Got any specific quotes to that effect of are you simply using a generalization in a pathetic attempt to cover your posterior? No surprise there because covering your arse is the first thing they teach you at the academy.
Welllll....
Those were things cited by our pastor. I'm sure you'll doubt his credentials. All he has is a Masters degree in divinity, a PhD in divinity, and a vested interest in cultivating and maintaining a healthy church. I bet he's never been in the jing weeds!!!
He went on to talk about the role of leadership in the church and how they affect the three reasons why people stop attending.
The first was failure to handle/improper handling of conflict. This ranges from gossip in the church to disagreements among leaders or between leaders and members to moral issues with leadership (adultery, theft, etc.) to failure to maintain confidentiality to general unprofessional behavior. These types of issues cause people to leave when they aren't properly resolved or are allowed to persist.
Next was a lack of connection with the church. Specifically, showing up every Sunday and listening to a sermon for an hour and expecting fulfilled from doing that, which is the bare minimum. Over time, it leads to feelings that they aren't important to the church and (even worse) the church isn't important to them. Active participation is vital to having a healthy church with members who properly understand their roles. Leadership is tasked with providing opportunities for engagement and encouraging involvement.
Finally, failing to adhere to the Bible. It speaks for itself. When the teachings of the church resemble less of the Bible and more of mainstream culture, there are two possible outcomes. People stop going to that church because it's distorting the word of God -or- they stop going to church completely because whatever that church is offering can be found elsewhere or they simply become disillusioned.
Like I said, I'm sure you have fault with that. Must be something in the water up there.
