📝 Worksheet 3.4: Church Diagnostic Assessment

Worksheet Purpose

This worksheet helps you assess the real condition of a legacy, plateaued, rural, pastorless, wounded, or stuck church.

Use this worksheet prayerfully and honestly. The goal is not to blame people or create discouragement. The goal is to diagnose before prescribing solutions.

Wise revitalization begins with truthful diagnosis.

Part 1: Basic Church Information

Church Name:

Location:

Date of Assessment:

Assessment Completed By:

Current Average Worship Attendance:

Current Pastoral Leadership:
Check all that apply.

☐ Full-time pastor
☐ Part-time pastor
☐ Bivocational pastor
☐ Interim pastor
☐ Retired pastor helping occasionally
☐ Guest preachers / pulpit supply
☐ Lay-led worship
☐ No consistent pastoral leadership
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

Part 2: First Impression Diagnostic

Which statement best describes the church right now?

☐ Faithful but tired
☐ Plateaued but teachable
☐ Pastorless but hopeful
☐ Rural or small but still active
☐ Wounded and needing healing
☐ Leadership-stuck
☐ Building-burdened
☐ Mission-confused
☐ Spiritually dry
☐ Financially strained
☐ Community-disconnected
☐ In need of restart
☐ Unsure

In one sentence, describe the church’s current condition:

Part 3: Spiritual Life Assessment

Rate each area.

Where does the church most need spiritual renewal?

What Scripture passage should guide this renewal?

Part 4: People and Care Assessment

Who is currently being cared for, and who may be overlooked?

Who is carrying too much responsibility?

Who may be tired, grieving, or discouraged?

Who may have gifts that are not being used?

Part 5: Leadership Assessment

List current formal and informal leaders.

Check any leadership concerns.

☐ Roles are unclear
☐ Leaders are tired
☐ Leaders need training
☐ Leaders resist change
☐ One person or family controls decisions
☐ Decisions are not transparent
☐ New leaders are not being developed
☐ Meetings focus mostly on buildings and bills
☐ Leaders do not pray together deeply
☐ Conflict is avoided
☐ Informal power is stronger than formal structure
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

What leadership issue most needs attention?

Who appears teachable and ready for renewed formation?

Part 6: Relational Health Assessment

Check any relational patterns that apply.

☐ Strong fellowship
☐ Polite but distant relationships
☐ Long-time trust
☐ Hidden mistrust
☐ Unresolved conflict
☐ Gossip patterns
☐ Church split history
☐ Former members left hurt
☐ New people struggle to belong
☐ Older and younger members feel disconnected
☐ A few families shape the church culture
☐ Members care well for one another
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

Where is trust strong?

Where is trust weak or damaged?

What relationship may need healing, clarification, or repair?

Part 7: Discipleship Assessment

Rate each area.

How does someone grow as a disciple in this church right now?

What is missing from the discipleship pathway?

Part 8: Mission Assessment

Check any mission realities that apply.

☐ The church has a clear mission
☐ The church talks mostly about survival
☐ The church serves the community regularly
☐ The church has little connection with neighbors
☐ Evangelism is practiced
☐ Evangelism feels uncomfortable or absent
☐ The church prays for the community
☐ Outreach is event-based only
☐ The building is used for ministry beyond Sunday
☐ The church trains and sends leaders
☐ The church has no clear current mission field
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

Who is the church called to reach and serve now?

What would the community miss if this church closed?

Where has survival replaced mission?

Part 9: Building Assessment

Rate each area.

Does the building serve the mission, or has the mission become serving the building?

What building issue needs attention first?

How could the building be used more faithfully for ministry?

Part 10: Financial Assessment

Check any financial realities that apply.

☐ Budget is clear and understandable
☐ Financial reports are shared appropriately
☐ Giving is stable
☐ Giving is declining
☐ Church has savings
☐ Church has debt
☐ Building costs dominate the budget
☐ Mission giving is active
☐ Mission giving is weak or missing
☐ Benevolence or care funds are available
☐ Financial trust is strong
☐ Financial mistrust exists
☐ Only one person understands the finances
☐ Current ministry model is not financially sustainable
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

What does the budget reveal about the church’s priorities?

What financial concern needs more transparency or review?

Can the church sustain its current ministry model? Why or why not?

Part 11: Community Assessment

Describe the current community around the church.

☐ Rural farming area
☐ Small town
☐ Aging neighborhood
☐ Growing suburb
☐ Urban neighborhood
☐ Commuter community
☐ Immigrant or multilingual community
☐ Low-income area
☐ Mixed-income area
☐ College or young adult area
☐ Retirement community
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

Who lives near the church today?

What has changed in the community over time?

What local needs are visible?

What do neighbors likely know or think about the church?

What local partnership or listening conversation could help the church understand the community better?

Part 12: Root Cause Summary

List the top visible symptoms and possible deeper causes.

The most important root cause may be:

Part 13: Strengths God Has Preserved

List five strengths that remain in the church.

How could these strengths support renewal?

Part 14: Diagnostic Conclusion

Based on this assessment, which descriptions best fit the church?

☐ Spiritually tired
☐ Leadership-stuck
☐ Relationally wounded
☐ Discipleship-weak
☐ Mission-confused
☐ Building-burdened
☐ Financially strained
☐ Community-disconnected
☐ Pastorless or under-led
☐ Rural or small but viable
☐ Aging but still faithful
☐ Needs renewal
☐ Needs restart
☐ Needs replanting
☐ Needs partnership
☐ May need closure discernment
☐ More diagnosis needed

Write a truthful but hopeful diagnostic summary:

Part 15: First 90-Day Diagnostic Response

Choose three first steps for the next 90 days.

☐ Begin a weekly prayer gathering
☐ Hold a leadership role clarity meeting
☐ Visit homebound or inactive members
☐ Review finances transparently
☐ Walk through the building with fresh eyes
☐ Update signage, entry, or guest welcome process
☐ Study Acts 2 as a church
☐ Study Nehemiah 1–2 with leaders
☐ Meet with community leaders or neighbors
☐ Identify teachable leaders for training
☐ Create a basic discipleship pathway
☐ Address a trust or conflict concern
☐ Seek outside counsel or mentoring
☐ Other: ___________________________________________

Step 1:

Who will help?

When will it begin?

Step 2:

Who will help?

When will it begin?

Step 3:

Who will help?

When will it begin?

Final Reflection

Complete these sentences:

The visible issue we talk about most is…

The deeper issue we may need to face is…

The strength God has preserved among us is…

The first faithful diagnostic step we should take is…

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us see clearly without fear, speak truthfully without blame, listen humbly without defensiveness, and respond faithfully without delay. Search us, guide us, heal us, and show us the next faithful step for the renewal of your church. Amen.