Leading a stalled church in a genuine turnaround – one that leads to conversion growth and spiritual growth – demands the pastor’s finest communication skills. Turnaround starts with a sustained push of mission, vision and values. The objective is transformation: people viewing themselves and their church In a whole new light, which is cast by the perspective of God’s mission.

Here’s the irony: once the church begins to grow, the “push” on mission, vision, and values becomes even more imperative. New people coming into the church bring their own values, aspirations, and personal spiritual and (maybe) church histories (of church / no church) to the now growing church!

If the new people are not fully committed to the church’s mission, vision, and values their growing numbers will eventually stall the momentum. Without anyone realizing what has happened or why, the church is one day surprised to discover that it has stalled on a plateau.

All ministries, particularly the assimilation ministries, must be aligned around the purpose of insuring that new people are fully committed to the church’s mission, vision and values.

It may be a burden, pastor, but it’s part of the job. The need to push mission, vision, and values – relentlessly – never ends. There is an ironic twist to the pastor’s need to continually push the mission, vision and values of the church.

Turnaround begins with a “heroic” effort to pound the mission, vision and values of the church into the church members. The objective here is transformation: getting the congregants to see themselves and their church In a whole new light, a light cast by the perspective of God’s mission.

Here’s the irony: once the church begins to grow, the pastor must push even harder because new people coming into the church bring their own values, aspirations, and personal histories (of church / no church) into this new setting.

This is one reason why all ministries, especially the assimilation ministries, must be aligned around the purpose of insuring that new people are fully enculturated into the church; the church’s mission, vision and values must become theirs. This, in turn, slows momentum and leaves the church stalled on a plateau.