Restarting a church
Some churches don't need a new program. They need a new beginning.
Every year, thousands of churches hold their final gathering. It doesn't have to end there. Together with Dying to Restart, we help declining churches use their people, property, and resources to launch a new church that is thriving, growing, and multiplying for the next generation.
The Readiness Assessment is coming soon. We'll email it to you the day it launches.
4,500–6,000
churches hold their final gathering and close their doors every year.
Nearly 30
congregations have chosen to restart through Dying to Restart since 2020.
One guide
walking with your church through every phase, from discernment to launch.
Where is your church?
Every church has a life cycle
Churches are born, they grow, and they mature. Without intentional renewal, they plateau and decline. Even the churches the apostles planted followed this arc. That isn't a failure of faith; it's the reality of every living thing.
So the question isn't whether your church is on the curve. It's where, and what faithful step comes next.
Revitalize
Near the plateau, renewed vision and leadership can restore health before decline sets in.
Restart
In decline, a church lays down what it has been so a new church can be born in the same place, often with many of the same people.
Leave a legacy
Near closure, a church can entrust its building and resources to plant the next generation of churches.
Explore legacy givingWhy restart
Rediscover who you were meant to be
A restart isn't another program, and it isn't a quick fix. It's a difficult journey through death, a tomb, and a resurrection. Every church will close someday. What if the thing you're avoiding is the very thing that could save your church's mission?
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”Mark 8:35 (NIV)
We help churches see the need to do whatever it takes to reach their community for Christ, even when it means massive change. For churches and leaders willing to take that risk, the result can be a congregation that is self-sustaining and thriving in mission again.
Not every church is ready to do whatever it takes. If yours is, we'd love to hear from you, and you won't walk the journey alone.
The restart journey
What the road looks like
Every restart is different, but the path follows the same shape. A restart guide walks with your church through each phase.
Discernment
Honest conversation about your church's health, readiness, and calling.
Temporary structure
Interim leadership and decision-making to carry you through the transition.
Pause public worship
A holy pause to grieve, celebrate what God has done, and let the old season close.
Revamp and revision
A new vision, identity, and strategy shaped around your community today.
Hard turns
The courageous decisions that make new life possible.
Launch coaching
Preparation and coaching as you move toward a public launch.
A new church
A thriving, growing, multiplying church for the next generation.
Your next step
Is your church ready?
Not every church is called to restart, and that's okay. The Readiness Assessment will help your leaders discern which faithful path fits your congregation.
Restart
Die to what has been and launch something new, right where you are, with the people God has already given you.
The assessment is almost ready. Leave your info below and we'll send it to you the day it launches.
Leave a legacy
If restarting isn't the right fit, your church's story can still multiply by entrusting what you've built to plant the next generation of churches.
Start the conversation
Want to talk it through?
Tell us a little about your church. There's no obligation and no pressure, just a conversation with people who understand what this decision means.
- We'll read what you share and reach out within a few business days.
- You'll talk with someone who has walked churches through a restart.
- If the time is right, we'll take the next step together.