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October 4, 2019 5 Comments

Five Key Reasons Many Churches Struggle to Reach Their Communities – Rainer on Leadership #577

Podcast Episode #577

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The local church is responsible for engaging the community. Many churches today are declining because they are too inward focused. In today’s episode Thom and Sam discuss the basics of engaging the community and neighborhoods around the church.

A few episode highlights –

  • The call to pastor a church is the call to pastor a community.
  • Established churches can become busy with programs and get distracted from serving the community.
  • If you are going to reach the community there needs to be an intentional plan.
  • God honors churches that put prayer as a priority.
  • The pastor needs to take the lead on inviting people.

The five key reasons are:

  1. Busyness with activities
  2. Lack of intentionality and priority
  3. Scarcity of tools
  4. No prayer about or for the community
  5. Leaders and members who fail to become an active part of the community

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

  • EST – Podcast
  • Church Answers
  • Hope Against Heroin
  • Pray and Go
  • Invite Your One

Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.


Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen’s staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.

To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen’s Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.


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 Becoming a Welcoming Church.

Related

Comments

  1. David V says

    October 4, 2019 at 8:52 am

    I observe and experience one other reason churches/people fail to reach out to the people of their community – Fear.

    Reply
    • Mark says

      October 4, 2019 at 9:09 am

      Yes, fear that they will come join the church and upset the apple cart.

      Reply
  2. Lionel Etwaru says

    October 4, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    Very relevant subject. I was challenged by it.

    Reply
  3. Ron Lemon says

    October 5, 2019 at 8:00 am

    The goal is to reach our community and I agree with the 5 reasons listed, but I am not sure actual success looks like if they are accomplished. What is the litmus test to say “We’ve achieved the goal?” Is is numbers, finances, mission support or souls saved & disciples. I think we get caught up in the numbers game which leads us astray from the actual goal. So again, what is the actual goal to reach to say we’ve succeeded?

    Reply
  4. David says

    October 8, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    I am curious as to how you define “your community”.
    Is it the immediate neighborhood around the church?
    Is it your side of town?
    Is it your zip code?
    Is it a certain radius around the church?

    I am guessing that it depends. 🙂

    Our church is in a neighborhood, on the outskirts of a city of 25,000, in a county of 70,000

    Reply

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