What should you do in a declining church? I get asked that question a lot.
It should be noted there are no cookie-cutter solutions for reversing a declining church. Churches have unique characteristics, because they have different people. There are different reasons which cause decline. Ultimately, and most importantly, God is in control of all of this.
I would be considered arrogant and even hurtful to pretend to have all the answers for a church I do not know.
There are a few suggestions which come from working with a declining church.
7 Suggestions for a Declining Church:
1. Evaluate
What is going wrong? Why are less people attending and new people are not? Those are obvious, but hard questions. Is it programmatic, a people problem, or a Biblical issue? Don’t be afraid to admit if your church is just plain boring.
If nothing has changed in the programs you offer in the last 10 years – I may already have your answer. But ask questions. Ask for inside and outside opinions. This takes guts, but is critically necessary.
Ask visitors. Recruit a “secret shopper” attendee to give you an objective look at the church. Evaluate even if you are afraid to know the answers. You can’t address problems until you know them.
2. Own it
The problems are real. Don’t pretend they are not. At this step, cause or blame is not as important. They were important in the first step, because they may alter your response, but now the problems are yours. They are not going away without intentionality. Quit denying. Start owning the issues. I see too many churches avoid the issues because they are difficult – or unpopular – to address.
Find a Bible story where people of God were called to do something which didn’t involve a certain level if risk, hard work, fear or the necessity of faith.
3. Address major, obvious issues
This is perhaps the hardest one. If the church has “forgotten your first love” – repent. When the church holds on to bitterness and anger from the past – forgive. Sometimes walking by faith has been replaced by an abundance of structure. In these times you may need to step out boldly into a new area of ministry.
If the church is in disunity it must come together first. When the church loves the traditions of men more than the commands of God it must turn from sin. And, if the problems involve people, you can’t be a people pleaser. (I told you this is hard.)
