There is plenty of blame to go around in dying churches. Unfortunately, they rarely look in the mirror and instead blame others. Today we discuss why that is wrong and how to combat it.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM MANUEL
I currently serve as an associate pastor but am about to take on a replant. My pastor has mentored me well, and often talks about how he has to manage blame coming from the church when anything goes not according to plan. What are some frequent objects of blame in replants?
Episode Highlights:
- One of the death wheezes of a church is when it begins to resent the people in its community.
- When a new pastor comes, members should ask “what can I do to help the new pastor succeed?”
- You can’t revitalize a church if there is a spirit of bitterness in the church.
- You will lose the next generation of leadership in your church if you don’t give them opportunities to lead.
- God is under no obligation to resource your plans for His church.
The five objects of blame we discuss are:
- The community won’t come to our church!
- It’s the fault of the (past or present) pastor!
- Those members should have never left us!
- The denomination won’t help us!
- Younger families are too snobby to visit us!
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
- ChurchReplanters.com
- ChurchAnswers.com
- Replanter Assessment
- Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com
Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
