I bet you have thought about your church and wondered if you were the only ones dealing with . . .
We all do that from time to time. We’re not trying to play into the “misery loves company” syndrome. It’s helpful to know others are dealing with the same thing we are and that they may have a different perspective or some different answers than we do that may help us!
I don’t know if you have been following the news about church-going in America today; there’s not a lot of good news.
- Gallup: “U.S. membership falls below majority for the first time”
- Pew Research: “In U.S., decline of Christianity continues at a rapid pace”
- The Atlantic: “The True Cost of the Church Going Bust”
Ryan Burge, who is the leading statistical researcher on American Christianity today, says, “In 20 years, no one’s even going to know what a Mainline Protestant is because many of those denominations will close down in my lifetime (Baptist News Global, Ryan Burge Explains ‘Casual Dechurching’).”
Wow! This is tough news. The result is, as Burge expresses it, “It’s harder to be a pastor today than at any point in American history.“
But I’ve got to tell you, there is good news out there! Heritage21 is partnering with several churches that are working towards Renewal turnarounds. In fact, just a few Sundays ago, three of these churches all had a baptism on the same day! We have also recently helped a church close and Repurpose its financial resources for better stewardship of those resources for God’s mission.
Recently, I was interviewed by Matt McGee about my book Empty Church for Matt’s podcast, “The Last Service.” Some of the key points we talked about were:
- The Quick 50 Assessment,
- Why 60 in attendance is a crucial number for church sustainability and,
- The five systems that impact church health: theological, missional, leadership, relational, and physical.
Matt and I had an enjoyable and helpful conversation about the challenges many churches are facing, some reasons why, and some options for both Renewal and closing to Repurpose. I think you’ll enjoy this podcast with Matt.
Listen to “Navigating Church Decline and Closure with Dr. Stanley Granberg” on your casting platform of choice or click the video link above to view our interview on YouTube!
Blessings,
Stan Granberg, PhD
