John C. Maxwell Church Quotations

It was while I was pastoring that I began to realize that pastors were not growing churches because they didn't understand leadership because they were not trained, adequate leaders.

Many times when people leave churches we think it's a doctrinal issue, but most of the time it's a leadership issue.

When the pastor and his or her church have a vision, they will put their energy, time, money, and personnel into achieving it.

Without a vision our community will perish without Christ, but without a vision the church will perish as well.

In my leadership conferences, pastors ask, "Do you have a vision for my church?" Many times they want me to give them a picture of where they should go and what their church should look like. When these pastors do this, I always feel bad.

If the church is going to make a difference, it will need to go through the "big give-up" stage. Churches will need to quit being selfish and become relevant.

The key word in the church community is relationships, you know brother and sister in Christ.

The church that will not give up will be outdated and passed by, quicker than they realize.

The church will not stay the same. It will either blossom because someone understands the season the church is in, or it will wither very quickly.

If churches would take ownership of a vision, the next pastor who is thinking about coming to that church can see what their vision is and then determine if their vision fits with his or her ministry. If it doesn't, then it would be wrong for that pastor to come to that church.

There are pockets of the church that will "give up," and reap a bountiful harvest. They are going to have huge success, like the church has never experienced since the Book of Acts.

The only way a church is going to be relevant is to get out of its comfort zone and connect with unchurched people.

Anytime a church squabbles over minor things you can be certain they do not have a clear picture of what they need to be.

Vision is something pastors and churches cannot afford to live without.

Churches whose members fight with one another have lost their vision for the lost.

Without a vision people and the church become self-centered. People start finding fault with one another and the church self-destructs.