One tough reality of being a pastor is when then people you thought were supportive leave the church.

For a variety of reasons, people will leave. Make any change, and someone is not going to like it. Life changes and relationships often impact a person’s church attendance. Misunderstanding and unmet expectations cause some people to leave. There are a variety of reasons. I wrote about some of them here.

The point of this post is addressing how we respond as pastors and church leaders.

How do you respond when people leave? Here are five suggestions:

1. Accept that it happens. It actually happens in churches where everything seems to be working. Regardless of the reason, people leave. We shouldn’t be surprised simply because they do or think it can’t or won’t happen in the church in which we minister.

2. Admit it hurts. God is in charge of numbers. I get that. People are responsible to God and not the church. I get that too. People may leave because it’s the best thing for them spiritually. I totally get that also.

The bigger issue is whether or not a person leaves “the” church or “a” church. If they are attending another church, we should take comfort in that—but pretending it doesn’t still sting a little is like saying you didn’t feel the Band-Aid being ripped off your arm. You are human. It hurts. It is difficult not to take personally. Depending on the circumstances or way it happens, it may hurt more sometimes than others, but it always hurts.

3. Analyze the reason. This requires asking the hard questions, and admittedly, this too can hurt. But it’s helpful to know even if the answer is you. It requires humility to admit you’re not the church for everyone nor the minister everyone wants to shepherd them. But you can’t address what you don’t know, and there are often valuable lessons to be learned from why a person chooses to leave a church.

4. Adjust if necessary. Don’t be afraid to admit you could be wrong. If people feel the church wasn’t meeting their needs, try to discern if it’s them or the church. If it was a matter of style they didn’t appreciate, that’s one issue. But if it’s something lacking from the church’s offerings that you should have available, you may need to make some adjustments. Be willing to learn.

5. Attune your vision. OK, it was obvious I was looking for an “A” word, but this is actually a good one. Attune means “to bring into harmony.” And that’s often necessary when people disappear from the church. Most likely their absence will affect others. You may need to realign people to the vision, especially when those leaving were previously and visibly committed. Assure people you are listening, and genuinely be listening, but in the end stay true to the God-given vision God has called you to lead.

Again, no one wants people to leave, especially if they are leaving upset with you or the church. But it is a part of church leadership. Learning to process it will make us better equipped to minister to the ones who stay and the new people God will bring.

Pastor, help me out with this post. What tips do you have for addressing this issue of what people leave the church?

Ron Edmondson is a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky. He is also a church leadership consultant who is passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Prior to ministry, Ron had more than 20 years of business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner. Follow Ron on Facebook, Twitter, and his blog at ronedmondson.com.

For the original article, visit ronedmondson.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.