I'm seeing Christians moving to other buildings, not just leaving them. A scenario....a young Christian couple moves here, attends a big old church. The old founders with old money have almost all gone on to Heaven. Financial pressure increases, especially if the pastor has been preaching hope for wealth is evil, and are afraid to offend folks by mentioning tithing. "Donation" is interpreted in terms of $1 to heaven forbid $5 from each bench warmer a service, while costs run double the total donation collected. More and more time is spent each service appealing for more donations to keep the church repaired, utilities and salaries paid, and supported missionaries not left abandoned. While it's very common for the older long-time saints to have wealth, it they who have met the bulk of expenses to have their place of worship, while the younger struggle, maybe burdened with a huge student loan debt and no decent job. I understand. The last big church we were members of spent $40,000 to hire a promotional speaker to urge us all to sacrifice whatever it took to meet a lofty financial goal. Sell your boat, sell your couch, yield up your retirement savings, liquidate that college fund. Many life members left, further threatening the stability of that church. People come, they go, like watching riders line up, ride the circus ride, then move on to the next ride. That tends to stop growth in any church if they can't keep and minister to the ones coming.
Let me give some examples of what's changed around our area, maybe giving some ideas for you. I found most of our friends using a former grocery store building for a house of worship. It only takes one or two tithers to cover the monthly rent. The building is used daily, for a Scout meeting, a place for veterans to assemble to ride a bus to the VA hospital, or such ministries of women using the former deli shop part to teach new wives to cook, and there's classes on caring for a baby, and a toddler-raising class, and an after school activities service.
Our former "Music Minister" drew a salary to arrange 3 congregation songs out of a list of 12 favorites sung every service for years without a new song added. He spent his week in his church office mostly tinkering and recording himself. Delivered from that burden, our volunteers are learning to stand and lead in a song from where they sit. Volunteers serve to run youth groups, so there is deliverance from a Youth Pastor salary, too. No robes for a choir, but some of the folks are good soloists and we have a gospel barber-shop style quartet of men that are business owners. The theme is not to get sinners into the church, but to equip members to go out to minister to sinners and the needy. The idea is to bring new Christians in for discipleship.
An idea. I am not tied to that building like I was formerly, but am called upon to teach Bible and lay-preach wherever needed. Many of our county churches can't keep a pastor for lack of financial ability, many congregations down to one family in "the middle of nowhere". There are a few dozen of us from different churches that are helping other churches when not present in our home churches.
Another idea for someone. My wife and I don't smoke, but you would think so if you visited us in our home. We have a procession of folks needing counseling, coming with their stink, domestic bruises, vulgar tattoos, addictions, fears, and great needs. Our ministry should end when the lights are off and we're in bed, but then the phone takes over. It's tiring physcially, but it is what WE are called to do.
Unless disabled and home bound involuntarily I can't wink over someone staying home always, getting all their fellowship through a computer. Phobias about leaving the house are treatable. Just getting out and finding ways to interact with people in real-time ministers joy to the minister of helps.
Another idea. Can't lead people to the Lord, or teach Bible? How about serving a meal at a mission house? I saw a loose floor board on a widow's porch, so asked to fix it free. She asked "Why?" I said I was a Christian, and God pointed out her need, something I was able to do for Him. It would cost her nothing. It turned out most of the floor boards needed replacement. I got the materials and spent the day fixing. She didn't come to the door to thank me, not that I needed that. About a year later she showed up in church, still there. I suspect it took her that long to acquire a nice dress, as she wore the same one always until our ladies took her shopping at no cost to her or the church, but from their own pockets. I missed that opportunity a year earlier, not paying attention to such details. My wife would have picked up on that immediately then, but might have not noticed the wood-work need. That sort of thing counts as God-approved ministry.
I have grown to appreciate how the first century Church held services, out of sight, persecuted, no building to worship in. There is no good reason for the modern Church to be beyond such persecution, for it we all were about our Father's business, the world would hate us, yet take whatever we can bless them with.