07/16/2026
How to Kill a Church… or Help It Thrive
No one wakes up and says, “I want to destroy my church.” Yet churches rarely decline overnight. More often, they slowly weaken because God’s people drift from the very things that bring spiritual life.
If you wanted to kill a church, here’s a proven recipe:
* Don’t share the Gospel with anyone.
* Regularly criticize your leaders.
* Attend worship only when it’s convenient.
* Refuse to serve.
* Neglect the next generation.
* Complain more than you encourage.
* Stop taking God’s Word seriously.
* Value personal preferences over reaching people with the Gospel.
Now flip every one of those statements, and you’ll discover the ingredients of a healthy, growing church.
Healthy churches are filled with people who:
* Passionately share Christ with others.
* Pray for and encourage their pastors and leaders.
* Faithfully gather for worship and fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25).
* Joyfully use their spiritual gifts to serve.
* Invest in children, students, and young adults.
* Speak words that build up rather than tear down (Ephesians 4:29).
* Love, obey, and live by the truth of God’s Word.
* Put the mission of reaching lost people above their own personal preferences.
The church has never been perfect because it is made up of imperfect people who have been redeemed by a perfect Savior. Every member has a choice: contribute to the health of the body or become part of its weakness.
Revival doesn’t begin with “them.” It begins with me.
Before criticizing your church this week, ask yourself:
* Am I helping my church become healthier?
* Who can I encourage today?
* Who am I praying for that needs Jesus?
* How can I serve instead of simply being served?
Let’s be the kind of believers who strengthen Christ’s church, proclaim His Gospel, and leave a legacy of faithfulness for the next generation.
“Let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works.” — Hebrews 10:24
Steve Foster
