3 Common Sentences You Hear at Dying Churches

If you hear these words spoken at your church, put your guard up.
If you hear these words spoken at your church, put your guard up. (LIghtstock )

If churches could speak, what would their words be on their deathbeds?

You don't have to wait until a church closes its doors to hear some of the sentences that led to its death. Indeed, these three sentences, or something similar to the words, are pervasive in too many churches:

1. "We've never done it that way before." This sentence has become the classic example of a church resisting change. While we should never change or compromise the truths of God's Word, most change resistance is over methodologies, preferences, and desires. Unfortunately, these battles are typically over matters of minutia. One church recently had a battle over using a screen in the worship services. A matriarch argued that the apostle Paul did not have a projector screen. I guess Paul was comfortable with his printed hymnal.

2. "Our pastor does not visit enough." Churches with this complaint often have highly unreasonable expectations of the pastor. The pastor could visit members 24/7 and it would still not be enough. Some of the church members in these churches compare length and frequency of pastoral visits to see who is getting the most attention. These churches are inwardly focused and headed for decline and, many times, imminent death.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

3. "People know where our church is if they want to come here." This sentence is fraught with problems. First, it assumes the church is a place, that the physical location of the church building is the church. The church, working under this erroneous assumption, can never get outside its walls because it will cease to be the church.

Second, this sentence is often used as an excuse for congregations to stay in their "holy huddles," and never evangelize the community. Third, in some cases it is a cover-up sentence for prejudice and racism. The community outside the church has changed, but the church has not. The members of the church really do not want "those people" invading their fortress.

Numbers of churches are closing their doors every day. And the members of those churches would have never thought that sorrowful day would arrive.

You have an opportunity right now to look at the warning signs in your church. If these sentences, or some variation of them, are part of the common language of your congregation, the church is in trouble.

Yes, your church can turnaround in God's power. Unfortunately, most church members of these congregations will not forego their personal preferences, comforts, and prejudices to change.

And that type of mindset, sadly, is a certain path toward death.

Thom S. Rainer is the president of LifeWay Christian Resources. For the original article, visit thomrainer.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.


Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.

Charisma Leader — Serving and empowering church leaders