Comments on: More Thoughts on Momentum

By: Dalton Jenkins

Dalton Jenkins — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:35:46 +0000

I agree with your blog. Consideration should also be given as to how churches can work together to help revive and build up churches that are not ministering effectively.
Considering that we are way behind in church planting and we have a low replacement rate for dying churches and population growth. Other problems that we are facing in the North American Churches are diversity of the harvest, an increasing large harvest, lack of harvesters, the lack of focus in the Church, a dying Church and an unclear presentation of the Gospel. According to Ed Stetzer and Mike Dobson in the book Come Back Churches, 70 to 80 percent of North American Churches are in decline and 3,500 to 4,000 U.S. churches close every year. According to the Leadership Journal, 340,000 churches are in need of church revitalization.
Therefore if we do not address these issues we will be combining and compounding the problem.

By: Pastor Adam Will

Pastor Adam Will — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:13:54 +0000

I agree that mergers are something to be considered, but sometimes they just won’t work. In my county in rural SE Ohio, there are two UB churches. The one I pastor and the other is where I grew up. They are 15 miles apart, which isn’t so bad. But they are have completely different “personalities”. One is central to the county, but my congregation is on the edge of the county and reaches people from different communities. Could both help each other a lot more? Absolutely. But a merger of two ineffective churches in this case would create just one ineffective church.

By: bkittle

bkittle — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:13:45 +0000

I agree. I think a long-misundersttod strategy for kingdom growth has been church mergers. As some one who has been through one, I can say that there are many hurdles to overcome but they can ultimately be wonderful catalysts for deeper discipleship and ultimately healthy, vital ministries. We have experienced some of the growth pains of merging churches but we have also seen the fruit of our labor! What blessings these strategies can be when approached with a Kingdom attitude!

By: Ddunten

Ddunten — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:04:10 +0000

AMEN!!! I couldn’t agree more. I think of a county in Ohio that has 6 UB churches and another 3 churches within 5 miles. Only two are full-time and growing. (One in the county and another just over the border.) I always think, “What if” some of the churches did what Lakeview did and merge. Would they actually be stronger for God’s kingdom. With the right heart and attitude, I believe so.