EFCAndrew.com

 2010 will see more ministries fall by the wayside for lack of volunteers.  Of course, there are always a set of programs in churches that only hang on because a few people want to keep running them, but this will be the year where we see more of these start failing.

The key issue is that the younger generation isn't buying into program driven church experience.  Yes, they may participate and even enjoy the programs, but they don't see them as such a value that they won't give them up.  Many people in the church would rather change to a new program or just end the program as demand decreases and there are less volunteers.

What's been keeping many of these programs going is the old guard that thinks they are necessary and volunteers to keep them running.  2010 will begin to change that as people get "too old for this."  The older population will be decreasing their activity and volunteer rates and many of these "important" ministries will start to fall away.

The challenge for churches is to identify the need that the ministries were supposed to be meeting, determine if it is something the church still wants to be doing, and start something that the younger people will be excited about which can meet the same need.  Many of these new programs will be decentralized small group or home based ministries that are multiplied throughout the church and leader to tighter communities and ultimately stronger volunteer rates.