Durham District Training Meeting

2901 Sanderford Road,Raleigh NC 27610

11 March, 2023

Description

There is a reason certain businesses are dying before our eyes. Kmart and Shoney’s come to mind. The discount store and the restaurant were once all the rage. Today they are fighting to stay alive. We think of names like Montgomery-Ward, Sears, Toys R Us, and others, in most cases, only dim memories now. To stay healthy and maintain its mission, any entity must constantly reinvent itself, tweaking its systems, sloughing off the old and dead, birthing the new, and renewing, renovating, refining, and rediscovering. Choose your term. In most cases, the dying businesses did not get the memo. Some stores and hotels look like they’ve not had a paint job in years. The hand dryer in the bathroom does not work, and the personnel wishes they were working elsewhere. You, the customer, take your business elsewhere. Some churches with glorious histories are dying right before our eyes. What happened? Short answer: They grew satisfied with what they had and shut down the renewing process. Dying churches often share numerous things in common. They reach a point where they like their membership the way it is now and resent newcomers. Their present ministries and worship services become set in concrete, and they resist change. Their mantra becomes, “We never did it that way before.” The complacent church—one that resists changes, resents newcomers, and reacts against innovation—has voted to die. Churches that thrive for the long haul, effectively ministering for decades and beyond, all have these things in common: They welcome newcomers and appreciate great ideas.They are constantly tweaking the program and adapting the ministries to ever-changing conditions.They drop programs that have outlived their usefulness and look for better ways to accomplish the same goals.They put newcomers to work in the church. Members are not required to belong to the church for five years before they are given responsibilities.They honor their ministerial leadership and keep them for a long time. Dying churches tend to have quick turnovers. At the same time, they’re not afraid to retire a staffer who is no longer pulling their weight or whose ministry has become unnecessary.The trust level is high between pastors and congregations. When difficult decisions must be made, mature leaders act wisely with the support of the church.They sometimes make radical changes and do so successfully.In a sentence, successful churches look to the Lord Jesus Christ to show them what he wants to be done. A healthy body must not run from new challenges but learn from each one and grow from the experience. The hand must trust the leg, and the feet must trust the eye. And all must trust the Head. So, in this training, we hope to continue to provide you with the tools to be the vibrant church God would have you to be. See you there!