How Disciple Leaders Can Stop the Church from Failing

ByPLI Leadership

According to a study by Lifeway Research, 6,000 to 10,000 churches fail each year, and that number has grown over the years, especially since the pandemic hit, forcing social distancing, online worship, and piloting new ways to do ministry.

Many church leaders are familiar with the term “butts and budgets” (members in the church and money collected). And many churches are failing in both areas. Declining membership results in not enough funding to maintain the buildings. So why are church memberships decreasing?

 

Disciple Leadership

This question is like a big puzzle with many pieces. The one piece we’re focusing on today is church leadership. Just as most businesses require employees to undergo some form of training, the same kind of leadership training is beneficial to stopping churches from failing as well.

Why are Churches Failing?

Once you’ve recognized that your church is failing, the next course of action is to get to the bottom of why it’s failing. Leaders and members alike can both see when the church is enduring hardships, and it’s quite obvious just by simply comparing memories. Long-time members and leaders can think back and remember when the church was thriving and had new members joining every week, and can compare it to the shell of a church it once was. Failing churches usually boil down to:

  • Not adapting to the changing community around them.
  • Disciple leadership turning into business management.
  • Refusing to make the necessary changes to do what’s best for the sake of the mission.
  • The passion in disciple leaders is waning.

When it comes to Disciple Leadership, you have to understand that disciple leaders are human just like everyone else and have their own relationship with God that has ups and downs. And when disciple leaders are struggling spiritually, it can trickle down and impact the church as well.

This is when it’s time to look into how disciple leaders can stop the church from failing, and sometimes it simply requires new approaches and getting out of old ways. Here are some approaches to take.

Invest in Disciple Leadership

As mentioned earlier, when churches are failing, it will require disciple leadership to invest in those in their congregation to become discipling leaders, as well. If pastors and ministry leaders aren’t sure where to start, they can seek discipleship training.  

If you haven’t ever heard the phrase “go get your blessing,” you have today, and in reference to Disciple Leadership, it means that you can’t just sit and wait for people to come to church, you have to get out in your community and bring people to church! This will likely require church members to join the leadership and imitate older disciple leaders as they imitate Jesus.

Relaunch the Church

Just as businesses undergo relaunches when looking to expand, churches sometimes need to do that as well to survive. Putting more focus on the mission of the church is a great place to start to retain current members. Relaunching is also a great way to make your community view the church in a new light and spark curiosity and eventually, growth.

Share Church Responsibilities

Now that the world is opening back up, so are churches. This is the perfect opportunity to invite members to become more involved. Speaking belief into them can give them the confidence to step into new roles.  Incorporate other members of the church to handle announcements, lead prayer, read scripture, and welcome guests. When members feel that sense of responsibility or need, they’ll show up more and even invite others to join.

Merge

Sometimes the best thing a failing church can do is merge with a larger, stronger congregation that possesses the same mission and vision for member growth. This type of merge has nothing to do with the financial responsibilities of why a church is failing; It’s essentially to get back to the focus of the mission, and there’s strength in numbers.

Start Mission Trips

The mission of the church is to spread the gospel. Mission trips allow disciple leadership as well as church members to do exactly that but on a more global scale. These trips are things that inspire and motivate members to learn more about God so that they can help others, and in turn, they’re improving their own relationship with God. Mission trips are an overall great way to improve the church by strengthening the members.

Liven Up the Church

If the church’s budget allows it, invest in sprucing up the church. Better yet make this a volunteer project for the church. If there are a few members handy with a paintbrush, pick a day where those members can come together and give the walls a fresh coat of paint. Or have a spring clean up day to plant new flowers and tend to the landscaping. You’d be surprised at how a few cosmetic changes can make a room look and feel completely different.

Keep the Faith

As nothing ever happens overnight, stopping a church from failing won’t happen overnight as well. Most churches refuse to try new things because they grieve too heavily what will be lost or they fear too much the uncertainty of an unfamiliar future. But for those brave, bold leaders who have the faith of a mustard seed, it is truly a labor of love to follow God into a new chapter.

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