The Church Revitalizer Magazine Feb-Mar 2016

THE

CHURCH

Feb/Mar 2016 Vol 2 Issue 1

Revitalizer

“A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue”

Being “All In” for Church Revitalization!

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.” ~ Tom Cheyney

RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference

Speakers Include Ed Stetzer Bill Easum Tom Cheyney David Lema Lee Kricher Larry Wynn Terry Rials Ron Edmondson Bob Whitesel

November 1-3, 2016 Orlando, FL

70 Church Revitalization Workshops 35 National Church Revitalization Speakers 4 Breakout Session Opportunities 4 Main Sessions by Revitalization Practitioners 5 Pre-Conference Intensive Subjects 1500+ Fellow Church Revitalizers 2

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CONFERENCES

February 11 Criswell College September 8 Northeast Houston BC

For pastors, associational leaders and church leaders with churches in need of revitalization.

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Lance Beaumont

Micah Fries

Nathan Lorick

VP, LifeWay Research

Director of Evangelism, SBTC

Tom Cheyney

Rod Harrison

Bart McDonald

Lance Crowell

Nathan Lino

Kenneth Priest

Worship Strategies, SBTC

Founder & Directional Leader Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference

Discipleship & Online Strategies, SBTC

Dean of Post-Graduate Studies

Senior Pastor, NE Houston BC

sbtexas.com/revitalization

Executive Director, SBT Foundation

Director of Convention Strategies, SBTC

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THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer FEATURES

February / March | Vol 2, No 1

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Three Stones of Revitalizing Prayer

By Chris Irving

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Facebook: Twitter

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The Power of S.I.M.P.L.E.R. Preaching to Affect More Lives

DOGS: 32 BARKING Sparking Revitalization By

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh

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The Church Revitalizer’s Job of Changing Church Behavior

By Tom Cheyney

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42

Leg Day

By John Kimball

Reducing Distractions

By Lee Kricher

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 10 Does God Expect Every Church to Grow?

By Tracy Jaggers

Lessons from Jesus’ Miracles for Church Revitalization

By Rob Arnold

Buy A House

By Ron Smith

THE LEADERSHIP LINK…

By Michael Atherton

Do You Have the Guts to Take on a Fixer Upper?

By Darwin Meighan

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“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.”

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“Being All In for the Work of Revitali zation” Abandonment By Greg Kappas

18 Environments Matter in Student Ministry By Drew Cheyney 26

Renewing the Revitalizer

By Rodney Harrison

36 Mobilizing an Army of Church Revitalizers

By Tom Cheyney 38 Reimagining your Children’s Ministry Volunteers By Bill Hegedus 40

Chefs Not Microwaves

By Jim Grant

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Conflict Avoidance & Resolution Basics for the Church Revitalizer

By Bob Whitesel

50

God’s Unlikely Choices

By Terry Rials

58

Being “All In” for Church Revitalization

By Kenneth Priest

60

Start to Finish!

By Mark Weible

62

Red Converse & Old Men

By Rob Myers

revitalizer

LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS

The Church Revitalizer Book Reviewer: Rob Hurtgen

57 Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking all the Rurals.

57 Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

Rob Hurtgen is the Pastor of First Baptist Church Chillicothe, Missouri. He holds an M.Div from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from MidWestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to Shawn since 1995, and they have five children.

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Your One Stop Shop for Church Revitalization and Renewal Resources!

Checkout our lineup of resources that will help you revitalize your church.

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THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 2, No. 1

The Church Revitalizer is published bi-monthly by Renovate Publishing Group 1906 West Lee Road Orlando, FL 32810 Email: ChurchRevitalizer.guru

PUBLISHER Dr. Tom Cheyney Associate Publisher Mark Weible Associate Publisher Circulation & Marketing Linda Goans Executive Editor & Brand Manager Tom Cheyney Magazine Designer & Format Editor Gerald Brown Executive Director of Advertizing Linda Goans Web Ad Traffic Director Mark Weible Digital Media Architect Josh Trotter For subscription information contact this office at: www.churchrevitalizer.guru/subscriptions.

Subscriptions donations are $30.00 per year for six issues, $52.00 for two years (12 issues).

Outside the U.S. add $10.00 per year prepaid.

Stock images from ISTOCK Photo or where otherwise noted. © Copyright 2015 Renovate Publishing Group

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ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

by Tom Cheyney

Welcome to the the Church Revitalizer Magazine: A Church Revitaliztion Retreat in Every Issue!

After a great inagurial year of having church members and revitalization pastors asking would the Renovate Publishing Group consider publishing a magazine exclusively on the subject of Church Revitalization and Renewal, we have launched a bi-monthly subscriber donation based magazine for the purpose of raising up the conversation regarding this critical need in the local church. Our goal every other month is to provide you with a Church Revitalization Retreat in every issue. During these issues we are assisting with a clearer understanding of revitalization terms. With the field of church revitalization and renewal expanding so quickly, here are a few of the key fundamental definitions to begin ones journey: Skunking: Skunking is the device that happens frequently within local church renewal efforts, when pessimistic church members spray negativity all over those creative church members who are trying to spark the renewal efforts of the church. A well-known example would be the tried but true expression by skunkers “We tried that years ago and it did not work.”

Three-self Standard: Used to describe indigenous churches which stand on their own two feet. Such churches are often described as being self-supporting, self-governing and self-propagating.

Unfreezing Step: This step requires that individual church members be convinced to give up their old behaviors (forces for change must overcome forces against change) in favor of a new set of church behaviors.

Stay connected, more is coming...

This issue is focused around the Being “All In” for Church Revitalization!

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the Founder and Directional Leader of Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and Executive Editor of the Church Revitalizer.

Logos Bible Software delivers insight to you because you deliver insight to others, whether it be your congregation, classroom, or colleagues.

Visit Logos.com to get Logos 6 today.

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Does God Expect Every Church to Grow?

I just completed speaking for two Church Revitalization Labs with the Southern Baptst of Texas Convention. During the first lab I was asked by a pastor, “Do you believe God expects every church to grow numerically?” My first response was to thoughtlessly blurt out, “Yes,” but I restrained myself and responded cautiously by asking if I could get back to him during the next break.

Between that question and the lunch break, I researched for the biblical response, and here is how I answered: I firmly believe….

1) Every God-called pastor sincerely wants his church to grow.

2) The Great Commission verifies that this is the mission of the church.

3) A lack of growth is not natural – someone who is mentally and/or physically challenged is known to be abnormal and is diagnosed with a type of disorder.

But What May Be Hindering a Rebound in your Church?

1) A pastor who wants to be the sole care-giver – the church is a body that is expected to work TOGETHER. You and I are not to be Lone Rangers.

2) A Lack of Vision on the part of the leader and/or congregation.

3) A Lack of Planning, Strategy, Process, Systems, etc.

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4) Workers who are untrained and/or unempowered to do the work of the ministry.

5) A leader who Micromanages – nothing happens without his approval and therefore, nothing happens!

6) Too many meetings, or worthless, unproductive meetings.

7) A lack of adherence to the mission, values, vision and purpose of the church.

8) An Internal focus rather than an external, community-centered focus.

We usually falter and fail because we’re not growing in maturity and unity. In a speech given to the Presbyterians for Renewal, Mark D. Roberts, Executive Director of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Seminary, pastor and author, said, “One cannot read Ephesians with an open mind and not conclude that the church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be growing in size as well as strength.” I concur!

Ephesians 4:14-16 says, As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for

by Tracy Jaggers the building up of itself in love.

Even Jesus, in Luke 2:52, “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and favor with men (italics mine).” As our perfect example, we see that He grew in all aspects as well.

Growth is not confined to one dimension of the Body of Christ, just as it is not confined to one dimension of our own individual life. If we grow physically, but not mentally, we are abnormal.

If we are not growing physically, mentally, socially, relationally, etc. we are looked upon as abnormal.

We, as the Body of Christ, are to be maturing/growing spiritually, socially, relationally, evangelistically, economically, numerically, etc. in unified effort. The church that is not growing in every aspect is abnormal and has a problem that must be diagnosed and corrected.

The Bride who is maturing and unified in obedience to Christ WILL GROW in all aspects into Him Who is the Head. Let’s get GOING and GROWING for the Kingdom.

Growth is not confined to one dimension of the Body of Christ, just as it is not confined to one dimension of our own individual life.

RENOVATE RESOURCES ALL YEAR LONG

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RenovateConference.org/coaching-network

Each and every week, the RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Podcast publishes a free audio training covering various aspects of church revitalization and renewal. Hosted by Tom Cheyney, each podcast features content for this week’s edition of his Church Revitalization and Renewal training.

Included in this series of equipping tools are interviews with key Church Revitalizers and in-depth commentary and analysis from pastors, revitalization coaches, laity, and practitioners in the field of church revitalization and renewal.

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“A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue” RenovateConference.org/magazine 11

Lessons from Jesus’ Miracles for Church Revitalization The Gospel of John records only seven miracles of Jesus. John wrote several years after Matthew, Mark, and Luke, so he narrates facts that the other gospel authors overlooked. John must believe, therefore, that the seven miracles as especially important for the nascent Church of God. As modern believers, we are quick to apply these lessons to our personal lives, but we can relate them to our churches as well. If we take these seven lessons to heart, we will be able to start down the road of church revitalization.

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine (John 2:1-11).

It teaches that Christ can take something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary.

When applied to the church, this means that members of church are new creations in God. The church must embrace its special identity. So many churches, however, have a poor self-image. Consequently, nothing distinguishes them from the world around them. They have lost sight of the fact that God has transformed lost people into the New Testament Church and the Temple of God. According to Peter, we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people” (1 Pet. 2:9 NKJ).

We aren’t common like water, but we are valuable like good wine; we offer something no one else can give – forgiveness and a personal relationship with God. Before revitalization can occur, the church must embrace her unique identity in Christ and 12

realize that God uses the church to spread His gospel throughout the world.

Jesus’ second miracle was healing the son of a government official (John 4:46-54). It teaches that we must trust Christ and take Him at His word. In the story, a father comes to Jesus because his son is very ill. He begs Jesus to go with him to heal his son, but Jesus chooses to heal the boy over a distance. When Jesus tells the father He has healed his son, the government official took Jesus at his word. “The man believed Jesus and started home” (Jn. 4:50). He trusted Jesus despite having no direct evidence.

Similarly, God cannot revitalize a church until the people trust Jesus and His promises. A congregation that requires proof and answers to every question will never experience renewal.

For church revitalization to occur, members and church leaders must step out in faith and trust God before they have all the answers.

Jesus’ third miracle was healing the lame man at the pool of Siloam (John 5:1-15). It teaches us that we need to have a sense of urgency and we must want to be healed. When Jesus stood before the lame man, He asked, “Do you want to be healed?” This appears to be an obvious question, but not so. In declining churches, people are often secretly satisfied with the status quo and uncomfortable with the idea of change.

They pay lip-service to concepts of renewal but have no inward

by Rob Arnold conviction. Before revitalization can occur, a congregation must have a sense of urgency, have a willingness to leave their comfort zone, and say “yes” to change.

Jesus’ forth miracle was feeding five thousand people with a child’s loaves and fishes (John 6:1-11). It teaches us that we must surrender control and yield everything to God, no matter how small. God can stretch a church’s limited resources and do a great work, but He must be in control. God wants the church to use its resources for the people around them instead of themselves. In other words, God blesses us so we can bless others.

Before revitalization can occur, the church leaders and members must relinquish control and place their ministry to other people as their top priority.

Jesus’ fifth miracle was walking on water (John 6:24-34). It teaches us to refocus on Christ and launch out in a new direction.

In this story, the disciples are so focused opon the storm that all they can think about is survival.

Similarly, floundering churches will circle the wagons and live in survival mode. Their problems consume their attention. Instead of focusing on their problems, however, they need to turn their eyes to Jesus. He is never far away, and after they regain their focus, they need to follow Peter’s example and eagerly launch out by faith in a new direction. The danger, however, is greatest after they make their course change.

Like Peter, people may panic

and become distracted on new problems. At that point, they may have second thoughts and wish to return to the old ways.

A church, though, should never take their eyes off Jesus, but should pray for help and allow Christ to strengthen them to stay the course. Before revitalization can occur, a congregation must refocus their attention on Christ, step out in faith, an persevere when they face new obstacles.

Jesus’ sixth miracle was healing a blind man (John 9:1-11).

It teaches us that we need a renewed sense of vision and mission. Proverbs 29:18 explains, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Like blind Bartimaeus, congregations can become spiritually blind or nearsighted. They lose sight of the reason God placed them in their community. Christ is moving in their midst and they can’t see Him either; nor can they see the needs of their community. Before renovation can occur, they need to ask Christ to heal their eyes, remove the blinders, and restore their vision and sense of mission.

Lastly, Jesus’ seventh miracle was raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1ff ). It teaches us that Christ can use even a dead church. A church may need to die before it can live again.

Consultants may prefer the term “restart,” but the effect is the same. Churches in the dying stage of the church growth cycle often linger too long. Instead of using up valuable commodities (like a church facility) as they try to maintain a dying church on life-support, it is better to

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close the church with dignity.

The members should celebrate past accomplishments, close the church doors, and then another mission-minded congregation to reopen the doors as a new church. Members from the previous church can even be a part of the new congregation if they are willing to embrace new leadership and a new vision. Unfortunately, in dire cases, church revitalization can occur only after the old has passed away and all things are new.

In conclusion, the seven miracles of Jesus teach us seven important lessons.

• We must embrace our identity as the people of God • We must trust God and take Him at His word • We must passionately want Jesus to heal us

• We must surrender everything to God’s control • We must refocus on Christ and take a new direction • We must renew our vision and sense of mission • In extreme cases, we must seriously consider closing the doors and restarting with a new church If the leadership and members of your declining church will apply the first six lessons and honestly consider the last, you will be taking the first steps on the road to church revitalization.

Rob Arnold, is the lead pastor of Lockhart Church and is a fre-

quent breakout leader for the Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference in Orlando. Rob has a heart for bringing the young back to the Son and seeing a renewed relevent church.

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“Being All In for the Work of Revitalization” Abandonment Sometimes our greatest hindrance in ministry and all in/all out church revitalization, is simply ourselves.

Well into our pastoral ministry or ministries, we simply find out things about ourselves through the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we see hidden fears that we never realized in our life. Other times we stuff things at some point due to prior pain in our life and the Lord allows these ugly issues to rear up again. Jesus causes us to face our fears in ways we never anticipated.

It seems to me that a lot of what we face in our church leadership is simply a result of our very own walk with the Lord and what God is doing to purify us. Our ministry is often a reflection of our own walk. I find that churches that have an overall struggle with faith and believing God, are a reflection of the leader or leadership at large. I see this with angry men and angry churches. I see this with spineless men and wimpy churches. I see this with dominant men and dominant churches.

However, sometimes there are those unusual servant leaders and the churches are extraordinary. They are all in…and all out…outward focus because they are inwardly secure in Jesus and all in on their commitment to see the church turned around for His glory. One of the issues, servant leader’s face is dealing with Abandonment. Not just Abandonment of their key men and women. Not just fear of Abandonment of the Financial Secretary. Not just Abandonment of their accountability team, but Abandonment even in their own family. A spouse leaving and being seized with fear. A child going way-

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ward and shattering all your prayers and dreams for that young man or woman.

What do we do when everything seems to fall apart and your most trusted loved ones have fled? Your best friend on the elder board or chairman of your deacon team undermines you then leaves before a process of understanding or healing is in place.

What do we do when your beloved family caves in and simply want space from the ministry and situations of dire trust in Jesus? What do we do?

Jesus was Abandoned by His most trusted disciples for a season. Paul was Abandoned by Demas (2 Tim. 4:9). Paul was Abandoned by Phygelus and Hermogenes (2 Tim. 1:15).

Paul was even Abandoned by “all who are in Asia” in this same verse.

But, thank Jesus there was Onesiphorus who “refreshed” Paul and was not ashamed of Paul’s sufferings and imprisonments. In fact, right after these words in verses 16-18 on The Refresher and Servant Leader Onesiphorus Paul goes into the great passage on discipleship…sometimes God gives us one in a million to revitalize us and our ministry.

Look around, who is your Onesiphorus? The individual may have been there all along, placed by God to remind you that King Jesus has not Abandoned you.

Yes, at times we cannot find the Onesiphorus in our life. Those times of refreshing belong simply between you, God and no one else. Jesus, felt Abandonment at the Cross

by His and our Heavenly Father. At the point of ultimate obedience

By Greg Kappas through the Atonement Jesus had His Father turn His back on Him taking on the sins of the world (His Mission), but the Father did not turn on His Son personally. The Father cheered Jesus on through His burial, brief ministry between His death and Resurrection, the Empty Tomb, the appearances on earth and the Ascension. He now cheers the Son on in heaven…and He cheers you on here on earth.

God is for you.

Pastor, Church Leader, the Lord has not Abandoned you. As adopted sons and daughters of the King, you are royalty and not Abandoned. Some of you are physically adopted. You know your greatest fears center around being Abandoned for whatever reason by your birth parents. The feelings are real and come in waves and at times like the perfect storm. He is always there for you. He has not left you friend. Your heighted anxieties through physical adoption are calmed by Your Father in Heaven, your hero in Jesus and your power to forgive in the Holy Spirit. He has not left you. He wants you stronger to stand up against the winds and peril of finances being short, attendance wavering, people criticizing, leaders doubting the vision, and others simply given to all kind of fears. He wants you to live a life of ongoing forgiveness in relationships here on earth as we are forgiven by God. The Gospel shouts this out to us!

You see, along with His care for you personally He is caring for others and your joy and trust in Him amidst adversity and apparent Abandonment is forging you to be

Continued on Page 22

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Environments Matter in Student Ministry Since we are in the year 2016, I would like to assume you have heard the saying that “Environments Matter.” It is the reason most of our churches have LED Lights, trusses, pop culture music, clean bathrooms (at least I hope), and so much more.

But just in case, you have been out of the loop: ENVIRONMENTS 100% MATTER! Now I know what some of you are thinking, environments only matter if you are that fancy church who has huge budgets, unlimited space, and has the time to think about consumerism because of their deep staff. I hate to pop the proverbial bubble, so to speak, but I’m actually talking about ALL churches. Let me ask you a selfish question that has nothing to do with your student ministry room, building, or even your church for that matter. Would you rather go to a restaurant that is clean, smells good, and is taken care of, or would you rather go to a restaurant that is trashed, smells like a chicken farm after it rains, and the paint is peeling off the walls? Ding, ding, ding… I think the winner is option number one.

It always amazes me how so many student pastors think how something looks does not matter. The truth is, every single first time guest & lost person who walks through your doors thinks your environment is important! It is because of these observations that the way your Student Ministry looks is crucial for you having a home base that people want to stay in for a couple hours plus each week.

So here is the dilemma, if people who attend our experiences think environments need to be great, why are very few of us actually executing that idea? Maybe your response is time, staffing, lack of resources,

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or maybe you have never thought your environment and the way it is kept up sends a message. Andy Stanley, Lead & Founding Pastor of Northpoint Church, says this about environments, “environments are the messages before the message.”1 He follows up by saying, “if you create an appealing setting for my middle school student, I will have a much easier time believing that you will present content that is relevant to his stage of life. Design, décor, and attention to detail communicate whom you value.”2 Whether we think environments matter or not, to those that give our experiences, events, and services a shot, it matters! Now you may be thinking about budgets, staffing, and other logistical barriers that keep you from pulling this off every week, but here are 4 specifics that every single student ministry can execute in their environments no matter the logistical problems.

First, environments MUST BE CLEAN! The size of your church has no logistical barriers to cleanliness.

Floors can be mopped, walls can be painted, trash can be taken out, supplies can be stored neatly or out of sight, and etc. This may be trivial to some, but there are plenty of student ministry environments that students and parents have looked at and have never come back to because the message that was being sent through an unclean room was “you don’t care.”

Second, your environment MUST BE SAFE. Every time our students meet for their service experience I have a group of volunteers whose job it is to make sure our students are safe while on our property. Why? Because parents have entrusted 1 Stanley, Andy. Deep & Wide. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. Print.

2 Ibid, 170.

by Drew Cheyney

me with their students and at the very least, it is my responsibility to make sure they are safe while in our Student Ministries care. For you, safety may mean other things; maybe for your student ministry, safety has everything to do with ceiling tiles falling down, or sharp objects protruding, or maybe you have a sink hole in your parking lot like my church facility is starting to get. It does not matter what your “thing(s)” are, but what does matter is that you provide a safe environment.

Thirdly, your environment MUST BE FUN. No matter the budget, size, or space, your environment must be a place where fun is had. A Student Ministry that has fun creates a better environment and helps your students learn and practice a holistic kind of faith- one that sees the presence of God in everything. You may not have the LED’s you want or the flat screen TVs the church down the street has, but when your environment allows students and your leaders to have fun, that is a much bigger win/success.

Lastly, your environment MUST BE SIMPLE. While I, like many of you, want overcomplicated production packages, the newest and latest lighting models, and an experience that makes my whole community buzz, not everything always needs to look like the Mega-Church you admire or even compare your ministry to. To be matter of fact, it’s actually better if you cannot always do these things because it forces all of us as leaders to find our own DNA and rhythm in the student ministries we lead. So for example, pick the things you can excel at that are not ridiculously time consuming and overcomplicated and do those

Continued on page 36

Available on 19

Three Stones of Revitalizing Prayer

By Chris Irving

So, you want to be a change agent in the church? You desire to change the status quo because in the pit of your stomach you get nauseated with the thought of a local church stuck in stagnation, dying in decline, or close to shutting its doors. When there are lives on the line, souls to be counted among the billions in glory, and churches not doing anything to reach them, you must count the cost and be “all in” for church revitalization. I am convinced by God’s Word that we must pray for the work of church revitalization.

John Piper has written, “Prayer…is the splicing of our limp wire into the lightning bolt of heaven.” Pastor, is your prayer life spliced into the lightning bolt of heaven? What if you were on a game show and had a choice to make? Three sets of keys to a new car and all you have to do is select the correct key to start that beautiful sports car. You’d want to make the right decision! R.A. Torrey rightly said that “prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power.”

If you will take a few minutes the next time you sit down and study the Bible, you will find nowhere in the New Testament that ministry is initiated without prayer.

Jesus always prayed before He healed, fed, or changed a person’s life. There is a story in Mark 9:14-29 where Jesus commissioned the disciples to go out and perform the works of healing. But in this case, the disciples were not able to cast out the demon from this boy. His father came to Jesus and asked Jesus, “if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus’ reply, “’If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.’” The father replies, “I believe; help my unbelief.” Notice if you will, that the father’s attention is turned away from his son and on to his own situation. Pastor, how many times have you prayed for your church to turn around, for the Holy Spirit to be poured out in revival and you start by saying, “If you can…” Perhaps your eyes need to turn inward and you confess needs to be, “I believe, help my unbelief.”

Prayer is the key to unlock the storehouses of God’s grace to revitalization. Of all that Adrian Rogers is quoted as saying, his focus on prayer challenges us greatly when he says, “The greatest problem we face is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer.” Have you offered the prayer of revitalization?

At the conclusion of this story in Mark 9, the disciples ask Jesus why they could not drive out the evil spirit… and his response is, “This kind can only be driven out

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by prayer.” You see, Jesus taught the disciples the importance of communion with God the Father. He demonstrated and taught prayer, fasting, and the studying of Scripture.

No one would argue that Jesus actively and effectively prayed. He maintained His relationship with the Father through prayer and ultimately He has the power to heal, minister, power to drive out spirits, and most importantly, the power to SAVE! With my large family, we use mass quantities of batteries.

I recently replaced an old battery with one that had a test strip on the outside. This test strip allowed me to see that the battery was fully powered. This led me to think about the old battery. It looked fine on the outside, but on the inside there was no power. This is your revitalization strategy without prayer. You can attend seminars, read books, blog, and post articles, but if you have no prayer life, you will run out of your own power. In fact, you cannot be “all in for revitalization” without a prayer life that has experienced revitalization!

If prayer is vital to revitalization, then what are the markers of revitalizing prayer and what do we pray for? First, three stone markers to gauge your prayer life.

Prayer as a Touchstone

A touchstone is a piece of fine-grained stone used for the testing of alloys of gold by observing the color of the mark that they made on the stone. It served as a standard by which the quality of gold would be judged. Your prayer life can be a “touchstone.” The disciples struggled with their lack of ability to do the work Jesus sent them to do. But the “touchstone” revealed a failure to pray.

Prayer serves as the touchstone of revitalization. Strategy is vital, planning is key, but praying through these trying moments is where you will be able to observe if the strategy is working.

Prayer as a Whetstone

The whetstone is a fine-grained stone used for the sharpening of cutting tools or knives. Prayer will sharpen your dependence upon God for this great adventure of revitalization. That nauseating gut feeling about the status quo is not there by chance. So let your prayer life be as a whetstone by using the Scripture to guide you.

After all, Hebrews tells us that Scripture is as sharp as a double-edged sword, able to pierce into the depths of the soul. Prayer is that tool that God uses to sharpen you, the revitalizer and where He turns that nauseating

feeling into action. It is difficult to cut anything with a dull blade, whereas a sharp blade allows one to make precision cuts. Spend time with the whetstone.

Prayer as a Tombstone

You know what a tombstone is and where you find them. Some are great big and grand, while others are small and barely legible, but they all sit on top of what used to be. That used to be someone who was alive and well but death caught up with them. If you read this and sense that your prayer life is marked by a tombstone, then STOP right now. Stop reading and pray that God will revitalize your prayer life right now!

Good! Praise God that your prayer life can be resurrected like Lazarus’s life out the grave. Take off those graveclothes of wasted-time not seeking the Lord in prayer and pray!

In Back to the Future III, Marty McFly traveled back to 1955 only discover that his best friend, Doc Brown was sent back to 1885. But in 1955, Marty makes a grave discovery, a tombstone marking the location of Doc Brown.

That tombstone sent Marty into action to travel back to 1885 to save his friend from certain death. Don’t let the tombstone of a prayerless life send you into sense of depression and hopelessness. Let it call you to a sense of desperation to see and experience God bring revitalization and renewal!

If you want to be “all in” for revitalization, take these “all in” steps to a vital prayer life…

for preaching purposes I’d strongly suggest you read “Preaching Towards Church Revitalization and Renewal”

by Tom Cheyney and Lynn Wynn.

4) Pray for your people who do not believe. In Matthew 13, Jesus traveled to Nazareth. But He does not do many works because of the lack of faith the people possessed. He proclaimed the truth, did some work, but stopped because of their failure to believe. Pastor, you must not criticize your people, but plead for them before God that He will heal their unbelief.

5) Pray on purpose for purpose. Our strategies and methods may be different, but the purpose of the church remains. You must pray on purpose for purpose.

As you pray on purpose for purpose, God will lead you to the strategy for making disciples in a revitalized church.

When you start praying about the work of revitalization, it won’t be long until you are all in! When you pray, you will not just talk about revitalization, you will take action!

Thank you for answering the call to church revitalization. May God bless you and keep you as you walk the narrow road of church revitalization. I would like to remember you in my prayers, Revitalizer. If I can pray for you somehow, please email me at chris-irving@hotmail. com and I will pray for you.

1) Pray “I believe! Help my unbelief.” If you pastor a church where “unbelief” resides, confess this right now.

That father believed, but there were parts of him that lacked belief. Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. So its not the amount of faith and belief, but faith and belief itself that matters!

2) Pray for your purity. Right now, a very healthy and growing church in my area is on the verge of breakdown because of the moral failure between two staff members. Pastor, revitalizer, nothing will tear down the work of the church faster than a pastor whose heart is not pure. Guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

This is true for not only moral purity, but purity from personal pride that will wrongly swell as your church turns around. Make no mistake, you do not supply the power of turnaround.

3) Pray for your preaching. Every Sunday morning, I am blessed to have five men surround me and pray over me and for me. Do you have a team of people praying for you as you preach the Word? This is especially important as you preach toward revitalization. If you are new to revitalization, there are many books to read, but

Chris Irving is the Lead Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Gonzales, TX. Chris has served in ministry for 15 years in Texas. He led a small rural church to revitalization and is currently involved in the revitalization process of First Baptist Gonzales. He earned his Masters of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Ministry in leadership studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Irving aims to help pastors equip the lay leadership of the church to serve in ministry. He and his wife, Amber have been married for 14 years and have six children.

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“Being All In for the Work of Revitalization” Abandonment CONTINUED...

a Onesiphorus to another key leader God is bringing or has brought on the scene. Think about that! Your suffering is not just for you and your character, it is also for another or others. It is not only about eternal rewards from our gracious Father, but it is about eternal rewards for others in His kingdom. Your life may just be the turning point for an entire continent, as it was for Paul.

When your life reaches a point of desperation for God and no one else, you have just begun your full life and ministry here on earth. Your brokenness is exchanged for His power. Your lack of strength is now His strength in you. Your feelings of hopelessness are now returned with His hope. Your questions on whether it is worth it to hang on, pastoring this church is now forged with a determined call to the church or a clear call to another ministry, divine confidence in either way He leads you.

Your fears of not being paid this next week or having a short paycheck are now filled with faith that His provision comes in multiple means, not just through one measure. Your deep fears of Abandonment and that God has left you financially are now filled with trust that He is always there and will not forsake you. His provisions may come differently than you anticipated but He is a good Father and will take care of you, His child. He could be asking you to go to greater expanse in your leadership style. He could be shaping you to new levels where you will be raising support for part of your salary through others or may be taking on another job part time to help with the family costs. He may direct you beyond your comfort zone, but He is not Abandoning you.

You see, I grew up Abandoned by my birth father at 9 months old. He took off and left my mother and his family responsibilities, to be a black jack dealer at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Not exactly a pedigree I am happy to have. But, the Lord did a work in my life and gave me a forgiving spirit toward my birth dad, who died in his 50’s right after receiving Jesus Christ into his life one month earlier. I was able to see him, forgive him and end life here on earth with the love and care that should always have been expressed.

Even with that, sometimes I still struggle with forgiveness toward my birth dad, but each time I go back to Jesus forgiving me so much that I clearly forgive John

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By Greg Kappas

Kappas, even in an ongoing manner. Forgiveness, may just be the most difficult part of the Christian life.

My lovely wife, Debbie and I have 2 children. Our oldest is biological and our youngest is adopted. Our youngest has had the normal and regular fears of Abandonment that adopted children have. She knows and feels our consistent love and always wanting her…but she still struggles and needs to draw near to Jesus.

Over the years, we have had leaders Abandon us, seek to undermine me and/or my wife, but we have learned to look for the jewels and thank them and the Lord for their remarkable, godly lives. Our mentor Al Broom taught us this through his own pain and forgiveness of others.

When I left college, the Lord led me to turn down a professional baseball contract. That contract represented countless hours of work, but I knew He had a different plan for me and I was convinced that the funds would come in through other means as a missionary, pastor and church planter. Little did I know that God would choose a different pattern and allow us to go through hardship financially on a number of occasions in ministry. That certainly was not my dream or my plan. But, He has provided in ways that we never dreamed. Through our brokenness, came His strength and a changed, more powerful ministry from the Holy Spirit. This is the point of greatest fear that I deal with. Will we be Abandoned financially, no matter how much I listen to the Lord and work hard? I know better, like you.

If God can use a son of a black jack dealer in Las Vegas, then there is great hope for you!

Let’s be an Onesiphorus in our ministries and be all in and all out.

Greg Kappas leads the Timothy Initiative and is a frequent contributor to the Church Revitalizer Magazine.

Greg leads the Multiplication track at the Renovate Conference annually.

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The Power of S.I.M.P.L.E.R. Preaching to Affect More Lives Imagine sitting in a congregation and listening to a preacher who has done his best to understand the passage of Scripture he is unpacking for the audience. He uses everyday language in his explanation of Ephesians 2:1-10, but the depth of theology is more than most congregants have learned to grasp. As a preacher visiting this church on vacation, you sympathize with the pastor, because you, too, have struggled in helping people see what you have discovered in a biblical text.

One of the most difficult parts of planning a sermon is finding and using powerful illustrations. While you probably need to illustrate each main point, the most important places for sermon illustrations are in the introduction and conclusion. If you can tie the two parts of the sermon together through the same illustration, like Paul Harvey’s “Rest of the Story,” it often is more memorable.

I would like to suggest to you a S.I.M.P.L.E.R. method for sermon illustrations so your messages may better connect with your people. An illustration is a window to the truth of the text. A good illustration is like a big window, letting lots of light shine on the biblical truth.

Using a poor illustration or no illustration at all keeps average Christians from seeing the truth clearly.

When you think of biblical preachers like Jesus, the prophets and the apostles, you often find them using illustrations to help their audience understand an important aspect about God or the Christian life. The most effective preachers the last 2,000 years have done the same. Hopefully, you will see the value of S.I.M.P.L.E.R. preaching.

Stories

Virtually every age group in every culture around the world enjoys a good story. Illiterate cultures and preschoolers receive much of their education through stories. Consider the truth of the biblical text you want your audience to know and connect them to it with a story.

While some help may come from websites like sermonillustrations.com, keep your own files on various topics in life. When you read a biography or history book, take some notes and save them. Regularly read newspapers or online news sources to keep up with

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by Joel R. Breidenbaugh

current events. Think about your own personal experiences and people you have helped. Be sure to protect confidentiality of people within your church.

As powerful as the Bible is, merely quoting a few verses about salvation doesn’t usually have the same impact of referencing those verses and telling someone how you got saved. The same could be said for biblical advice on finances—a testimony of God’s faithfulness through one’s stewardship underscores the biblical command to give back to the Lord more than reading a few verses.

Imagination

When considering illustrations don’t forget to use your imagination and creativity. God has instilled a bit of creativity in every person, because He created everyone in His own image and He is the Author of creation! Now, creativity may not come easy for you, but don’t neglect it. Even if creativity and imagination are not your strong suits, you may be like me and form a small Creative Team for Preaching to help you think of ways to communicate the message more effectively (more on this in the next issue).

A little creativity can go a long way in making an impact with God’s Word. For example, I imagine the prophets as angry men, because they were continually confronting a rebellious people. I once preached a summer series through the Minor Prophets entitled “12 Angry Men” and that creative connection really helped my audience see the judgment, and then grace, of God.

Media

Quite possibly the greatest source of illustrative material today, media venues like songs, shows, movies and social media must not be overlooked. Quoting lines from a well-known song or popular movie allows your audience to see you as a real person, instead of some high-clergy member set apart from society.

Memorable quotes can also connect a biblical truth in a lasting way.

You especially want to utilize social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or the like. When something has thousands of “likes” or several hundred thousand “views,” it is likely people from your con-

gregation have noticed. Relating it to a positive or negative example in preaching will challenge your members either to employ their influence over their “friends” and “followers” or to think twice before haphazardly liking a post.

Pictures

With all the technological advances today, if you are not using pictures and visuals as illustrations to convey your message, you are not connecting with your people as well as you could. I know the “Regulative Principle” mindset exists among some—if it isn’t in Scripture, we shouldn’t use it, for preaching is only the spoken Word. What these guys fail to consider, however, is the visual impact of certain messages in biblical times. Do you believe for one minute that part of Jonah’s impact on Ninevah didn’t also have something to do with his odor and looks from being in the digestive system of a great fish for 3 days? Or what about Jesus’ death—did it not make a visual impact on the centurion who proclaimed Him as “the Son of God” (Mark 15:39)?

Of course, it did!

Whether you use maps, photos, videos, stage props or drama, visual elements can help you illustrate the message God has given you. And those pictures can help the viewer capture biblical truths for their life. A good picture can be worth 1,000 words.

Laughter

Every preacher and person needs to have a sense of humor and it’s perfectly okay if that sense of humor comes out in one’s preaching from time to time. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing for stand-up comics in the pulpit nor am I a fan of telling jokes. Humor, however, used well and done naturally can engage an audience at a deeper level.

Studies show that in order to reach a person’s will so they are ready to act on something, influencers must first get past the gatekeeper, the primitive brain. One element of this first brain is the emotions, including happiness and sadness.

A word of caution here: be careful not to make fun of people in the pew or the laughter may quickly turn to anger. On a related note, people often appreciate self-deprecating humor. I’ve told many people, “When I was a boy, I remember telling my older brother that the one job I would never want was that of a preacher, because all they do is work one-hour a week.” Boy, have I eaten those words many times over!

Engagers

This issue isn’t a type of illustration as much as a piece of advice—use illustrations which fit the occasion. You want to be relevant, but you also want to be personal and clear. If you read or hear a great illustration, jot down a few notes and file it away. Don’t fall into the temptation to force it into your next message, because it probably won’t fit. You must avoid any illustration which is untimely, irrelevant or unclear. Remember, illustrations are a window through which the light of the Scriptural truth shines. If it muddies the truth, it isn’t a good illustration!

References

Whether you quote commonly-held views or simple analogies, references can help your listeners connect the dots to doctrinal truth. You can use analogies of what the kingdom of heaven is like, referencing any number of parables or using your imagination for some modern-day examples. References to biblical stories and examples will help people see how God worked through His people in times past. Moreover, poems, proverbs and anecdotes can relate key ideas from the text.

Conclusion Let’s return to our struggling preacher. What if he relayed the following illustration on regeneration from Ephesians 2? What kind of picture is Paul trying to paint here about spiritual death and God’s grace making us alive? I imagine my life as a corpse rotting away at the bottom of the lake—it’s dead. God sends Christ to the bottom of the lake and He pulls me to the shore out of mercy. Then, He breathes into me the Spirit of life according to His grace. My eyes open and I see my disgusting body and think, “Ew, I don’t want to live like this!”— that’s repentance. Then I see the One who gave me life and He lovingly reaches His nail-scarred hand to me and I grasp it to follow Him—that’s faith. I then spend the rest of my life serving Him—that’s good works.

Such an illustration pushes back the curtains and let’s God’s Word shine into the lives of the listeners. You, too, can use the power of S.I.M.P.L.E.R. preaching to affect more lives for the glory of God and the good of His people.

Joel Breidenbaugh is the lead pastor of FBC Sweetwater where he has led the church in revitalization and renewal. He is a contributing author to a new Christian Theology book due out early next year.

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Renewing the Revitalizer The process of congregational renewal takes time, but it doesn’t have take an irreparable toil on you, the instrument of revitalization. Let me make it clear, you are an instrument God desires to use to restore His church. Along the way you will have hardships, sleepless nights and the associated aches and pains that go along with revitalization. Unchecked, the enemy and antagonists will attempt to trample your spirit and diminish your resolve. But take hope in these two activities that will help ensure that you, as the revitalizer, stay renewed.

First, minister beyond the church. As a young pastor, my mentor in ministry encouraged me to gain preaching experience by volunteering at the local nursing homes. Soon, I was spending one day per week in a volunteer ministry, a practice that continues to this day. The lessons learned by preaching in the nursing home environment were many. For one, I learned to project my voice, as many of the residents were hard of hearing. Secondly, I learned to preach with sharpened clarity, as there would always be some white haired saint ready to correct the homiletical smallest misstep. The third benefit was learning to preach despite distractions, such as noises, movements and smells. Little did I know that God was preparing me for business meetings! The fourth benefit was discipline. I was given 30 minutes to preach at one nursing home. After 30 minutes, the staff would wheel the residents off to the next activity. Talk about learning time management! This paid dividends when our church moved to taping our multiple services and sermon management suddenly meant “to the minute.” Finally, I learned to trust God for the results. Most of the time, these service ended with not even a “thank you.” But on many occasion the Spirit of God moved, and a resident or visitor would profess faith in Christ.

Where are you ministering beyond the church? The truth is, you will always gain more than you give.

One of the fastest ways to rekindle the fire is to experience a fresh wind of the Spirit. Remember, the pastor is also a member, so don’t forget to minister outside the walls of the church.

Second, give praise and thanks for all things. Take a moment right now and thank God for this day.

Thank Him for the challenges you are facing. Thank Him according to Ephesians 5:20, “giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Give Him thanks for revealing His will according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which reads, “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When we thank God for everything, we are, in fact, admitting are desperate need for Him. Over the years, friends have tired in hearing me say, “Our frustrations are God’s opportunities.” However, this statement is supported by God’s Word. Romans 8:28 provides both the context and the conditions.

“For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” The context includes the verses (18-30) that are often called “From Groans to Glory” as Paul recounts the sufferings of this present time. The conditions are love God and called according to His purpose. We are reminded in this passage that not only will the Spirit join to help us in our weakness, He will also intercede on our behalf (v. 26). With this knowledge, giving thanks to God for all things is not so much a leap of faith as it is an act of obedience.

- By Rodney Harrison This article is adapted from the new book, “Confessions of a Church Felon: Protecting Your Church from the Flames of Fraud” by Glenn Miller, Jeff Kick and Rodney Harrison.

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“Lee Kricher is the first person I know who transitioned a struggling and aging church into one that un-churched people love to attend. He’s the expert I point people to with questions about transitioning a church. Now he’s sharing the principles he learned. If you want to ensure that your church is positioned to reach the next generation, For A New Generation is a great place to start.”

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Buy A House Feature Writer “Ron, the best thing you can do for your church is to go out and buy a house.” This was the most important advice that I had ever received and it still proves true 22 years later. My first church right out of seminary was in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was newly married and had just moved from Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. The former pastor of the church was a good family friend. Actually, my parents helped start this church when I was around four years old; it was very surreal to become the second pastor of this church. When I met with Pastor Otis Davis he advised me to buy a house. In doing so, this would communicate to the church that I was both committed to living in the area and committed to the church.

At 25 years of age I understood this at face value, but it wasn’t until years into the pastorate that I realized how powerful it was to communicate to the church that they were not just a stop along the way to something bigger. If I have learned one thing over the years it’s this: the church I pastor is always wondering, “How long will he stay.” As I evaluate them, they are evaluating me. Commitment goes both ways. Before committing time, energy, resources and money the people want to know if this will last.

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by Ron Smith been there for over 10 years please see this as a help to growing you past this stage – so you can work “less” and still be ALL IN.)

10 Personal Attributes that Will Change Your Church #1 – Purity Purity in this sense is having the right motives for the right outcomes. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Our “vision” for God cannot be blinded by sin, pride, personal agenda, ego, past hurts, or unresolved issues. Remember, in order for you to see the vision, you must have clear eyesight. #2 – Cultivate a Teachable Spirit Admit that you are learning and waiting on God. People respect transparency. One of the best things you can do as a pastor is to keep learning. This keeps you “teachable.” Attend conferences; study others; read a lot; establish trusted mentors and friends.

No one likes a Know It All – KIA. At a recent funeral I performed the family shared some special memories and one of them was a family joke that, “Know It All’s are KIA.” KIA’s (know it all) are KIA (killed in action). It was a family joke, but a very powerful way to communicate don’t be a Know It All.

Now, I am not here to write about longevity. This article will discuss how to communicate to the church that I am ALL IN. After all, when I preach about commitment, call for commitment, and plan events that require commitment the church needs to see my commitment.

#3 – Have a Clear Direction In other words, know where you are going and why. Remember, serving as a pastor is like being a contractor. Some build with tools; we build with words.

(Confession: As I am writing this I am aware that there are many pastors who are bi-vocational and give way more than I do. I also realize that there are many pastors of smaller congregations that wear so many hats – way more hats than I. I met with Adrian Rogers in 2003. The church I pastored just eclipsed the 2,000-attendance mark. In our meeting, Adrian said, “Ron, you work harder than I do because of your church size.” This amazed me, but he was right. Adrian was able to focus on just a few things and not help with all things. So, to my bi-vocational pastors and small church pastors that have

#4 – Communicate a Clear Set of Biblical Convictions Convictions are the foundation of our words. What is in our heart comes out of our mouth. Speak on, print and constantly remind the church what the convictions are. Defining for your church a set of

John Maxwell says, “People are down about what they are not up on.” As the church sees what you see, in terms of direction, they are more willing to serve, give and invite. A “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” approach to ministry is not healthy. 5-day vision, as I call it, will not move the church forward.

Biblical convictions is critical. Biblical Convictions are the foundation for every step we make in our Christian walk. #5 – Create a Relevant Environment Relevance is not compromise. Relevance communicates that you understand where people struggle, live, and pray. Relevance communicates that you know how to help change that. This requires that you keep your pulse on culture. Know what your people read so you can understand their struggles.

Be informed on the growth and concerns of your community.

cized, falsely accused and be challenged. Be prepared to be molded, stretched and experience personal growth.

Knowing this, we must have courage, conviction, faith and focus, fixing our eyes on Christ. #10 – Remind Yourself of Your Calling This should be a mouthful and need no explanation.

#6 – Design a Commitment to Quality Quality and quantity can co-exist. Some would say, “Let’s choose quality over quantity.” While others would say, “We cannot have quality until the quantity changes.” Both are wrong. Quality is doing the very best with what you have. Mediocrity breeds indifference; quality attracts. We cannot for a second relax on the quality of our ministry. Everything, in time, goes stale. Stay fresh.

When I was called into ministry I “bought into” the calling. I devoted myself to becoming what I was called into. In the same manner the church I serve is the place I “buy into” my local calling. Looking back to the year 1994 when my wife and I purchased our first house at our first church right out of seminary I have so many memories. That house is still very special to us and so is that church. Buying a house was the right decision. Even though I have since left that church, it still feels like home. When you and I as pastors buy into the calling of our location, the people we lead and serve will also buy into the work of the ministry.

#7 – Build an Equipping Mindset In every area, work on reminding the church what they do pays the bills, but who they are is a minister in Christ. If there is one thing that keeps us committed it is our calling to equip the saints. This is the one tell-tell of how committed we are. It will be obvious if we are equipping or enabling. Equipping says, “We are sending you out and placing you in ministry.” Enabling says, “It’s ok, I understand your concerns; don’t worry we’ll find someone else.”

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#8 – Develop a Problem Solving Approach The two greatest challenges of any leader are structuring a ministry and confronting problems. Guess what, the two feed each other. In Titus 1:5 we learn that part of our calling is to “put things in order.”

This implies that things are out of order or need an order. #9 – Demonstrate Focus, Courage and Faith Church growth has tremendous blessings and tremendous burdens. Be prepared to lose friends, go out of your comfort zone, take risks, be criti-

Ron Smith is the lead pas-

tor of FBC Altamonte Springs a church working towards revitaliztion and renewal. Ron is a husband to Rana, father to three girls and Pastor of FBC Altamonte Springs. Ron is the author of Churches Gone Wild.

You can follow Ron and receive free resources at RonBSmithJr.com. Ron serves as CO-Leader of Renovate Podcasts as well as serving on staff of the Renovate Coaching Network.

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Leading Change: A Six-Step Process Almost every leader who has ever written on the topic of change has developed a change theory to help practitioners think about change in 4, 6, 8, or 10 steps. Though it would be disingenuous to suggest that every change you lead will be successful by using our six steps, I do want to offer you six steps to help you think about leading change. Equally true, not every proposed change you lead will need all six of these steps in order to be successful. You cannot forget that the church is dynamic and always changing. So, do not run the risk of getting caught in a rut that suggests there is only one way to do something. This taxonomy is just a way, not necessarily the only way. In order to lead change, you must first:

Step 1: Identify the challenge

When you are in a ministry context that needs revitalization, you must give careful thought to challenges at hand. Likely you will not be able to address everything in one fail swoop. You need to pray, talk, think, consider, pray, discuss, and pray some more. Do not rush this process. Sometimes you are in a position that do not afford you mulligans. So, when you are ready to act, you want to know that you have spent the necessary time needed to correctly diagnose the challenges and prioritize them thereof.

Step 2: Create urgency around the course correction

After you identify the challenge and the appropriate response, you need to begin the laboring work of creating urgency around the course correction.

This takes time, so do not be in a hurry. In earnest, what you are doing is helping to move people from a state of complacency to a position of action. In order for you to be successful at this task, the leader is going to have to begin removing the reasons for complacency. Though these factors can vary from church to church, consider some of the most common factors that lead congregants to complacency: 1. Low Expectations: There is nothing that breeds complacency faster than setting low expectations that challenge nobody.

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by Michael Atherton

2. Unreasonably High Expectations: Have you ever had expectations leveled upon you and are so lofty nobody would be able to achieve them? When a church is constantly facing expectations that are unreasonably high, they may eventually throw their hands up in exhaustion.

3. Dishonest Evaluations: More than one pastor has used a time of revitalization as a tool for manipulation. They offer dishonest evaluations of the church in the attempt to coerce the church to do what they desire.

4. Crises Ministry vs. a Ministry of Crises: One could argue that one of the highest callings in church ministry is to serve those who encounter a crises in life; a death of a child, marital divorce, major health issue, etc. For anyone who has had an opportunity to serve in those arenas, you know how rewarding crises ministry can be. However, many churches do not find their joy serving in crises ministry environment, rather they are defined as a ministry of crises. They must jump from one crises to the next crises, to the next crises. Constantly having to deal with self-induced crises after crises will rob a church of their joy creating complacency.

5. High Pastoral Turnover: Though we have alluded to this reality in other portions of this book, let us once again come out and say very clearly: churches become despondent and complacent when they have a new leader at the helm every 18 to 40 months. They would just assume out live your tenure than to have to pay the emotional price of enduring another round of changes that do not fix the problems.

There may be other factors that contribute to the complacency within your ministry context. At this juncture, you need to begin to think through how you eliminate those factors contributing to the complacency of the congregation so that you can create a sense of urgency around the course corrections needed to adequately ad-

dress the challenges preventing the church from experiencing revitalization.

Step 3: Build consensus

You never want to walk into a business session or leadership meeting unknowledgeable of where people are standing on the issues. Who are the stakeholders and what are their positions as it relates to the matters at hand? You will be unsuccessful at leading in substantial and sustainable revitalization, if you are fighting the battle on your own. You must build consensus and allow some of your other leaders to help carry the weight of revitalization. Consensus makes vision contagious.

Step 4: Implement the change

As you build consensus, you are working to implement your changes. There are a couple of things that you will want to keep in mind during this phase.

1. Stay in communication with the church: You have invested so much in communication up to this point. You do not want to sacrifice all of your hard work up to this point, by going silent.

2. Celebrate the wins, with grace: You want to communicate to the congregation those wins that the church experiences as a result of the change. But, do not communicate with arrogance or a haughty spirit. This is not time for an “I told you so” attitude. Win with grace!

3. Keep your ears to the ground: Sometimes you can be so involved in the work of leading change that you forget to listen to the people.

The people will help you understand what is working and what is not working. You may need to make some course corrections; do not be so proud that you are unwilling to accept what you hear the people saying.

Step 5: Evaluate the consequences

This is really where you as a leader must exhibit humility. There are times that unintended or

unforeseen consequences emerge from change, that one must be willing to acknowledge is not for the good of the church. In those moments, what are you going to do? Will you develop a stubbornness that does not allow you to evaluate the situation objectively? Will you press on despite the unnecessary costs that will be required? Will you dig your heels in and be unwilling to course correct? A humble leader will acknowledge that an additional change is required to either harness the power of the original plan or minimize the collateral damage of the changes already enacted.

Step 6: Make any additional course corrections that are necessary

After you evaluate the consequences of the changes, when necessary, make course corrections. Nobody has ever expected you to make perfect choices.

Predicting every potential hurdle or pitfall is nearly impossible. You will be surprised at how many people will learn to respect their leader when their leader is willing to acknowledge a plan’s shortcomings and make the necessary course corrections.

A Concluding Thought…

Isaac Newton’s first law of motion states: Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it. Churches just seem to naturally gravitate to a state of rest, if they are not inspired to change. Even when confronted with change, some will resist it, others will tolerate it, while seemingly only a few will embrace it. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of a church revitalizer to seek God’s direction for the church body and to impress change upon the people in a way that brings honor to God and expands the Kingdom of God.

Michael Atherton is the lead pastor of the Cornerstone Church in Longtree, CO where he has turned around two churches through a church merger.

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The Catalyst Leader

by Lee Kricher Amplify Church, located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, embarked on a revitalization journey in late 2003. After years of declining attendance, we were on the verge of closing our doors. Over the coming months and years, we prayerfully put into place a number of change strategies with the hope of turning things around. Thankfully, the church became healthy again. Not only did attendance increase, the average age of those attending Amplify Church decreased from 50 to 35 years old. Every generation was and is well represented for the first time in many, many years.

In my observation, it is unlikely that a church will experience genuine revitalization if the pastor does not embrace the role of change leader. I know that many pastors are more excited about embracing the role of a shepherd who provides pastoral care than they are about leading organizational change. However, people need their pastor to lead them through the challenges involved with church revitalization.

In their book Your First Leadership Job, Tacy Byham and Rich Wellins of Development Dimensions International use the word catalyst when defining effective leadership, Much like an ingredient that induces a chemical reaction, a catalyst leader is someone who ignites action in others. The common characteristic in great catalysts is their passion to become better leaders. They’re constantly building their leadership skills. They’re also introspective – looking in the mirror every day and asking what they could do to become better leaders.5 The pastor is the primary earthly catalyst when it comes to church revitalization. If you are a pastor, do not shy away from leading change even if you 32

feel, “That is just not who I am.” Your love for the people and your passion for the future of your church will provide all of the necessary motivation for you to step out of your comfort zone and become a catalyst leader. Ask God to provide the wisdom, favor and courage that you need.

Consider this. If the role of change leader is delegated to someone else, the congregation will naturally wonder about the pastor’s commitment to change. In addition, whoever is appointed to lead the change may steer the process in unwanted directions. I have seen such scenarios undermine the pastor, derail the change process and even split the church. If you are the pastor of a church in need of revitalization, you must step up.

Leadership Style

I am a big believer in high-involvement leadership. High-involvement leadership is about directly involving those you are leading in making the decisions about the organization’s future.

Since involvement builds commitment, the more you can involve people in deciding what changes will be made or how the changes will be implemented, the more they will be committed to make the changes work.

That said, a high-involvement leadership style is not the right approach in every situation. Aaron’s high-involvement leadership approach with the people of Israel while Moses was on Mount Sinai was disastrously foolish. Each leader and pastor needs to adopt a style of leadership that best matches the situation.

In the first two years after accepting the call to pastor Amplify Church, I adopted a more “leader-driven” approach to change as opposed to

a high-involvement approach. I actively championed the principles and strategies that I was convinced were necessary to turn things around.

I did not passively stand by hoping that people would naturally come to consensus about changes that needed to be made. I led.

through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3) Those words may seem to be impossible to live when you are trying to agree about significant changes in your church! Know that your prayers, your attitude, and your words will have more impact than you might imagine.

I knew that, in time, I would adopt a more high-involvement leadership approach for the long-term health of the church. That is exactly what I have done. I have seen first hand that pastors (and corporate executives) who maintain a strong and ongoing leader-driven approach eventually wear out the people who look to them for leadership. But you cannot be afraid to take a leader-driven approach for a season if that is what it will take for your church to become healthy again.

Unfortunately, some church members take on the role of change blocker instead of change catalyst and even try to take control in order to keep things the way they are. In their book Replant: How a Dying Church Can Grow Again, Mark Devine and Darrin Patrick write about a common predicament that paralyzes churches.

Decades ago I was told by a seasoned pastor, “Someone is going to lead your church. If you abdicate that role, there will always be someone who is happy to take your place.” When you look at Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul and other leaders who are profiled in the scriptures, you don’t see people who led with timidity.

They may have been initially hesitant to take on the role of leader, but they ended up leading with God-inspired boldness. Bold changes seldom occur without bold leadership. As the pastor, you are the change leader and you need to be willing to embrace whatever leadership style is necessary to lead your church to become the church God for intends it to be.

Church Members as Change Catalysts

If you are a committed church member, you already realize that your pastor cannot bring revitalization to your church without a lot of help. As a lay leader, you also play a vital role in the revitalization of your church. You can decide to become a change catalyst and do everything possible to help make change work, even supporting decisions you may not agree with. After all, church revitalization is not about changing core beliefs or values. It is about changing programs, ministries and practices.

Paul encouraged the Ephesians to humbly “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit

Well-meaning members lose sight of their role as servants and become increasingly focused on controlling the very church they are called to serve. When a serving heart is replaced by a controlling heart, division is bound to ensue.

If you are a church member and you are in opposition to the changes that your pastor is proposing to more effectively reach the next generation, your best contribution to the church may be to leave in order to find a church that fits your preferences and is not interested in changing. I was shocked and saddened when a long-standing member of our church stated that she didn’t care what happened after she died as long as the church stayed the way it was until the day her funeral was held. I was sad that she left the church and that her funeral was conducted elsewhere. Still, I was glad that the church did not put its mission on hold to wait for her to depart for heaven. The church is bigger than the wants, needs, and preferences of any single individual. It is hard to imagine that change blockers will hear the words, “Well done – you successfully blocked all of the changes that would have kept your church from dying.”

The bottom line is that church leaders and members cannot afford to become change blockers or to adopt a neutral “wait and see” attitude. Step out in faith and become a change catalyst! Trust that God is at work. Don’t give in to your fears or put your own preferences before the larger mission of the church. The role of change catalyst is an extremely rewarding role as you see your 33

church turn around and begin to reach people in your community, including the next generation, more and more effectively.

Prayerfully consider these questions: 1. What are the thoughts, words and actions of a leader who takes on the role of change agent? Does this describe you?

2. Are you willing to move out of your comfort zone to adopt the leadership style and approach needed for genuine church revitalization?

Lee Kricher is the Senior Pastor of Amplify Church, Pittsburgh, PA - amplifychurch. com and author of For a New Generation – foranewgeneration.com

HOST A 1, 2, OR 3 DAY CONFERENCE IN YOUR CHURCH! If you and your organization wish to explore the possibilities of hosting a Church Revitalization and Renewal Conference, you may do so by dropping us a line at: Tom@RenovateConference.org For those organizations who are desiring to train and equip a Church Revitalization Assistance Team Workshop we have a retreat format for your organizations leadership which allows for group times as well as times of personal reflection and examination. You may inquirer by dropping us a line at Tom@Revitalization.guru 34

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HE REVITALIZED CHURCH  Forfeiting Self to Follow God

T

he local church is the only organization that can facilitate eternal hope, lasting change, and total transformation in the lives of people and communities everywhere. Even so, today’s local churches are often in esperate need of renewal and revitalization themselves. In The Revitalized Church, astor Michael Atherton uses his firsthand experiences to show how a local church an once again become vibrant.

Building Sustainable Student Ministry Volunteer Teams that Last - Continued

well. Maybe you can’t completely The Revitalizedthings Church really shares Atherton’s eighteen-month journey merging two redo hurch communities with a common vision and discusses the is challenges and the it is your stage, but what you can do make sure ctories they encountered. In addition, he examines the key biblical leadership free of debris, taped down / hidden, rinciples thatclean, were used to help sustain thewires church.are Atherton shows how these ractical principles be successfully implemented any church body, as may he andcan instruments/stands areinorganized.

This utlines the foundational elements that must be woven into a church’s DNA.

sound bizarre, but simple keeps you from doing a just

therton communicates lessons he learned in that order in to the assistend other thousandthecomplicated items may ongregations to connect with Christ and their communities. The Revitalized turn into frustrations. hurch provides guidance to help unleash the power of God in the life of our church.

MICHAEL ATHERTON

Whether you like it or not environments matter! How clean, safe, fun, and simple the environments you MICHAEL ATHERTON earned a doctorate about leadof and run communicate specific messages ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary whatandyou & I carecertifi about, andadministrator no matter the the situation, is a nationally ed church through NACBA. has served as a pastor for the past thirteen years if you makeHeeach of these four environment concepts in Missouri, Texas, and Colorado, while also teaching as an as consistently great asthe possible, then will win adjunct professor on both undergraduate andyou graduate the senior pastor at Cornerstone Church overlevels. a lotAtherton of youris parents, students, and leaders as in Lone Tree, Colorado. He and his wife, Sara, have six you children. develop your student ministry.

They live in Parker, Colorado.

Drew Cheyney is the Student Pastor at Neighborhood Church in Valsilia, CA and frequest writer on Revitalization of Churches through student ministry. ®

N OF

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Revitalized Church Forfeiting Self to Follow God MICHAEL ATHERTON

Mobilizing an Army of Church Revitalizers One thing I know for sure today in the field of church revitalization and renewal and that is change is headed your way and you can either embrace the changes or you can run from the changes which will be required for you and your church to begin the renewal journey to revitalize your church. You really only have two choices when it comes to the change required in church revitalization. You only have to choices and in reality the first one does not even count.

You can run from God and the changes required to bring about revitalization or you can walk with God through the necessary changes. You can embrace it or you can bury your head in the sand and try to avoid it. But if you wait too long, which many churches do, by the time your are ready to change the opportunity for change has come and gone and you are left with your hands in the air wondering why you waited too long.

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To quote the Beatles rock group, “You say you want a revolution? Well, you know, we all want to change the world.” For some church members it is almost a passing thought if they would ever be allowed the opportunity to turn around their church. We all want to change the world to utilize that popular phrase, but can we do it? It is as if the struggling church is bound by the shackles of yester years and unable to remove these shackles and get moving forward. What the protestant churches of North America need is a revolution and an army of committed church revitalizers committed to waging a battle against the forces which are killing these dying churches. We must mobilize an army of church revitalizers who will work to turn around these churches.

- Tom Cheyney

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Reimagining Your Children’s Ministry Volunteers

Have you ever have that panic stricken moment when you’re not sure you will have enough volunteers in the classrooms?

Sunday’s coming and so are the children, but your not sure about the volunteers. This seems to be a common theme in children’s ministry today. I would often think the verse” The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few” was written with the children’s ministry in mind. When I started as a children’s pastor, I felt this tension many times. I would do everything right on the front end, or so I thought. The schedule would have names listed in various spots and lesson plans would be emailed out, but inevitably very Friday and Saturday I would have several call outs. This drove me crazy. I was left wondering how can I get my volunteers to be consistent? Do I need to bribe them with doughnuts and coffee? I am not above a good bribe.

I tried so many things but nothing fully worked. I read books, attended seminars and studied other strategies. Some things would work for a little while and others not at all. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, why couldn’t I get consistency in my volunteers.

I needed some divine intervention. It’s awesome how you can pray to God and He lets you know the answer was in front of you the whole time. He showed me that the problem was my mindset, how viewed volunteers.

I was viewing my job as a children’s pastor to disciple children, which is true, and the volunteers 38

are here a means for me do that, which is false. I realized was having volunteers do ministry for me and not with me. I needed to reimagine the volunteers God gave me. I needed to view them through the lens of Christ.

This caused me to think, If Jesus is our example for how to live a God honoring life, wouldn’t He also be the best example of leadership there is. After all the 12 men He lead went on to change the world. I was just focused on getting volunteers placed in the rooms to make Sunday happen, but wasn’t truly investing in them beyond just giving them the information and supplies they need to keep the kids safe and happy for an hour. I had fallen into the trap of volunteer placement instead of leadership development. Sadly, by doing this, I was allowing the tyranny of the urgent, Sundays coming, to sabotage the long term or future success of the children’s ministry. The very children I care for are not getting the absolute best they deserve.

As I studied how Jesus lead his disciples, three consistent themes jump out at me. I ended up calling them the 3 E’s of Leadership development. The best part is, that leadership development at its core is also discipleship. By doing these three things we saw discipleship happening on the team in a big way and also with the children we serve! There are three E’s of leadership development and how we use them.

There is ENGAGE.

by Bill Hegedus

Jesus engaged the disciples right where they where and invited them directly to join him. Think of Peter at the boat and Matthew at his tax booth. Jesus personally invited them to follow Him. Jim Wideman, one of the guru’s of Children’s ministry, stresses the importance of the personal ask.

Not just asking someone to just help watch 2 year olds, but to be part of something that will change future lives. It’s true, the best leaders I have were one’s I asked directly.

That leads us to EQUIPPING. When Jesus asked Peter to follow Him, He told peter he was going to make him a fisher of men. He was going to equip him to accomplish something monumental.

This is the biggest and most time consuming step in the process.

Jesus was equipping the disciples to carry gospel to the world after He was gone. Not only that but also how to equip others to do the same. So how do we apply this to Children’s Ministry. First off, start by letting them know why children’s ministry is so important and the difference they can make in the life of a child. The “Why” always has to come before the “What” and the “How”. Share stories of life change that has happened in the ministry. People are moved to action by inspiration not information. Then you can made a list of the “what’s” the “how’s”. What to do in different situation. How to do certain task.

How share the Gospel in an engaging way. And ultimately how to help build the team by engag-

ing others and asking them to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of kids and families.

When I started in ministry I would only share the what and the how.

I was unintentionally communicating to my volunteers that they where there to just accomplish tasks. Not very inspiring I know.

That was where I was failing them.

Thankfully, some of my biggest failures lead to breakthroughs.

That leads us to the final E. EMPOWERING. After Jesus had spent time equipping His disciples he sent them out. He empowered them to do miracles and cast out demons.

Sometimes they had success other times they failed. But Christ used these times of failure not to condemn but to fine tune them.

In ministry this can be one of the hardest things for us to do, Let go!

I would often struggle with the mindset “if I wanted it done right I needed to do it myself.” The more important the job was the more resistant I was to let it go. After all, I am the children’s pastor. Its my job to make sure it gets done right? Wrong! I forgot what my role is. It’s to live out Ephesians 4:11-12. It’s to EQUIP others to DO ministry so the church can be built up. You have to empower those you have equipped to do what you equipped them to do.

They might not do it perfect the first time, but that’s fine. It will allow you to help them become even better over time.

I have found the following 5 step process extremely helpful for implementing the three E’s of leadership development. For this lets use the example of equipping someone to be a small group leader for 1st graders.

The first step, they watch you do it. The best way to properly equip a team member is to show them the way you want it done by example. It is important to establish the standard you desire rather than to have them try and figure it out on their own. Don’t just only hand them a check list or handbook and verbally describe the process. They will be more equipped if you also demonstrate how to do it as well. Have them watch as you explain what you are doing and why.

Second step, lets do it together.

Here you are inviting them to participate in leading. This will give them more of a feel of the role or task you are equipping them for.

This is an important step not to skip. You don’t want them to feel like they are being thrown to the wolves. Probably not a great way to put it, but when I have skipped this step thats exactly the kind of the look they would have on their face as I walk by the classroom.

Remember they are partnering with you in ministry.

The third step, They do it while you watch. This gives them the true feeling of running the class but having the benefit having coaching immediately available.

You have started the transition from equipping to empowering.

This also gives the ability to fine tune any area’s. Remember, you want them to be the best small group leader they can be. Don’t rush this step and only move on to step four when you think they are ready.

The fourth step, they do it on their own. Now you have given them complete ownership. By this step they should have complete confidence in their role. This also

gives you the piece of mind that they are equipped to handle it on their own. Also, constantly remind them that they can come to you with any questions and you are always available to help. Before you know it, they will be ready to tackle the final step.

Step five, they find someone and repeat the steps 1-4 with them. Now that you have equipped and empowered them, have them go and engage other potential team members. The beauty of this is, now you have others helping build the team as well. By constantly doing this you will create a culture of leadership development. The hard part, it takes time. So stick with it and you will be amazed at the results, I was.

Our role as a children’s leader, any leadership role for that matter, is to first pour into the lives of those we lead. To engage new people, equip them to be the best they can be, empower them to put what they learned into practice, and to be cheering them on the entire way. This is the heart of leadership development.

Bill Hegedus serves as the Family Pastor at Bethlehem Church near Atlanta, Ga. He a national speaker, coach and strategist for family ministries across the country. Bill loves developing Next generation leaders and of course, all things Disney.

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Chefs Not Microwaves The necessary time commitment to church revitalization has been well documented in other forums.

I will only address the difference and then show how Church Revitalizers need to be more like Chefs instead of button pushing Microwave operators. When it comes to Planting or revitalizing a Church; planting can be done in the reasonable time frame of 3 years; whereas Revitalization will require 5-7 years. Obviously, the pastor/ leader needs to be in place for an extended period of time to see the “revitalization” to fruitfulness.

I use the analogy of a Chef versus a microwave to illustrate the time difference in creating a meal. I have been a fan of the Food Network for a few years. I watch Iron Chef and Chopped Champions series. It is intriguing to see what the chefs come up with based on their ingredients. I also watched my mom cook for 8 people. It seemed like she dirtied every dish and pan in the house cooking a meal for us.

Warren Wiersbe wrote a book called “God is not in a Hurry.”

Sometimes when pastors and leaders approach revitalization, the objective is to turn the church around as soon as possible. However, this often causes great conflict and failure. Let’s look at what you get with a microwaved meal.

In a microwave meal, it comes neatly wrapped and pre-cooked.

It is already seasoned and determined what it will taste like. This is all done in an assembly line atmosphere. The seasonings and ingredients have been pre-ordained by the “fast food” cooks

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and recipes. You open the box and you get what you get. While this is good for someone in a hurry, and only wanting to eat something; it is very unappetizing for others that wanted a more nutritional and satisfying meal. If a pastor/ leader tries to do revitalization by “Microwave” there may be an end product, but it was already pre-determined what it would be and what it would look like. There isn’t much preparation in microwave cooking; plus no amount of cleaning up afterwards. The objective was met – get something on a plate. The fast food is just that, fast, but most of the time not healthy. It also is a product of mass assembly; thousands upon thousands of duplicated end product meals; easy for the consumer to ingest. Often time in minster we would call this “modeling church.” The leadership/ pastor picks a model, take it off the

While the chef uses a proven recipe, the revitalizer will have to use proven skills and principles. Often recipes need to be modified specifically for the ingredients one is working with, this is where the “model” principle of cooking and revitalization have no place. shelf, unwrap it and put it out for all to consume. The only problem is the product may or may not be what was needed. It carries the mentality of “do something, let’s hope it works.”

By Jim Grant

However, if we are to be chefs, our task is much more difficult and time consuming. There is ingredient preparation, or in Chopped Champions, inventory of the basket to set what one has to work with. The revitalizer must start here and determine what the raw resources he has to work with are. Revitalization is not a nice neat little grocery basket full of all the right ingredients and spices. Many times, the revitalizer must improvise along the way because much is lacking. In fact you can count on this; otherwise the church wouldn’t be in a revitalization situation in the first place. The revitalizer will need to determine what is inside the church and outside the church to assess what is readily available for the work. This can be leadership, demographics and other church and community resources. After the gathering of ingredient information has been inventoried then the decision must be made what can we make? The Iron Chef and Chopped Chefs are often thrown a monkey wrench, for they will be given either a certain food to work with, or a very odd food to use. A pastor/revitalizer will run across this as well.

The revitalizer will have to next start preparing the ingredients for the end product. Now I have watched enough episodes to realize that chef will have to have some basic culinary skills and experience to get the ingredients to cooperate together. This would be leadership for the revitalizer. Something else I notice, you can’t cook all the ingredients at the same time, some need to be

prepared before you can include them in other cooking, things like sauces and gravies and the like.

Now something important here, the chef/revitalizer are working on a basic recipe. There will be modification based upon what is on hand for them to use. Before the cooking begins, a lot of preparation time is invested to get everything ready to cook. Obviously being a chef isn’t just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot and hope for the best; likewise for the revitalizer’s world too. As the foods are prepared, a plan of attack is being implemented. The Strategic Planning Team would be the revitalizer’s recipe to follow. While the chef uses a proven recipe, the revitalizer will have to use proven skills and principles. Often recipes need to be modified specifically for the ingredients one is working with, this is where the “model” principle of cooking and revitalization have no place. The chef and the revitalizer must come up with their own specific recipe/plan for the situation they find themselves in. What worked in one place will not always work in another. Revitalizers and chefs must adapt to their working places.

When the cooking begins; obviously you can’t cook everything at one time, nor need too. The stages of cooking and continued prep will be evident. So it must be to a revitalizer. While there are certain steps ranging from communication, inventory, leadership development and strategies to be fleshed out, the revitalizer keeps the end objective in mind. In the kitchen some of the chefs look like they are absorbed in chaos, this can be the atmosphere in revitalization as well.

As the chef timely adds the various ingredients to the dish, so the revitalizer must to the same.

There must be time to allow the principles and changes to absorb the other changes and principles previously implemented. The meshing of the ingredients is important to a chef, for it is through their combination that the unique taste and “lively” meal are born. All the while the chef and revitalizer appear to be using up every tool/ utensil to create the end product. This should be expected. The masters of the art of cooking and returning health to churches must leave no tool unused. Cooking and revitalization is messy – but the end product can be so savory!

As the chef brings all the pieces of the recipe together, there will be added seasoning, and tasting to ensure that the ingredients bring out their fullness. The revitalizer must also “taste, test and smell” what he is cooking. Timing is very important in both situations. The chef doesn’t want to under cook or over cook, so there must be constant attention to detail to know when the meal is ready. The revitalizer will spend months trying to add “a new ingredient” into the “recipe;” he must be attune to know when the timing is right; otherwise the result could be a disaster.

When the cooking is all done, the proof of the chef’s work is found in the actual eating. If the meal is unfit to eat, then all the preparations and work are useless. Likewise if the Revitalizer does all the prep and cooking but never implements the “recipe” it’s all wasted effort.

While the shows I mentioned before have time limits for the chefs,

the revitalizer has a more open ended time frame. Like my mother cooking, she was done, when the meal was done. Often she would be working on a meal for 2-3 hours, which we would consume in 20 minutes. Chefs and revitalizers are more like artisans than assembly line workers. Each time the “create” in is something new.

While there may be some likenesses, none are ever the same.

Time, everything takes time; and in this face paced, hurry up and wait world; we must take the time to get it right. Time in inventorying the ingredients, time in preparation, time in assembling and cooking, time to cook, time to taste and evaluate. Time the chef and revitalizer must stay long enough until the finish product is done. To be in a hurry or delay will create a “tasteless” product. Like chefs cooking, revitalizers must stay the course. If neither is going to see the task to the end, then don’t start what you won’t finish.

Jim Grant is senior Pastor at Heartland Baptist Church in Alton, Illinois. He came to Heartland Baptist from Texas, where he served three churches. He is an Air Force veteran, retiring with 25 years of service. His extensive travels while in the military allowed him the unique ability to have served in the full gambit of churches styles and health.

He has a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological seminary with a concentration on Church Revitalization. He has been married to his wife for 39 years; they have two daughters and four grandchildren.

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Leg Day According to the Centers for Disease Control, only a little over twenty percent of Americans get the recommended amount of exercise each week. Some of these have active gym memberships, and only a fraction of those work with a trainer to make sure their regimen is meeting their unique needs and goals. I happen to be in that small percentage.

I have someone who has assessed my condition and listened to my desires, and then has put together a plan to help me improve over time. I love the results, but I hate the work it takes to get there. I’m now in my eighth year of this adventure.

are either in plateau or decline.

These are pastors and congregations that have opted not to do the hard work of staying purposefully engaged and healthy when it comes to mission. They rarely (if ever) do any kind of assessment and refuse to seek the assistance of a denominational or other consultant to design a unique plan of development or revitalization. Like most Americans, they are content to just stay the way they are -- likely oblivious to their need for improvements until they are faced with a health crisis. And, like most Americans, many times it is then too late.

Let’s face it: everybody hates “leg day.” The bigger the muscle group, the more wide-spread the discomfort. And of all the areas of the body, when it comes to being sore for a couple days after a workout, this area is the least “fun”! Walking, running and even sitting are impacted.

But the reality is that no real progress can be made over time without specifically working the legs, back and the “core.” When asked why they don’t follow through on an exercise program that they started, many people will tell you that it was just too much work, too much pain, or the results were too slow in coming. Eighty percent of Americans have simply decided either to abandon their exercise (whatever their program) or to avoid starting it altogether. Only those that stick to it will enjoy the fruit of balance, energy, strength, agility and better health.

Like personal exercise, church health and revitalization requires “stick-toit-iveness.” And that commitment to kingdom growth and improvement is particularly important when the church works on the “big muscle groups” of evangelism, disciple-making, leader development, and intercessory prayer. Churches

Ironically, the number of churches engaging in purposeful health regimens in the United States is also about twenty percent. Depending on whose statistics you’re reviewing, somewhere between 80 and 85 percent of local churches in our nation

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by John Kimball simply cannot be engaged part-time in mission and development. The pastor needs to be fully involved, the leaders need to be active participants, and the congregation needs to be “all in” if revitalization efforts are to produce their fruit.

The challenge comes when people realize that the church’s corporate lifestyle has to fully embrace (that is, wrap around) the work of development and revitalization. Just like personal exercise, it requires purposeful change. Everything is now about the mission. Every ministry is evaluated with respect to its participation in the work. And like personal exercise, some current things (even favorite things) have to end when they will impede or oppose the kingdom needs and goals of the church.

For some pastors and congregations, the cost is just too high. They might even see the need for revitalization but are unwilling to make the long-

term sacrifices and employ the hard kingdom work to gain the needed results. Others will begin the process and then fizzle somewhere along the way because of a systemic lack of commitment to the cause. In some cases, revitalization pastors will become frustrated because their congregations are unwilling. In other cases, revitalization congregations will become frustrated because their pastor or other leaders will not engage. The commitment to developing Christ’s church is wholesale – everybody must be “all in.”

Pastor, what is your own level of passion for revitalization? When you consider your leadership team, what is theirs? And is your congregation ready to fully engage in the work over the long haul? If you are unsure, then giving an honest assessment of the church’s condition and the mission that is being missed out in your community is your first step. Creating an authentic kingdom urgency in the hearts of your people is non-negotiable. Only then will the vision for revitalization take root.

The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone. There are plenty of good consultants (maybe even in your own denomination) that can play the role of “trainer” and help you get the ball rolling. But like personal exercise, the decision is yours.

The Hallowed Task of Church Revitalization - Tom Cheyney The issue of church revitalization and renewal is a hallowed sacred task and not a hollow task. We need an army of church revitalizer’s all across our nation to join together and unite where God is at work renewing the local church. The world in which we minister is no longer a shattering one but a scattering one. If there is one thing I can challenge the church revitalizer of the future it would be that it is time to remove the defenses that perpetuate the status quo and begin to develop an army of apostolic church revitalizer’s who want to change the world and the local dying church. The world in which we minister is no longer a shattering one but a scattering one. If there is one thing I can challenge the church revitalizer of the future it would be that it is time to remove the defenses that perpetuate the status quo and begin to develop an army of apostolic church revitalizer’s who want to change the world and the local dying church.

Dr. John Kimball is Director of Church Development for the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. He has nearly 30 years of pastoral experience, most of it in revitalization ministry, and coaches pastors and churches through development in his denomination and in partnership with the Praxis Center for Church Development. John serves as the Lead Pastor/Planter of Palmwood Church in Metropolitan Orlando.

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The Church Revitalizer Needs Outside Eyes

By Bob Whitesel

Being Prepared Wasn’t Enough Jim felt he had a church turnaround figured out. He had been assigned by the district superintendent to a church in a growing suburb. But the church had been in that suburb a long time before the city grew out to it. Subsequently, the church had an old way of doing things that prevented it from reaching out to the young people moving into the neighborhood.

Now that Jim was the pastor he began to move forward with new ideas that had worked at his previous church. Jim was young, but not too young. And, he had had some success at his previous church reaching out to young people. The district superintendent thought he would be ideally suited to bring young people to this congregation.

In fact, the church board also felt that he could reach young people in the community.

To add to this preparation, Jim had just completed a degree from our seminary in church leadership. “I feel like I’ve got everything in place,” said Jim in a phone call shortly before he assumed the new pastorate. Jim was one of my best students. He knew the principles of revitalizing a church and how to bring them about. And, He knew how to lead people. But a year later, Jim was a failure.

Jim’s Dilemma.

About a year later Jim called to ask me if I would come to discuss the situation at the church. Jim, a normally effervescent and enthusiastic student didn’t seem very cheery over the phone, and it was confirmed when I arrived for an afternoon meeting. “I’ve tried it all,” he said. “Just like you taught me. Just like I did in my previous church. And

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the leaders here are behind me, but it is just not changing. Please give me some advice!”

I told Jim I would think and pray about it and get back to him in a week. During this time the principles of this article I am writing came to mind.

Jim’s failure was not a knowledge, preparation or leadership. Jim’s failure had come about because he was so close to the situation that he couldn’t see problems that an outsider might see. He needed an outside set of eyes. In fact he needed several sets of outside eyes. Here is how we moved forward with his church.

The First Set of Outside Eyes First Jim found a mentor from outside of the church, that had experience in leading a congregation of this size to growth. For Jim, it was his district superintendent. He invited him to visit the church and sit in on board meetings. This could have been a consultant or a colleague, but the principles were the same: Jim needed an outside set of eyes because even after 12 months he had become blinded to impediments to growth.

This first set of outside eyes helped Jim see changes in the organizational structure of the church that were thwarting church revitalization. For instance, the district superintendent encouraged Jim to tactfully request that two ladies step off the board.

“They are prayer warriors,” Jim protested. “I need them on the board because them they know what’s going on and can pray for us.” “But Jim,” the superintendent responded, “They also are taking two leadership positions on the board which need

to go to younger members. The people you have on the board are gifted and qualified leaders. But they are not at the right age to reach out to younger people. Someone has to step off the board and these two ladies already have a ministry that will continue even without board representation.”

The district superintendent offered strategic ideas, most of which made Jim wonder why he hadn’t seen them too. But of course because Jim loved the Lord and loved His people, Jim had become so close to the congregation that he soon lost sight of needed changes.

Another set of outside eyes.

I also encouraged Jim to have someone from outside the church be a “mystery visitor.” This is a person who visits the church undercover on a Sunday and reports back about the experience. Jim found a pastor friend from a church across town who had a very successful hospitality and greeter ministry. The couple who led that ministry agreed to visit Jim’s church as “mystery visitors.”

Jim was not prepared for their report. For example, Jim never used the restrooms in the foyer of the church, but rather the one by his office. The foyer restrooms were dirty, smelly and usually lacking sufficient supplies. The mystery visitors also reported that though they were greeted at the front door, no one asked anything about them, for instance where they came from, what their needs might be or if their teenager in tow would like to connect with other teens. “They were friendly enough” replied the wife, “but they didn’t open up to us. It was like they were expecting us to reach out to them. And we were the visitors.”

In addition the mystery visitors found that the nursery was hardto-find and the parking lot had icy spots where someone could easily fall. “Most of the staff entered by the side door,” said that husband.

“That area was shoveled fine. It was the parts of the parking lot marked ‘visitors’ that were unattended.”

The mystery visitors’ report was such an eye-opening experience for Jim, that he asked them to share it with the leaders the following month.

That presentation, given with gentleness and tact, was an eye-opener for the congregation as well. The visitors had provided an outside set of eyes which helped Jim’s church understand the poor impression, of their first impression.

Finally, the mystery visitors invited the church leaders to visit their church and to return the mystery visitor favor. After laughs and some chitchat, a couple from the board volunteered to return the favor. Later they were instrumental in launching a revitalized greeter ministry at Jim’s church.

Eyes on Jim. Not only did Jim need outside eyes on the organizational structure of the church, and outside eyes on the church’s assimilation processes …

Jim needed an outside set of eyes on his own life.

Jim had always been an exciting and effervescent young man. People readily followed him, because he was enthusiastic and cast an exciting

vision. He genuinely enjoyed people and was what many people would characterize as an extrovert. Still he was humble and gentle with people, but he could still rally them to his cause.

But in his next church Jim arrived not only full of knowledge, but also with added eyes upon the task. At the next church he embraced three sets of eyes that he had learned that every revitalizer needs:

After talking to Jim, I asked him if he would consider having another set of eyes cast their gaze upon his personal life. I asked if he would consider having a colleague or close ministry acquaintance look at his life/work balance and his family time? There was an older pastor in the community to whom Jim had always looked up since Jim’s arrival. He asked this pastor to meet with him and his wife, and give them another set of eyes upon their marriage.

1. Eyes of Experience: Jim recruited a colleague who had experience growing a church out of the size of Jim’s current congregation. This experienced leader attended the church and her meetings to advise Jim on organizational changes he couldn’t see. Such outside eyes from a colleague are best employed several times a year.

Jim knew that to revitalize a church he had to have a vital marriage. But from his wife he now learned that his enthusiasm for his work had led him to spend less time with his family and more time at church. It wasn’t until then did Jim realize that his wife and family had felt slighted by his enthusiasm for church work. Jim learned his most valuable lesson, from a set of eyes upon his work/life balance.

Three Sets of Eyes Every Revitalizer Needs Today Jim is leading a healthy growing church. But, it is not the same church where he learned these lessons. Unfortunately these lessons were learned too late to stem the tide of decline in the church where Jim learn the lessons.

2. Eyes from the Outside. Jim recruited an outside pair of eyes to see how the church presents itself to newcomers. These eyes helped the church see and improve her first impression.

3. Eyes on the Soul. Jim welcomed eyes upon his life through what eventually became a small group of like-minded pastors and spouses.

Additional eyes on Jim’s ministry were not a burden nor bothersome, but an opportunity to ensure a vital marriage as he revitalized a congregation.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on “Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Since the Church is Jesus’ body on earth, it can be through mature saints that God will gives us insight to the course of our revitalization plans.

Bob Whitesel (D.Min. and Ph.D., Fuller Seminary) is a sought-after speaker and award-winning writer on organic outreach, church leadership and church health; who has been called by a national magazine, “the key spokesperson on change theory in the church today.” Author of 11 books in 12 years, he serves as the founding professor of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University and holds two doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary. The recipient of two national McGavran awards, he is a nationally respected consultant helping churches grow and regain health.

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Do You Have the Guts to Take on a Fixer Upper?

Are you familiar with HGTV’s show Fixer Upper? Alright, before you razz me too much, I’m not personally wrapped up in this show. You gotta’ believe me. However, it is one of my wife’s favorite shows. Chip and Joanna Gaines own and operate Magnolia Homes, a remodeling and design business in Waco, Texas, and Fixer Upper shows the process by which the couple turn dilapidated houses into showplaces that are helping revitalize whole neighborhoods throughout central Texas.

First off, they start with a mess. The show tries to capture as startling a transformation as possible. Chip and Joanna come into an absolute wreck of a house and see the potential of what it WILL be, not what it is now.

The Gaines definitely go “all out” and are “all in” when it comes to making the house into everything it was always intended to be.

One thing I love about the show is how it’s a great metaphor for revitalizing the local church.

Perhaps you are a pastor or church leader who has been called to take on a “fixer upper” type church. The tagline on HGTV’s show is, “Do you have the guts to take on a fixer upper?” While a large percentage of today’s churches are either declining or dying, there is awesome news to report in that there are more and more pastors God is calling to the specific task of leading these churches to revitalize.

So what does the TV show Fixer Upper have to teach us about what it looks like to be “all in” when it comes to revitalizing our churches? Here are a few things to consider:

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Devote Yourself Fully to the Task

If you’ve ever watched the show, there is no question Chip and Joanna Gaines are devoted to the task of restoring and bringing new life to broken down houses. As a spiritual leader of God’s house consider this question: How devoted are you to the task of seeing God bring renewal, new life and much needed hope to your church? In the Bible, the word “devote” has the idea of being “committed to” or of being “all in.”

(Acts 2:42; Colossians 4:2) Are you called by God to be a church revitalizer? Are you willing to devote yourself fully to the task? Do you have a clear direction from God? Can you honestly say you’re “all in?”

Gary McIntosh reminds us, “In your efforts to bring a fresh vision to your church, you will be attempting to sweep your church clean, to shake things up, to get the church moving, to implement changes.” Are you “all in” for such a task as this?

Determine Present Condition

As Chip and Joanna prepare to take on a new fixer upper project, a necessary step is to thoroughly examine and inspect the house. This step uncovers significant details of the house such as its history, its present condition, problems or defects, along with its potential and other pertinent information.

For the revitalizing pastor, this is a crucial step. Examination and an assessment of the church’s present condition is needed. To do this effectively consider the following: (1) the church’s history (2) understanding where your church is in its life cycle, (3) a current assessment of your ministry context.

By Darwin Meighan

There are many excellent tools and resources available to assist you in the process of determining and assessing your church’s present condition. As the church’s present condition does become clear, some will find themselves in difficult and troubled circumstances. In such desperate times, recall the words of Clare Boothe Luce, “There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.”

Dream and Design

On Fixer Upper, Joanna is the dreamer and the designer of what the old, run-down house one day will become. Joanna says she is able to dream big because she believes her husband Chip can do anything. With this perspective in mind, she comes up with some amazing designs for houses which have been left in disrepair, many times for years.

Unfortunately many churches across our nation have been left in disrepair far too long. The good news is, the Holy Spirit is giving pastors fresh visions and dreams for a more preferable future. Jesus has given his mission for the church (Matthew 28:19-20). Therefore, the church’s mission is not up for debate. It is to be obeyed. The question church revitalizers must answer is: what does his vision, core values, goals, objectives and action steps look like in an effort to carry out the specific mission for their church? Collaborate with your leadership team concerning the dreams and design God has specifically for your church. And remember, dream big because we serve and worship a God who truly can do anything.

Demolition Day

Once Chip and Joanna have the dream and design in place, next

When Wrong People Are in Leadership There are times when you inherit lay leadership, which has the wrong people providing advice and direction. There are those who are in leadership that desire to be the voice of power within the fellowship. They want to not only continue to have the positional power they possess but often want to drain the church revitalizer of their positional power as well. These types of individuals are drainers and takers of the energy necessary for the revitalization of ones church. There is another sort of individual found in many churches and these are those who need you as the church revitalization leader. They, while open to just about anything you offer, can become a huge drain to the work of ministry you have in the church. You have experienced them already in your ministry.

You feel loved but used up and very tired from the high degree of upkeep it takes to keep these relationships moving in a positive direction.

- Tom Cheyney

comes demolition day. This is the stage where Chip and his crew tear down and get rid of the old, to prepare for the new dream and design.

And sometimes it must get worse before it gets better. They have to strip away old siding, popcorn ceilings and shag carpet before painting and laying hardwood floors. In fact, some places are so bad the foundation needs repaired and new support installed before anything else can be done. No matter the house, there is inevitably some unseen problem that gets discovered and has to be dealt with. Unforeseen issues always pop up. Electricity needs rewired, siding needs replaced, rotten beams are under the floor.

The church many times has allowed over a period of time unhealthy habits and sinful practices to make their way into the Body of Christ. Today corporate sin needs to be confessed and repented of. Spiritual strongholds and opposition need to be

demolished. And sometimes it will get worse before it gets better. People resist change. Old, rotten, sinful ways need to be stripped away. This step is crucial as God prepares the way for the new dream and design he has for his people.

Deploy People for Action

Following demolition and clean up, next Chip and Joanna unleash team leaders, along with their teams for the completion of the house’s new design. The point is: it takes a team to do the hard work required.

Chip and Joanna rely on general contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, plus babysitters. One of the things they do is ask the right people for the right help.

The Gaines’ dream becomes contagious as each of the teams respond working tirelessly in an all-out, all hands on deck effort to carry out the plan. Chip and Joanna’s “all in” com-

mitment to the task becomes also an “all in” commitment by the team.

This step is where the rubber meets the road for the revitalizing church.

As a revitalizer, you must ask the right people for the right help. God’s dream and his new design for the church will only be accomplished as church members “buy in” and demonstrate an “all in” commitment; that is, as a team leader or team member getting on board, fully deployed for action, ready to carry out God’s new design.

Discover a Brand New Way of Living

Each episode of Fixer Upper wraps up with the big reveal. The Gaines get to show off the property remodel to their clients, the homeowner.

Emotions are visible as the new homeowner is overjoyed seeing the

Continued on Page 56 49

God’s Unlikely Choices It is my conviction that the book of Nehemiah is a divinely-inspired handbook on Revitalization Leadership. In this book, the Lord God provided the most extraordinary example in the person of Nehemiah and provided the proof that He can use anyone to lead enormous projects. God used the Cupbearer Nehemiah to lead an amazing revitalization project in the ancient city of Jerusalem. There were two distinct needs in that city. First, the wall, destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, needed to be rebuilt in order to give security to the Jerusalemites, and second, the discouraged people of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt because they had no hope, no security, and desperately needed something to remove their despair and shame.

God used the most unlikely people to accomplish something great!

Nehemiah, God’s Unlikely Leader Nehemiah was God’s unlikely choice to lead the rebuilding of the expansive walls of Jerusalem. Amazingly, he did so without the benefit of blue prints, modern surveying instruments, earth moving equipment, over difficult terrain, in a hostile environment, with immense opposition, and in a time of extreme famine. Perhaps an even greater feat was that he did all of this with nothing more than volunteer laborers and the commission of God. Think about this phenomenal accomplishment – Nehemiah led an untrained group of disheveled and dispirited people to repair their city wall, overseeing forty-five separate construction sites and ten gates simultaneously, and they completed this project in just fifty-two days!

Nehemiah led one of the greatest revitalization projects in recorded history.

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by Terry Rials

One should recognize the numerous parallels to the task of Church Revitalization in the Nehemiah project. Rebuilding the walls parallels the task of rebuilding the church today. The role of a revitalizer is to marshal the troops that God has already assembled, inspire them to accomplish God-sized tasks, and go to work. When the pastor of a plateaued or declining church thinks that he cannot lead a revitalization project – that is exactly the right way to think! Jesus said that He would build His church. We are just the laborers for the project. Our skill sets, experience, and knowledge are just the items in our lives that God uses to accomplish His tasks.

who would serve Him. The priests in the book of Nehemiah had only two functions, to officiate worship by offering the various offerings and to lead the people to confess their sins.

God’s commandment for the Levites was that they should teach the people to distinguish between what was holy and what not; what was clean and what was not (Leviticus 10:10).

The very presence of the priests in Nehemiah represented a message of hope, a second chance, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. According to Ezekiel, a primary reason for God’s judgment on Jerusalem and the destruction of the city by the Babylonians was because the priests had profaned the holy (Ezekiel 22:26).

Too often, Christian leaders who experience success are exalted to hero status, but Christian leaders should know that any success they experience is from the Lord and the Lord deserves all the credit and all the praise. When did Nehemiah receive credit or praise in his book? He never did. In fact, Nehemiah states on three occasions that he only hoped that the Lord would remember him for good. In other words, he hoped that God would only remember that he tried. Hermeneutically, the hero of the story of Nehemiah could not be Nehemiah; the Lord God is always the hero of Old Testament narratives. In addition to Nehemiah, God used some other unlikely choices in accomplishing His tasks.

The message of revitalization is the message of second chances and hope. The people in the pews need to hear, “We may have blown it in the past, but through repentance God will forgive and restore.” Honesty demands that we proclaim that restoration does not happen until we seek God’s forgiveness for our past failures. The decline of the church is evidence that God disciplines His children and His church.

If we have been to the far country in exile, and if we have learned our lesson that God demands holiness, then God will hear our prayers, forgive our sin, and heal our land.

The Priests, the Unlikely Ministers Often in scripture, priests and Levites are mentioned together; in fact, they appear together sixty-three times in the Old Testament. In Nehemiah, all the priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.

Priests could have no physical defect or malady because God demands wholeness and holiness from those

The Levites, the Unlikely Helpers Levites were God’s helpers. They were merely assistants to the priests.

They looked after the Temple and performed menial tasks that freed the priests to perform their duties.

The book of Nehemiah reveals that there were 284 Levites in the holy city at the time of the work, compared to 973 priests. Much of the work of the Levites was performed behind the scenes, but that does not mean that their work was unimport-

ant. One very important service they performed was to receive the contributions, the tithes and the offerings.

Though their work was menial, the Levites employed Temple servants to help with heavier duties, such as cutting wood for the altar or carrying water for the laver.

The work and frequent mention of the Levites in Nehemiah is a reminder that much of the work of revitalization is tedious and menial, but not unimportant. There are tasks that we, as church leaders, are too busy to perform or should not perform. However, the temptation is simply to drop these tasks from our “to-do” list. Big mistake! There is nothing unimportant about the work of God. What seems insignificant to us may be very important in the eyes of God. The principle of delegation is so vital to good revitalization leadership. The New Testament tells us that God has placed a variety of gifts within the church. The good news is that everything you need to revitalize your church God has already placed within it or will soon bring to it!

The Gatekeepers, the Unlikely Soldiers Most of us would see the Gatekeepers in Nehemiah as those who have a very menial and unimportant position. But Gatekeepers are so important! They guarded the city by monitoring those whom would go in and out of it. If even one of the ten gatekeepers of the city failed to do his job, the city could be invaded by the enemy and destroyed…

Again! Nehemiah gave specific and wise instruction to the gatekeepers.

They had to guard a gate by their house so marauders would not enter an unguarded gate on the other side of the city and quickly depart, leaving the guilty gatekeeper’s house untouched. The gatekeepers could only open the gate while the

sun was up, so the people could see who was entering their city. One day each week the Levites would guard the gates to allow the gatekeepers to worship. An important principle is at play here – revitalization leaders must ensure that everyone in the church worships, for if people do not, unfaithful people are leading your church.

How important are the gatekeepers?

Remember the Great Wall of China?

That wall is a thousand miles long, and it was built to keep out the Mongol armies. The Mongols never breached the wall by force, but they did bribe a gatekeeper on four separate occasions. The church you serve is only as strong as its weakest link.

Find the weakest part of the ministry of the church and guard it. Find those who gossip, those who do not serve, those who do not give, those who do not pray, and those who do not worship.

The Singers, the Unlikely Joy Givers The Singers are mentioned fifteen times in the book of Nehemiah, so they must be important to revitalization. What did the Singers do (besides sing)? They gave hope and much needed joy to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Remember, for seventy years there was no singing for the inhabitants of Judah. Babylon had destroyed their city, their Temple, their homes, and their way of life.

Their loved ones were marched away as captives of the Babylonian Empire, leaving only the very young, the very old, the sick and the weak behind in Jerusalem. There were no worship songs in Jerusalem on that day. While the exiles were held in that distant land, they had no songs to sing. They were taunted by their captors, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion,” they would say, bringing even more shame and reproach.

Now in the city of Jerusalem, with progress being made on the wall, the people once again had something to sing about, something to celebrate. Be sure to celebrate each tiny milestone on your journey toward revitalization. Never underestimate the value of singing and rejoicing to your people. The Singers took the people back to the place of joy!

You, the Unlikely Revitalizer Harry S. Truman is credited with saying, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Nehemiah received no praise for his work. The priests, Levites, Gatekeepers, and Singers received no praise either, but there are 268 individuals and forty-five groups mentioned by name in the book of Nehemiah. Because God’s word endures forever, the mention of their names is a lasting tribute to their contribution to the revitalization of Jerusalem. When you lead your church back to faithfulness, I assure you that your name is written down in Glory and God will remember you for good.

Terry Rials serves as the Senior Pastor of the Crestview Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, and he serves as the Church Revitalization Team Leader for Capital Baptist Association in Oklahoma. He is a frequent conference speaker and teacher, leading church revitalization efforts in his state and nationally. You can contact Terry at terry@cbcokc.org.

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The Church Revitalizer’s Job of Changing Church Behavior Many a church in decline practices a series of defeatist behaviors that continue to lead the church further into fatalistic, pessimistic, negative and losing pathways that spell in the end the death of a church. While the end often does not come quickly, a church can languish around for five to ten years in such a pattern that by the time they membership is willing to embrace the changes necessary for any opportunity towards growth, it is usually too late.

As the Church Revitalizer called upon to bring revitalization to a church, changing the behavioral patterns of church members is often critical to achievement of the task.

George Gallup declares that, “There is little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There’s as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And I’m afraid that applies pretty much across the board: Religion, per se, is not really life changing.

People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depression--but it doesn’t have primacy in determining behavior.

There is often a poison which surfaces in rapidly declining churches that keeps the local church from achieving the much-needed success in church renewal. It is a se-

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ries of behaviors, which kill any effort towards a church turnaround. Some individuals within some of these churches are so stuck in the past that they are incapable of being part of the churches effort towards the future. When these individuals collide with the now growing number of individuals willing to embrace change, they often either lead efforts to hurt: the church as a whole, the new influential lay leaders supporting change, and the pastor who is operating as the change agent for church revitalization. The first initial group will try to stop any hope for change by threats of leaving and sinful acts of holding ones tithe from their church. Much could be said regarding this tactic and yet a simple visual that it causes the heart of God to break should suffice. I envision the Lord dealing with these disobedient Christians at a later date in a way that is an example to others not to play with the local church in such a way.

Let us begin by providing each church revitalizer with several profiles of the types of individuals, which often hurt the local church when it comes to church revitalization. By providing a few down to earth insights regarding each of these toxic types you can be better prepared to tackle the greater issues in church revitalization. Your goal is to see that these toxic

By Tom Cheyney types if left unaddressed by the renewal team and its pastor do not destroy the local church you are called to pastor. This chapter is all about helping you change toxic behavior in the local church and to create a renewed church that is revitalized and the type of church the community wants to attend.

There are so many negative poisonous behaviors, which are allowed to continue within the local church that must be eliminated or at least decreased in existence. Here is a church revitalizers quick guide of suggestions and counsel when working with toxic behavioral types found in church renewal efforts.

Begin today not tomorrow – Far too many church revitalizers wait too long before they address these toxic behaviors found in a few church members who are not open to seeing the church revitalized. You sometimes are your biggest problem because while you are failing to lead the church forward, the toxic types are working to undermine your leadership and defeat any effort towards revitalization. As the revitalizer you will often regret not moving forward more quickly and focused.

While you are waiting they are keeping you from the opportunities that must be acted upon. I have learned in church revitalization that opportunity comes and presents itself and the time

is now not tomorrow. God often gives you the things you need once and if you are not open to the opportunity and blessing you will hurt the effort by listening to those who want to keep things on hold while they seek to sabotage the effort. Even those with you and wanting to see the church revitalized often are hurt because of you as the leaders lack of effort. They suffer regret because you are not up to the task.

Stop Shooting from the Hip and Start Acting on a Strategic Focus – You just cannot wander around aimlessly as the church revitalizer; you must be laser focused and then take action. Revitalizers which lack such focus appear to jump from one idea to another without ever focusing long enough on a plan of action to revitalize ones church. More harm has been done over the years when the leader cannot focus long enough to act strategically.

By operating with a strategic focus you are better able to discover a lasting solution over a temporary fix with proves to be more of a fade than a function to grow ones church.

Running from the Current Reality – It is astonishing just how many churches and revitalization leaders run from the church’s current realities.

Poor membership retention, anemic prospect discovery, disappearance of assimilation and evangelism systems,

failing kids programs, a void in youth ministry, inability to understand the changing community it is called to serve, and a general state of hiding their heads in the sand and avoiding the current realities that are all around them. The young leaders keep their feelings about the state of the church to themselves until they cannot endure the complacency any more and take flight. The older well-entrenched laity is quick to express their love for the former things of the church and their unwillingness to allow new things to be utilized to renew their church. The younger live with the pain of a church dangerously close to closure while the elderly live with the pain of losing the secure things of past glories which brought them stability in an ever changing world. Neither polarized group is willing to deal with the pain nor the result is that each group becomes hardened as growing resentment surfaces towards the other group within the church. Eventually if it is not addressed the older distrusts the younger and the younger grow to hate the older leaving the church unable to climb out of its rapid decline and eventual closure. The growing uneasiness towards one another worsens into the final showdown that explodes in either one or both groups leaving the church with only those left in the middle trying to keep the church functioning. You must face your current realities and get

the church working towards changing the failing current realities. You cannot fix your church’s current realities until you first come to the realization that it is broken and needs to be repaired.

Work on Changing Yourself First Before You Try to Change the Church – It is easy to point at others as the reason for the churches failure. A better practice for the church revitalizer is to begin initially by changing the things within ones individual ministry, which could be realigned to address church revitalization. Modeling individual change for the entire congregation is a beginning.

Some will catch on while others will be oblivious to your effort. All of us as church revitalizers have a few things we could re-address and fix for the work of the ministry.

Making the path clear towards what is required will

If church is to be relevant than we must be willing to do our part to make it relevant. One of the problems we have as Christians is that we expect the church to awaken us, to get us excited about Jesus, and to motivate us to a new way of life.

-Tom Cheyney 53

The Church Revitalizer’s Job of Changing Church Behavior allow some to see your model and then they will begin working on the things they need to address and the result will be a growing number of church members willing to join together for the work of revitalizing the church.

For the Church Revitalizer it Takes Time to Build Trust, While Only Seconds to Destroy It – While respect is fickle sometimes in a rapidly declining church, the trust capital that you have developed within the congregation can be demolished if you are prone to acts of rage, anger, and out of control behavior as the leader. It only takes a minute to hurt the effort and even your biggest advisory knows that so take caution not to destroy ant chances for church renewal by a momentary lost of temper and control. I have said it often that the church revitalizers job is to remain calm even when others are trying to get you to freak out and become angry. One case in point was when I was asked to speak to a leader of churches for a particular area. I quickly realized as I sat down for the meeting that the meeting was designed for his staff to see me loose my temper as this leader continued to endeavor to cause me to lose my temper. After almost an hour of no success, what came out of this meeting was a group of leaders who watched their leader

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take one shot after another towards me while I displayed no incitement of anger or lack of control. When we left that meeting that day, those staff members were more left with embarrassment and pity towards their leader. I was thankful that I had learned this lesson so long ago that it was never an issue of lack of control. I left the meeting actually pitting the guy and avoiding working with him in the future.

Being Willing to Change is not Enough, the Revitalizer Must Also Lead the Way – Church Revitalizers want to see the church turned back towards growth. Yet, desiring such a change is not the same as making the change and doing the things, which give the church the greatest opportunity towards renewal.

Focus on the Good Changes Happening Not on What You are Giving Up – Church members might be more focused on what they are giving up over the things they are happening for the good.

Helping your church members to shift their perspectives to the good things that are beginning to take place is helpful. Commitment to the changes taking place is a must. Often as church members we can get in our own way. It is hard because not only is it the pastors responsibility to bring about change in the church, but it is the laity as well.

By Tom Cheyney Boldness and Confidence Precede Implementation of Methodologies - A willingness to take a risk, act upon a god given idea, and an assurance that this path is indeed the one necessary for the church is usually the forerunner to the execution of the plan. That is why all church revitalizers must be always learning from others.

By continually learning how to revitalize churches you will eventually have a set of tools, which could bring renewal to your church. Not all of the things you have learned will work in your setting but by learning as much as you can in the field of revitalization, you will be better prepared for the task. While some will only be able to see a flaw in your ideas, others will see the viability in what you propose and gladly work towards these efforts. Many an older church member, who does not want to see the church renewed, will emphasize the plans shortcomings. Press on confidently no matter and see what God can do.

Practice a Positive Attitude Towards Even Your Naysayers - Churches are full of participants who no matter what the ideas, in their estimation they are a bad one. Many ideas and particularly new ones are often sabotaged by the rank and files absence of confidence in anything that has not been tried before.

Their final desire is to reject any and all ideas, which might

actually move them out of their comfort zones. You take a church for instance which says it wants to reach younger families and single professional adults. Yet is it willing to embrace faster pace issues for worship services? Would they be open to replacing the choir with a praise team and lead worship with instruments that replace the old organs in many worship centers? Your naysayers often will find excuses why new worship music and formats will not work rather than admit that they might be a big reason the church is unable to advance in reaching such a target niche. These pessimists are afraid to concede that they are not able to be proficient and effective in the new formats.

This quick guide of suggestions and counsel when working with toxic behavioral types found in church renewal efforts is a good tool to reflect on as church revitalizers. Begin working on the defeating patterns of church behavior that have held the church back. Begin working on ways the new church members can work with the older church members. Find ways for the younger more aggressive church member can bond to the old less aggressive church member. Take one step forward and then another. Take a risk and take one more. Even if you fail on the third step you have still gained two steps in the right

direction towards changing church behavior.

There are four types of pastors in church revitalization and renewal when it comes to changing church behaviors. There is the under taker who spends the majority of his time as pastor burying the vast array of problems within the church which have either laid dormant until his arrival of have surfaced since the time of his launching of renewal efforts. A caretaker is the pastor who is looked upon as the one who makes the hospital calls, drops by the home bound, and carries out any tasks the patriarchal members of the church deem urgent. Both of these initial types are consumed with following the wishes a very few lay supervisors within the church. The third pastoral type in church revitalization and renewal when it comes to changing church behaviors are momentum takers. These are the ministers, which are so tired and worn out that they need more and more positive reinforcement about their ministry. They suck up most of the positive energy in this declining body of believers

just to make it through the week and prepare for the next one. This is the type of leader is one who is more in it for themselves than they are in it for those they serve.

The last type of pastors in church revitalization and renewal when it comes to changing church behaviors is the one who is willing to take a risk or the risk taker. Changing behaviors of declining churches and its membership is not easy and one must be willing to make profound changes and take radical risks.

Revitalized churches are not massed produced, but there are some things all churches in search of revitalization must learn if they are to be successful. Changing the behavioral patterns within any rapidly declining church is one of those very big items that must take place. The smart pastor learns from his experiences.

It is the wise church revitalizer who learns from the experiences of another.

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the Founder and Directional Leader of Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and Executive Editor of the Church Revitalizer.

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Do You Have the Guts to Take on a Fixer Upper? (continued) transformation. And as they walk through the newly designed house, the owner’s eyes are opened to an exciting, brand new way of living.

The old is gone and now a new and better way has come.

This is precisely what God has designed and planned for his people in becoming a revitalized church.

Churches which were once fixer uppers can and will be transformed by God through a revitalized leader and a people who are “all in” for Him. The prophet Isaiah issues these words of encouragement to God’s people: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19) No matter what condition your church is in, the good news is that it can be turned around and made into a dream house designed to be on mission and bring glory to God. As mentioned earlier, the tagline of HGTV’s show is “Do you have the guts to take on a fixer upper?” How about you? Do you have the guts to

fix up your church? True revitalizers see the potential of what it WILL be, not what it is now. Will you allow God to work opening the door to a brand new way of living and of being the church God has always designed you to be?

Darwin Meighan serves as State Director of Church Revitalization/ Evangelism for the Nevada Baptist Convention. As a coach and practitioner, he encourages pastors and churches toward the process of renewal and hope – guiding them in the journey of rediscovering their God-given purpose and mission of making disciples which embraces an outward focus of engaging their community, culture and world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You may reach Darwin at dmeighan@nevadabaptistconvention.org

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By Darwin Meighan

Keep Your Focus Move your church into small groups if you have not already done so!

People stay connected through small groups, not through worship!

Work hard at developing an environment of prayer! That is the hardest thing in a non-praying world. Plan on investing a minimum of three or four years at the outset. Do not allow ones self to become distracted in the process. Remember you are called to do God’s thing not a good thing. It is amazing that by only adding one letter how easy it is to get distracted. As pastor’s we easily get bored and that is why so many churches are constantly doing one thing after another. Our attention spans are quite small. Like the “Book of the Month Club” there are churches that practice and belong to the “Program of the Month Club!”

-Tom Cheyney

revitalizer

LIBRARY

Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking all the Rurals.

Shannon O’Dell Shannon O’Dell wants to be very clear; revitalization is not for urban churches only. In Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking all the Rurals O’Dell tells the story of following God’s call upon his life to leave ministry opportunities in environments that promised success and influence to a small, dying rural northern Arkansas church. The work is divided into three parts. First, obedience to God’s calling, second an appeal to not abandon ministry in rural America and third a strategy and encouragement for developing a personal vision for ministry. O’Dell transfers many principles from the story of renewal that he presents. Transforming Church in

McKeown, Greg, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

Crown Business, New York, 2014.

Essentialism : The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is perhaps one of the best books that I read in 2015. After hearing a couple of interviews with the author I finally picked up the book from off of my reading list and into my hands. Immediately I wish I had done that sooner.

Rural America is a good addition to the Revitalizers Library.

There are valuable insights to teach of the divisions in O’Dell’s work. Perhaps the strongest is his appeal to answer the call of God to a ministry even when it does not make sense. A great encouragement for all Revitalizers regardless of their context is to return to the call.

In the darkest days of discouragement revitalizers must remember God’s calling on their lives for the ministry of Church Revitalization. The calling of God may be risky. The calling of God may not make sense. But the calling of God must be obeyed.

Second, O’Dell stresses the value that rural ministry holds in contrast to the unspoken rural rules of obscurity, insignificance and high mileages vehicles.

O’Dell emphasizes the worth of rural ministry writing, , Listen, God loves rural – no question about it. Most Old Testament prophets were called from a small town. Jesus was born and grew up rural. When the invitation to join Him at His banquet table fell on indifferent ears in the cities, Jesus invited small-town people to His party. “Go out to the roads and country

In his work McKeown focuses on personal effectiveness that pours into organizational effectiveness. He is not targeting the church or church leadership. His audience is wide but his focus is narrow. That narrow focus is vital for revitalizers.

McKeown clearly and distinctly defines what Essentialism is writing, “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. . . . “It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.” The principles given in Essentialism if studied and applied, have the potential lead you to be a more effective Church Revitalizer.

lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (Luke 14:21, NIV 1984). 1 While O’Dell certainly stretches his exposition of the text few would deny that God has a heart for rural, suburban, urban people and everywhere in between. O’Dell’s aim is for the reader to reexamine their own thoughts about the value of rural ministry.

The majority of the work is centered on O’Dell’s Church Revitalization strategy.

He builds the focus around the acronym V.A.L.U.E. standing for Vision, Attitude, Leadership, Understanding and Enduring Excellence. He then weaves between anecdotes and principle to detail, and often chasten the reader, in the finer points of each principle.

While helpful the principles of V.A.L.U.E. as a Church Revitalization strategy are not exclusive to the rural context.

If these principles were applied in an urban context V.A.L.U.E. will generate urban anecdotes.

1 Pg. 16.

The resources a Church Revitalizer possesses are often high on time and energy and low in capital and people. That combination often leads to the pursuit of anything and everything that will bring about renewal.

He says, “If you don’t prioritize your life then someone else will.” The same is true for the revitalization work. If you, as the called revitalizer, do not prioritize the life of the church then someone or something else will.

McKeown challenges the notion that more is better with less is essential.

Much in this work presses towards personal effectiveness by driving what is essential. This is not a work on time management or even a system to organize your life.

Book Reviews by Rob Hurtgen

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Continued on Page 58

BOOK REVIEWS CONTINUED...

It is volume of defining and refining your priorities to the most essential at the stage of life and ministry you are in. In the work he walks his reader

through both a process of defining what is essential and insights into selecting the most important task that will have the greatest impact. This is a work about being intentional in your life, your marriage, your family and your ministry.

Being “All In” for Church Revitalization When speaking with pastors about church revitalization, one of the largest obstacles is a commitment to being “all in.” We all know revitalization is a process, the church did not decline over night (typically) and therefore it will not turn around over night; there’s no silver bullet to success here. Being “all in” requires more than just a short term commitment.

We also know revitalization takes 1,000 days. This means pastors must commit to three years to engage in turning a church around. This is presuming the church is prepared for revitalization to launch. As a pastor thinks about starting this type of work, and the commitment to being “all in,” he must first insure his church is unified.

There are several unification concerns which have to be addressed.

The primary question, is the church unified behind the leader, ie is this pastor the man for the job? Yes, this is a difficult question to address.

Thoughts of “who am I to question a pastor’s calling to a specific church” come to mind. However, we have to move to the understanding that just because you are called to this church, does not mean they are unified behind you as the leader.

Culture change can take as much as five years. This means, IF the congregation is not unified behind you, you must do the work to shift the culture to all be unified with you as the leader. Then the work of revitalization can begin. This means a revital-

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ization work could take as much as eight years to accomplish.

One Church’s Story: One pastor whom I met with and discussed revitalization began to think on this very issue. Is the church really behind me and what I am trying to do? The answer was, no.

He came to me and let me know he would be waiting to launch revitalization until he got some other things in line at the church. He spent two years working with the leaders of the church and congregation at large to address needed culture shift items in the present church context. At the end of two years, he acknowledged, they had lost some members as a result of what he was doing, however, he believed these were people who would have held back the work of revitalization and definitely stymied the culture shift which needed to occur. Why did it need to occur? Well those who left were of the mindset that they only needed to reach persons like them, and therefore were not very concerned about the transitioning community in which they lived. The new peoples coming into their area of influence were not like them and thereby there was no need to focus any endeavors to reach them.

Of course the pastor was heart-broken at this mindset. He knew he would have to overcome it if he wanted to see his church grow and lives changed. So the leaving

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is one of the best, if not the best book I read in 2015. It will be one the best books I will re-read in 2016. It is a must for the Revitalizers Library.

by Kenneth Priest of some, was a loss he was willing to accept for the needed forward movement of the gospel. After two years, the pastor was prepared to launch a revitalization work. Now, four years later, the church has experienced: first, a culture shift in mindset by now reaching its community; second, revitalization in that the church has experienced numerical growth as well as spiritual growth by reaching its community and creating a culture of discipleship; and third, equipping growth as the pastor – along with the church’s affirmation – is training and developing others who desire to engage in revitalization work.

This is being “all in.”

In considering how you can be “all in,” pastors must look to a kingdom perspective which requires longterm thinking. A necessity to focus on what you can personally do to begin bringing about the needed change has to be on the forefront of you mind. A quote I use often comes from the John Wayne western, Big Jake. As two of the characters face off, the line gets stated (at least twice this line is used in the movie): “Your fault, my fault, nobody’s fault…”. This is the real position of the church in need of revitalization.

As church leaders, we must move past the blame game, and simply “do the work of an evangelist,” (2 Tim. 4.5 NASB) if the church is going to grow and turn back darkness. We

must not focus on who is at fault, previous leaders, present leaders, pastor, or church, and do what must be done.

In recent speaking events, I have provided the following as a portion of my biblical rationale for revitalization. Basing the conversation on Acts 1 & 2; 2.1 says “When the Day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.” A more accurate reading for the word “arrived” would rather be “fulfilled.” This type of language carries more significance than mere chronology, as the completeness of the time of the divine promise from Christ is occurring…the gift of the Spirit. Why was this able to occur? Go back to verse 1; the end of the verse; “they were all together in one place.” This had little to do with proximity, being in the same room, but rather this has everything to do with unity of the disciples.

Were they in the same room? Yes! But this text has to do with the certainty that they were unified in waiting and unified in expectation.

Is your church unified? Are they expecting God to do something each week?

This is when God will move. Not that this is a formula. But it is a reality; God seeks unity among His people.

Revitalization inherently means, the church is in the midst of a transition and the church needs to unify under the leadership of the under-shepherd God has placed there for the purpose of leading this church. This unity, is understanding God wants to use the church to reach this

䔀一 䔀匀倀䄀턀伀䰀℀ David Lema Strategical Leader in RENOVATE EN ESPAÑOL

community. We can look back in 1.8 to see, that is our calling. If we are to reach the community, we must be “all in.”

The signs and wonders which the apostles performed were noticed by persons outside the Christian community. This notice of power is likely a cause for great interest and learning, through which lives were changed. For the revitalization church, we must ask, is your church noticed and known in the community for the right things. As I work with churches across our nation, I sometimes have new pastors tell me; “As I have gotten out in the community, I have learned, our church does not have a great reputation out there.” This can be challenging for the pastor who desires to be all in but having a church that is hard to get anyone in. If you are striving for

a culture shift which leads to unity in the church, you are on the right path.

So how do you know if your church is with you? Seems simply, but the reality is, someone must ask. At this point, I would point you to any number of consultation processes you can do to determine whether you have the support of the church.

I have developed such a process which is a short 360 Analysis to determine if the congregation supports the pastor. Once you have the support, you can be certain that being “all in” will result in effective ministry, which will result in accomplishing the Great Commission.

With this foundation, you can be All In. However, if we are not striving after unity in the church, we cannot be.

Kenneth Priest serves as the Director of Convention Strategies for the Southern Baptists of

Texas Convention in Grapevine, TX. Kenneth has been leading revitalization endeavors since 2008 with the SBTC. He holds a Doctor of Educational Ministry degree with an emphasis in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO. Please contact Kenneth at kpriest@sbtexas.com.

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Start to Finish!

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

(Luke 14:28-30) What do you see yourself doing three to five years from now? If you are beginning the journey of revitalizing or restarting a church today, but you don’t see yourself on that same journey three years from today then you may be setting that church up for failure. Whether your role is lead pastor, revitalization coach or revitalization team member; don’t embark on that revitalization or restart journey unless you can make a long-term commitment. Tom Cheyney in his book, The Nuts and Bolts of Church Revitalization, states that church revitalizers need to commit to a minimum of 1,000 days: You must begin a long term crusade that will take around three years. I say it all the time if you are not willing to invest a minimum of one thousand 1000 days into revitalization of your church do not begin the journey.1 That is a serious commitment, which will take up much of your time, physical energy, spiritual strength and emotional capital.

Before your start on that revitalization journey, ask yourself, “Can I stand to spend the next three to five years with these people?”

That question may sound funny at first, but if you don’t at first 1 Tom Cheyney and Terry Rials, The Nuts and Bolts of Church Revitalization (Orlando: Renovate Publishing Group, 2015), 126

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by Mak Weible love the people, then how can you love the task? And, if you don’t love the task, how can you stay committed for a minimum of a thousand days? On the negative side, you will find yourself in a virtual prison that that you’ll end up regretting and you will be unlikely to see success. On the other hand, if you love the people and the task is a joy then the church will sense it and they will be a joy to lead.

Do you really love these people? No one wants to be

drug into a church revitalization or restart project kicking and screaming – not you and not the church you are trying to influence. If that is your starting point, do everyone a favor and get out now! You are just a hired hand and not a true shepherd: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10: 11-15)

Enough to die? I’ve been

known to ask potential church planters if they are in a do-ordie situation. I’ll tell them that they must convince me and any potential supporters that they are called by God and are willing to die for their church planting endeavor. If the planter gives a convincing, “Yes”, then I’ll say,

“Good! Because it just might kill you.” Anything less than that is a response from a hired hand and when the going gets tough… he’s out of there. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. I’ve watched shortsighted church planters with no real commitment crash and burn and I’ve seen too many churches go down in flames.

The same holds true in church revitalization and restarting. You must first have a love for the Father and a calling from God that is unswerving. You are entering into a spiritual battle and Satan does not fight fair. He will come after you and your family to try to discourage you from making a lasting impact. Secondly, if you love the people that you are serving, you will be much more likely to make sacrificial commitments for their spiritual well being. Paul the apostle, in his letter to the church at Ephesus encouraged them to be strong and to stand firm. He wrote to them from a prison cell as one who was struggling on their behalf: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6: 10-13) If you are going to ask people to make sacrifices, to stand firm, to

Preaching to Change Behavior be strong, and to run into spiritual warfare, then you need to be willing to do the same. So, it is very important that, before your start your revitalization journey, you consider carefully what it is going to cost you and if you are willing to pay the price.

Enough to survive? You

need to ask yourself if you are in it for the long haul. Let’s face it, church revitalization is a slow process and some of us get bored too easily and too quickly. Do some self-reflection and assessment and honestly determine if your personality will cause you to struggle with seeing this process through to the end. Some of us are more catalytic than others; we would rather be moving from place to place and starting new projects every two to three years.

We know that if we stick with the same church and the same group of people for any longer than that, we will get bored and start looking for greener pastures.

A thousand days is just the minimum. Most pastors don’t stick around that long and most consultants will not commit beyond 24 months. It may take you longer to revitalize this church than it did for you to get any or all of your degrees. The younger you are, the harder it is to commit for the long term. If you have pre-school children, they may be halfway through elementary school before this revitalization or restart is completed. Do you want to stay there that long?

Think it through, count the cost, and if you can’t commit, then don’t.

If you have the time and the patience; if you love God and the people enough to die or survive

and if you have the skills plus experience – God just might use you to pull it off. Now, you need to communicate that kind of commitment to the people that you are leading.

Pray about it and ask God for a specific time frame that you will commit to leading this church through their revitalization or restart and include that in a written covenant with the church. So now, the church will know and you will know that you intend to start to finish.

A thousand days is just the minimum. Most pastors don’t stick around that long and most consultants will not commit beyond 24 months.

It may take you longer to revitalize this church than it did for you to get any or all of your degrees. The younger you are, the harder it is to commit for the long term. Think it through, count the cost, and if you can’t commit, then don’t.

Mark Weible serves as the Church Planting Director for the Greater Orlando Baptist Association and is the Strategic Director for REnovateConference.org.

For behavior to change, preaching must deal with issues listeners care about, and the listeners must understand what is said and how it applies to their personal lives. That is the great challenge of preaching. To reach listeners’ concerns, to be understood by them, is no easy task.

It has been said; every sermon should have some milk to nourish young Christians and some meat to challenge more mature ones. The immature, often unaware of their limitations and easily threatened, need to hear the familiar often enough to ward off their uneasiness. If questions are raised, they want answers, or they’re likely to reject the preaching enterprise and the preacher.

The “mature,” on the other hand, may be impatient with the familiar; they need to be stretched in their thinking, asked questions with no obvious answers, and invited to explore new meanings, relationships, and values. In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception “that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior.” He goes on to say, “It is revival without reformation, without repentance.” 1

-Tom Cheyney

1 Quoted in John The Baptizer, Bible Study Guide by Chuck Swindoll, p. 16.

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Red Converse & Old Men Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

any means could be called a” fuddy duddy”, party killer. Gentlemen, I have come to grips with the fact that we have a message that transcends the There is a huge influence in Christian need for me to kill myself, trying to media and entertainment that is identify with the youth culture in order Do not conform to the pattern of this gaining ground in the church, over to feel relevant. world, but be transformed by the reand above the preaching of the newing of your mind. Then you will be word of God. Who told you that you need to feel relable to test and approve what God’s will evant? When you are who God made I was reading a blog yesterday by is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. you and equipped you to be, and you one of the preeminent worship Romans 12:1-2 are serving with all of your heart, your leaders the country who directly solid teaching and life will be more A few months ago, I was looking at implied that worship is more importrelevant and less of a disingenuine an advertisement about an upcomant than the preaching of the Word fool wearing tight straight jeans and ing event in New York City being put of God. Our bodies; our life and our red converse on the platform. on why one of the coolest up-andpossessions are to be offered to God coming denominations in the world. as a sacrifice, and to be set aside for So how do we reach the youth? Hire About two years ago, I saw the same God’s use in his glory! The obedience young guys all around you and teach speaker for the conference, at a similar through the lifestyle of holiness and them to preach like you do…cut them conference here in Miami. The content the preaching of the word of God is lose and let them learn from you! They of his message was weak, he had his the beginning of true worship. are not looking for a mirror, they shirt open halfway down his chest are looking for a mentor. Come to We have to worship God with our with gold chains and bling and medalthe Renovate Conference this year and body and are inner being, before lions hanging from his neck. To me he you will learn how to bring revival to anything comes out of our mouth looked like he just come out of a bar your men’s ministry! through singing. We are not to or was on the way to one. The mesbe transforming our lives into the sage that he spoke was paper thin, likeness of the world, but rather we and after hearing it, I could hardly reare to transform our minds and our member what he said. In other words, lives into the likeness of Jesus Christ. it surely was not impactful.

The young people have no clue as to So, I was looking through this brothe missional conflict of interest that chure about the same group doing occurs when one chases the world. their promotion for New York City and The challenge that we’re going to the guy now looks like a punk rocker. face today in the modern church is His hairdo is unbelievable and he is found right in this passage. As a repierced up and tattooed. Many young sult of the friendship with the world, pastors are following his lead, thinkpeople are losing their ability to ing that if they look like him, then I, discern God’s good and perfect will. like him will grow a big church too.

Right now there is a cross-cultural This is affecting the church in a huge movement in the youth, to discard way right now. On the one hand, I try “Holy” mores in favor of almost what to embrace the new and the trends I could describe as, crowd hysteria. in order to be culturally viable to Rob Myers is the lead pastor of Miami the younger generation, yet, on the In Church Revitalization, there Baptist Church, national radio host other hand I’m having a real hard time is a tendency to chase the latest and frequent speaker at the Renovate with supposed “men of God” who are “do-dahs.” I am not one who by Conference.

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embracing and conforming to the patterns of this world to the point where they look Satanic.

by Rob Myers

the cccc way of life

Our Passion—The Irreducible Core

We obey Jesus’ commands to love God, love others, and make disciples.

Our Pathway—Seven Guiding Values ■ 1. A Culture of Believing Prayer & Intercession ■ 2. Healthy Pastors

■ 3. Healthy Disciple-Making Churches ■ 4. Healthy Church Multiplication

■ 5. A Community that Lives Out a Shared Life and Shared Mission ■ 6. A Culture of Peacemaking & Reconciliation

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Our Priorities— Church Development, Church Multiplication, Conference Care 8941 Highway 5 Lake Elmo, MN 55042

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RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference

Speakers Include

November 1-3, 2016 Orlando, FL

Ed Stetzer Bill Easum Tom Cheyney Rob Myers Lee Kricher Larry Wynn Terry Rials Ron Edmondson

RenovateConference.org Aloma Church

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4

4

5

1500+

Church Revitalization Workshops

National Church Revitalization Speakers

Breakout Session Opportunities

Main Sessions by Revitalization Practitioners

Pre-Conference Intensive Subjects

Fellow Church Revitalizers Working Together

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