I visited with a man the other day that was very concerned about the church where he was attending. His exact words were, “We’re dying. Some don’t care, and the others don’t know what to do about it!” He and I got to talking about some of the signs they were seeing that pointed to their church dying out. The following are a few we talked about, and of course I’ve added a couple that are a little tongue-and-cheek. So with the help of my friend, here is “10 Signs your Church may be Dying.”
- It does nothing to reach its community.
- The only thing that seems alive in worship is the greenery at the front of the auditorium.
- The song you sing most on Sundays is, “Tis so sweet to Rust in Jesus.”
- Its only conversions come from baptizing its own kids.
- It is concerned with look and not action.
- It is happy just being comfortable.
- It is out of touch with the 21st century.
- It is all about money, buildings and budgets.
- It is all politics.
Worship is quiet because there are no children.
Can you add any to this list?
I am a Christian husband and father, who moonlights as the minister for the church of Christ in Childress, Texas. My wife Lea and I have been married for 22 years. We are doing our best to raise our 4 boys, who are all growing up way too fast.
It’s leadership doesn’t set the tone.
Elders are more concerned about supporting the system than they are shepherding the people.
The preacher doesn’t attend Sunday night or Wednesday night services.
The sermons are “issue” oriented … issues that are no longer relevant.
When the members of the body spend more time complaining about others in the church than encouraging.
Great stuff Trey! I know the Great Physician shows up at our church quite often to perform some life saving procedures.
The mantra is “People might leave if we do that,” rather than “People might not come unless we change that.”
My mother always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I think I’ll have to be very quiet this time.
“We need to speed up singing, praying, and the Lord’s Supper because people zone out at 10 til…”
“We need to look professional. That’s the key – professional.”
“When I introduce someone to one of our elders, I want them to look like an elder.”
That Girl,
Yes, your mother probably has the best way to look at it, but you know what Clairee said in Steel Magnolias:
“If you don’t have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!”
The greenery at the front of the building is plastic and dusty. That’s pretty bad when it’s the only thing that seems alive. What does that say for the rest of the congregation?
Trey,
Your church is afraid of “Change Agents” (not my church) words like “missional” “emerging” or anything that makes them look like a denomination (not my church, I am so very blessed).
I hope you have a great day Trey!
When Christ isn’t invited in the door… You will continue to see these problems.. I always make it a point in prayer in service to say Jesus you are welcome in this place.. visit us… I just encourage all of you to ask the Father in.. Even in every situation. Light needs to be exposed…
I like how you said the only thing that SEEMS alive is the greenery…Ours is plastic.
I think that is a bad sign for your church, too – when your people are plastic or fake and no one knows each other more than a surface level.
Thankfully, none of that here. We have a few people like Ouiser Boudreaux here (and yes, that’s how it’s spelled on IMDB).
You are such commedian.
Vs 1 “Til so sweet to Rust in Jesus. not to do any work at all…Leave it all the work for the young people…I’ve done my time its their turn now.”
Vs2 “I’m so glad I am rusting. Just to let some young guy do all the work. A smile I get when I say no. I am rusting more and more.”
Vs 3 “I don’t care if this church is dying. Who cares about my feeling, opinions anyhow? I am so glad I am rusting just to see that I have power.”
“Vs. 4 “Til so sweet to rust in Jesus just to forsake His word. I’m so glad I am rusting, just to know thus ain’t His Word.”
V 5, “Til so sweet to rust in Jesus just to know my pews my own. I’m so glad I am rusting, people know to leave me alone.”
Oh yes, my pew is my own! How cool would it be to have portable chairs, and set them up in different configurations every Sunday, so no one would know which seat was theirs?
“We can’t do that; people would leave!”
I love the chairs idea. Seriously. We’ve often plotted about taking out the back three rows so that people have to sit closer. I love that blank look that the song leader gets when he asks people to move up. It’s as though the entire audience suddenly went deaf. Ah, daydreams.
Our old preacher used to say that in general, we as individuals want “mercy for me, justice for everyone else.” When this is the prevailing attitude at a church, I think it’s a sign of deep trouble. All of us have been guilty of it at one time or another, but if it sticks…not good.
And not that this is what Brandon was talking about at all, but I think we have to be careful about defining “greed” when it pertains to ministers. I’ve been in a ministry family since I was born, and seen ministers do without and go without until there wasn’t anything left to give up for the church. Then, after they ask for a raise, they are talked about as being mercenary. My pappy’s (so, Oklahoma MIGHT be a bit Southern)old church said that they wanted to “keep the preacher poor” so that they could control him. He starved out of the gig. That’s not a real good sign for a church either. We really should take care of the folks who take care of us-financially for the ministers and staff if they are paid, and by providing encouragement, support, and respect to the shepherds, teachers, and other volunteers that aren’t. Churches that don’t do THOSE things are in deep kimshee too.
Having moveable chairs is not always the answer. Are you familiar with the expression rearranging chairs on the Titanic?
There is a fine line between “professional” and high quality. I find myself using the word professional because it is the only one I can think of that communicates we don’t want to do this half way. Bob Russell, in his book When God Builds a Church, gives the example of the church that had the three girls who were introduced to sing a song called ‘Give God Your Best’. Two girls get up and one says something like,”excuse us, Jinny woun’t be with us today and we haven’t had a chance to practice this song but we’ll give it a try”. Does that sound like giving God your best?
We sing “All to Jesus I surrender”. This song bothers me for several reasons. One of them is we tend to surrender what is easy and convenient. Putting time and effort into everything and making it the best for God seems to be lacking in a lot of places. Our new work here is pouring a lot of energy into quality. We want to give God our best. The focus is always to be for God. (Sorry if that got too preachy)
I’m with “That Girl”. I better be quiet today.
Except one thing: when you are in a “dead church” and go visit a “live church”, the difference is remarkable. We didn’t even know what to say to each other after the morning assembly. What we heard, saw, and experienced was so different than what we were used to.
Here’s a bomb for ya…
#11 the sign out from says “Church of Christ”
I am not being ugly, we really are a dying church. As are most in the Modern Western World.
Blessings…
Blogger formerly known as Messianic Gentile
you see only the same five people up front every sunday…
Ever heard the song, “I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together”?
If you are alive in Christ then Christ is alive in you!
Too many times I feel we put an emphasis on church being a building. If we do not maintain a building it slowly deteriorates. So what happens if we are not feeding the Lord’s sheep?
Im with anonymous 2 on this one, for the most part. I don’t think anyone was confusing the church with the bullding per se, but s/he still has a point.
Why don’t we see the people in the building in a more organic lense. They are Christ to the world. So alive or dead does not really have that much to do with worship styles, leadership styles opinions or contemporary doctrines etc. It really has more to do with whether the church is manifesting Jesus Body. And this is a hard 180 from the patternistic church doctrine championed by many in our CoC heritage. Is this assembly enlivend by the same spirit as that baby in the manger, than rabbi on those dusty roads of Galilee healing the sick/rasing the dead etc, or that prophet who flipped tables in the temple or went to a shameful public execution in our place. Does your assembly do any of these kinds of things? If not, your church IS and idol and dead with no breath in it. If so, you are bearing Gods image in your community – and He is ALIVE.
Blessings…
Blogger formerly known as Messianic Gentile
Great post Trey…the comments have been great as well.
How about this…
Your theme song is…Are You Sowing the Seed of The King-Dumb Brother?
When a visitor walks into your building…they feel as if they’ve gone back to the 1970′s. Then when the worship starts they know they have.
The members speak a secret code the world doesn’t understand…”Hey brother Trey, I’m so humbled to have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit of Jehovah God.” This may be true, we just need to say it well.
The church seeks religion over relationship with God.
Have a good evening bro…
I’m sad. I want to be an alive Christian for a Living Christ. Is this how bad it is across the USA?
Come Lord Jesus!
Tom
Me too, Tom. I’m thankful that I am.
There is the thought that the church of the 1950′s IS the new testament church.
Therefore change from that is a bad word…
I like your thought about the community not knowing you exist…or why
Trey…”conversions” don’t come from baptizing anyone.
Trey,
I hope you had a great earth day!
When members argue and gossip to the point that trust cannot be restored.
When in-depth Bible classes are replaced by time-fillers.
Tom, I can see how based on all this you would think every church across the USA was dead! I feel really sorry for everyone.
I believe that we need to make our Christianity more about reaching the lost and worshiping God and less about padded pews and PowerPoint presentations. I’m really struggling with this issue right now. I really desire for my particular part of “The Body” to grow and be effective. I want for us to meet people where they are and have an impact on their lives, not just simply doing the same thing we’ve done for the past, however many years; all the while hoping someone will come into the doors who is looking for Jesus. If by chance they happen to feel comfortable with our brand of “church”, who knows, they might stay.
I want us to reach out with the true love of Jesus and pull people from the mire of their sin. Through out the lifeline doesn’t simply mean put an ad in the paper detailing your meeting times. It calls for active seeking of those in peril and purposeful well aimed slinging of a floatation device.
Are we able to become this Church? Are we able to achieve these things? I pray that we can.
In this hope, love to all
Tom
Tom – well said!
Actually, I believe you can sum up the whole list with one point:
when we leave the Holy Spirit out of the equation!
Jude 1:17-21
17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
The church I attend at home is always packed to the rafters with people, young and old. The vicar has a very laid back approach [he never wears the collar and often wears brightly coloured T-shirts instead
] and they have made use of technology. We have multimedia presentations to accompany sermons, sing modern and old hymns and have put dances to many of them. It is incredible to see people clapping and twirling whilst worshiping God – there is a sense of fun, laughter and love. It is amazing…
I went to a church here [near my university] and found it to be a complete culture shock. The congregation consisted of about 25 people including 2 children and a further 3/4 people who were under retirement age. I didn't notice anything technical there and the sermon was very "straight-laced". The congregation seemed to 'enjoy' it and were very friendly but I found it unappealing and lacking in the spirit I am used to. When we had teas and coffees after, a few people were very keen to sign us up to their medical scheme (working on call out to see to members of the congregation in case of an emergency) despite it being our first visit to the church. It made me sad as they obviously wants to reach into the community but with the way it is, I think it might die out. And, as sad as it is, I am not helping matters as I haven't been back as of yet…
here's another sign,
if most of the seats are empty and if people are falling asleep with a computer in their lap and if there's not any money in the basket and the others are full
I would know that happened in another church I went to about a year ago I'm so happy that we started coming to this church bye <3 LYDIA God bless you