Bringing Innovative Strategies to an Established Small Church

Why bother trying to resurrect an old, dying church? I’ve heard that question a lot. There was a time when it seemed like every pastor I went to bible college with was following church growth principles and starting new churches. In a few years they were buying land to accommodate the growing crowds. But I was sitting in a pre-existing small church, nurturing it along through the beginning, challenging stages of a turnaround. It’s a long, hard road from dying, introverted and tired, to healthy, outward-looking and innovative. My friends in ministry saw my struggle and gave me two pieces of advice: "Plant your own church." Establish your own vision, instead of fighting against an old one. "Tear it all down and start from scratch." Tear the old structure apart and say buh-bye to anyone who won’t get on board. I chose a third path: Work with the current church to rediscover a new vision together. It was a harder choice, but for me and the church it has been the most rewarding.

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Why bother trying to resurrect an old, dying church? I’ve heard that question a lot.

There was a time when it seemed like every pastor I went to bible college with was following church growth principles and starting new churches. In a few years they were buying land to accommodate the growing crowds.

But I was sitting in a pre-existing small church, nurturing it along through the beginning, challenging stages of a turnaround.

It’s a long, hard road from dying, introverted and tired, to healthy, outward-looking and innovative.

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