Hi, my name is Pete Scazzaro. I want to welcome you today to the Emotionally Healthy Leader

Podcast. Our title is redefining success when the numbers fall flat. Redefining success when the

numbers fall flat. We are in a new reality globally, at least here in North America, church attendance,

according to Barna, is down 30 to 40 percent. In a research they recently finished,

and they concluded three things. One is that one in three practicing Christians is still

attending their pre-COVID church online. That's quite a drop. That half of

practicing Christian millennials aren't even viewing services online and that those who are no

longer attending church are bearing more emotional burden. And so burdens. And so from the initial euphoria of people going online,

the first few weeks when COVID-19 hit, now that we're four or five months in, the numbers are

going down quite quickly. And I think we can anticipate over the next six, nine months or more,

those numbers will continue to decline. So the question is, how do we

define success when the numbers are flat and declining? We're not in control. This is an unprecedented

time, at least for our generation. And this idea of uninterrupted progress has suffered a deadly blow

to us. And in fact, we're so used to things

flourishing. It's been quite a shock. And I think a lot of pastors and leaders, I don't think I know

from my own conversations and talking with others who are widely networked, that there is a

disorientation, a depression, a sadness.

And, you know, the question is, you know, this is not the first time something in history has

happened that has really set back human progress, even by generations.

The coronavirus, the question is how much of a watershed event is this for our

entire civilization? And as Jeremiah 454 says, God in the past has demonstrated a willingness to,

and I quote Jeremiah 454, to overthrow what he built and uproot what he has planted. I'll say it again.

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