5 Ways to Make Your Church Irrelevant

Of all the organizations that have been hit hard by the pandemic, the church stands out as being particularly devastated.

The longer this goes, though, the more the struggle appears self-inflicted.

In the early days of COVID, pastors showed incredibly flexibility, agility and even some entrepreneurial drive as they pivoted to online ministry, started showing up on social, and really reached out to people where they found them.

Then, as church buildings reopened, it’s like almost overnight someone turned off the innovation faucet. The chant quickly became, “Everybody back in the building.”

Are We Building God’s Kingdom or Our Own?

I entered the ministry with the same ambitions many young pastors do. I sincerely wanted to reach people for Jesus, but I was also pretty interested in making a big name for myself. I wanted a large church, and I was pretty sure God was into that, too, because it seemed like a win-win for both of us.

Five essential elements of transformational small groups

Transformational discipleship involves moving people from sitting in rows, where they are simply in proximity to one another, to sitting in circles. From there, they move into community with one another.

Who are the outcasts in (some) churches?

The word “outcasts” seems strong. Perhaps it is. But, after over 30 years of working with thousands of congregations in North America, I think the nomenclature is close to reality.

When I use the word “outcast,” I am referring to those who are neglected at best and ostracized at worst. And lest anyone think I am compromising biblical views on marriage, sexuality, or other issues, I am not. In a number of churches, however, some of these groups are truly marginalized and, perhaps, shunned by members in the church.

New research on declining, plateaued, and growing churches

I love solid research. This new release is absolutely incredible.

I am grateful to Exponential for engaging LifeWay Research to discern current levels of church health according to a number of factors. While worship attendance trends over a three-year period were a primary indicator of health in this study, the Exponential research also included conversions, income, and staffing in the data.

Should the church be more inclusive or exclusive?

One of the biggest challenges that Christians face today is reconciling the seemingly exclusive claims of Jesus with the postmodern cultural value of inclusivity.

Whether you are at a Starbucks or a law firm, a university campus or a preschool, inclusivity is what everyone seems to be striving for. It’s written in value statements. It’s expressed in public memos (sometimes after an employee Twitter gaff). And perhaps most importantly, it’s simply assumed to be an inherent good by most people in society.

3 ways churches think they are known in their communities

Usually when I ask a question on social media, I expect a decent number of responses. Church leaders and members are typically gracious to me and share their opinions readily.

But when I asked a question about the reputation of their churches in the community, I was inundated with responses. Many wanted to share the good and the bad. Perhaps the most intriguing facet of the study was the three distinct groups in which the responses fell.

The question was simple: “What is your church known for in its community?”

Within a few minutes of my post, many responses came forth. After I read and added all of them, I saw three patterns emerge.

10 critical trends for churches in 2018

Never in my lifetime have I seen local congregations at such a critical juncture. Cultural Christianity is all but dead. The “Nones,” those without any religious preference, are increasing. Many of the communities are no longer friendly to local churches; some have become adversarial.

But in the waves of these seas of negativity, are mercy drops of hope and possibilities. Look at these ten major trends carefully. See how God would have your church respond.

Why Dying Churches Die

Many churches are dying.

Some are so sick that they are a few years, perhaps just months, from death. But too many refuse to do anything. Any potential and dramatic turnaround will not take place because these churches do nothing.

Why? Why do these dying churches walk resolutely down the path of death? Why don’t they attempt something dramatic, something bold? I have worked with too many of these churches. Allow me to share six common responses to these questions.

Why many of our churches are still one color

“What’s wrong with our church?”

It was a sincere question. The elder wanted to know why there seems to be a steady erosion of attendance, discipleship, and evangelism at his church.

Then I showed him the demographics of the church’s community. Over 40 percent of the area was non-white and growing, but the church was above 95 percent white. My response was simple. “You are not connecting with your community. The ethnic and racial diversity of the community is not reflected in the church.”

This church is one of tens of thousands of congregations that are one color, one race, or one group. Why? Why is this reality still taking place today? Let’s look at six reasons.

Three characteristics of effective churches today

Many in church leadership today are asking if they are doing church right. This healthy questioning is necessary as culture changes quickly and the perceptions of non-Christians regarding Christians have shifted. Let me share three questions that I think all those in church leadership should be asking as we seek to be communities that love Jesus and love others.

Jesus Started a Church

Perhaps the most radical thing Jesus did while on earth, besides taking the punishment for our sins on the cross, was starting a church. There is generally agreement amongst Bible scholars and theologians that what Jesus did with His disciples was not a church.

But I disagree. Jesus said He would build His church – not just after His ascension into heaven. He started His church while He lived on earth, planning for it to multiply to the ends of the earth.

12 Findings from Church Health Surveys

More than 15 years ago, Dr. Rainer and I developed a Church Health Survey to assess the condition of local congregations. A 160-question survey that focuses on the six purposes of the church (worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, prayer, and fellowship), the questionnaire reveals a church’s perception of itself.

Over the years, hundreds of churches in North America have completed the survey as they work with my church consulting group. Here are some general conclusions these surveyed churches have told us about themselves.

Expectant Churches vs. Reactive Churches

The Bible is a story of expectations: an expected Messiah who would crush the serpent (Gen. 3:15), an expected people from Abram (Gen. 12:1-3), an expected new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34), an expected return of Christ (Matt. 24:29-30), and an expected new creation (Rev. 21). Faith, in fact, is about expectation – the “reality of what is hoped for” (Heb. 11:1, HCSB).

Many churches, though, live in reactive mode rather than expectant mode. In my book, Discipled Warriors, I compare these churches.

Using our gifts to serve God, not ourselves

Did God give us the church as a place to use our gifts? Or did he give us gifts so we could serve the church? The difference might seem subtle, but the way you answer has a profound impact on how you view yourself, your church, and your volunteers.

Experiencing the power of the Gospel in community

We were not saved for isolation. We were saved into community. Through the cross of Christ, God made us family not only with himself, but also with everyone who trusts in Christ alone for eternal life. God has gathered under his roof an enormous crew of former rebels, and he has turned us into family.

While we look forward to worshiping Jesus as a family forever in his castle, our King and heavenly Father tells us not to wait until heaven to pursue each other. He tells us that now is the time to live in community together for the glory of his name, for the joy of our own souls, and for bringing more people into his kingdom (Heb. 10:24–25).

12 practices of a new Jesus movement

“Church planting is the most effective form of evangelism under heaven,” missiologist C. Peter Wagner once said. But is this still true today? Global nomad and missionary Andrew Jones, who works with emerging ‘Jesus movements’ around the world, suggests it’s time to rethink our missions practice, and move from ‘church as a weekly meeting in a building or a house’ towards ‘more sustainable, holistic, and measurably transformational Kingdom solutions.’

7 reasons your church needs to go on a diet

Most churches — more than eight out of ten — are busy. Too busy. These churches need to slim down their plethora of programs, activities, and ministries. They need to go a busyness diet.

Unfortunately, many church leaders equate activities with godliness or ministry fruitfulness. For certain, churches must have some clear plan of discipleship for their members. Sadly, some of the busiest churches actually diminish discipleship fruitfulness. And ceasing certain activities in the church can be extremely hard. You can run into sacred cows and favored ministries. Still, most churches should pursue a busyness diet for at least seven reasons.

Four Steps to Community Engagement

I've said many times before that if the 1950s were to make a comeback, there would be all too many churches who could go on without missing a beat. The good news is that they found a ministry strategy that works. The bad news is that the people they reach are now seventy years old.

Three Things Churches Love that KILL Outreach

All churches love certain things. Some love fellowship, some worship, some prayer. Those are good loves. Some are neutral loves. Some are not. Other churches love their building, their history or their strategy.

Those can be good or bad, depending on what we mean by love and how we value those things. But, some things that churches love hurt their mission and hinder their call. Here are three I've observed from my work with thousands of churches.