Seasons change. Chapters close. Life cycles repeat. There is a time for everything under the sun. There is a time to start new churches, close old ones, and revitalize declining churches.
Tragically, many churches don’t recognize their current stage in the church’s lifecycle. John Bussman reports that churches can dramatically overestimate their health. His research found that:
“LCMS congregants are three times likelier to report growth than official attendance data suggests, and 70% less likely to report decline than official attendance data suggests.”
This phenomenon is not unique to one denomination. Churches of all flavors can misread their situation – and the results are catastrophic.
Do you know where you are in your church’s lifecycle? Do you have the courage to name your current reality and take the necessary steps to honor your church’s history and leave a legacy?
If your church is in decline, you’re not alone. Nor are you without hope. There is a path forward for you. We can guide your church to a healthy, flourishing future, even if it means determining to become a legacy church.
Churches Must Respond to the Current State of Church Decline
Charles Swindoll famously said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” Church leaders must recognize what’s happening to their churches and determine how to react appropriately.
American culture is experiencing a sharp religious decline. The following statistics paint a picture of our reality.
- About 40 million Americans have left churches and other religious institutions in the last 25 years
- In 2019, approximately 4,500 Protestant churches closed
- Church attendance has plummeted in the last 20 years
Ignoring these facts is like covering up your car’s “check engine light” warning. The problem is still there. You’re just less aware. One of the greatest mistakes a declining church can make is not facing this reality with honesty and courage.
If you are willing to have hard, brave conversations about the reality of your church’s life cycle, you will find that you have been entrusted with a golden opportunity.
Your church may be positioned for revitalization. You may be able to partner with a younger church, offering them resources, wisdom, and encouragement that energizes everyone involved. Or you may have the bittersweet blessing of becoming a legacy church.
But if you ignore the “check engine light,” you may need to hand over your church’s assets to whoever will receive them.
You can do better. We can help.
Churches often have underutilized assets. They have facilities and rooms that are vacant for most of the week. Some churches have land that could be developed. With these resources on hand, your church can turn a corner and display the light of a city on a hill.
Strategic Ministry Planning for Discerning Effective Church Partnerships
If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Or so said Zig Ziglar. Before you address the check engine light, you need to know where you are going. You need a strategic ministry plan.
Some churches minimize the value of a strategic ministry plan by saying Christians simply need to love God and their neighbors. That’s the plan.
This is obviously true. If you eagerly desire to love your neighbors, you’ll have a lot of homework to do!
- What are the current demographics of your neighborhood?
- What are the most significant needs in your neighborhood?
- How do your neighbors view God?
Neighborhoods shift and change over time—from white flight to gentrification. If you don’t know who your neighbors are, what they care about, what they hope for, and what they are afraid of, you will have a hard time loving them as God does.
Answering these questions will help you begin developing a strategic ministry plan. And that will help you know who you can build partnerships with to help revitalize your church while serving your community.
Strategic ministry planning will help you answer “the what” of your next steps. Your core values will assist in determining “the how.”
Core Values Can Guide Church Partnerships
Churches in decline can feel desperate for help alleviating their financial burdens. This is understandable, but it can lead to mistakes.
Understanding your core values is imperative before inviting others to partner with you and occupy space in your facility.
For example, many churches have functional but underutilized commercial kitchens. Consider offering rental space to food trucks that use your kitchen for their prep and your parking lot for their services.
If one of your values is healthy living, that will impact what kinds of food trucks you invite to partner with you.
10 Value-Aligned Partnerships to Consider for Sustainable Church Growth
Facing reality, armed with a strategic ministry plan, and guided by core values – you will be well-positioned to consider partnering with some of the following groups.
1. Childcare Center
Childcare centers serve a meaningful and pressing need in most communities. Jesus invited the little children to come to Him! In some areas, childcare space is at such a premium that government grants are available to convert church space into a childcare space.
2. Senior Living
A Silver Tsunami is upon us. The senior living sector desperately needs quality, safe space. If your church partners with a senior living facility, you can step into an opportunity to care for people in vulnerable positions and assist in providing gainful employment.
3. Counseling
Does your church have empty offices? Do you have staff that could potentially combine offices to free up space? If so, you have what many counselors need – office space. Consider renting out office space to individual mental health therapists or firms.
4. Food Trucks
If you have a commercial kitchen and a parking lot, your church building could be a hub for food trucks. Partnering with food trucks is a fun and disarming way to invite the community onto your church property. People who may not be currently interested in attending a church service are definitely interested in having another meal!
5. New Churches
Your church may be in decline, while another may be growing. This shouldn’t be viewed as a competition between churches but as an opportunity for Kingdom expansion. Collaborating with another church can provide the synergy and vibrancy your church longs for.
6. Medicare and Medicaid Training
Healthcare is essential and complicated. Consider partnering with local government agencies to help educate people on their healthcare options, how to access them, and how to maximize their benefits.
7. Like-Minded Non-Profits
The church is one body with many parts. You don’t have to do it all. Search for non-profits that fit within your strategic ministry plan and share your core values. Engage a conversation about what a partnership could look like with them. You may offer office space, drop-in centers, conference space, or more.
8. Homeless Services
God will see every cup of cold water offered in Jesus’ Name. Houselessness is a rising concern in America. Reach out to organizations that serve the unhoused and process whether your facilities may meet some of their needs.
9. Autism and Developmental Disabilities Services
People with special needs deserve every opportunity to thrive. Agencies that serve this demographic often need access to resources that many churches have, such as meeting space.
10. Co-Working Space
Remote work has been steadily rising since 2020. While that’s opened up many wonderful opportunities for businesses and employees, it also comes with challenges. One of those is loneliness. Another is workspace.
If your church building has internet access and office or meeting space – then you could be an answer to someone else’s prayers. People can work remotely but still get some time out of their homes. Further, they can build community with “coworkers,” even if the same company doesn’t pay them.
Get the Guidance You Need to Maximize Your Church Space Utilization!
Your check engine light isn’t there to scare you. It’s there to help. So are we. Catalyst Construction is more than a church construction company. We can guide you in and through every stage of your church’s life cycle.
Our team of experts works with general contractors, churches, architects, real estate developers, and more. Most importantly, our mission is to see you thrive. Catalyst Construction wants to see healthy, flourishing churches and ministries across America.
You’re not alone. Reach out today. We would be honored to hear your story and help you process your next steps toward a thriving future.
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