Dying churches often don’t realize their problem until it’s too late. Today we look at the reasons why.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM BRANDON
Why do dying churches not realize they are dying?
Episode Highlights:
- Dying churches die because they refuse to confront reality.
- Church members in dying churches often don’t realize the church is dying because their relational patterns have not been upset yet.
- Church assessments give you perceptions of the members so that leaders can have a better view of the church.
- “We aren’t as bad as that church” is not really a reason to be proud of your church.
The six reasons we discuss are:
- They are in denial
- They still have most of their friends in the church
- They have not done a church assessment
- They don’t see the decline day by day
- They think smaller is better
- They compare themselves to a church in worse condition
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
- Church Health Report
- ChurchReplanters.com
- ChurchAnswers.com
- Replanter Assessment
- Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.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.
