Jim Morgan's Plog (Podcast Blog)

Listen as we unveil the root cause for the decline of the Church in America in growth, impact, influence, and public perception. Discover how reclaiming the biblical definition of "church" and its intended "customer" is the path to revitalization.For years I was on the “fast track” – management consulting for Fortune 500 companies, investment banking on Wall Street, legislative aid on Capitol Hill, and MBA from the nation’s top business school. But all along I knew something was off. As a Christian, I wasn’t doing anything to serve God and others. My prayers for a mission and purpose grew more and more frequent.Then, in 2000, it came – and be careful what you pray for. The Lord showed me that the same solutions I was bringing to large corporations were badly needed by the body of Christ. There were significant communication gaps in cities across the country between those in need and those who could help. So we invested the next two decades and millions bringing the first comprehensive solution from the business world to local missions – empowering churches to reach out to families desperately in need of help and hope.Throughout that process, I wondered why the Church in America seemed to be struggling – in growth, impact, influence, and public perception. Being a consultant, I couldn’t help but look closer – and what I discovered was shocking. Contemporary church growth models aren't aligned with Scripture or the keys to success of any organization – defining the right customer. Members are the Church - Kingdom employees to equip and deploy to pursue the real "customer" (the lost and poor in our communities). Yet most implicitly treat churchgoers as consumers to attract and retain, a fact not lost on the intended "customer", who our churches largely ignore and neglect.For the past 8 years, my biweekly blog has unpacked those misconceptions and plotted a path to biblically-based church reform...