“While reading Dave Kiehn’s Pulling the Thread, I felt like I was sitting down for a thoughtful conversation about church revitalization with a loving and faithful pastor who was genuinely interested in the work the Lord had given me to do.” - 9 Marks
“Most small churches do not want to stay small. They simply do not want to change. That’s an uncomfortable thing to say. But after pastoring three small churches—one that stayed stuck and two that grew significantly—it’s the most honest diagnosis I know.” - C.Leaders
“Churches must change or risk dying. I don’t mean they should change their theology, but they should change their programs and methods. Churches that refuse to change choose to die.” - SBC Voices
“1. Mission Drift Without Mission Denial… 2. Comfort Has Replaced Expectancy… 3. Leadership Is Managing More Than Shepherding… 4. Too Many Ministries, Too Little Focus… 5. Unresolved Loss or Change… 6. Few New Stories of Life Change” - Church Answers
“For decades, worship attendance has been the default metric for measuring church success. While some may argue it’s outdated or superficial, the truth is more complex. Let’s start with the sobering reality: Between 70% and 80% of churches in North America are either plateaued or declining.” - Sam Rainer
“Rather than give you my own subjective opinions, let me share with you five different ways some churches have actually accomplished this feat.” - Thom Rainer
“This can be disheartening, especially when you long to see your church filled with the vibrant energy that children bring. The good news is that this situation can change.” - Brian Cedarquist
“What can a pastor do when his church is in decline? The answer boils down to something deeply personal: evaluating the pastor’s connections.” - Brian Cederquist
“…what the church really said was, ‘Pastor, we’re dying on the vine. We need somebody who is old and can help us make changes without blowing it apart.’” - GARBC
“The pandemic was brutal on churches, but even the year before, the number of Protestant congregations in the U.S. had gone backward by approximately 1,500.” - Religion Unplugged
