This document discusses how churches can avoid losing people and make a difference in their community. It suggests that churches must be willing to grow and change in order to effectively rescue the lost and hurting. Some ways churches lose people mentioned include prioritizing traditions over people, watering down the gospel, making worship boring, lacking vision, underestimating the need for prayer, not focusing on youth, and failing to challenge people to make faith decisions. The key is for churches to have a mission focus of bringing people to salvation.

2. •One of the greatest questions we can ask
ourselves is, “Am I ready to grow?”
2 Peter 3:18
•Turn around the first 2 words and add an
exclamation mark. “I am ready to grow!”
•How about Are We Ready To Grow?

3. We Have A Mission!
Mt. 28:18-20
• God wants His people to be willing to pick
up the ball and run with it!
• No matter the opposition, the fears, risks…
• You can’t score unless you’re willing to
pick up the ball and run with it!
• Many are afraid to pick up the ball…

4. Change Challenges
• Our community should not be the same as
it would be if the Mary Street church of
Christ was not here.
– If we want to be a church that makes a
difference we must be willing to throw some
basic ingredients into our lives to make us
that kind of church.
– We should not be the kind of church that
loses a person in 10 days or less.

5. • If we want to be a church that is not
effective and that loses people we will…
• Make traditions and opinions more
important than people. Mt. 12:1-12;
15:3, 6, 9; Mk. 7:9, 13
– Only churches that are serious about
rescuing the lost and hurting will survive and
make a difference.

6. • If you want a church that loses people
then water down the gospel. Acts 20:32
– Churches losing numbers because they lose
what they had faith in.
– God’s desire is for us to always buy the Truth
because it’s the only thing that can set us free!
Proverbs 23:23; John 8:32

7. • A church that loses people is a church
that makes worship a thing to endure
rather than a God honoring, meaningful
experience.
• How’s your attitude? Ps. 42:1
• Be friendly… Mt. 7:12
• Do you rejoice and look forward to
worship? Ps. 122:1

8. • Churches that are losing people are
those that have no vision for the future.
• Where are the visionaries?
• Luke 24:13-ff …They were lacking in
vision. Aren’t we too lacking?
– Trials prepare us for what lies ahead
– Want to be financially comfortable which leads
us away from God… etc. Prov. 29:18

9. • Churches that lose people are churches
that underestimate the need for prayer!
– They quit talking to God. Eph. 6:18
– We must do these things or die…
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thes. 5:16-18

10. • Churches that lose people don’t focus
on the youth! Lk. 18:16
• Statistics show 80% of salvation decisions
are made before age 18.
• Is our goal to reach people and bring them
to a salvation decision? Yes!
• Where should the church focus?

11. • Churches that lose people are churches
that don’t challenge people to make
decisions. Joshua 24:15
– The push is not to make anyone
uncomfortable that is visiting our services.
– But that is hurting them in the long run.
• Who will tell them of sin and salvation?
– Many are still lost… they’ve never been
challenged to make a decision.

12. Is There A Decision That You Are
Ready To Make?
•Come to Jesus!
•Hear the truth – 1 Cor. 15:1-4
•Believe it – Heb. 11:6
•Repent – Acts 2:38
•Confess – Acts 8:37
•Be Baptized to be saved – 1 Pet. 3:21