“Slightly more than half of U.S. Protestant pastors (54%) report the average worship service attendance at their church has increased by at least 4% since 2023, according to a Lifeway Research study…. Another 30% say their congregation has plateaued” - Lifeway
“This contrasts with past years, when children — defined in the report as people aged 11 and younger — constituted a larger percentage…. For example, in 1971, 37% of baptized individuals were children, while in 2022 that number was 30%.” - CPost
“It can feel like a Catch-22. The way an older church reaches younger families is to already have younger families in the room. But the congregation skews older precisely because it has so few.” - Thom Rainer
“Most small churches do not want to stay small. They simply do not want to change. That’s an uncomfortable thing to say. But after pastoring three small churches—one that stayed stuck and two that grew significantly—it’s the most honest diagnosis I know.” - C.Leaders
“Though it’s good and reasonable to desire growth, I have learned to rejoice in the fact that God has chosen not to grow my church at the speed I once envisioned.” - 9 Marks
“This article aims to define strategy as it pertains to the church and to encourage pastors to embrace strategic thinking as a vital step toward fulfilling their mission. While I don’t delve into the specifics of developing a strategy here, I believe understanding its importance is a powerful first step.” - CPPL
“1. Mission Drift Without Mission Denial… 2. Comfort Has Replaced Expectancy… 3. Leadership Is Managing More Than Shepherding… 4. Too Many Ministries, Too Little Focus… 5. Unresolved Loss or Change… 6. Few New Stories of Life Change” - Church Answers
“the megachurches that have surpassed Willow Creek have done so by perfecting what Hybels and Willow Creek started in 1975. A good many other megachurch pastors have followed Hybels into ignominy, having broken the trust of people who got them there.” - C.Leaders
“ ‘Pragmatism’ is an approach to ministry that foregrounds whatever methods most effectively grow the church. It follows trends, borrows wisdom from the marketplace, and accepts strategies that prove to produce more people on Sunday mornings. More people = a greater opportunity for the gospel.” - 9 Marks
“For decades, worship attendance has been the default metric for measuring church success. While some may argue it’s outdated or superficial, the truth is more complex. Let’s start with the sobering reality: Between 70% and 80% of churches in North America are either plateaued or declining.” - Sam Rainer
