Has anyone told you that they were done with church? I have heard those words more than I ever thought I would. What seem to be mature committed believers are getting their fill of conflict, unqualified board members, power brokers and, sadly, leaders fallen in sin. But there is a new threat to the health of the church, those who say they are just done! Read this recent article by Tom Schultz: churchleaders/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/177144-thom-schultz-rise-of-the-done-with-church-population.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=clnewsletter&utm_content=CL+Daily+20141214 John is every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately. But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event. John had come to a long-considered, thoughtful decision. He said, “I’m just done. I’m done with church.” John is one in a growing multitude of ex-members. They’re sometimes called the de-churched. They have not abandoned their faith. They have not joined the also-growing legion of those with no religious affiliation—often called the Nones. Rather, John has joined the Dones. At Group’s recent Future of the Church conference, sociologist Josh Packard shared some of his groundbreaking research on the Dones. He explained these de-churched were among the most dedicated and active people in their congregations. To an increasing degree, the church is losing its best. For the church, this phenomenon sets up a growing danger. The very people on whom a church relies for lay leadership, service and financial support are going away. And the problem is compounded by the fact that younger people in the next generation, the Millennials, are not lining up to refill the emptying pews. Why are the Dones done? Packard describes several factors in his upcoming book Church Refugees (Group). Among the reasons: After sitting through countless sermons and Bible studies, they feel they’ve heard it all. One of Packard’s interviewees said, “I’m tired of being lectured to. I’m just done with having some guy tell me what to do.” The Dones are fatigued with the Sunday routine of plop, pray and pay. They want to play. They want to participate. But they feel spurned at every turn. Will the Dones return? Not likely, according to the research. They’re done. Packard says it would be more fruitful if churches would focus on not losing these people in the first place. Preventing an exodus is far easier than attempting to convince refugees to return. Pastors and other ministry leaders would benefit from asking and listening to these long-time members before they flee. This will require a change of habit. When it comes to listening, church leaders are too often in the habit of fawning over celebrity pastors for answers. It would be far more fruitful to take that time and spend it with real people nearby—existing members. Ask them some good questions, such as: 1. Why are you a part of this church? 2. What keeps you here? 3. Have you ever contemplated stepping away from church? Why or why not? 4. How would you describe your relationship with God right now? 5. How has your relationship with God changed over the past few years? 6. What effect, if any, has our church had on your relationship with God? 7. What would need to change here to help you grow more toward Jesus’ call to love God and love others? It’s time to listen. Even as I’m writing this today, another high-capacity lay leader emailed me with his decision to leave his church. He’s done. Like many others I know, he’s also a nationally known Christian leader. But he’s done. Your church, even if it’s one of the rare growing ones, is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The exodus of the Dones, the rise of the Nones and the disappearance of the Millennials do not look good for a church afraid to listen. It’s not too late to start. That’s right, it’s not too late to start! And at the end of the day, spiritually, emotionally and relationally healthy pastors and lay leadership can make a huge difference in turning the tide of this exodus from the church. And I believe that is the core of the problem. Pastors who are leading churches who do not want to be there but can’t find another job, pastors who took all their hurt and unhealthiness from their last church and brought it to their new church, board members who are not qualified to be spiritual leaders and power brokers running the church like a puppeteer dangles a marionette. If this cycle does not stop, it is likely that church attendance will continue to wane and the health of the church continue to suffer. Pastors In transition is positioned to help with this very issue. It is why we exist. Please allow us to help you. Pastors, please call on us to help you on your journey. We are here for you and your family. Churches, please call on us to help heal the wounds of conflict and restore the ministry. It is our prayer that Haggai 2:9, spoken of the temple, would be true of every pastor and every congregation, “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.” Our Vision To help hurting Pastors and their families who are transitioning out of a vocational ministry position, find healing from their past and hope for their future through the ministry of Pastors In Transition, discovering, defining and directing whats next. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. I Corinthians 12:26 Your friend and fellow servant, Mark PS Please visit our web site - contact us - we want to help you... Mark Fitter Directing Pastors 949 212 5959 [email protected] pastorsintransition.net How to contribute: Gifts can be sent to: Pastors In Transition P.O. Box 4583 San Clemente, CA 92674 Please make checks payable to: Talega Life Church (Please put “Pastors In Transition” in the memo.). Our 501c3 application is in process. So we are incubating under TLC, a 501c3 non-profit Corp. for tax deductible contributions.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:30:38 +0000
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