Tag Archives: Church decline

A Church on Fire: A Confession

Posted on April 16, 2019 by smaxreisert

The scenes from Paris were (and are) startling and heartbreaking. When part of the spire of Notre Dame fell into the huge cauldron of flames, I gasped. It was hard to take it all in from the vantage point … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Doomed | Tagged Cathedral, Church decline, Notre Dame, Notre Dame fire, Paris | Leave a comment

The Not So Graceful Art of Treading Water

Posted on January 9, 2019 by smaxreisert

The typical routine of life at Old South Church means that the Advent and Christmas seasons are followed not so much by the season of Epiphany, but the season of Annual Meeting—finalizing the budget, figuring out and nominating a slate … Continue reading →

Posted in My Life as Pastor, Studies, Demographics, Reality | Tagged Church decline, Old South Congregational Church Hallowell | Leave a comment

Lessons from the Lord (& Taylor)

Posted on November 29, 2018 by smaxreisert

In the dim light of late afternoon and amid the crushing movement of countless, busting human beings, the large “store closing” signs adorning every window of a very large building didn’t seem all that extraordinary. I was just trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in Doomed | Tagged Church decline, Church Success, decline of Christian denominations, Lord & Taylor | Leave a comment

The Funny Thing About Numbers

Posted on March 24, 2018 by smaxreisert

A math professor friend of mine likes to joke that real math doesn’t use numbers. The church could use a similar sort of approach. Do real churches need numbers? Attending a Conference meeting at a church about an hour from … Continue reading →

Posted in Maine Cautionary Tales, Misc | Tagged church and numbers, Church decline, Mainline Church | Leave a comment

The Strong, But Dangerous, Allure of Denial

Posted on June 27, 2017 by smaxreisert

At Old South, I’ve started talking to the leadership team about beginning to discuss the process (just the process and not yet the content) of considering the future of Old South. How should we talk about, consider, make decisions about … Continue reading →

Posted in Doomed | Tagged Church decline | Leave a comment

There’s a Mountain Out There

Posted on March 12, 2016 by smaxreisert

The Pew Research Center has released a report, “How Religious Is Your State?” For anyone paying attention to the religious landscape, the report contains little in the way of surprise. Yet, it is still startling to see that I not only … Continue reading →

Posted in Studies, Demographics, Reality | Tagged Church decline, How Religious Is Your State?, Pew Research Center | Leave a comment

The Reality of the Tide

Posted on May 12, 2015 by smaxreisert

A few years ago, during a vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (a place where my family and I go every couple of years), my children were playing with their cousins on the beach. I was taking photos … Continue reading →

Posted in Should Have Learned in Div School | Tagged America's Changing Religious Landscape, Church decline, Pew Research | Leave a comment

Are You Serving Cheese with that Whine?

Posted on July 11, 2014 by smaxreisert

At a lot of church related meetings, with both clergy and lay people, on the local level but especially when more than one church has gathered, I hear a fair amount of whining: Why don’t people go to church anymore? … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc, My Life as Pastor | Tagged Church decline, Clergy, Mainline Church | Leave a comment