How is your church doing in the area of post-covid? Attendance down? Giving down? Outreach down? Small groups down? If you answered yes to any of those scenarios, then you must look back to the pre-covid ministries of your church and evaluate the validity of your church’s health. There is a chance that the health prior to covid wants as healthy as it seemed. Attendance numbers can be a tricking thing based on the assimilation process your church does. Some of the post-covid numbers we know are because many churches had assimilation issues. There was always a back door for unassimilated church attenders to go. It was left wide open during covid, and there wasn’t a process to assimilate unassimilated members. Covid exposed a church that was unprepared to be the church (not the building) in a time of crisis.
So, now what? Reality must be assessed before making assumptions. Assuming you know what is happening in your church can be time consuming and it can have you chasing things that won’t correct the real concerns. Do research of critical areas in your church. looking back 10 years, how has the major areas of the lifeline of the church been functioning? Salvations, baptisms, baby dedications, church worship attendance, small group numbers, church membership classes, and of course financial giving. It could be that there were major issues prior to covid. It could be that church membership was nothing more than shouting amen to someone wanting to actually be assimilated instead of confirmed. Many times in our post-covid church world, we can go back and realize that there problems were pre-covid.
No when you scan the congregational church life wheel, you can see where you may be in your current situation. it isn’t easy admitting that a church is need of a makeover. It is very difficult when reality sets in, but it doesn’t have be done alone. We have help! We have tools to do this! We have God as our guide through this process. Don’t go at it alone. Ask the tough questions. Ask the down to the bone questions. Ask God to lead you and guide in the direction your church needs to go. More Church revitalization conversations to come!
Stay in the Light,
Pastor Larry
In The Light, 1 John 1:7 