August 20, 2025

Autopsy of a Deceased Church in 2025 – Part 1

24 minutes

Thom and Jess Rainer revisit the insights from Thom’s 2016 bestseller “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” and provide a sobering update for today’s church landscape. In this episode, they begin unpacking the eight new signs that a church is nearing its end in 2025.

1. Loss of hope

2. Looking for transfer growth

3. No evangelistic outreach

4. Thinking that the past is the hero

Resources:

Chaney & Associates

The Church Advisory Podcast

Upward Sports

Upward Sports: Pickleball

Autopsy of a Deceased Church in 2025 – Part 2

“Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)

“Anatomy of a Revived Church: Seven Findings about How Congregations Avoided Death” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)

The Hope Initiative

Church Answers Membership

FREE Research Report: New Surprising Insights

Episode Sponsor:

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The Power of Partnership. Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports organization, empowering local churches to use sports as a dynamic connection tool to engage their communities.

Start Preparing Now for 2026! Looking ahead to what’s next in your ministry? Create an outreach strategy that includes a warm invite for the whole family – use sports as that invite. Whether it’s basketball, soccer, flag football, cheerleading, volleyball, baseball, pickleball, or running for adults, Upward Sports is ready to support your church in reaching families right in the heart of your community. All you need is access to a gym or field and one passionate leader — Upward will support you with the rest.

A Variety of Sports for Every Church. From basketball, cheerleading, soccer, flag football, volleyball, and baseball to running for adults — and now pickleball — Upward Sports offers flexible league options to fit your church’s unique needs.

Exciting News: Did you hear? Pickleball is the newest offering – Claim your TWO free net sets, while supplies last! Launched in April, pickleball is perfect for middle and high schoolers — easy to learn, quick to set up, and highly engaging. Whether you prefer a traditional league or a flexible practice-and-play format, Upward Sports is here to guide you. Plus, to help you get started, Upward is offering two free Pickleball Net Sets when you create your league. But act fast — only 200 sets are available! Schedule your call today and build a purposeful pickleball ministry in your community. Learn more at www.Upward.org/Pickleball where you can access an equipment list, court dimensions, and more.

Be the Neighborhood Church. Want to create a welcoming space for families? Upward Sports provides a first-class, well-organized, and fun league experience. As a self-sustaining ministry, any church — big or small — can get started. Customize your outreach ministry today.

Learn more at www.Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.

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