Church Sustainability Pathway Discovery Guide

Church Sustainability Pathway Discovery Guide
Every congregation has a story shaped by decades of worship, service, and faithful ministry. Over time, every church experiences seasons of change — shifts in membership, financial realities, buildings that need care, and evolving community needs.

The Church Sustainability Initiative (CSI) is here to walk alongside your church during these seasons.

Sustainability is not just about survival or keeping the doors open. It’s about:
- Faithfulness: Living out God’s calling for your congregation today.
- Impact: Using people, finances, and facilities to serve your community well.
- Future: Ensuring your ministry continues — even if it takes a new form.
This guide isn’t about judgment. It’s a tool to help your church discern where you are right now so you can take your next most faithful step forward.
Church Name*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Main Point of Contact*

First NameLast Name
Point of Contact's Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
Point of Contact's Email*
example@example.com
Name of Pastor or Interim Pastor*

First NameLast Name
Reflection Questions

For each question, choose the option that best represents your congregation’s current reality. Be honest and prayerful — this isn’t a test, but a tool for clarity. You will select one option from each question.
Our church's attendance is...

A. Growing or stable with a healthy mix of ages.B. Stable overall, though mostly older adults with a few younger families.C. Declining gradually, especially among younger generations.D. Declining sharply, with mostly older adults remaining.
Volunteer leadership is…

A. Strong and diverse, with new leaders regularly stepping up.B. Fairly strong, though a small group does most of the work.C. Limited and difficult to recruit consistently.D. Extremely limited — only a handful of people keep things running.
At year’s end, our financial picture usually looks like…

A. A healthy surplus that allows investment in new ministry.B. Meeting expenses with little flexibility.C. Needing to use reserves or special gifts to balance the budget.D. Unsure how we will cover upcoming expenses.
What percentage of our budget goes to facilities and salaries combined?

A. Less than 60%, leaving room for mission and outreach.B. Between 60–80%, manageable but concerning.C. Above 80%, limiting funds for ministry.D. Nearly all resources consumed by maintenance and staff.
Our church building is actively used…

A. Daily — multiple ministries and groups use it throughout the week.B. Regularly, but many rooms are often empty.C. Primarily on Sundays with limited weekday use.D. Largely unused except for Sunday worship.
Our current feelings about our facilities…

A. They’re a blessing that fully serve our mission.B. They’re helpful but increasingly difficult to maintain.C. They’re becoming a financial and emotional burden.D. They are unsustainable at our current capacity.
Our mission and vision are…

A. Very clear and inspiring — everyone knows why we exist.B. Fairly clear, but need to be revisited and energized.C. Unclear — people have competing ideas about our purpose.D. Mostly absent — we just keep doing what we’ve always done.
Our congregation’s openness to change is…

A. High — excited to try new things and explore new models.B. Mixed — some eager, others hesitant or resistant.C. Low — many feel tired or overwhelmed by the thought of change.D. Very low — even small changes feel overwhelming or impossible
Score

Scoring

A = 4 points
B = 3 points
C = 2 points
D = 1 point

Your Sustainability Pathway

Score Range	Pathway	Interpretation
28-32	Thriving	Strong sustainability with room to grow, innovate, and mentor others. Consider the Helping Churches Thrive shared learning cohort.
22-27	Stabilizing	Generally sustainable but needs renewed energy, clarity, or focus. Consider the Helping Churches Thrive shared learning cohort.
15-21	Struggling	Facing significant challenges that require bold and creative changes. Consider the Church Sustainability shared learning cohort.
8-14	Critical	Immediate attention needed to ensure faithful stewardship of your legacy. Consider the Church Sustainability shared learning cohort.

Step 4: Understanding the Pathways

Thriving – Strengthening What Works

Your church is in a healthy position:
• Finances, people, and mission are aligned.
• You have resources and energy to dream big and innovate.

Next Step: Join the HCT shared learning cohort to cultivate a deeper level of thriving.

Stabilizing – Investing in Renewal

Your church has a strong foundation but needs focused energy:
• Certain ministries or leadership areas are stretched thin.
• Mission clarity could bring new vitality.

Next Step: The HCT shared learning cohort will equip your leaders with tools to broaden your understanding of thriving in a churchwide process.

Struggling – Time to Reimagine

Your church is carrying heavy burdens:
• Financial stress, property issues, or low volunteer engagement.
• Current structures no longer serve today’s needs.

Next Step: Through the CSI shared learning cohort, you will walk with other churches facing similar challenges, learning practical ways to reimagine ministry, leverage resources, and engage in creative problem-solving.

Critical – Time to Take Action
Your congregation needs to conduct an analysis of its volunteer leadership, finances, property, and other key areas.

Next Step: CSI’s shared learning cohort will help you explore options like partnerships, mergers, or critical pathways.

Step 5: Reflection and Prayer

After reviewing your pathway, gather your leadership team to discuss:
1. What feels accurate about where we are right now?
2. What faithful opportunities might God be opening for us in this season?
3. Which shared learning cohort could we join to walk alongside other churches?
4. What questions do we need to bring to a CSI guide?
Step 6: Taking Action with CSI

The Church Sustainability Initiative shared learning cohort is a six-month process designed to help congregations:
- Understand their current sustainability realities,
- Learn from other churches through regional gatherings and coaching,
- Discern and take faithful next steps toward thriving, renewal, reimagining, or legacy planning.
Joining the cohort is the best next step for every pathway. Whether you are thriving, stabilizing, struggling, or critical, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

Take action today:
- Visit cbfnc.org/churchsustainability
- Register your church for the next shared learning cohort
- Schedule a call with a CSI guide
Every congregation has a future. CSI helps you discern yours — with hope, clarity, and companions for the journey.
Should be Empty:

Church Sustainability Pathway Discovery Guide

Reflection Questions

Scoring

Your Sustainability Pathway

Step 4: Understanding the Pathways

Next Step: CSI’s shared learning cohort will help you explore options like partnerships, mergers, or critical pathways. Step 5: Reflection and Prayer

Step 6: Taking Action with CSI

Next Step: CSI’s shared learning cohort will help you explore options like partnerships, mergers, or critical pathways.

Step 5: Reflection and Prayer