Podcast Episode #328
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A post by Chuck Lawless serves as the basis for today’s podcast. Dr. Lawless has been consulting with churches for nearly two decades and shared ten things he had learned from dozens of church consultations.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Most of the time, when a church consultant is called in, it is too late.
- Every church should consider having a health check-up every three years.
- The primary purpose of contracting a church consultant is to have outside eyes that will point out things the church is blind to.
- Most pastors and lay leaders don’t know the attendance trends in their own church.
- Just because a church is growing numerically doesn’t mean it’s growing transformationally.
- The pulpit has a primary purpose: the proclamation of the Word of God.
The ten items we discuss are:
- Churches often wait too long to address decline.
- Statistics really are helpful.
- Prayer in unhealthy churches is reactive rather than proactive.
- Churches often settle for numerical growth rather than life transformation.
- Churches do not know their community.
- Most churches aren’t ready for conversion growth if God were to send it.
- Sometimes the most obvious suggestions seem the most revolutionary.
- The leader in the pulpit matters.
- In most churches, somebody wants the congregation to make an eternal difference.
- God is still growing His church.
Episode Sponsors
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Who Moved My Pulpit?
Love the first two points. Consistency is the key and shows constant humility when a church stays open to outside critique.
How much does church consulting cost? Ballpark.
Working with a consulting group can vary in price widely, but to get a decent result, your church should anticipate spending between $10k-$20k.
https://malphursgroup.com/10-church-consulting-essentials-to-know-before-hiring-a-consultant/
Or you can at least start by buy ing a few books from the consultants resourses and start a turbo leadership small group at your church. Prayerfully meet with your staff and other ministry leaders. Once a month or once a week to pray, survey, and test new ministry ideas. You can also pray and trouble shoot ministry problems. Pray the Word my brother and may God be with you and your small teams !!!
Need facilitation to develop our revised vision and who we are being called forth to express.