Bringing Life to a Struggling Church: Practical Steps for Growth
Matt McCraw | Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church Bartow & Church Answers
Tired. Frustrated. Lonely. Confused. These are some of the feelings that come along with pastoring a small, struggling church. Instead, those emotions could include hopeful, joyful, encouraged, and energized. Pastoring a small church does not have to be a drag. Churches do not have to remain in a state of struggle. There is a path forward.
Realize that you may not be as small as you think
The median church size in America is about 65 in average weekly worship attendance. The median represents the middle. If your church is near 65 in average weekly worship attendance, then you’re not all that small as a church. Be encouraged. You’re not necessarily doing anything wrong as a church leader if your church is “small.” In fact, you may be similar to most churches in America.
Start where you are
Most pastors want to see their churches grow. We want to reach more people. We want to develop more disciples. However, the to-do list for those who lead struggling churches seems endless. Where do you begin? Begin where you are.
Take a walk around your facility. Can anything be done quickly and easily, with no controversy? If so, tackle that task right away. Perhaps there are some easy wins in the organizational arm of your church. Maybe you can start creating agendas for meetings. Maybe you can coordinate the church calendar more effectively. Perhaps you can update the copy machine. At Church Answers, we call these opportunities “low-hanging fruit.” Taking care of these items will start to build positivity and momentum. Even a small positive change can spark life in your church.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the wide gap between where you are and where you want to be. Rather, seek to be a little healthier as a church each and every day. Successful days will become successful weeks, which will become successful months and years.
Set a biblical trajectory
Ok, you’ve started where you are and already captured the easy wins. What next? Next, set a biblical trajectory. No matter your style, culture, size, or history, seek to be biblical in the future. Set your trajectory by focusing on the biblical basics.
Though these are not the only biblical basics, three biblical basics that our team at Church Answers often see lacking are prayer, discipleship, and evangelism. I’m going to make a bold prediction. If you put a lot of focus and energy into prayer, discipleship, and evangelism, your church will likely begin to thrive. Why would I be so bold? Two reasons: First, we’ve seen evidence of this reality in the healthy churches we’ve encountered at Church Answers. Second, this method is what God has prescribed for his church. God wants us to develop disciples, he wants us to be witnesses, and he wants us to seek him through prayer. If we are faithful to his plan, he will bless us. So, lead your church towards biblical faithfulness, then start seeing those struggles become celebrations.
Love your people
We should not only lead the church to pursue a biblical trajectory; we must also set our hearts on a biblical trajectory. Our hearts must be guided first and foremost by love: Love for God and love for others. That love for others certainly includes a love for the church God has called us to lead.
Simply put, a small, struggling church will not become healthy without being loved. Struggling churches often struggle with hurt, anger, and frustration. They need to feel loved and they need to see love modeled. Who better to do that than their leader? So, learn to love. Love by being patient. Love by forgiving. Love by listening. Love by being gentle. Love by being humble. Love by leading. Love by being like Jesus.
Lead your people
Struggling churches need leaders. They are likely struggling because of a series of behaviors or experiences that need to be changed. They need someone to help them rediscover and pursue God’s vision for them. So, lead your people to set a biblical trajectory and pursue it faithfully.
As you lead, know that you are not alone. Of course, God’s Holy Spirit is with you to comfort you, encourage you, and guide you. Organizations such as Upward Sports and Church Answers are available to equip you and encourage you. Other leaders can come alongside you to lock arms in your effort together. Lead your people well. God has designed your church to be led. They need you.
Stick with it
What will it take for a struggling church to become a flourishing church? Among other factors, it will take a leader who is willing to stick it out with that struggling church. The revolving door of leadership in local churches is one of the problems contributing to the abundance of struggling churches. Churches need leaders who are willing to commit to leading them for an extended period of time.
Granted, some churches are known for chewing up pastors and spitting them out. That’s a tragedy. Sometimes, however, pastors are too quick to leave a church. What’s the perfect length of service for a leader at a church? Well, of course, I can’t answer that question definitively. There are far too many factors at play to determine such a number. However, I’d love to see a trend in the American church where it is common for pastors to stay at least seven years or longer. I believe that change alone would lead to a tremendous improvement in struggling churches.
There’s more to turning around a church than what’s mentioned in this article. However, there’s certainly nothing less involved than the steps mentioned above. At Church Answers, we are honored to help many struggling churches. By God’s grace, I’ve seen my own church start to become healthier. God can also do great things in your church. He is the great Revitalizer.
Matt McCraw resides with his wife, Jennifer, and their three sons in Bartow, Florida. He is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Bartow. Matt also serves as part of the team at Church Answers. He is the author of Leading the Jesus Way: Learning to Lead from the Master.
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