Failure Is Part of Forward Movement
Mike Puddicombe There is an unspoken expectation in many churches, particularly those pursuing revitalization, that progress should unfold in a smooth and predictable way. We create plans, establish goals, and hope that people will respond positively as momentum steadily increases. When things do not happen that way, leaders often begin to question whether they have made a mistake.
The reality is that revitalization rarely follows a straight path. In fact, neither revitalization nor mission has ever worked that way.
Many church leaders carry an assumption they would rarely say out loud: if something fails, someone must have done something wrong. As a result, when a new initiative struggles to gain traction, an outreach effort produces disappointing results, or a ministry idea falls short of expectations, the instinct is often to pull back. Churches can become overly cautious, endlessly re-evaluate every decision, or abandon new efforts altogether.
Yet this reaction often reveals a misunderstanding about the nature of leadership and ministry. Failure is not always evidence of poor leadership. Sometimes it is evidence that a church is finally moving again.
Every revitalizing church must come to terms with a simple but important reality: movement creates friction. The moment a congregation begins engaging its community in new ways, experimenting with different approaches to discipleship, challenging long-standing assumptions, or stepping beyond familiar patterns, resistance is inevitable.
Some of that resistance comes from outside the church. Some of it emerges from within the congregation itself. Other times, it is simply the natural consequence of trying something new. Innovation, by definition, involves uncertainty. Not every idea will succeed, and not every effort will produce the desired outcome.
That does not mean the effort was wasted.
Early in my ministry, I learned this lesson through an unexpected interview question. While applying for a youth pastor position, the senior pastor asked me to describe a time when I had failed in ministry.
At first, the question felt uncomfortable. Most candidates walk into an interview hoping to highlight accomplishments, not mistakes. After I was hired, however, the pastor explained why he had asked it. He was not looking for someone who had never failed. In fact, he was concerned about leaders who could not identify any failures because a complete absence of failure often indicates a complete absence of risk-taking.
His point was simple. Leaders who never fail are often leaders who never attempt anything new.
That insight has stayed with me for years because it fundamentally changed how I think about ministry. It reminded me that faithfulness and success are not always the same thing. Sometimes the most faithful decisions involve stepping into uncertainty, knowing there is no guarantee of immediate results.
The paradox is that churches can avoid failure if they want to. They can keep everything predictable, preserve familiar routines, and protect existing systems from disruption. They can eliminate risk by refusing to move beyond what is comfortable.
The problem is that avoiding failure in this way comes at a significant cost.
It produces stagnation.
A church that never experiences setbacks may simply be a church that has stopped trying. Rather than pursuing renewal, it becomes focused on preservation. Rather than taking steps of faith, it concentrates on maintaining what already exists.
Revitalization requires something different.
When a church begins to rediscover its missionary calling and re-engage its community, there will inevitably be moments when plans do not unfold as expected. Events may be poorly attended. New ministries may need substantial revision. Outreach efforts may require multiple attempts before they begin to bear fruit.
These experiences should not automatically be viewed as signs of weakness. Often they are signs of life. They indicate that a congregation is no longer content with the status quo and is willing to take meaningful steps of faith. They demonstrate a willingness to learn through action rather than merely discussing possibilities from a distance.
In many cases, failure becomes evidence that a church is actively pursuing its calling once again.
This reality requires a shift in leadership perspective. Rather than constantly asking, “How do we avoid failure?” leaders should ask, “How do we fail forward?”
Failing forward means learning quickly, making wise adjustments, keeping the mission central, and refusing to allow a single setback to define the future. Healthy leaders help their congregations understand that not every initiative will succeed and not every idea will bear fruit immediately. What matters is remaining faithful to the mission Christ has given the church.
Creating this kind of culture is essential for revitalization. Churches need environments where trying is valued, learning is expected, and adaptation is considered normal. Without that culture, fear begins to take control. When people believe that every effort must succeed on the first attempt, they eventually stop attempting anything at all.
Of course, this is not an argument for reckless leadership or endless experimentation. Wise leaders still plan carefully, pray faithfully, and steward resources responsibly. The goal is not careless innovation but faithful movement. As we move forward, we recognize that some efforts will require refinement, some will need to be discontinued, and others will flourish in ways we never anticipated.
If your church is experiencing friction, resistance, or a few initiatives that have not worked as planned, resist the temptation to assume something is wrong.
It may be that something is finally right.
The church can avoid failure, but only by avoiding movement. And avoiding movement is not revitalization.
Revitalization moves forward, learns as it goes, and continues pursuing the mission of God even when the journey includes a few stumbles along the way.
