The church is weak and struggling. It’s growth has all been negative, and only a few members are alert enough to even care. Rather than arrange for pre-needs (interesting euphemism) with your local funeral home, try these steps first. And, by the way, none need to be voted on. If you are the pastor, just do this. If anyone should object that you are acting without proper authorization, tell them the Owner of the Church ordered this. Or, you could say what a pastor friend said when he turned his church’s fellowship hall into a supply house for the needy following a hurricane down here in the bayou country: “Who gave me the authority? This is a no-brainer!”

A sick church, if it’s really really sick, will probably let you say anything from the pulpit, pastor. Only if there are still signs of life about will you get a negative reaction from what you do or say. So, if someone does protest, take that as a good sign.

Here then are 5 non-threatening actions you the pastor can take to fan the flames of life back into those dying embers sitting before you on Sundays.

1. You can get the people to praying.

Prayer doesn’t burden the budget and no one has to pray who doesn’t want to or see the need.

As with anything, some will respond and some will ignore you. So, do not expect 100 percent participation before you go ahead. If you do, you are putting a requirement on them they’re not able to fulfill and setting yourself up for disappointment.

Go with the few who want to pray. And by “pray,” we mean to bring yourself to the living God, seek His heart from your heart, submit your will to His, ask for His guidance in all that is before you, and desire only His glory.

There are numerous ways to get a small struggling congregation to pray. Here are a few.

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Recently, when an online magazine sent me an article on “5 signs you’re part of an unhealthy church,” I eagerly opened it. This subject is dear to my heart.

I am passionate about strong, healthy churches.

The writer’s 5 signs were good, as far as they went. No argument with her. I did not leave a comment one way or the other in response.

What I felt, however, is that my experience seems to be of another nature from hers.

First, here are her “5 signs you are part of an unhealthy church.”

1) Leadership has no clear vision.

2) Leadership can never be challenged.

3) You are comfortable but never challenged.

4) Members are content with being pew warmers.

5) Outreach is never planned or preached.

All of these are true. But there is so much more.

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Let’s say you are a politician running for office. At a public gathering, someone in the audience begins heckling you. Rather than being highly offended, or worse, having the secret service (or your staff) usher the guy outside or even arrest him, you should consider that the fellow is doing you a favor.

The critic is giving you a chance to do something you rarely get an opportunity to do: you get to impress the larger audience by the way you deal with this one man.

So, when you respond to what he does or says, keep this in mind: By himself, the man is unimportant (to your campaign); but people are making up their minds about you by the way you deal with him.

Likewise, if you are the pastor and someone in the congregation arises to criticize you.

Great opportunity, pastor.

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