It was also surprising that, contrary to expectations, very few church leaders were truly aware of the problems in their own churches.
They are obviously smart, considerate and discerning.
Yet, for various reasons, they failed to fully see the problems that were plaguing their ministry.
Usually they only thought about their own region and their own church.
They failed to compare the challenges they faced with those faced by other churches.
This is especially true for leaders who have served in a church for a long time.
But as a pastor, sometimes you have to look outside for new perspectives.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, negative trends accelerated in many churches.
Before the pandemic, Church Answers received about one church consulting request per week.
But after the pandemic, I usually get three or four consulting requests a week.
In most churches, a small crack in the foundation of ministry, which was not very noticeable, has turned into a huge crack due to an earthquake-like cultural change and has surfaced.
In the past, the question most often asked at first consultation meetings was, “Are we healthy?”
But now it usually starts with, “What the hell happened to us?”
--- p.14

“Seeing that we both feel the same way, it seems like God is trying to enlighten us about something.
“Once we figure out exactly what it is, I think we need to take action together,” George continued.
George's call for action was nothing new.
Even if he didn't know the answer right away, if he had been a man who lacked decisiveness, he would never have succeeded as a leader in the business world.
Oliver said:
“I want to know better how to lead our church into the future.
“This area is still the Bible Belt, but the surrounding culture seems to be changing rapidly.” “Well, Pastor, you don’t have to try to figure it out on your own.
Here's a tip: consider forming a small team of people from various parts of the church. Six to eight people would probably be easier to manage.
We discuss and pray with the team about the direction of the church.
“Surely God will reveal the reason for this anxiety and lead us to where we need to go,” George said, his eyes sparkling.

Oliver was drawn to the idea he presented.
“I was already considering forming a standing committee to plan the church’s long-term future for the next ten years.
“After about 10 years, I would like to step down and pass the baton to the next pastor.” “Pastor, honestly, I was thinking of something focused and short-term.
For example, something like TF [task force; temporary special measures committee to solve a specific problem].
I have always believed that there should be as few standing committees as possible within the church.
Usually, the standing committees within a church are sufficient, such as the finance committee and the personnel committee.
The moment you combine the words 'standing' and 'committee,' you run the risk of creating a group that will outlive its usefulness and end up just holding meetings for the sake of meetings.” “That's right.
“I agree that there is no need for such a committee,” Oliver said with a laugh.
“And Pastor, I don’t think… we need to necessarily connect that plan to our future.
Our focus now should be on finding answers to this anxiety we both feel.
“Let’s set a date and invite two or three of our parishioners to discuss this matter.”
--- p.27~28

George Miranda met Hank and Rebecca Stevenson.
The two were a couple George had known for nearly 20 years.
During those 20 years, the couple served in numerous roles at the church.
The couple invited George to their home for an interview.
They were willing to talk about various things about the church, but there seemed to be something unspoken behind their reactions.
Finally, Rebecca blurted out the story.
“Elder, actually, my husband and I have decided to take a break from serving for a while.
After I got married, I continued to serve in the church.
I think we've had our fill.
“I think it’s time for others to step up.” Hank nodded in agreement.
He was tight-lipped, but his demeanor spoke volumes.
He was tired and wanted to take a break from church activities.
George couldn't think of a response to the couple's words.
After a few more minutes of polite conversation, he thanked me for my time and got up.
“Elder, don’t worry.
But I will still go to Sunday morning service.
“We just need some time to ourselves,” Rebecca said.
--- p.58~59

“My wife said we had to start by acknowledging that we had a problem, a 'big' problem.
In addition to the information we gathered from meeting with church members directly, nearly half of the church members who participated in the 'Know Your Church' survey said they could not fully agree that Jesus is the only way to salvation.” Everyone around the table nodded in agreement, and Oliver continued.
“While I still don’t understand how this is possible, my wife and I have looked at three key areas where teaching about biblical truths should be addressed.
First of all, I must teach those truths during my sermons.
But the reality was not like that.
“I wasn’t teaching those truths properly.” “No, that’s not true.
“The pastor always preached based on the Bible,” George said emphatically.
“I’m sorry, but that’s exactly the problem,” Oliver replied softly.
“I briefly reviewed a few of my sermons, and most of them were about ‘applying’ biblical truth.
There aren't many sermons that focus clearly on the truth itself.
Of course, I know that Elder George believes these truths deep in his heart.
But I wasn't teaching the core truths enough in my preaching."
--- p.70~71

“I think it’s more like data rather than a fact that has been discovered.
Here's some data to look at together.
I'll hand out a piece of paper with some information I've gathered.
“Here’s a list of the 43 most active adult members in our church.” “That’s an interesting approach.
“How do you define ‘active’ here?” George said.
“It’s a very simple process.
It's not perfect, but I think it will help.
I began by listing four of the most common duties or activities that apply to church members.
The four are 'regular attendance at worship services, participation in small group meetings, participation in at least one ministry or church program, and participation in missionary activities beyond the church walls.'
Missionary work refers to things like evangelism and community service.
We considered including "regular giving," but decided it would be inappropriate to discuss this type of information publicly.
“Even the pastor doesn’t know how much his congregation is giving.” Becky paused and looked at the handout she had prepared.
“As you can see, all the duties and activities of the congregation are listed at the top of the printout, and below that, it indicates whether the person is participating in that activity.” We all looked at the printout together.
Oliver liked Becky's approach.
“Do you know why I chose these people?” Becky asked with a smile.
Then Emma was the first to answer.
“These believers are marked on at least three items.
Some people are marked with four items.”
…(syncopation)…
“There are some more interesting data.
First, most of the parishioners listed in only three categories are not listed in the “Ministry Beyond the Church Fences” category.
“Of course there are a few exceptions, but that’s the general pattern.” “I wish I could say it was unexpected, but I can’t,” Oliver said.
My heart, which had been pounding since I spoke about Billy Graham earlier, was still pounding.
Becky continued speaking.
“The second interesting fact is that out of these 43 people, 36 came to our church as adults after having been practicing their faith in other churches.
“There are only seven people who have been faithful to our church for a long time,” George added.
“That’s a really interesting fact.
It seems necessary to delve deeper into this issue before we conclude our meeting today.
But first, I'd like to hear Secretary Becky's story until the end.
“Is there anything else you would like to say?” Becky took a deep breath and spoke in a firm tone.
“There is one shocking fact.
“These 43 people are responsible for 89 percent of our church’s total offerings.” The conference room fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed the shock of this new information.
“Wait, can you say that again?” George wanted to make sure he had heard correctly.
“These 43 of our most active members are responsible for 89 percent of our church’s total offerings.
The total number of members in our church is 425.
The average number of churchgoers attending church on Sunday is 206.
“But that means that 10 percent of the total registered members are responsible for almost 90 percent of the total donations.” Emma tapped the calculator on her phone.
“So, from a purely statistical standpoint, if 382 people disappear from the membership list, only 11 percent of the total offering will disappear.”
--- p.78~90

Mark 1:17-18 and Acts 1:8 contain a surprising promise that God would be with the disciples if they became fishers of men.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus, God in the flesh, was with them in person.
In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit continues to be with them and empower them.
Oliver's gaze kept moving between the two phrases.
His mind was racing.
“If we put these two phrases together, we can see something surprising.
Jesus called his first disciples to the ministry of evangelism.
And then, before he ascended to heaven, his last words on earth were to his disciples to be his 'witnesses.'
I never realized that our Savior prioritized evangelism.
“From the beginning to the end of His ministry on this earth, His message was to become witnesses who spread the gospel!” For a moment, a cloud of regret settled over Oliver’s mind.
I was reminded of the time when I had not focused on evangelism despite being a pastor for 'decades'.
During his eight years of ministry at Connection Church, he never once made a meaningful point of evangelizing the congregation.
We were so busy doing good things that we neglected the 'biggest thing'.

--- p.150~151