You have seen them on theatrical stages and in cartoons. A person standing on a stage in performance, when suddenly they appear to fall through the stage. Reality is a trap door has been triggered to drop the person (character) through the stage floor, disappearing from sight.

There are trap doors in leadership as well. These have engulfed many ministers as well as other leaders. In this article we will look at three.

1, The pursuit of success. We all want to do better, to be “successful” in our work for God. God has indeed planted in each person a desire to succeed. The real issue is not success, but what we do with prospering efforts and outcomes in our lives.

With every small sign of victory in serving God, we must battle the flesh to remain humble, realizing the success is not ours but of God working through us. With each level of fruitful service we are blessed to encounter in life, the more the flesh wants to take credit. “The flesh is never satisfied with our present state of success. We want more. It is easy to become a slave to the pursuit of success – even to the point of stating “we’re doing it for God.”

2, The pursuit of possessions. Growing up I often heard the term, “Keeping up with the Jones’. This was usually spoken of someone trying to outdo their neighbors, attempting to have the newest, biggest of everything, to be the envy of the neighborhood or of the family.

In business and ministry we have a tendency to do the same. Not only ministers, but every believer. We chase after possessions sometimes to the detriment of our witness – and our bank account.

It seems to be a tendency in our society, to chase after more, wanting bigger, better, more. Just a few years ago a 25 inch screen was the norm of all TVs. You had a 19 or 25” screen. Today, it is hard to imagine how one could watch a sporting event on such a small screen. Unless of course you turn the 7” screen on your $1200 phone sideways to watch. We want more, the newest, most advanced of everything.

Unfortunately, this drive has more people living as slaves in a never-ending cycle of debt with no plan of recovery.

3, The pursuit of pleasure. We all desire the good things of life. We desire the opportunities and possessions that bring us pleasure. And like a good dessert, we have a little and we want more and more. We want differing types of this pleasure. The inner self is never satisfied with what we have. What we have leaves us with a longing for more. Pretty soon we are seeking the pleasure, not the will of God.

The first two trapdoors are both tied to this third one. It is a pursuit for happiness and pleasure that lures us from God’s directive and true joy in our lives. God has blessed us with a world of good things that can bring pleasure. Yet, it is our greed that drives us into these never-ending quests for more. More power, more “things”, more pleasure.

What trap doors in your life will you confess to God today to begin your turn around journey to seek the pleasure of His will in your life?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

People ask, How do we know if our church is in decline? My answer is, “At first, decline is so subtle that most people, including pastors, do not recognize the decline.” As Interim Pastor at my home church, I advised the church we were in decline, to which I received stares as if I was weird. To which I replied, our pastor has left along with his wife and four daughters. That is six people we lost with one family leaving this church. Until we replace seven, we are in decline.

The early stages of decline are subtle and often unnoticed. In Reaching the Summit, here are five stages of Decline identified that every church will go through if they do not take action to reverse the declining trends.

Phase one – Loss of Vision – This is the most subtle phase of all. It goes unnoticed because it is one member or one family at a time. In this phase there is often a lack of expectations on members.

Phase Two – Lack of Purpose – As the losses mount decline begins to affect the ministry of the church. Attendance and membership start declining at a higher rate, which also brings lessening financial support. This may bring attention to leaders, but little is done to stop the bleeding.

In phase two we settle for good, ministries suffer, and we see unchecked control in some churches.

Phase Three – Denial of Reality – Evidence of decline becomes obvious. However, the tendency is to discount or explain away negative data. Leaders tend to explain away by passing the blame instead of shouldering responsibility to reverse the declining trends. Churches tend to change or drop their counting practices as if to hide the decline. In some the attitude becomes, we just need “our people” to work harder, do more.

Phase Four – Grasping for Survival – In phase four, the realization that a staggering change is necessary become apparent. There is often a sudden switch to survival mode. Churches begin grasping for anything they have seen or heard from other churches. Grasping for survival.

Phase four churches often enhance the treatment of symptoms, not causes. Treating symptoms will never heal. It is only when you begin treating the causes of decline that you see an effective reversing of decline. Treating symptoms is only hiding the pain, not eradicating it, often bringing a series of injurious decisions.

Unfortunately, most churches will not reach out for help until they are in deep phase four of decline.

Phase Five – Relinquishment of Ministry – Most churches in the first four phases can reverse decline with assistance from a proven and qualified coach or coaching team. However, there are some churches who will reach phase five. These churches no longer have people or financial resources to maintain the facilities much less carry out ministry. The best we can pray for is that the property and assets be used to glorify God. This can come in several forms, each continuing the work of God in the community.

Every church and every leader should always be on the watch, reviewing these phases to ensure the church is not falling into or through these phases. Reviewing these today, where do you identify your church? If you say, “Not on this list” are you certain, or are you in phase three? How will you begin today praying about the spiritual health of your church?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

In making an objective evaluation of your ministry setting, begin with these two questions: 1) What happened leading up to the point at which decline became visible?

2) What did the organization do in the wake of this visible evidence?

The answer to the first question most often has to do with a financial shortage or a loss of key lay leaders in the church. Until there is a shortage of financial resources or manpower to carry out ministry, many church leaders ignore the signs of decline.

The second question is designed to allow church leaders to review actions taken or the lack of action. Many leaders will instinctively react with a defensive reply.

A trained quality coach is crucial here to ask additional questions, enabling him to assist church leaders in recognizing misguided actions as well as good achievements.

Churches that have been in decline for several years tend to gradually move to a turned-in mentality (not reaching or benefiting the community). One line of questioning to use is to ask for the thoughts of church members and leaders on the strengths of the church. (What is the church good at doing?)  Have a scribe write on a board or large sheet of paper all of the responses.

After everyone has had a chance to list their ideas of the perceived church strengths, take each response one by one and ask the question, “Who is this for?” When someone responds, I ask, “Is that someone in the community or church members?” Normally the trend is that most, if not all, of the perceived strengths in a declining church are for the church members, not the unsaved community.

Sometimes it takes two or three questions to bring the realization to the table. For example, one response at a particular church was “We prepare and carry meals to senior shut-ins.” “Who are these shut-ins?”

“People who can’t get out.” (As if I didn’t know this already.)

“How do you get the names of these shut-ins?”

“We know them.”

“How do you know them?”

“They are members of our church, or their family comes here.”

The realization was that this might have been a strength of the church, but it was not being used as an outreach strength to grow the church. It was “for members only.” I then led these church members in discussion using a series of questions to help them see how, if this was a strength of the church, it could be used to carry the love of God to others outside the church.

Every church in decline has strengths that could be used in reaching the lost, but they have forgotten and drifted toward a turned-in ministry—turned in to only the members of the church.

Leaders of a declining organization must come to the realization that the organization is in decline and that their actions (or inactions) may have contributed to the cause of the decline. However, it is not time to throw in the towel. There are principles and steps to reverse the declining trends. There must be a “want to” attitude among the leaders first and also among the members of the organization. How’s your want to?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Churches do not intentionally walk away from their purpose (first love). Decline is certainly not in the motives or objectives of any church. Oftentimes we get caught up in the busyness of church life to the detriment of “being” the Church. Other times it is being the Church that begins the slide. Let’s look at the two sides of this coin.

Churches often fall into decline due to the busyness of “doing,” instead of “being,” the Church. This happens when programs, events, and bureaucracy (administration) overtake spiritual preparation and ministry to the community. While the Church was theoretically designed to be self-feeding for spiritual growth, it was also instituted by God to feed the spiritual needs of the community.

Therefore, we could say the Church is a twofold feeding station. 1) to feed spiritually and grow the members and regular attendees, 2) to reach out to meet the needs of the community, guiding them in spiritual matters and decisions as well. The presumed need to keep programs and events going can overtake our passion and desire to serve God in reaching the lost communities around us.

While never intentional, this is quite common in today’s Christian culture in North America, especially in established churches. Because certain programs and events started as good and viable, our tendency is to keep them going as in previous eras. However, times change, the culture changes, and people change. A ministry event that worked well five years ago is likely not going to bring the same results today, especially if the ministry has not been evaluated, revised, and updated annually. This is how churches fall into the tradition mode, and following tradition for the sake of tradition will lead us straight to decline and extinction.

The second side of our coin is that sometimes “being the Church” causes the slide into decline. By the term being the Church I am referring to actually doing ministry as Jesus has called us to do. How can doing the “right stuff” lead to decline? Overreaching, taking on too much or too many ministry efforts, can plunge a church or other organization into decline.

Church leaders can find themselves in a good and growing position and unwisely leap into more and more growth strategies and ministries at the neglect of the passion that brought the initial achievement. This will often lead to decline by way of exhaustion, stretching resources and people too thin, and burnout.

It is imperative that church and ministry leaders make an objective evaluation of the reality of all aspects and facts of their ministry setting. I suggest that the best way to conduct a truly objective evaluation of all the facts is to bring in a neutral observer from outside the ministry or church to work with a team from within the church.

This should be someone such as a seasoned consultant, coach, or strategist, trained and experienced in asking probing questions that the church leaders and members might not think of or want to bring to the table on their own. An unbiased, qualified outsider is your absolute best effort in avoiding or reversing decline in the church.

Have you open and honestly evaluated your “being” and “doing” lately?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Why are so many churches in decline today? What causes decline in churches? If only it were simple to give you a one-sentence answer to those questions. But it is not simple. In Reaching the Summit[i] we attempt to answer not only these two questions; we will also give principles and ideas for avoiding and reversing decline in the church.

First, let me give my view of what constitutes a declining church. If in the current year a church has not added to its membership, attendance, or baptisms, it could be a declining church. If this trend continues for three years, I consider this a declining church. Also, if a church has not sent people out to start a new work and is only maintaining current members and ministry without signs of growth, it is likely a declining church. Many churches look at their numbers and report, “We have not grown, but we have not lost either. We are still the same.” The assumption is that these churches are not in decline. (Numerical growth is a bi-product of spiritual growth.)

My assessment is that these churches are in decline and possibly in denial of decline. The good notice is that churches that are running the same in attendance as previous years are probably adding a few to their membership and attendance. But they are likely losing as many as they are adding.

This attrition is due to people moving out of the area, dropping out of church attendance, or dying. To stay even in attendance, we must add up to ten percent each year. I believe there is more than one cause for decline, and each church has its own causes. Some churches face decline due to apathy within the church. Others suffer from decline because of a lack or loss of vision and purpose.

If I had to list but one cause of decline in churches, I would reach for the words of Jesus to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4: “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love” (NIV). This verse of Scripture is difficult for us to hear and accept about our own church. But we shouldn’t stop reading at this verse. In the next verse Jesus gave us the cure. He said, “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:5 NIV). What a glorious revelation from our Lord and Savior to the people of the church at Ephesus and to you and me as part of today’s Church!

Churches do not intentionally walk away from their purpose (first love). Decline is certainly not in the motives or objectives of any church. Declining trends in most churches can be reversed, but first the church (people) must have a desire to get well and seek guidance for the proper prescription for their church.

For more information contact George Yates for your complimentary copy of Reaching the Summit.

[i] Reaching the Summit: Avoiding and Reversing Decline in the Church, George Yates, Sonlight Publishing 2012, 2017

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Did you know The New Testament is filled with “One Another’s”? It’s true. There are 59 One Another’s that speak directly to the church – the people of God. “love one another”, “Serve one another”, “Comfort one another”, “Equip one another”, on and on it goes, instructing us in how to treat – one another.

In Hebrews 3:12-13 we read, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

This “One another” is for the church, not the outside world. As the body of Christ, we are to Exhort one another. The word exhort can have varying meanings, but the main thought here is to build up, strengthen your fellow believers. The literal meaning from the Greek is to come alongside any brother or sister in Christ, giving whatever is within your means to lift up, encourage, and provide comfort, building up any and all brothers in Christ.

Christ did not intend the church to be simply a group of like-minded people meeting together regularly, unless something better came up. Jesus knew His bride, His church, would have difficulty and trials in this world. He gave instruction on Loving, serving, and equipping “One Another”. Not only instruction, He demonstrated these one another’s to His Disciples for the benefit of you and I today.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrew church also says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Stir up love in one another – not divisiveness, but Love. Exhorting one another…twice in these two verses we find “One Another’s”.

You cannot exhort one another without love for one another. It does not take a very deep study to see that the Christian life must be lived in tandem with other believers. Not only attending church but actively engaging in all things scripture teaches us to do for “One Another”.

Fifty-nine One Another’s are given within the framework of the church. It appears God is pretty serious about our One Another’s. How will you begin today to increase your effectiveness in fulfilling scripture’s teachings of One Another’s?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The Christian life is one of ever refining, continual transformation. The church is a group of people serving as a family unit or one body, continually refining, transforming each part to perpetuate fulfilling God’s purpose. Just as the cells in your individual body are continually reproducing, refining, transforming to perpetuate life.

Rather than being tossed around by the clever words and deceitful practices of man, God’s people are to study and speak God’s Truth – the only real truth. Truth is truth. There is only one truth, and it will always stand the test of time and man’s twisting of the truth.

To grow into a stable, mature Christian, you must study and practice Godly truth in all areas of life at all times of trials, hardships, and victories alike. This comes about as you study personally and also as others in your church pour into you as the blood from your heart flows throughout your body giving life support to all parts of the body.

Others in your church are equipped and called by God to serve, equip, and embolden one another, just as you are called to do the same for others.

Not only His people, God primarily uses His word, The Holy Bible to perform this transformation in each one of His children. Other people in the church cannot fulfill their part in serving you without studying and applying God’s truth in their own lives. Each one of us, God’s children must do the same or we are not part of His church, the bride of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

When you strip these two verses down to find it’s factual meaning it says, All scripture is given, by God, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Too many church-goers are being caught up in worldly pursuits, cultural tendencies, political party platforms, or many teachings that are not in line with scripture. Even in the church just because your pastor, priest, or other Bible study leader or friend said it, does not make it truth. Truth is found in God’s word. Before you repeat what someone else says – anyone else– always take it back to scripture itself. False teachings had entered the church shortly after its founding and Christ’s ascension, and it exists today.

What are you doing to insure you are a growing part of a healthy, maturing body of believers in your church? How are you allowing other true believers to pour into you without being tossed around with every new teaching or nuance of conformity in today’s world?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Scripture shares the incredible value of the church in multiple ways. I pray that reading these will increase your consideration of valuing God’s church. These did not originate with me but were impressed upon me while reading John Crotts’ Loving the Church. As you read each one, consider the depth of meaning for you personally.

1, The Church is designed for the glory of God. All of creation was designed by God to bring glory to Him. The glory of anything manufactured belongs with its creator. Beauty may reside in the created piece, but the glory belongs to the creator. We are told in the New Testament that “in all we do, do it for the glory of God.”

2, Jesus is continually building His church. Jesus did not tell His Disciples, “Now that I am leaving, go and build…”. He did give us our mission – The Great Commission and closed it with the statement, “And low, I am with you to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) He is with us, building His church each day of every year. We, His people, are the church.

3, Jesus died for His church because He loves His church as a groom loves his bride. Jesus values the church enough to give His own life in a cruel death for her. God loves the church so much that He allowed His one and only Son to die for her, for you and me (John 3:16).

4, Jesus is the foundation for the church. He came, lived, and spoke all to leave us His example to build upon. No building will stand without a solid foundation. You and I have the greatest foundation ever designed.

5, The church is made of precious materials. The God of the universe, who made everything that has been made, chose you and me to be the church. Why? Because He considered us His most precious building materials for His representation on earth.

6, Scripture’s metaphors reveal God’s value of the church. According to God’s own Word, we are called, the Bride of Christ, His Own body. Scripture also refers to us as the “Temple of the Holy Spirit”, God’s Temple on earth, the household of God. God values you, part of His church as a most precious part of His family’s existence.

7, The church is the earthly support of Truth. In today’s world we see attack on attack of God’s Truth – the only real truth. God values His church, you and me, to be the pillar of that truth, upholding truth, shining it like the brightest beacon in the darkest storm.

8, God designed the church to spread His Glory. As the holders of truth, we are to share the love and glory of God Almighty to a sin-sick world. It is our mission – The Great Commission to share the value of being God’s church, the bride of Christ.

9, God designed the church for your personal spiritual health and growth. God designed the church as one body to help the hurting parts, to strengthen the weaker parts, to work together in unison as each part has a function in fulfilling the work of Christ in the world. We are one body lifting, encouraging, equipping, and supplying the growth and health needs of one another.

The incredible value of the church is the incredible value God has placed upon you. Yes, you are that valuable to God!

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

You can have the nicest, newest, most plush car on the market, yet without the proper fuel in it, you are going nowhere. The same is true for your church and your church’s vehicle. But first, what is the vehicle of the church? Is it the people? No, the people are the church. Your vehicle is what carries your people to fruition of biblical values. Could it be the programs? No, programs can work in one church, but not the next.

It is your ministries, not programs, that carry your church from point A to point B, fulfilling The Great Commission. I also believe that in many churches Sunday morning happenings are programs. Sunday morning Bible study is a program. Worship service is a program. We even have printed “programs” for our worship.

A program has a beginning and an end. God’s ministry is ongoing. Therefore, you need a vehicle to get your church (people) from point A to point B. Your vehicle for God’s destination is your ministries. Yes, it is true, your Sunday activities can be vehicles – when we change the way we both view and practice them.

You cannot venture from Richmond, Virginia to San Diego, CA in one day in your auto (vehicle). If San Diego is your destination, you break the trip down into segments that are drivable. From Richmond to Louisville, KY. The next day to Little Rock, AR and so on each day.

In church we must do the same. Since our destination is to fulfill The Great Commission, and we truly never reach the completion of that journey, we break it down in doable segments. What set ambitions, our goals, for one year at a time. This does not mean we cannot look ahead, but our focus must be on what is in front of us – on this leg of our journey. By setting worthy/yet achievable goals, we build for the next leg of our journey.

I like to lead churches to set an Overarching Goal (OG) each year. “If there was only one thing we could focus on for this year, what is that one thing?” The OG should be broad enough that every person of the church (all ages) can participate, yet concise enough to be understood and printed in one sentence. We want everyone in our ministry vehicle with us on this journey.

Before you set out on this next leg of your journey, you might need a new or repaired vehicle – new/renewed ministries. Ministry is not sitting in prayer, Bible study, or worship services. Ministry is serving others. Ministry requires work/action. Ministry is God performing His work through His children. This is why we should consider the ministries of our church as our vehicle to accomplish God’s directive, The Great Commission. The right God-given ministries will grow disciples who grow disciples, propelling God’s church forward on our journey.

For more information on setting goals and finding right ministry vehicles contact George Yates or pick up a copy of Turnaround Journey.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.