Church membership isn't 'privileges & perks'

Nine out of 10 churches in America are declining or growing at a pace slower than their communities, often limping along as members drift out the proverbial back door. So what can leaders do to stop the exodus?

Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, sees this as a symptom of an underlying problem in many churches.

The decline stems from their members having lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be part of the body of Christ, said Rainer, author of a new book, "I Am a Church Member." People often join churches expecting to be served, fed and cared for, he said.

"Many times, probably more than we would like to believe, a church member leaves a local body because he or she has a sense of entitlement rather than a servant mentality." Read more