When the Foundation Needs Repair
Hebrews 12:1-4 — “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Every church goes through seasons. Some are good. Other seasons are hard. And some seasons are so hard that the church has to ask: Should we rebuild, restart, or start fresh?
The Three Options
Rebuilding means taking what you have and making it better. Restarting means hitting the reset button. Starting fresh means planting a new church.
The North American Mission Board has seen an increase in church replants — 83 replants in 2024 alone. A replant is when a struggling church is revitalized with new leadership, new vision, and new energy.
How to Decide
Is the foundation sound? Is the congregation willing to change? Is there a core group of committed believers? What is the community need?
Whatever you decide, the process is similar: Pray. Assess. Plan. Act.
Related reading
- This is not DiY – #6 Making the King proud!
- This is NOT DiY- #4 Time For Repair
- This is NOT DiY – 3# You Need Professional Help
- Replanting vs. Revitalization vs. Restart
Brent speaks on rural church health, decline, and faithful presence at ministry events and conferences. More at brentlacy.com/speaking.
The Promise
Hebrews 12 tells us to look to Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith.” He is the one who starts the work. And He is the one who completes it.
The three options and when each applies
Rebuilding means taking what you have and making it better. The congregation is still there. The pastor is still there. The mission is still clear. What is needed is renewed commitment, honest assessment, and the willingness to change what is not working. Rebuilding is the right path when the foundation is sound and the people are willing.
Restarting means bringing in new leadership to lead an existing congregation through a significant change in direction. The congregation stays, but the leadership changes. This is appropriate when the existing leadership has led the church into its current difficulty and cannot lead it out, but when there is still a core of willing people who want to see the church renewed.
Starting fresh means closing what exists and beginning something new. This is the most disruptive option and should be a last resort. It is appropriate when the congregation has dissolved, when the church’s reputation in the community is so damaged that a fresh start is the only credible path, or when the building and resources are being transferred to a new church planting effort.
The question most churches avoid
Most struggling churches spend years debating which path to take without ever honestly assessing which path is actually available to them. A church of eight people with an average age of 78 is not a rebuilding candidate. It is a restarting or fresh-start candidate, and the kindest thing anyone can do is say so clearly.
The assessment question is not which path do we prefer. It is which path does our actual situation make possible. Those are different questions, and the second one is the one that matters.
The church that faces its situation honestly is the church that can make a real decision. The church that avoids the honest assessment keeps making no decision, which is itself a decision, and usually the worst one available.
Related reading
- Replanting vs. Revitalization vs. Restart: What Rural Churches Actually Need
- The Rural Church Health Snapshot: 10 Questions to Know Where You Stand
- The Long Decline Nobody Names in Rural Churches
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this apply to rural churches?
Every rural church is different. Adapt these ideas to your specific context.
What first step should we take?
Start a conversation. Identify one practical change you can make this month.
Where can we find more resources?
RuralThinkTank.com and MinistryPlace.net offer resources for small and rural churches.