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Showing posts from January, 2022

An All-Too Familiar Story:

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How Churches Drift Toward Death—and How to Turn Towards Life by Bart Denny I heard a story today that reminded me of too many I have heard before. It saddens me. It bothers me. The church I heard about seems to think they have it nailed, so I’m sure they won’t be seeking my consulting services—or anyone else’s. Not that a consultant’s report would make it beyond a file cabinet—stuffed away, never to be read. While I admit it may take many years—and that bad decisions will likely outlive most of the decision-makers—I remain less than optimistic about the church's future. There Are Patterns I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t know everything there is to know about church health, vitality, growth, and renewal. And I praise God that He still does what only He can do. I never want to box in the Holy Spirit. After all, we worship a God who parted the sea, turned water into wine, and reversed a crucifixion with a glorious resurrection. So no, I would never say that God can’t revive a chur...
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When Jesus Shuts Down a Church

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by Bart Denny I like to think of myself as a student of the root causes behind the death of local churches—and what it takes to breathe life back into a congregation on the brink of closure. Over the years, I’ve read dozens of books and articles exploring why churches die and how revitalization happens. And while every church that closes has its own story and unique circumstances, ultimately, there’s one overarching reason a church shuts its doors: Because Jesus does. That’s right. Surprisingly, the New Testament only mentions the closing of a church once. Just once. And it's not because of dwindling attendance, financial struggles, or changing neighborhoods. It’s because Jesus Himself threatens to remove their lampstand. We read about it in Revelation 2:1–7 (NASB 2020), where Jesus commands the Apostle John to write a sobering letter to the church in Ephesus: “I know your deeds… and that you cannot tolerate evil people... But I have this against you, that you have left your ...
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