The Church of Christ will never die. But the tragic fact of the matter is that individual church congregations throughout history have died and are still dying today. If the number of people going to your church has been steadily dwindling for decades, your church is dying – but it isn't dead yet. This book offers a valuable resource in stopping this terminal decline, by first explaining the likely reasons for it (typically no fervent prayer and no mission focus – the church has become a members' club rather than passionately evangelising their community), and then showing the changes that must be made to give new life to your church.

Every elder in the church of Christ in the UK should read this book, along with its partner title 'Who Moved my Pulpit’, also by Thom S. Rainer (a discussion of how to make church-saving changes without creating potentially fatal rifts, splits, disharmony and disunity). Do not despair, dear brethren – the illness in your church does not have to lead to death.

Alasdair B.M. Macleod, Stornoway Free Church