Out of the 15,000+ churches that have taken our Unstuck Church Assessment, about 85% self-assessed as being on the declining side of the lifecycle. So if you find yourself in one of these phases, you’re not alone. This week, in the final part of our Ask This, Not That series, Tony and Amy are discussing the declining side of the lifecycle: maintenance, preservation, and life support. We’ll break down the characteristics of each of these phases, explain why churches often find themselves here, and give next steps for getting back to health. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode201. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook.

The Declining Side of the Lifecycle - Episode 201

With THE UNSTUCK CHURCH PODCAST, we invite you into the real-time conversations our team is having about church leadership every week.

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* Insights, observations and trends for church leaders from Tony Morgan.
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“My responsibility as a pastor isn't to convince you that my view on things is correct. My responsibility is to disciple you to be a better follower of Jesus.” In this episode, Tony sits down with Andy Stanley to discuss how pastors can navigate controversial topics regarding politics—especially as we enter an election season in the US.  > Registration closes TOMORROW for our  2024 Executive Pastor Cohort. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, an all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church. With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more. Start using for free now at  planningcenter.com.   For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode345.   Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

How To Talk About Politics (with Andy Stanley) - Episode 345

“I have sensed a need from God to be courageous in these moments and recognize that not everyone's going to be happy with what I'm saying.” In this episode, Rich Villodas, Pastor of New Life Fellowship (a large, multi-racial church in Queens, NY), offers wisdom for discipling our diverse churches on tough topics like sexuality. Learn more about our  Executive Pastor Cohort. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, an all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church. With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more. Start using for free now at  planningcenter.com.   For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at  theunstuckgroup.com/episode344.   Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

How to Talk About Sexuality & More (with Pastor Rich Villodas) – Episode 344

We’re kicking off a special new series packed with practical wisdom from senior pastors to senior/teaching pastors to challenge and encourage them to equip their congregations to talk about tough topics in our world today. In this episode, Pastor Rick Atchley shares how The Hills Church developed a sermon series around mental health and provides encouragement for other pastors looking to address this topic. You can watch Pastor Rick’s series, Let’s Talk About Mental Health, here. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, an all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church. With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more. Start using for free now at  planningcenter.com.   For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at  theunstuckgroup.com/episode343.   Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

How to Talk About Mental Health (with Pastor Rick Atchley) - Episode 343

Closed campuses were 40% more likely to have launched as a result of a merger with another church. That’s why we believe you need a clear multisite strategy before you can make good decisions about merger opportunities. To wrap up our series on “Multisite Madness?,” Tony and Amy unpack the nine predictable outcomes of multisite through the lens of going multisite by a merger.   Learn more about our process for helping monosite churches go multisite for the very first time. Going Multisite: How to Launch Your First Campus & Avoid Common Pitfalls The unknowns around going multisite for the first time can create anxiety—after all, if you’ve never led through this before, you “don’t know what you don’t know.” At this free webinar, we’ll help you get clarity on the how, when, and who of going multisite for the first time.  Register now. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center This episode is brought to you by Planning Center, an all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church. With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more. Start using for free now at  planningcenter.com.   For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at  theunstuckgroup.com/episode342.   Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

9 Principles for Going Multisite Through a Merger - Episode 342

What are the bare minimum leadership roles when you first launch a campus? How do you define central and campus roles? And what does a matrix structure really look like? In this episode, Tony and Amy unpack the final three “predictable outcomes” of multisite related to defining your multisite structure and roles.  Learn more about our process for helping monosite churches go multisite for the very first time. Going Multisite: How to Launch Your First Campus & Avoid Common Pitfalls The unknowns around going multisite for the first time can create anxiety—after all, if you’ve never led through this before, you “don’t know what you don’t know.” At this free webinar, we’ll help you get clarity on the how, when, and who of going multisite for the first time. Register now. This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Are you considering adding a second or third campus to your growing church? Need help telling your church’s unique story across every location? PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, has you covered. Their team of creative storytellers, talented designers, and innovative architects are passionate about helping churches tell their stories through spatial, interactive, and strategic storytelling. To learn more about a large church can succeed launching its first campus in a smaller venue, read PlainJoe's article: "8 Questions to Ask Before Your Church Goes Multisite."  For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at  theunstuckgroup.com/episode341. Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

The Declining Side of the Lifecycle - Episode 201

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