If you’re leading in a church that’s stuck, declining, or struggling to recover from the challenges of the last few years, I want to encourage you: there is hope. Coming out of COVID and a sudden and unexpected leadership change, our church had every reason to falter. The odds were stacked against us. But by the grace of God, a solid plan, standing on the shoulders of some good leaders who came before us, and through the effort and investment of a lot of great people, we didn’t just survive – we are growing and thriving again.
I’m often asked, “What did you do to turn things around?” Honestly, although I know this is going to sound like a pastor’s cliche, we have seen the faithfulness and goodness of God all over our church throughout the past few years. We’re doing everything we can to honor Him and be obedient, and that’s why I believe He continues to bless us.
But I also believe while it’s true that apart from God’s blessing we’re hopeless, I also believe that God expects us to put in the work and do our part. So the answer to the question is, we focused on a few critical areas that helped us revitalize our church and refocus us on reaching people and leading them to Jesus. If you’re looking for a way forward, these same actionable principles can work for you too.
1. Fresh Vision
People don’t rally around a maintenance mode; they rally around a clear and compelling vision. One of the first things we did was refocus our people on why we exist. We clarified our purpose and strategy, simplified our messaging, and made sure every ministry aligned. We reminded people that we don’t just exist in our community, but for it. We told people exactly what we wanted for them, and more importantly, what we believe God wants for them: to find hope, purpose, and a place to belong. We stopped doing things just because we had always done them. Instead, we asked: Does this help us lead people to be all-in disciples of Jesus? If not, we were willing to let it go.
Fresh vision breathes life into a church. When people see a clear, compelling purpose, they get excited. They lean in. They take ownership.
Howard Hendricks said, “If it’s a mist in the pulpit, it’s a fog in the pew.” If your church is struggling, it might not be because people don’t care… it might be because they don’t see where you’re going. Give them a vision worth following.
2. Bold Message
The gospel is offensive, but it’s also life-changing. We decided that if we were going to reach people, we couldn’t water it down. We started preaching boldly, with passion and conviction, not trying to entertain people but to challenge them. My goal every weekend is for people to understand a little bit more about God, about themselves, about their purpose… and to leave encouraged. So we talk honestly about sin and grace. We preach the Bible, but we do it in a real and relevant way, and we work hard to teach people how it relates and how to apply it to real life. We call people to repentance, to deeper faith, to real discipleship. And you know what? It’s working.
In a world full of uncertainty, people aren’t looking for vague platitudes. They’re looking for truth and hope. If your church is afraid to take a stand or challenge people spiritually, you’ll struggle to grow. Be bold. Preach the gospel unapologetically. Trust that God’s Word still changes lives, that it is alive and active, and that it will not return void.
3. Visible Change
It’s one thing to talk about change; it’s another thing to show it. We made sure our commitment to renewal was visible. We refreshed spaces, reworked processes, and made strategic hires that signaled a new direction. Sometimes we changed things just to change them, just to reinforce the fact that we were moving forward with a vision and with purpose. When people walked into our church, they could see that something was different and that new things were happening all the time.
Change doesn’t always have to be expensive, but it does have to be noticeable. Maybe it’s updating your stage design, making your lobby more welcoming, or refreshing your online presence. Whatever it is, let people see tangible evidence that your church is moving forward. It builds excitement and reinforces the reality of your vision.
4. Unapologetic Outreach
We didn’t just hope people would come to us. We went after them. We got serious about reaching the lost. We became aggressive in inviting, serving, and engaging our community. We prioritized outreach, simplified our processes to make it easier for new people to get involved, and made sure everything we did was focused on reaching people far from God.
Too many churches say they want to grow but aren’t willing to do the work of reaching out. If you want to see your church come alive again, you have to go after the people who aren’t there yet. Get outside your walls. Be bold in your invitations. Serve your city in visible ways. Do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus.
5. FailING Forward
We didn’t get everything right. In fact, we’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But instead of letting failure discourage us, we choose to fail forward. We owned our mistakes, learned from them, and used them as stepping stones for growth.
There were times when an idea didn’t work, a change wasn’t received well, or a strategy didn’t deliver the results we hoped for. But instead of shrinking back, we pressed on. We stayed humble, stayed teachable, and kept moving forward. Growth requires risk, and risk means sometimes you’ll miss the mark. The key is to learn, adjust, and keep going.
If your church is afraid of failure, you’ll struggle to grow. But if you embrace failure as part of the journey, you’ll develop resilience and wisdom that will make your ministry stronger in the long run.
You Can Do This
If your church is struggling, I want you to know that turnaround is possible. It won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but with a clear vision, bold leadership, visible action, and an outward focus, you can see real transformation.
The odds may be stacked against you, but our God is bigger than the odds. Stay faithful. Lead courageously. And watch what God will do.
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