What’s the First Step to Save a Declining Church?

Church revitalization triage helps pastors work logically and not give in to the pressures of people who want their problems fixed.

By Luke Holmes

“We want you to fire the janitor.”

That’s what they told me in my first week on the job at a new church. They had wanted her fired for some time, but seemingly, nobody had the nerve to do it. So they thought they’d wait until they got a new pastor and make him do it. Before I could even unpack a box, they had plans for what I needed to do.

Everybody has an idea about what the new pastor should do first. They want him to fix the thing that’s been bugging them. Sing more new songs or more old songs. Fire the janitor, or quit spending so much. Still, others want the pastor to rewrite the bylaws, fix the leaky roof, or shake some sense into that wayward staff member. Others might want the pastor to start a new Sunday School class, be more evangelistic, or talk about the pressing political issue of the day. The pastor is still new and doesn’t know up from down in this new church; he only knows what people talk to him about.

But the pastor is not just a listener; he’s a leader. How does the pastor decide what to do first? How can a pastor choose where to spend his time, energy, and leadership capital in a church that needs revitalization and renewed organizational and spiritual health?

Revitalization triage

In these situations, a pastor must learn to practice triage. In medical practice, triage allows doctors to estimate the severity of a patient’s problem quickly. A scraped knee is not as urgent as a gunshot wound to the chest. In times of crisis, doctors must learn what they need to address first.

Theological triage is the idea of differentiating tiers of doctrines and how tightly or loosely we should hold onto them. Theological triage helps Christians and churches address the urgent issues of our times, helps Christians prioritize their theological beliefs and disagreements, and helps us focus on the needs of our cultural moment.

In a similar way, a new pastor at a declining church must practice revitalization triage. This helps a pastor prioritize what issues to focus on first in a church and where to spend his time and effort for the maximum gain. Thinking of the church as a body can help a pastor prioritize his time at a church and focus on things that will make a difference. By thinking through the categories of head, heart, hands, feet, and vision, the pastor can quickly assess the state of the church’s health.

Head

The head or brain of the church is the bylaws and policies of the church that keep it organized. Unhealthy churches love to focus on the process and structure of a church to the detriment of getting real ministry done. These churches often have business meetings that are dominated by talk about the bylaws. Some of them have documents arranged to make it harder for a church to get healthy, such as allowing a small group to control key parts of the church. A church that’s not healthy organizationally will ultimately fail in other areas.

Heart

Many churches don’t have a good spirit or attitude among their people. There might be bickering, fighting, gossip, or even worse. What good is it for a church to have active ministries and programs if people constantly fight with each other? It would be like a man making sure he brushes his teeth every night while suffering heart attacks every day. A bad heart soon affects all other areas of the body. Similarly, a church with a bad heart might have good programs, but the fighting and bad spirit will eventually creep into all areas of the church and bring those good ministries down.

“A church with a bad heart might have good programs, but the fighting and bad spirit will eventually creep into all areas of the church and bring those good ministries down.”

Hands

A church’s hands enable it to get things done in ministry inside and outside its walls. These church programs are often what people think of when it comes to the ministry of a church. Some churches have unhealthy hands because they’re so busy keeping up pet programs they can’t do what needs to be done. A church might have a crystal-clear vision for its future but no ministries to carry out that vision. This church needs to focus not on heart or vision but on effective practical ministry.

Feet

A church’s feet enable it to share the gospel with its community. Some churches are lazy and require great motivation to get up and do the work of ministry. Still, others are perfectly content with the people they have in the church and adopt a country club mentality. These churches often say all the right things and believe all the right things but won’t get up on their feet to be a witness in their own community.

Vision

The vision of a church is what gives it purpose and direction. A visionless church has no real reason for gathering besides habit and custom. This elevates those traditions to a high level and causes strife when they’re changed. Still, other churches suffer from competing visions, with everyone thinking their ministry is the most important and should take precedence over all the others. As a pastor, you have the power to shape and communicate the church’s vision, influencing its direction and purpose.

Take time for triage

Each of these areas of need requires a different approach. As a pastor, it’s your responsibility to assess the church’s needs and prioritize them. A pastor who’s in a church with good feet might have people ready to go, but if they have no vision or direction, they’ll ultimately fail. Another pastor might start working on the bylaws and policies of a church while neglecting the fact that the people have bad hearts and constantly fight with one another. The best bylaws will not help the church that’s constantly at war within itself and has hatred in its heart.

Church revitalization triage is a tool to help pastors assert their leadership and figure out where to focus their time, attention, and energy. By taking time to study for themselves and not just trust what others want them to do, pastors can make sure they spend time on the most pressing matters in the church.

“Church revitalization triage helps pastors work in a logical manner and not give in to the pressures of people who want their problems fixed.”

Maybe the janitor needs to be fired, but it’s a safe bet that’s not the most pressing issue in the church. Pastors need to slow down, observe things for themselves, and make decisions on the most pressing matters to help the church get back to health. Church revitalization triage helps pastors work in a logical manner and not give in to the pressures of people who want their problems fixed. Working this way allows a pastor to stay focused on the issue that matters the most in every church: the spread of the gospel from its neighbors to the nations.