Ministry Today

Tony Morgan: 5 Attributes of a Church in Decline

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Written by Tony Morgan/Tony Morgan Live

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with a denominational leader in a different part of the country.

Over the last few years, he’s personally been involved in consulting engagements with about 60 declining churches within his denomination. That grabbed my attention. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of experience working with churches that are in decline.

With that in mind, I was curious to learn if there were any common themes. Within moments, he rattled off these five attributes of churches he’s worked with that are in decline:

Define Yourself by Godly, Loving Commitments

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Written by Rick Warren

“Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!" (2 Peter 3:11 LB)

Your commitments can develop you, or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you. Tell me what you’re committed to, and I’ll tell you what you’ll be in 20 years.

It is at this very point of commitment that most people miss God’s purpose for their lives. Many are afraid to commit to anything, so they just drift through life. Others make half-hearted commitments to competing values, and that leads to frustration and mediocrity. Others make a full commitment to worldly goals, such as becoming wealthy or famous, and they end up disappointed and bitter.

Building a Conquering Church God's Way

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Written by Jim Graff

Ever heard of David Hogg? He taught Sunday school in Blantyre, Scotland, in the early 1800s. In the small church where he taught boys year after year, Hogg certainly had opportunities to question his significance. But his faithfulness and the Word of God ignited a love for the people of Africa in one of his students David Livingstone, who became arguably the greatest missionary to Africa in the 19th century, opening that continent to the gospel.

In the small church or those of us who are pastors of smaller churches, it can be easy to question the significance and impact we are having in our churches and communities compared with larger or more publicly recognized churches. Yet according to the Hartford Religious Institute, 61 percent of all Protestants attend churches with 499 or fewer weekly worshipers. That means the majority of Christians in America are being discipled and cared for in much-needed smaller and midsize churches, led by regular guys like us.

Once Saved, Always ... Maturing

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Written by Jim Graff

Gaining new believers is great, but it’s only half of the matter

Avoiding the Numbers Trap

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Written by Jim Graff

U.S. churches define success by size. It's time to break the mold.

You Can Make an Impact!

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Written by Jim Graff