Podcast Episode #360
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Church revitalization, like several other things in the church, is not easy. There are no magic bullets, and because it’s hard, church revitalization often fails. Today, we cover ten reasons why.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Church members are often accepting of the idea of change—just not the action of change.
- A lot of churches could do better in revitalization if they just knew how.
- Church programs should be seen as means, not ends.
- Church programs are not solutions. They are tools.
- There is no magic bullet for church revitalization.
- We know magic bullets don’t exist, but we still seek them out.
- Reaching people with the gospel engenders spiritual warfare.
The 10 reasons church revitalizations often fail are:
- Comfort/resistance to change.
- Lack of knowledge.
- Despair and defeatism.
- Perception that programs are ends instead of a means.
- The magic bullet syndrome.
- Lack of awareness about the community.
- Evangelistic apathy.
- Deflection of blame.
- Short-term leadership.
- Failure to consider being acquired by another 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?
Loved the podcast this morning. It looks like the recurring theme is this idea of pride. People can have a tendency to stick to the thing that they have always done because it worked (past tense) and because they may have pioneered or championed it in some way. It can be scary to dive into the unknown but this is probably where faith comes in to play.
Thanks for the podcast. Love every episode!
Thanks, Daniel!
What is the stat that you always give, Dr. Rainer on the % of people in church who will remain if in a small group? Versus those that will not stay. I have heard you say it before, but can’t remember the number.
Someone in a group is five times more likely to be active in the church five years later than someone who attends worship services only.
Churches tend to follow their leaders during a revitalization. If there is poor leadership the church will follow an unhealthy course. I would say a church with a bottleneck in communications is a ripe environment for poor leadership to thrive and a revitalization to fail.
Our church during its revitalization had the same person in charge of the new pastor selection committee and the church elder board. He controlled all communications and decided who heard what information. He proudly told me he controlled the church and that he had thwarted all my efforts to bring change.
I would be interested in hearing about a model or safeguards (not a magic bullet!) for doing communications in a church where there is a group or an individual currently controlling the information stream.
Sounds like the main problem was “proudly”.
Yep.
As always, thanks for the podcast. I think there are some great lessons for the journey in general. In some ways, if we stop transitioning to the next place we have become stagnant and engender a rigidity that need be overcome with dramatic revitalisation efforts.
Thanks for listening, Josh.
Thanks for sharing this. It was a great read. There are lessons to be learnt from this.