While almost a third of this younger generation does not claim a particular religion (the “nones”), they attend religious services at a slightly higher rate than their Millennial and Gen X parents.
Don’t ask your pastor to make every decision. Most pastors are “decision weary.” Unless the issue is critical, see if you can find solutions other than going to the pastor with the problem or need.
Keep calm and use facts. Maintaining a good reputation is a biblical requirement for pastors. I can understand the visceral reaction of defensiveness when faced with a public attack. Most want to defend their good name. The problem is you escalate the issue when you respond emotionally. Learn how to be responding to harsh critics effectively.
You can listen to each instrument of a symphony independently, but the expression and emotion of the song are absent unless you hear everyone playing together. There is a creative energy that is lost through a screen.
Does your church publish attendance for all members to see? This question might cause a level of concern regarding smaller church gatherings. We know that fewer churches publish attendance records than at any point in the past few decades.
The church is not designed to be a shield protecting the Christian bubble of safety. Rather, the church is a vehicle engineered by God to send people into the darkest corners of the neighborhood, focusing on helping children in need.
Let God lead you through Scripture. Find passages that relate to your daily struggles. Many Bibles today have additional tools to help you. A simple study note or devotion can give you more confidence in your decision-making and help you become better leaders.
While much power comes from formal positions with legitimate authority, a different kind of power is found in leadership roles with informal authority, particularly within church settings.
Churches are receiving less of the total charitable giving. Overall, charitable giving is on the rise in the United States, but churches are receiving a smaller and smaller portion due to a variety of factors. The bottom line is simple: People who give see the church as merely one option among many places to give.
Deferred maintenance crises in churches are hindering church adoption. Simply stated, many potential church adoptions have been delayed or dropped because the adopting church cannot afford to upgrade the facilities of the declining church seeking adoption, impacting post-pandemic church trends.
