Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt By Members of Dying Churches

Episode #110
September 12, 2019
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Dying churches are filled with members who are experiencing loss—loss of friends, loss of ministry, loss of relevance. Today, we discuss several of these pain points found in dying churches.

Episode Highlights:

  • Church members often like the way a church used to be more than the way the church is currently.
  • Nostalgia is a cul-de-sac. It leads nowhere.
  • When members leave a dying church, those who remain often feel betrayed by those who leave.
  • The change people in their 70s and 80s have endured in their lifetime has left many wanting the church to be a place that never changes.

The eight pain points we discuss are:

  1. Anticipatory grief
  2. Church is connected to major life events
  3. Friendship patterns are being disrupted
  4. Some of feelings of betrayal
  5. The pain of denial
  6. Loss of stability
  7. Great confusion and pain related to cultural change
  8. Often the members respond with anger and resistance to those who try to help.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

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.

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