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In his book, What Have We Learned? The Best Thinking on Congregational Life (Abingdon, 2001), Lyle Schaller writes, "While exceptions do exist, the general pattern is that congregations that have been meeting at the same address for more than forty years tend to give a higher priority to (a) perpetuating the past rather than creating the new, (b) taking care of today's members rather than seeking to reach the unchurched, (c) maintaining the real estate rather than launching new ministries to reach new generations." He concludes: "Never before in American church history have there been so many congregations that are vulnerable to this 'forty year syndrome.'"
What is your response?
Read the rest of the article here.
Posted by gary at December 30, 2005 06:15 PM
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