- The church is an organism - it cannot be "plateaued." It is either living or dying.
- Get painfully honest
- Use statistical data to give insight
- Turnaround happens gradually. More like a battleship than a bass boat. Decline took many years to happen and it won't be corrected instantly.
- The issues that leaders face in revitalization are complex. Thankfully we have been equipped by God to handle complexity.
- When leaders introduced change, conflict ALWAYS follows. Leaders need to learn how to manage conflict.
- Many churches are inwardly focused.
- Many churches have a maintenance mentality.
- Establish goals through strategy planning.
- Lead yourself. One pastor said, "I can't be declining personally and lead the church effectively."
- Remind the congregation of the Biblical values that should be her focus.
- Deliberately change the culture; hammer away at what matters.
- Teach Biblical membership
- Work with who you have.
- Join God where He is at work. Lead the congregation to discover the will of God.
- Spiritual warfare is key. Lead people to practice vital prayer.
- Work through issues of unhealthy control with leaders
- Conduct an honest assessment.
- Practice effective discipleship.
- Celebrate little victories.
- Learn ways to rehabilitate the churches reputation in the community if needed.
- Commit to longevity, don't run when things get hard.
- Help the congregation understand the answers to these questions: (1) What is the Gospel? (2) What is a Christian?
- Work on needed changes to infrastructure and leadership changes.
Good resources:
Change Your Church for Good, Powell
Autopsy of a Dead Church, Rainer
Advanced Strategic Planning, Malphurs
Leading Congregational Change, Herrington & Others
Reaching the Summit, Yates
Comments