Maybe you see that your church is headed in the wrong direction. You know the church needs a turnaround, but you’re not sure where to start. Here are some basic first steps in the right direction.
- Admit the problem. Something’s happening when a church has plateaued or is in decline. Any tendency to whitewash the problem will only prolong it.
- Be aware of the specific trends. If your church is decreasing in attendance, don’t ignore that. If the giving is decreasing, take note. The sooner you recognize any negative trends, the sooner you can address them. The more specific you are about the concerns, the more your response can be targeted.
- Take responsibility. I know this step might frustrate you, but please hear my point. If you’re the leader and the church isn’t growing, it’s your job to guide the congregation to figure out what’s up.
- Commit to personal gut-wrenching prayer and fasting. Prayer says, “We need God,” and fasting says, “We want God more than anything, including food.” If you’re unwilling to seek God this deeply, don’t expect much to change.
- Lovingly help the church see the problem. Sometimes only the leaders see the problem, and they try to fix it without helping the church see the issue. When that happens, the church often bucks change because they don’t understand the need.
- Ask this hard question: “Am I part of the problem?” You might be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the solution. If you’ve lost your passion, ask God to give it back. If you’re angry, forgive somebody. If you struggle with preaching, get some help to improve. If it seems like nobody’s listening to you, search until you find at least one person you might disciple.
- Get a few people on board. Even Jesus didn’t get everybody on His team, so don’t worry about that goal. Find 2 or 3 people who want to see change, who understand that change isn’t easy, and who are committed to the hard work. Invest in them, and you’ll have renewed hope.
- Start by changing only one part of the church. You’ll never change the whole church until you change one part of it. Determine one area that you can most readily strengthen, and start there. Improve a few small groups. Train your deacons in pastoral care. Take a few people with you to do a prayer survey of a local community. One victory goes a long way toward a second one.
- Celebrate the victories. Never miss an opportunity to thank the Lord publicly for anything He does. Honor Him by honoring any of His people who are willing to sacrifice and work to strengthen your church. Celebrate more, and your excitement will increase.
What other steps would you add?
