pioneering the future to preserving the
past. In essence, the church becomes
a museum.
A telltale sign that you’re operating
a museum ministry is when people
object to new ideas that might upset
the status quo and new leadership isn’t
empowered to create change. Core
families keep things afloat, but they’re
not introducing the changes necessary
to regenerate gospel vibrancy. If
preser vation trumps evangelism,
that’s a clear warning sign. A ministry
can stay stuck in museum mode for
decades, running on the glory of past
successes with the pastor serving as
a caretaker.
A second sign you may be ready for a
rebirth is if:
#2) You’re Burying More than You’re
Baptizing
When a church subsists on a storied
past, the congregation dwindles. There
are no new families or young adults
attending. The core congregation
is aging and the pastor ends up
burying more members than baptizing
new converts. I call this a morgue
ministry. Churches like this have
become irrelevant to the surrounding
community, which is often desperately
in need of Christ’s living water, not
lifeless traditions.
Once upon a time, this church may
have flowed with the Spirit, but now
it’s stuck and there’s no momentum
left to resurrect the church. Here the
pastor serves as an undertaker while
the church dries up financially.
Solutions • 19