OPINION: 10 Clear Signs Your Church Is Sick

There are certain metrics and issues physicians check when
we go to the doctor. They want to check our blood pressure and temperature.
They do blood tests to see if there are any warning signs. They are looking for
symptoms that might indicate real problems exist.

After working with churches for 30 years, I too look for
symptoms that might point to greater concerns. The symptoms are not necessarily
the problem; they simply provide warnings or cautions of potential issues.

While there are many potential symptoms of a sick church, I
have found 10 to be consistently common. These 10 are not listed in any
particular order:

 

 

1. Declining worship
attendance: Surprisingly, the majority of church leaders do not monitor worship
attendance. I advise leaders to compare each month’s average worship attendance
to the same month of previous years.

2. Decline in
frequency of attendance of church members: This symptom is the No. 1
explanation for attendance decline in most churches. Members are not as
committed as they once were. Their waning love for their church is reflected in
their declining frequency in worship attendance.

3. Lack of joy and
vibrancy in the worship service: Obviously, this symptom is subjective. It is
still, however, very important. Most people can sense when a worship service is
vibrant, lukewarm or dead.

4. Little
evangelistic fruit: As a general rule, a healthy church will reach at least one
non-Christian for every 20 in worship attendance. A church with a worship
attendance of 200, for example, should see at least 10 new Christians a year.

5. Low community
impact: In my consultations, I attempt to find clear indicators that a church
is making a difference in its respective community. I ask both church leaders
and community members for clear examples and indicators.

6. More meetings than
ministry: A sick church will meet about what they should do rather than do it.
Some churches have more committees than conversions.

7. Acrimonious
business meetings: Christians can and do disagree. Sick churches have meetings
where the disagreements reflect obvious bitterness and anger.

8. Very few guests in
worship services: A vibrant church will attract guests. A sick church will not.

9. Worship wars: Yes,
they still exist in many churches. Those wars are indicators of an inward focus
by the members.

10. Unrealistic
expectations of pastoral care: Sick churches view pastors and other staff as
hired hands to do all of the work of ministry. Healthy churches view pastors as
equippers for the members to do most of the ministry.

None of these symptoms are good, but churches do go through
periods where they demonstrate a few of them. The key is to recognize the
symptoms and respond early and quickly.

Here is my own subjective health analysis according to the
number of symptoms:

 

One to two symptoms. Normal for most churches for a short
period of time. Not an indicator of poor health, but the symptoms should be
addressed promptly.

Three to four symptoms. The church is sick and needs
immediate attention.

Five to six symptoms. The church is very sick. If
significant changes are not made, the congregation is in danger of moving into
the phase of terminal illness.

 

Seven to 10 symptoms. The church is in danger of dying in
the next five to 10 years. While it is possible for a church to recover from
this level of sickness, it is rare. Intervention must be quick, intense and
dramatic. The amount of change necessary is often more than most leaders and
members are willing to bear.

Give an honest assessment of your own church by these
symptom indicators. What do you see? What should you do if there are a number
of symptoms? Let me hear from you.

Thom S. Rainer is the president of LifeWay Christian Resources.
For the original article, visit thomrainer.com.