Churches fail to thrive through obvious errors

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS—There are many reasons churches and pastors think they fail to thrive, but revitalization expert Johnny Hunt keyed in on the causes that become more obvious after looking at research from LifeWay Christian Resources and the North American Mission Board.

Speaking to the Church Growth and Revitalization Conference last month at North Richland Hills Baptist Church, one of several stops on the NAMB-orchestrated tour, Hunt elaborated on 10 causes of decline as he challenged pastors and churches to accept reality.

They refuse to look like their community.

Hunt challenged pastors to get to know the area immediately surrounding their churches even if the congregation is drawn from a much larger region. That requires involving members in every level of outreach, utilizing those who are equipped to share their faith as well as some who will at least distribute door hangers. “Reach the people in your community where you live,” Hunt emphasized. 

The church had no community-focused ministries.

Citing an initiative he used as pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock called Love Loud, Hunt said the concept involves “touching the community by showing people God’s up to something.” He spoke of a home for single mothers that emerged as a result of discovering local needs. NAMB has since embraced the concept and utilizes LoveLoud in key cities to advance church planting efforts.

Members became more focused on memorials.

While appreciative of the desire to honor past contributions of church members, Hunt acknowledged that dying churches often place more emphasis on memorials to the past than ministry for the future. “I pastored a church that spent more money on Memorial Day flowers than the youth budget,” he noted.

The percentage of the budget for members’ needs kept increasing.

Hunt challenged churches to keep the focus outward instead of on “what we want here.”

There was no evangelistic emphasis.

“Nobody was ever talking about reaching the lost or asking you to pray for the person he was sharing the gospel with,” Hunt said in describing a dying church. “I need to be sharing the gospel and doing ministry outreach.”

The members had more and more arguments about what they wanted instead of what outside people needed.

Hunt encouraged pastors to analyze whether ministry and missions are prioritized in their budgets while leading their churches effectively to accomplish those values.

With few exceptions pastoral tenure grew shorter and shorter.

“There’s no such thing as building a great work without longevity,” Hunt said, reminding pastors of the need to stay put where God called them. “You’ve gotta dig your heals in and stay. [First Baptist Church of Jacksonville Pastor Emeritus] Homer Lindsay Jr. used to tell me it takes five years to become the pastor. If you don’t agree with that take it up with him.”

The church rarely prayed together.

Hunt reminded pastors that prayer must be the first priority in revitalizing a church if the practical steps are to succeed.

The church had no clarity as to why it existed.

For that matter, Hunt said, a dying church fails to ask whether it would even matter if it were not there.
The members idolized another era.

“There’s always the good old days,” Hunt said, adding, “I wonder if sometimes it’s not a bad memory.” He observed that facilities continue to deteriorate while churches and pastors do little more than think about revitalization.  Referring to Haggai 1:4, Hunt concluded, “You live in nice houses, but the house of God lies in waste.”

For more information on NAMB’s approach to church revitalizations and other resources available to pastors, contact Michael Lewis, executive director for pastor relations at 770-410-6000. Lewis blogs at Pastor4pastors.blogspot.com and tweets @pastor4pastors.

Kenneth Priest, director of convention strategies for SBTC, is available to any church in Texas seeking solutions to church decline and growth barriers. Through webinars, conferences and personalized training, SBTC will assist churches in any circumstance desiring help. Contact him at kpriest@sbtexas.com or call 1-877-953-SBTC.