Working a Timetable
The transition from the death of one church to the birth of the next should be well planned, and again, it should not (and cannot) happen overnight.
For example, I’d suggest that the replant should not happen immediately after the closure of the old church.
Let it lay fallow for a while. Take down the sign so it’s clear. And then, after a time, put up a new sign with the new name. From there, treat it like a church plant that just happens to have some resources (the building and whatever other resources were gifted by the old church).
For most replants, I would say a six-month window between the closure of the old and the public opening of the new would be healthy. If there is already a core group in place (if an existing church is sending a core group or an existing church plant is taking over the space), three months may be sufficient.
During that time, the leadership team should be built, made up of people who are committed to and passionate about starting a church to reach the community. For about three months, home Bible studies can start up in order to build and solidify the core group. Then, for the next three months, public preview services may begin to take place each month in order to introduce the new church to the community.
This down time is also the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to your new neighbors. Send mailers and make phone calls. Let people know what is coming.
Avoid calling back people who have left the old church—at least at first. Remember, you are starting with a new identity, and those folks, especially, need to buy into it. To ensure that sort of buy in, require membership classes for everyone, so the new identity and new DNA is part and parcel of being part of the new church.
Much More
Replanting might be the right option for dying churches, but the key, and maybe the most difficult part in the whole process, is separating the new from the old.
That’s certainly not the only issue. I plan to write more on the other issues, but for now, consider that replanting really means that some churches should die and remain dead—and a new church, not a reboot of the old, should be started in its place.
This article about the death of a church originally appeared here.
