If you’ve spent any time in church leadership, you’ve likely felt the heartbreak of decline. Empty pews. Aging buildings. Once-thriving ministries now little more than calendar placeholders. Churches across America—especially in small towns and aging neighborhoods—are closing their doors at an alarming rate. And even those that remain open are often mere shells of what they once were.
But here’s the good news: Jesus hasn’t given up on His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Still, that doesn’t mean local churches won’t die—because they do. And far too often.