The Church Revitalization Podcast – Episode 271
As we reflect on 2024, a few things have emerged in church leadership that warrant careful consideration as we prepare to start the new year. It’s worthy of note that the things listed below would all be addressed at the senior board level of the church. We frequently see church elders/councils/boards getting bogged down on details that staff and volunteer leaders should be focusing on, not allowing the senior overseers to focus on bigger-picture things. In addition to considering the things noted below, make sure your church leaders are also positioned with the time and freedom to work on a larger scale with prayer and wisdom in 2025.
Ignoring AI Trends
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has left many churches uncertain about how to respond. While some organizations have completely avoided engaging with AI tools, others have embraced them without clear guidelines or policies. The wisest approach lies in developing a thoughtful, middle-ground position that establishes clear boundaries while leveraging beneficial applications. Churches should consider implementing policies that address how AI tools can be appropriately used for tasks like content repurposing, administrative work, and resource creation while maintaining clear boundaries around sensitive areas such as sermon preparation and pastoral care. Rather than avoiding the conversation altogether, church leadership teams need to proactively discuss and establish guidelines for AI usage that align with their values and mission.
Misjudging Economic Realities
The cumulative impact of several years of inflation has created significant financial pressure on congregations, yet many churches have been slow to adjust their planning accordingly. While inflation rates have moderated in 2024, the compound effect of multiple years of increased costs continues to affect giving patterns and church budgets. Churches that based their 2024 budgets on optimistic projections often found themselves facing difficult mid-year adjustments. Looking ahead, the prudent approach is to build budgets based on actual giving patterns rather than aspirational growth targets. While maintaining faith in God’s provision, churches should exercise wisdom in financial planning by carefully considering current economic conditions and their impact on their congregation’s giving capacity. This means potentially postponing certain initiatives or finding creative ways to accomplish ministry goals within tighter financial constraints.
Abandoning Traditional Elements
In the rush to modernize and attract younger generations, some churches have hastily discarded traditional practices without careful evaluation of their inherent value. While innovation is important, the wholesale abandonment of traditional elements may be shortsighted, particularly as younger generations show increasing interest in historical church practices. The key is not to maintain traditions for tradition’s sake but to thoughtfully evaluate which elements still serve meaningful purposes and how they might be updated or reframed for contemporary relevance. This could mean finding fresh ways to incorporate time-honored practices like corporate prayer, congregational participation, or traditional worship elements while ensuring they remain meaningful and accessible to modern worshipers. The goal should be intentional discipleship rather than wholesale innovation, carefully considering how to preserve valuable aspects of church tradition while adapting to modern times.
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A.J. Mathieu is the President of the Malphurs Group. He is passionate about helping churches thrive and travels internationally to teach and train pastors to lead healthy disciple-making churches. A.J. lives in the Ft. Worth, Texas area, enjoys the outdoors, and loves spending time with his wife and two sons. Click here to email A.J.
