Today we welcome Mike Clarensau to the mic. As a proven strategist, Mike has helped churches and ministry organizations identify new direction or the steps necessary for greater effectiveness. In Part 1 of our conversation, Mike unpacks how the Church in America is doing, what needs to change, and why churches struggle so much with change.

• From the numbers, how is the church in America doing?
  • 80% have plateaued or are in decline. Plateau and decline are a worldwide phenomenon.
  • The Church is recovering from the Covid pandemic in churches of all sizes.
  • There is more intentionality, more focus on mission, community engagement, and discipleship.

• What areas do you see that need to change?
  • Discipleship strategy vs. crowd management strategy.
  • Community engagement: Every step toward community engagement is a step toward church health.
  • An outward focus: We start asking better questions when we do what we do well and take it outside of our church.
  • Serving at church is practice for serving outside of the church.

• Why is change so hard for the average church/leader and what can a wise leader do to help people make needed changes? (The 5 P’s)
  • Place: “Significant things happened to me there.”
  • Personality: “There is a leader in that church I’ve connected with.”
  • Program: “I’m a part of this small group.”
  • People: “My friends go there.”
  • Position: “It’s my church because of what I do there.”