Steps if remaining in place, mostly in current form

1. Having done all the work that you’ve completed so far, it might be disappointing if you hear God call you to remain in place. Nevertheless, this process of prayer and listening to God is never wasted. You’ve had to trust in God’s direction, discern his voice and work together. God has been at work.
2. Schedule a time to share with others in your congregation about what you learned and how you saw God at work in each other, in this process and in this congregation. Tell the story of the faithful God you encountered as you walked through this season.
3. With the help of people like your Resonate Regional Mission Leader and your Church Visitor (see Gathering and Clarifying Your Options), meet with your council to encourage them to consider what they can do to support the continued life, health and mission of the church.

Steps if remaining in place, but renewing/modifying

1. It may be that the next steps of renewal are already clear from the process so far. If so, the council can lead the congregation accordingly.
2. However, most churches find that they benefit from continued coaching and assistance as they seek deep renewal.
3. If your earlier engagement with Resonate Global Mission sparked some ideas for renewal, invite them to speak to your group again about how they might support you in renewal.
4. There are many other excellent organizations devoted to helping congregations like yours seek renewal. If you’d like to see what other groups might help you pursue deep renewal, contact Vibrant Congregations at vibrantcongregations.org. Vibrant Congregations is a joint endeavor of the CRCNA and the Reformed Church in America (RCA) created specifically to help you discover your best partner(s) to take fresh steps in ministry and mission.

Steps if closing and seeding something new

1. Sometimes the best option is to bring the current ministry to a close, wait for a season, and then start a new ministry in the same location. Of course, closing anything is difficult. Dreams, traditions, and memories will be affected. Some of the people from the old ministry will be part of the new ministry. Some won’t. All of that’s okay—especially if something significant is allowed to remain: your ongoing participation with God through the new ministry that emerges from the old. If you decide to close and seed something new, contact your Regional Mission Leader. Resonate Global Mission is a key partner to help you with next steps.
2. Consider the following to enrich the process of closing and seeding something new.
   • Investing in a Missional Opportunity: Comstock CRC (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and Pioneer CRC (Cedar Springs, Mich.) are two churches that decided to close and reinvest in a missional legacy. Read about their experience to inspire your own creative discernment.
3. Closing well requires careful attention to process and details we’re not accustomed to. Contact Thrive at [email protected]. We have denominational experts who can guide you through the financial, ecclesiastical and legal steps of closing your church and strategically investing your assets toward kingdom mission. 
   • Consult the church’s articles of incorporation, bylaws and state and provincial laws to ensure all necessary steps have been taken to initiate the process of closing the church.
   • Logistics of Closing a Church: denominational staff can support you through this step-by-step process, which covers church memberships, pastor’s status, church staff status, historical record-keeping, legal considerations, reporting to classis and developing a Legacy Impact Plan to bless ministry partners and seed what’s next. 
   • Blessing our Ministry Partners: Developing a Legacy Impact Plan: a guide for those tasked with discerning and distributing the church’s assets.

Steps if closing without plans to start something new

1. God may be calling you to finish your life well together. In such a case, your legacy can be marked by the sale of assets and the wonderful work of thinking through how proceeds that are raised can bless others.
2. Closing well requires careful attention to process and details we’re not accustomed to. Contact Thrive at [email protected]. We have denominational experts who can guide you through the financial, ecclesiastical and legal steps of closing your church and strategically investing your assets toward kingdom mission. 
   • Consult the church’s articles of incorporation, bylaws and state and provincial laws to ensure all necessary steps have been taken to initiate the process of closing the church.
   • Logistics of Closing a Church: denominational staff can support you through this step-by-step process, which covers church memberships, pastor’s status, church staff status, historical record-keeping, legal considerations, reporting to classis and developing a Legacy Impact Plan to bless ministry partners. 
   • Blessing our Ministry Partners: Developing a Legacy Impact Plan a guide for those tasked with discerning and distributing the church’s assets.

CRCNA Testimonies

Faith Alive Church in Yakima, Washington, was exploring their options to either close their doors after 50 years or to creatively restart their church. They’re now partnering with a Reformed Church in America congregation led by Pastor Frank Meneses to launch a second site in their church building that’ll be an English-language multicultural community with a large Hispanic demographic. This courageous, Spirit-led move reflects (1) an acknowledgment that if they continued down the same path, they'd be shutting their doors in a few years, and (2) a willingness to partner with a pastor/community that doesn't look like them.

South Holland, Illinois, used to be a place where many Dutch residents of Chicago migrated when they moved out of the city, so the CRCNA began a Peace CRC there in 1965. Today the demographics of that community have changed. The church decided to close and reopen as Reconciliation Church, with the goal to reflect the growing South Holland African American population. The process of dying and being born again has not been easy for the longtime congregants, nor for the pastor. Yet the restarted church is gaining new people from the neighborhood.