewed outward focus in six-month increments. Most exhausted churches can do only one thing at a time.
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