The College of Church Planters is cautioning Sydney clergy to be careful of merging or writing off struggling congregations " they may simply need "re-potting'.
"The Art of Re-potting' was an address delivered by rector of Dapto, the Rev Steven Semenchuk, at a College of Church Planters conference in St Andrew's Cathedral yesterday.
"Re-potting means transitioning a church to a more healthy expression of its beliefs and values," Mr Semenchuk says.
In short, helping churches focus on why they exist rather than simply running services.
"We exist for the community around us that hasn't heard the gospel," says rector of St Marks, Picton, the Rev Allan Wood.
"Once we took our eyes off just staying open and focused on that, we began to grow."
Whether it involves minor surgery or a major make-over, most churches will need "re-potting' at some stage in their life-cycle, Mr Semenchuk says.
"Fortunately we live in a world of change and every time new people join a church it changes the dynamic of a congregation."
He says the key is ensuring the values a church wants are actually communicated in how it operates.
"You can't just say you want to be a "Bible-believing' church. You have to work out what it's going to look like."
However, changing the culture of a congregation from what it is to what it needs to become to really take part in the Diocesan Mission can be a delicate process says Mr Semenchuk.
"A lot of churches feel caught. They feel they want to be involved but they don't know how."
The conference taught ministry workers' practical steps for re-positioning a church, including identifying the appropriate tactics, communicating vision and building effective leadership teams.
Assistant minister at St Lukes, Liverpool, the Rev Adam Taylor says he learnt how important it is for ministers to understand the cultures that define their churches.
"Congregations are always changing," he says. "You want to grow with them and take them forward. I want to be taking the lead as we think through these issues together."
Mr Semenchuk also addressed the thorny issue of combining smaller congregations with more successful ministries at the expense of "people on the edges'.
"I'm committed to having as many congregations as I need to minister to the people who are there," he says.
The College of Church Planters conference attracted 70 attendees from six dioceses, including Armidale, Newcastle and Melbourne.
The next conference titled The Church Planter's Greenhouse will be held over two days on July 25 and 26.
Interested parties can email Greg Middleton at Evangelism Ministries.
