June 02, 2025

Eight Causes for a Ministry Slump

27 minutes

No church grows week after week and year after year. Additionally, our spiritual growth has highs and lows. A slump is inevitable in churches and people. Thom and Sam discuss some causes of a ministry slump and what you can do to stop the slide.

Failure to spend time in the Word and the Bible. “Anytime I neglect my personal quiet time, my ministry becomes less effective. You would think I would have learned that lesson by now.”

The cumulative effect of criticisms. “You know, the critics just wear me down. I’ve been at the church for a little over three years, and I am feeling the weight of a steady drip of criticisms.”

Unfulfilled expectations. “I shouldn’t be so numbers’ conscious, but I am. When our attendance or budget goes down for a period, I tend to get down as well.”

Family problems. “My son rebelled for over two years. It impacted all parts of my life, including my ministry.”

Financial problems. “We were having trouble paying our bills. My mind was on that issue every day at the church. I know it hurt my ministry.”

Physical burnout. “I was burning the candle at both ends, and I gained a lot of weight. My body was rebelling, and my emotions took a nosedive. It really affected my ministry.”

Counseling. “I really shouldn’t do as much counseling as I do. I get drained emotionally listening to so many problems. I notice that my slumps always follow several weeks of heavy counseling.”

Comparisons. “We all know that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others in ministry. But I do. And when I do, I feel so inadequate as a pastor and a leader.”

Resources:

NLT Large Print Pew Bible

Church Connect

Tyndale House Publishers

Upward Sports

Upward Sports: Pickleball

Brown Church Development Group

“The Shape of Faith to Come” by Brad Waggoner (affiliate link)

Church Answers Platinum Membership

FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

The Hope Initiative

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By Thom Rainer

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