It always saddens me when I see churches begin to unravel at the seams. I know that pastors have very challenging jobs. There are usually many warning sings that the pastor never notices.

I decided to put together a little list of warning signs that pastors should be aware of. Some items on this list are done in fun, while others are a little more serious.

Dear pastor, your church has serious problems if…

• The seat you sit in every Sunday is worth more than the entire church building.

• There are more people in the hallway than in the sanctuary while you are preaching.

• Your ministerial staff only attends Sunday morning service.

• The most dedicated usher in your congregation is the “mean” usher.

• The youth choir consists of 30 and 40 year olds.

• It takes 1 hour to lift an offering.

• You are constantly trying to copy other pastors and other churches.

• The building fund thermometer has been at the same level for 5 years.

• The youth leader is 80 years old.

• Your members don’t know you have a weeknight service.

• Your members don’t respect your spouse.

• All of your sermons need to be approved by the trustee board before you preach them.

• Members only attend when certain people are leading worship.

• Members are constantly saying “I can’t afford to go to church this Sunday.”

What do you think? Is there anything else that you would like to add to the list?