Sacred cows exist in every church, but in dying ones and those in need of replanting, they problem is exacerbated. Today we tackle how to deal with sacred cows in a replant.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM KEVIN
The church I’m replanting has sacred cows everywhere. I know these are landmines in every church. Is there anything specific to replants in dealing with sacred cows?
Episode Highlights:
- It’s always better to identify sacred cow landmines in the church before your step on them.
- You need to genuinely try to understand why certain sacred cows exist in your church.
- Sacred cows are born when members trade their love and affection for Jesus in exchange for love and affection for pews or a parlor.
- We don’t ever want people to put their hope and trust in things that are temporal.
- Moving someone’s focus from the temporal to the eternal takes time and patience.
The five ways to deal with sacred cows in a replant are:
- Identify the sacred cows
- Make Jesus the sole object of your worship
- Help members understand that there is no joy to be found in protecting temporary and temporal things
- Understand the spiritual warfare involved with sacred cows
- Help members see that the more they will want what Jesus wants, the less they will want what they desire
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.