COMMON ISSUES AMONG DECLINING CHURCHES
Having been in the
circle of church management and leadership for over a decade and my consulting
services with churches, I have discovered that there are some common issues
among declining churches. Apparently, whether we accept
them or not they are there and if not attended to intentionally and
constructively most churches will continue to struggle in many areas. They are
as follows:
1. Staying long to deal with church
decline: - Most churches their front door is narrow while
the back door is wider than expected. The church has no concise and structured
means of checking the rate at which the members are leaving the church. Even
when reported the leadership will not accept it or it is ignored. Often
leadership asserts that if they are to stay God will make them to do so.
Inadvertently, this trend will entrench itself and addressing it becomes too
late and a big issue to the church.
2.
Lack
of statistics for planning: - Statistics and data are very
important for any organization to thrive. Most struggling churches have no data
and up-to-date information to work on. They cannot tell the number of visitors
that come to church in a month and the number they were able to follow-up and
retained. Statistics avails us the opportunity to ask constructive questions in
view of uncertainties. Like why did church population increased or decreased in
the last five years, why many church members come to church service on the
first Sunday of the month more than the last Sunday. In the absence of this
they think otherwise.
3.
Use
of prayer as a reactive approach: - Prayer is very
important but most often than not it is used in the struggling and declining
churches as reactive approach. There are obvious issues that require church leadership
proactive response other than praying when it has happened. One church I know
was faced with decline in numbers and the leadership chose the part of prayer
every weekend without attending to the concerns of the people. Let the church
design a strategic and proactive system approach rather than conforming through
prayer in a reactive manner.
4.
Lack
of knowledge of the community: - It is unfortunate
to discover that most church leaders do not know the community where they are
located. Knowing the name of the community is immaterial because community
demographics are important for the church to give back to the people. This is
why some churches demand so much from the members because they lack accurate
knowledge of their demography, economic, and social composition. Healthy
churches must be attuned with their ministry field.
5.
Addressing
church issues only from the pulpit: - One common factor
among declining churches is they intend to address critical issues only from
the pulpit. The leaders throw blames to the congregation from the pulpit
thereby exonerating themselves. Church system and structure are not fixed
through revival programs preached out of the pulpit for the congregation. When
the church leadership understands that people may not need revival if the
system is not working but it is the church system and structure that require
revival for the people to flow.
6.
Misplacement
of priorities: - Priorities are born out of
intentional vision, mission and goal of the church. My observation for many years
is most struggling and declining churches misplace priorities as a result of no
vision or goal. Most leaders operate on cut and paste approach. They keep on
remodeling their church to look like a particular church they saw somewhere.
Every church is unique and has its unique business philosophy, therefore to
copy and paste will destroy ones identity. Define your own brand and work
through it.
The Church needs God’s
grace to accomplish its mandate only when principles and laws are adhered to
purposefully with open heart.
Author
Dr. Nguzo. C Uche
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