Tuesday April 17, 2012 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshAfter years of study, it is my contention that the primary indicator of a church’s health is its worship attendance growth rate. A negative rate normally means the church has one or more problems. A positive growth rate indicates that, for the moment, ministry and mission are likely going well. Of course, there will be exceptions in either case. But rules are generalizations of what is the case far more often than not. In general, I suggest the...
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Tuesday April 17, 2012 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshA startling 85% of churches in the US are plateaued or declining, a trend that has been building for the past fifty years. In the face of shrinking attendance and lagging spiritual growth, pastors and church leaders are understandably discouraged and demoralized. But the first step to turning things around is hope. Church health expert Gary McIntosh offers this hope by showing church leaders the...
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Tuesday April 17, 2012 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshA startling 85% of churches in the US are plateaued or declining, a trend that has been building for the past fifty years. In the face of shrinking attendance and lagging spiritual growth, pastors and church leaders are understandably discouraged and demoralized. But the first step to turning things around is hope. Church health expert Gary McIntosh offers this hope by showing church leaders the...
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Tuesday January 17, 2012 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshThe author of 18 books on church growth, Dr. Gary McIntosh has helped 500 churches in 55 different denominations learn what it takes to grow. Here’s an opportunity to meet Dr. McIntosh and build your knowledge in church growth. By joining the “Growing and Multiplying Churches in North America” Doctor of Ministry track, you will receive great educational tools. You’ll get a partner in ministry...
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Saturday March 19, 2011 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshI spoke to 20 pastors this last week on the topic of Healthy Churches. I suggested to the pastors that there are four, perhaps five, types of churches in a health paradigm. First, there are Hospice Churches. These churches are extremely ill, having declined in worship attendance for a decade or longer, and most likely will close. God can, of course, perform a miracle and...
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Saturday March 12, 2011 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshI recently spoke at a leadership enrichment conference. Leaders from twelve congregations gathered to think about how to lead churches of various sizes, as well as how to staff a church so that it grows. As we discussed some of the principles together, one of the participants asked, “Why should we care about numerical growth anyway?” It was an interesting question, and one that I...
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Tuesday March 08, 2011 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshI’ll be speaking at the Mid-Size Church Conference in Blaine, MN on May 10, 2011 at Bridgewood Community Church. A conference designed specifically to address the challenges and needs of the medium sized church. (250-700) This is a great opportunity for you and your team to explore solutions with other like-minded leaders. Why not join me there?
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Saturday March 05, 2011 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshThe Church Growth Movement promotes a balance between spiritual and numerical growth factors. For example, a definition of Church Growth used by the American Society for Church Growth reads,
“Church growth is that discipline which investigates the nature, function, and health of Christian churches, as they relate to the effective implementation of the Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples (Mt. 28:19-20). It is...
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Sunday February 27, 2011 • Posted by
Dr. McIntoshA multi-cultural church is a wonderful experience and blessing. However, while we may feel that a multi cultural church is what Christ’s wants, in reality not everyone is attracted to such a church.
Some first generation people have a strong attraction to their native culture and have no real desire to be part of a different cultural experience. They have an assimilation factor of A1, which...
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