Five Predictions We Got Wrong about the Future of the Church

This time of year, many commentators and researchers prognosticate about the future of the church. Thom and Sam take a different approach in this episode. While many of their predictions from previous decades have turned out to be correct, not all of them did. They look back and evaluate a few predictions they got wrong from years ago.

• 1. Sunday school would not survive the turn of the Millennium (Thom in the early 1990s).
  2. Multi-ethnic churches would become the fastest-growing (Sam in the early 2010s).
  3. The multi-site administrator would become an important church staff position (Sam in 2010).
  4. Evangelism will return to its rightful place of importance and priority (Thom in the mid-2010s).
  5. A recession will negatively impact church giving (Sam and Thom during the pandemic).

Resources:

• Upward Sports

• My Church Staff

• Church Growth Services: Get your free campaign capacity analysis!

• “The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)

• “Why Conservative Churches Are Growing” by Dean Kelley (affiliate link)

• FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

• Church Answers Central

• The Everything Church Resource Directory

• The Hope Initiative

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