“Why did that church experience revival?”
Where do we stand among disappearing churches, reviving churches, and growing churches?
Which side does your church belong to?

Many churches today are closing their doors.
Even if they are not currently closed, it is difficult to maintain the status quo, and many churches are increasingly heading towards the path of death.
Many saints are struggling to find a solution despite seeing this situation.
This book will be even more welcome because it is no different in any church.


Many have been waiting for this book! Tom Rainer, author of "Autopsy of the Dead Church," has spoken about dying churches, and now he's talking about churches that are coming back to life.
As a pastoral consulting expert, I first published the results of a thorough examination of dead churches.
In this book, he examines churches that were on the verge of death but were revived and restored, and reveals seven secrets to their restoration and revival.

“There is hope.
God has given you His church
“You can save me.”

“You’re too late.” It was strange to hear such words from someone I’d never met before.
Actually, I couldn't understand, so I asked, "What did you just say?"
“You’re too late.” The same words came out of his mouth.
I didn't mishear.
It was clear from the look on his face that he wasn't joking.
He was serious.
It was extremely serious.
There were a lot of people at the conference who wanted to talk to me.
I wanted to talk to them too, but I couldn't leave this man's side with a serious expression on his face and no explanation.

“What do you mean I’m too late?” “I mean your book.
This is a book called "Autopsy of the Dead Church."
“I read the book in one sitting, but it was too late.” I waited for him to finish speaking.
“Our church is already dead.
It closed a few months before I read your book.
I wish you had written that book a little faster.
“Why couldn’t we change before we reached the point where death was inevitable?” At that moment, tears appeared in his eyes.
At first I thought I was seeing things wrong.
But those were real tears.
He wasn't angry.
He was in pain from his wounds.
It was a deep wound.
His church was closed.
I later found out that the church was where he got married.
His two daughters also got married there.


It was the church he had faithfully attended.
It was a church he loved deeply.
That church has now closed its doors.
But the word he chose was 'dead'.
He was deeply saddened by the death.
I told him to wait a moment.
I wanted to hear more about him and his church.
But it was rude to keep making other people wait.
Luckily, he waited for me.
After the conference, we talked for about an hour.
I mostly listened to his stories.

Choosing death over change
In May 2005, the American business magazine Fast Company featured an article by Alan Deutschman on its cover.
The title of the article was simple yet profound.
“Change or Die”.
The response was so explosive that Deutschman wrote a book with the article's title.
There were two main reasons why this article and book received such a great response.
First, Deutschman's research on the subject was very thorough and meticulous.
Second, the results were very interesting.
His central proposition was both profound and shocking.
When faced with a life-or-death choice, most people and leaders simply choose death.
Consider for a moment the sentence, 'Most people would rather die than change.'
There is a path in life, there are resources to follow that path, there are choices to follow that path, but people choose to die rather than make the necessary changes.
Deutschman presented shocking data to support that claim.


For example, many of the more than 15 million patients who undergo heart bypass surgery each year could regain their health simply by changing their eating and exercise habits.
But 90 percent of people don't make any effort to change.
They choose death.
According to Deutschman, choosing death doesn't just occur in the realm of personal health.
He points out that many leaders know what changes are necessary for their organizations to survive and even thrive.
But they don't make those changes, and as a result, their organization dies.
A shocking fact is discovered in this case.
It's not that we don't have the resources, knowledge, and information we need to survive.
These individuals and organizations choose not to make the changes that are obvious, changes that are readily available.
Faced with the choice of changing or dying, they choose death.
No one knows exactly how many churches close in the United States each year.
However, it is more accurate to say that there are at least 7,000, and that number is increasing.
Twenty churches close every day.
Most of those churches didn't need to die.
But those churches chose death.
I know my words are harsh.
But the reality is just as serious.

---From the "Prologue"