| July 2025 You could fill a library with the books that have been written about congregational health and church revitalization. Frustrated pastors and weary church leaders eagerly, sometimes desperately, consume this genre of literature, frantically hoping to discover the magic bullet that will turn their church around. Over lunch recently with a friend/colleague from another denomination, our conversation drifted toward this familiar topic. Having the opportunity to use my friend’s church as something of a case study, I asked him: “What practices or trends do you credit for the vitality of your congregation?” His response surprised me. He was just as perplexed at his church’s thriving as many of us are with our church’s decline. My friend serves a thriving, multigenerational church of more than 250 active members. I’ve enjoyed visiting his church a handful of times over the past couple of years. His church is located in a rural context… a very small farming village with a population of about 600. Actually, at the 2020 census their population was 622; a ~10% decrease from their previous census count. The village is so small they don’t even have a Dollar General. It’s located a short 30-minute’s drive on county blacktop roads from a much larger suburban community, offering more housing, employment, entertainment, and church opportunities. By all accounts, this small farm village is trending downward, as are so many rural Midwestern communities. But the church continues to grow! How??? As our conversation unfolded, I asked my friend if he had ever examined his church’s historical documents. Specifically, I wondered if he could identify the purpose for which his church was established. His response was quick: “Yes – the townspeople established this church in 1850 to minister to their small farming community.” That was the church’s purpose — a purpose it is still fulfilling as his congregation is composed almost entirely of local farmers and their families. My friend previously served a church in an industrial town. That church was established in 1912 for the purpose of serving a tight-knit community of tire factory employees and their families. But the tire factory shut down in the mid-1980’s. The church’s purpose — serving the Firestone Tire & Rubber community — had been fulfilled. Families once connected to the tire factory moved away to growing suburban communities. A socioeconomic shift triggered by deindustrialization changed the dynamics of the industrial town. Single-family homes became multi-unit rental properties. The average income of the community declined as crime increased. There was no longer a need for a community church for tire factory workers. There was now a need for a mission church for low-income families, persons experiencing homelessness, and those struggling with addiction. That church could have rightfully and gracefully closed, recognizing that they had indeed fulfilled the purpose for which they had been established. They could have celebrated the fulfillment of a fruitful ministry to the greater Firestone family of workers. Or, perhaps they could have regrouped and re-started the church, recognizing they now had a new purpose of serving the current demographics of their changing town. Instead, the church spent the next 30 years in steady decline, bewildered that they couldn’t attract the young, working-class families that once filled their pews. In short, the church was trying to serve a purpose or need that no longer existed. Meanwhile, in a suburban town not far away, a new church plant — established for the purpose of ministering to families relocating from nearby industrial towns — was thriving. Does any of this sound familiar to you? I have observed a very noteworthy trend in my time consulting with congregations, studying their histories, and examining their community demographics. Those churches that are thriving today can name, with ease, the purpose for which they were started. And they are actively engaged in fulfilling that purpose. Meanwhile, churches in decline are oftentimes trying to serve a purpose or need that has, in fact, already been fulfilled. As you examine your congregation’s health, here are some questions you might explore: 1. Why was your church established? For what specific purpose was your church planted? 2. Is the church still fulfilling this purpose or need? 3. Has your church’s founding purpose been fulfilled? Is your church trying to fulfill a purpose or need that no longer exists? 4. Have the needs of your community changed? Is there a new purpose for ministry your church could/should adopt? Our regional staff would love to explore these questions with you. Our primary purpose is to challenge, empower, and assist you in your ministry. We pray for you and walk alongside you as you discern your purpose for ministry in your community. Grace + peace, Rob |
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