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It is a key issue in pastoral leadership today. Here is a quote from a pastor I coach. It is indicative of this issue: “I don’t feel like I am leading well. Sometimes I wonder if God’s anointing and calling is no longer on my life.” That pastor is not alone. As I work with…
The post When Pastors Doubt Their Leadership Ability appeared first on Church Answers.
Churches decline for two main reasons—both having to do with a shift in priorities. First, they lose passion for the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Second, as a result, they no longer give God glory. When a church no longer pushes outward with the gospel, the people will no longer look upward to God’s…
The post The Top Ten Misaligned Priorities in Struggling Churches appeared first on Church Answers.
I admit it: I’m pleading with church leaders with this post. I’m pleading on behalf of 19 million people in the United States. This past weekend, I led a collegiate conference at a local church. Every time I speak to college students, I’m reminded of two things: (1) they bring enthusiasm and potential to a…
The post An Urgent Plea to Churches appeared first on Church Answers.
I like outliers. Outliers are, by their definition, exceptions to the rule. They are different from others. Our Church Answers team closely watches church attendance, especially attendance since the pandemic. Most churches had a decline in attendance. Since many of these congregations are intentional about recovering from the decreases, we note what approaches these churches take. …
The post 5 Surprising Approaches Churches Are Using to Increase Attendance appeared first on Church Answers.
When the church causes hurt, it pollutes God’s calling and creates a toxicity that works against the gospel. The goal is to minimize church hurt and maximize church unity. Here is reality. Something will happen in almost every church because ministry includes people. In some cases, the pastor is the cause of the hurt. In…
The post How to Recover from a Toxic Church and Bounce Back Even Better appeared first on Church Answers.
I am glad October has been designated as Pastor Appreciation Month. While we should appreciate our pastors year-round, it is good to have this reminder to say and do a few kind things for those who serve and lead our churches faithfully. My two pastors happen to be my sons, so I obviously have a…
The post The Two Greatest Gifts You Can Give Your Pastor appeared first on Church Answers.
This question and its ensuing discussion continues. Do I really need to be a member of a church? We need to first separate the concept of church membership from other types of organizational membership. Church membership is not like civic club membership, even though many civic organizations do have altruistic purposes. Church membership is definitely…
The post Do I Really Need to Be a Member of a Church? appeared first on Church Answers.
I’m well aware that it’s easy to get focused on numbers when evaluating church growth. Too many church leaders report “butts in the seats” and “bucks in the plate” more than anything else—without really evaluating even those numbers. For example, we might report a significant attendance increase without pointing out that most of that growth…
The post Why We Need to Ask More Numerical Questions about Our Church appeared first on Church Answers.
The issue may be the biggest surprise of my ministry. On the one hand, I am surprised at the decline of evangelism in most churches. But that is not the biggest surprise. The issue that perplexes and surprises me the most is that very few church leaders and members are even acknowledging the death of…
The post The Death of Evangelism: Five Issues We Must Address appeared first on Church Answers.
I became fascinated with dead and dying churches about thirty years ago. I know. It’s morbid on my part. My fascination turned into somewhat of an obsession that I wrote a bestselling book on the topic, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, several years ago. It still has robust sales today. It obviously hit a nerve. …
The post Why Your Church Will Die within Five Years appeared first on Church Answers.