Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt By Members of Dying Churches – Revitalize & Replant #110

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Dying churches are filled with members who are experiencing loss—loss of friends, loss of ministry, loss of relevance. Today, we discuss several of these pain points found in dying churches.

Episode Highlights:

Church members often like the way a church used to be more than the way the church is currently.
Nostalgia is a cul-de-sac. It leads nowhere.
When members leave a dying church, those who remain often feel betrayed by those who leave.
The change people in their 70s and 80s have endured in their lifetime has left many wanting the church to be a place that never changes.

The eight pain points we discuss are:

Anticipatory grief
Church is connected to major life events
Friendship patterns are being disrupted
Some of feelings of betrayal
The pain of denial
Loss of stability
Great confusion and pain related to cultural change
Often the members respond with anger and resistance to those who try to help.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

RevitalizeBundle.com
ChurchAnswers.com
ChurchReplanters.com
Replanter Assessment
Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com


Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
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Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.