The Crossroads Moment: “Can we go on like this?”
There comes a time in the life of many congregations when the church wonders, “can we go on like this?”
Perhaps, membership has declined or baptisms are rare. Maybe the neighborhood has changed and programs are struggling to meet their original intentions. Possibly, the budget is tight or the pastor recently left.
If any of these dynamics are present, you may be at a crossroads moment. At a crossroads moment, wise leaders will wonder if these unsettling dynamics are God’s way of getting us to consider a significant change of course: a change that, for many of us, may be hard even to speak out loud.
- Is it time to close our doors?
- Should we merge with another congregation?
- Could we close and begin a new ministry?
- What would be required to take one more shot at renewing this ministry?
It’s important to deal with these questions honestly and well. But it’s easy to deal with them poorly. Churches at a crossroads moment can often feel anxious and alone, willing to follow the loudest voice, whether it’s the voice of God or not. That’s why Resonate Global Mission and Thrive developed the Crossroads Discernment Process.