If your church is in decline and not growing, it is because your congregation has decided to die rather than to live (alas, there is no in between when it comes to churches). The majority of our churches are not growing, thus we have a huge challenge before us. Still, our major challenge is not to find good resources for helping a church grow and live into the future; our challenge is to have pastors and churches who want to do what is necessary to live into Christ's future.Willamon is, I think, correct. Moreover, I think the same could be said of many churches in my own denomination. Many, either consciously or unconsciously, have decided that the expectations of growth and renewal are unwarranted.
But if your congregation is more concerned about what Christ would have you do, then there is cause for tremendous hope. Might that mean loosing one’s life to gain it? Yes, indeed. That old church building? It might have to be torn down or relocated. Uncomfortable with evangelism? You may need to get over it through constant prayer and by praying that you might actually encounter someone who has never heard about Jesus and who is thirsting for living water. Is your program budget swamping your mission giving? You might need to invert some percentage allocations.
Who knows what might be required? The Good News is that we have an Advocate who can make it happen.
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