3 Pain Points in the Church Right Now—And How Faithful Leaders Can Respond

Across denominations, geographies, and sizes, churches are navigating a moment of disruption. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is internal. Some of it is spiritual. But wherever I go, I see a consistent pattern emerging. There are three primary areas where churches are struggling today—and each one, if left unaddressed, can quietly erode the health, mission, and faithfulness of the congregation.

The good news? These struggles aren’t fatal. But they do require courageous, thoughtful leadership. Here are the top three ways churches are struggling right now—and the faithful next steps leaders can take to move forward.

1. Mission Drift: Losing Sight of Why the Church Exists

The Struggle:

Many churches have unintentionally drifted from mission to maintenance. They’ve become well-oiled machines that manage programs, care for members, and maintain buildings—but they’ve lost the urgency of the Gospel and the outward focus of the Great Commission.

Mission drift shows up when:

• Church energy is mostly spent on internal issues.

• Decisions prioritize comfort over calling.

• Evangelism and disciple-making are rare or optional.

• Ministries exist because “we’ve always done it that way.”

The Impact:

When mission fades, the church becomes spiritually stagnant. Passion wanes. New believers stop showing up. And long-time members quietly disengage. A church that isn’t clear on why it exists eventually forgets what it’s for.

Faithful Next Step for Leaders:

Re-center your church on Jesus’ mission. Start with a season of listening and teaching. Preach on the Kingdom. Cast vision for becoming a sending, disciple-making church. Ask hard questions: “If our church disappeared tomorrow, who would miss us?” Then align your ministries and structures with that mission. Simplify. Refocus.

2. Shallow Discipleship: Equipping People for Church, Not Life

The Struggle:

In many churches, discipleship is still centered on attendance and information. People show up, hear good teaching, maybe join a small group—but they’re not being formed into resilient, Jesus-following disciples who can live their faith in a complex world.

This struggle becomes clear when:

• Believers feel unequipped to talk about their faith outside church.

• Spiritual growth plateaus even among active members.

• Young adults are spiritually disengaged or disillusioned.

• Faith feels disconnected from real life—work, relationships, justice, or culture.

The Impact:

A church filled with under-formed disciples becomes fragile. People are easily shaken by hardship, distracted by culture, or disconnected from mission. Shallow discipleship leads to shallow engagement—and eventually, a shallow witness.

Faithful Next Step for Leaders:

Shift from teaching to training. Focus on obedience, not just knowledge. Equip people for everyday mission: how to pray, how to read Scripture, how to love neighbors, how to lead a conversation about faith. Invite people into intentional community where they are known and challenged. Make discipleship personal, practical, and portable.

3. Leadership Fatigue: Burned-Out Leaders and Underutilized Members

The Struggle:

After years of leading through uncertainty, many pastors and church staff are running on empty. At the same time, a large percentage of the congregation remains passive—watching rather than participating. The leadership gap widens, and leaders carry burdens that were never meant to be theirs alone.

Signs include:

• Staff burnout and turnover.

• A shrinking volunteer base.

• Growing resentment or exhaustion in key leaders.

• Ministries dying not from lack of passion, but lack of people.

The Impact:

A fatigued leadership culture creates a fragile church ecosystem. Ministries become unsustainable. Vision dims. And the spiritual vitality of the church declines. When leaders are exhausted and members are disengaged, the whole body suffers.

Faithful Next Step for Leaders:

Empower the whole body. The church is healthiest when every member is released into their calling. Start by identifying and equipping new leaders. Celebrate “ordinary missionaries” in your congregation. Redefine success—not as attendance or excellence, but as activation. Create margin for your staff. Rest is not a weakness; it’s obedience.

Bringing It All Together: From Struggle to Strength

These three struggles—mission drift, shallow discipleship, and leadership fatigue—are not unrelated. They feed each other. When mission fades, discipleship becomes disengaged. When discipleship is shallow, the burden falls on a few leaders. When leaders burn out, the church shrinks back into maintenance mode.

But when a church reclaims its mission, equips real disciples, and activates the body of Christ—momentum returns.

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. But you do need to take a step. Start with this:

• Name reality with your leadership team.

• Reaffirm your mission and the call to make disciples.

• Invest deeply in a few, and build out from there.

• Empower others, even if it’s messy at first.

• Pray fervently for renewal. You’re not building the church—Jesus is.

The church is not in decline because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has lost its power. The church is struggling because it has often forgotten its purpose. But faithful leadership, rooted in Scripture, led by the Spirit, and committed to the mission of God, can write a different story.

And that story is already being written—in every church willing to move forward with courage, humility, and hope.