May - June 2017 Church Revitalization Magazine

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May/June 2017 Vol 3 Issue 3

Revitalizer

“A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue”

Sustaining Church Revitalization During the Summer!

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

ENOVATE R National Church Revitalization Conference

November 7-9, 2017

Speakers Include:

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Karl Vaters Micah Fries Gary McIntosh Jennifer Bennett David Murrow Tom Cheyney Paul Smith Terry Rials Ron Smith Steve Smith Jason Cooper

(FBC Winter Park)

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May/June | Vol 3, No 3

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Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Churches

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

A Train Called Summer

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16 The Wonderful World of Children’s Ministry

By Bill Hegedus

By Bill Tenny-Brittian

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Just Breathe - Sustaining Revitalization During the Summer Months

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THE LEADERSHIP LINK… Leadership Consistency

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By Ron Smith

By Michael Atherton

ARE YOU LEADING YOUR CHURCH TOWARD “A SUMMER SLOW-DOWN”, “A SUMMER OFF”, OR “A SUMMER SURGE”?

By Darwin Meighan

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.”

Church Music Renewal (Again!)

By Tim Kaufman

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Keeping Church Revitalization Efforts Flowing During The Summer Months in Youth Ministry

By Drew Cheyney

35

Standing Out Through the Summer, Instead of Standing Down

By Tracy W. Jaggers

40

Pastor Rob’s Top Ten Questions About: “The Summer Slump”

By Rob Myers

44

Turning Around a Generic Church

By Bob Whitesel

50

5 Steps to Growing Your Sunday School During the Summer Months

By Fred Boone

52

Church Revitalization that Leads to Community Transformation

By Mark Weible

54

Keep Church Moving

By Jim Grant

58

Fit To Grow

By Kenneth Priest

60

Soaring With Summer Momentum

By Greg Kappas

revitalizer

LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS

The Church Revitalizer Book Reviewer: Rob Hurtgen 57 Revitalize: Biblical Keys To Helping Your Church Come Alive Again by Andrew Davis 57 Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development by Eric Gieger and Kevin Peck

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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Revitalizer Volume 3, No. 3

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 Tom King Executive Editor & Brand Manager Tom Cheyney Magazine Designer & Format Editor Gerald Brown Executive Director of Advertising RENOVATE Staff Web Ad Traffic Director Mark Weible Digital Media Associate Rob Caraballo For subscription information contact this office at: www.churchrevitalizer.guru/subscriptions.

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ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

By Tom Cheyney

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

Church Revitalization speaks of a church renewal effort becoming self-sustaining, self-propagating, and self-supporting for it to really be a sustainable revitalization effort. Church revitalizers are seeking to redevelop sustainable ministries in their communities and they renew the church, develop leaders, and reach the lost of the community they are called to serve. For some denominations who are disinclined to support the three S’s of sustainability they opt for the belief that churches which are unable to be self-supporting should be held up by others because they are strategically placed. They may be strategically placed but if they fail to reach the community are we being strategic to keep them going rather than giving the facilities to a church revitalizer who can bring revitalization to the community and the church? I believe that there are unsustainable churches all over that because they are so inwardly focused they are no longer able to sustain the efforts of ministry.

Want a quick idea for beginning the effort of sustainability?

If you will seek to reach ten new people and develop at least two new entrance points in your church you will have a better chance of beginning to make the shift necessary to bring about revitalization. I believe that it will eventually take eight new entrance points into a dying church to break the bonds of decline but the initial two is a great start!

It is hard to believe that the Renovate Group and Renovate Resources are beginning the third year of the Church Revitalizer Magazine! Please continue to let us know areas which need to be addressed and specific topics you and your church leaders would benefit.

This edition of The Church Revitalizer focuses on Sustaining Sustainability in Church Revitalization and Renewal.

Stay connected, more is coming in 2017 and it is going to be a great year.

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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Church Music Renewal (Again!)

It happened just recently. I was talking with someone I consider to be one of the most talented, seasoned, mature, and passionate worship leaders on the planet. But because he was fifty-five-ish, church consultants were encouraging the senior pastor to bring in a younger individual to replace him. Never mind that he led worship from the keyboard in a contemporary service in addition to leading a traditional service with a full choir and orchestra and his team was multi-generational. In fact if there is one thing that stands out in this particular church, it’s the worship music; because the leader is a worshiper of God. But…in the opinion of the leadership…he’s not young enough, not hip enough.

Church music. (Cue: roll eyes and sigh). While most are waving white flags of surrender in the battle of the worship wars the disillusionment and disappointment of differing philosophies still divides congregations and generations.

What to do?

In 2004, at the height of the church music schisms, I was asked to help a congregation of 1,100 make the transition from a traditional style of music to a blended style. And in this case we’re talking traditional with a capital “T” as in organ, piano, a choir in robes and everyone singing from the Baptist Hymnal.

They had installed two screens, primarily for the sermons and announcements, but when the words to the songs came on the screen, there was pushback.

I knew I was going to have to proceed strategically with caution because the pastor’s leadership reputation was at stake. And frankly the unity of the congregation was at stake as well. These realities took precedence over any personal preference or agenda I may have had. This wasn’t about me. It was about Jesus, His Church and His under-shepherd. In fact that’s what it’s always about.

As I began to pray, envision, and plan, I recalled something a friend of mine was fond of saying: “There are two ways of doing things…doing it right, or doing it over!” Only, in this case with church music transition and revitalization, you usually don’t get a do-over. So how do we go about “doing it right”?

First Steps - Plan

STEP ONE – ASK QUESTIONS We take a cue from Nehemiah who said, “I didn’t tell anyone what God had laid on my

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heart to do…”. Before we charge ahead with our vision we need to ask ourselves and close key people (senior pastor, one or two staff or key volunteers) questions like: • Why? Why do we want to make a change in our music style?

• Where is the pastor, staff, and congregation regarding music, philosophically? Regarding worship?

• What style should we make a change to?

Blended? Contemporary? Electric? Acoustic?

A mix?

• To what end? What is our goal or purpose for making the change(s)?

• Do we have the personnel who can play and sing well?

• Do I have a tech team that has the skills is committed to excellence in preparation rather than having a Sunday morning hobby?

• Do we have spiritually minded, authentic worshipers to lead?

STEP TWO – ASSESS

By discovering answers to the above questions I now had a working criteria to make an assessment of purpose, philosophy, format, goal(s), personnel, and timetable.

My initial assessment after four weeks on the job helped me understand that the church, while wanting to sing meaningfully as a congregation in corporate worship, was presently entrenched in and committed to a traditional style. It was all they knew.

Additionally they had never been discipled in the area of Biblical worship. Elements like corporate recitation of scripture, moments of meditation, and antiphonal praise were quite new to them. Incorporating these new elements they had never before experienced as a group in public worship would be step one in leading them toward meaningful change. Since they were an already established church, I knew we would have to go slowly for the sake of body unity.

STEP THREE – ESTABLISH A NEW COMFORT ZONE

Because I was an interim music director I was able to lobby as a “consultant” for gradual but needed changes. About every five weeks the choir would sing a new song that was contemporary but arranged in a more blended style. This created a “tolerance” for new music. Then I would go back to the familiar choir library for some old favorites.

That would be followed up with another newer song, again, letting the choir introduce the piece to the congregation. After a few weeks I would lead the congregation in singing a congregational arrangement of the

By Tim Kaufman new songs. This way we were enlarging the repertoire of songs for the worship service while helping newer songs become familiar “friends” before adding more new songs.

We rode this wave for about eighteen months. Variety in the service was accomplished weekly by • occasionally departing from the weekly template or bulletin.

• the slow introduction of new music.

• utilizing the public recitation of Scripture, a Responsive Reading, or someone presenting a short drama to help introduce the sermon.

In short, we established trust and credibility with the pastor, staff, musicians, tech team and congregation.

Next Steps - Introduce Instruments

Utilizing drums as part of the worship service took over two years. Since we were already incorporating new elements we didn’t have to make this an issue early on, but it was a logical next step. We decided to use drums for the Easter service. Then we left them on the platform, un-played, for several weeks. Over the summer we played them twice a month and by fall we were using them every week.

After successfully incorporating the drums with the organ and piano we also added a guitar, bass, and keyboard for the Christmas program. We now had a full sound that was blended in style with a 35 voice choir and six vocalists on mic.

What Can We Learn?

Transition is optional but revitalization of any style of worship, be it traditional, blended or contemporary, is non-negotiable. We must always be asking the Lord for: • Definition – As we listen for His instructions (“do this…don’t do that”) we become defined. Confidence is renewed.

• Direction – As we ask “Where Lord,” He will show us where to go, not just geographically, but philosophically as well.

• Vision – As we gain definition and direction, we begin to “see” the big picture of how we can lead people toward meaningful worship revitalization.

• Passion – Having a clear vision ignites the fire to launch us enthusiastically toward a desired and worthy goal.

• Diligence – rehearsing our definition, experiencing his direction, seeing His big picture will keep the fire burning which in turn causes us to put the should to the sled and do the work of the ministry.

RENOVATE RESOURCES ALL YEAR LONG

If your church has plateaued, is in decline, or is not moving forward as quickly as you wish, the RENOVATE Church Revitalization Coaching Network is just what you are looking for. This Revitalization Coaching Network is designed to help you and your revitalization team develop a successful 18 month plan to increase church attendance, develop new people for ministry, impact community, solidify finances, become more missional, develop new ministries and deepen the making of disciples within your church renewal effort.

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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

A Train Called Summer It’s always bothered me to spend months busting my backside to get an effective ministry launched in September/October only to have it roll to a virtual stop by mid-June.

Sure, there are lots of excuses for the “summer slump,” but it seems like churches aren’t hapless victims of the summer slump. They’re not victims … they’re perpetrators. It’s not that summer slumps happen because the church didn’t get “ready for it.” Far from it. It turns out that most churches that suffer from a summer slump have actually facilitated the slump they’re in. Indeed, they’ve helped create it. Instead of telling the membership and the community that there is no vacation from worship, discipleship, commitment, service to the church, or service to God, they do things like cancel Sunday school; collapse worship services together; change the worship hours (almost always earlier), and put the choir and/or the worship band on hiatus.

The constant start and stop of ministry ensures there would be few effective ministries. Without momentum, forward progress remains ever elusive.

With that in mind, I was looking for a particular metaphor on momentum and found some interesting (and compelling) facts about trains while reading a post from Bill Perkin.

Have you ever wondered how a locomotive can overcome the inertia of so much weight? We’re talking about 12,000 tons. Even though the locomotive may weigh 270,000-pounds and makes 3,200 horsepower (some generate 7,000 horsepower) generating over 64,000 pounds of thrust, it could never pull

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By Bill Tenny-Brittian 12,000 tons from a dead stop. The fact is, the locomotive doesn’t pull them all at once. It only pulls one car at a time. The engineer does this by backing up the locomotive so that all of the slack is removed from the couplers as the cars are bunched together. While in motion, the brakes are set enough to prevent coasting, and the train comes to a stop. The engine then starts forward having only to pull one car at a time to get it rolling, which it can easily do for about an inch, then the second car is pulled, and so on until the slack comes out of all the couplers. By the time the caboose is pulled, the engine is sometimes traveling as much as 10 to 15 miles an hour. That would explain why the caboose crew is taught to sit facing the engine with their back against the seat, and their heads tight against the headrest. As they hear the machine gun-like pop-op-pop of the couplers they know they’re about to jerk forward.

Once moving, a train can crash through a steel-reinforced concrete wall that is five-feet thick. And we’ve all seen images of cars and trucks unfortunate enough to get hit by a train. But all of that forward momentum can be prevented by placing a one-inch block of wood in front of and behind the eight drive wheels of the locomotive.

It takes a LOT of energy to get a train moving. And it takes a lot of energy to get an effective ministry started.

I suspect we’d probably all agree that it takes less energy to maintain progress than to stop it and get it started again. But that fact seems to fall on deaf ears when we talk to church leaders about maintaining all their ministries every month of every year. “It’s summer time,” they say. “Everyone goes on vacation.”

Everyone? At the same time? The denominational gurus, and many of the local pastors, in Seattle warned us about that when my wife and I planted a church there. The problem was, we kept noticing that the “big box” churches seemed to be nearly as full in July as they were in February. It seemed to us that if “everyone” was going on vacation in the summer (or to the lake or to the beach or camping or whatever excuse your culture uses), then how was it the “big” churches still had people coming? It didn’t take a lot of investigation to discover the large churches rarely cut their programming in the summer. The worship bands kept playing. The children’s ministries were still robust … in fact, children’s ministries were often expanded because the kids were out of school.

And yes, pretty much “everyone” went on vacation, but they didn’t do it simultaneously. So, momentum was maintained and the church’s ministries didn’t just maintain, many were expanded.

So … what did I learn from the train metaphor? How does it apply to the church?

First, it takes very little resistance to keep a train from starting, and it takes very little resistance to keep a potentially effective ministry from starting. If you let the whiners, the complainers, and the grousers become obstacles to launching great ministries, you’ll never have great ministries.

Second, if you don’t put your best foot forward every week, you’re encouraging mediocrity. And in today’s culture, mediocrity is synonymous with Epic Fail. No one tolerates mediocrity anymore … people’s time and resources are simply too valuable to waste on average.

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Third, if you’ve managed to launch a ministry that’s making a significant difference in people’s lives (and thus growing the church), you can … and should … expect some pushback from those who love the status quo. Therefore, some may see summer as an opportunity to shut down forward progress … and thus scuttle the ministry completely. So, if you press “Pause” on the ministry for the summer (or for any other reason), you can … and should … expect those “one inch blocks” to get shoved in front and behind your ministry wheels when you try to resurrect it and get started again. It’s better not to stop at all.

Continued on Page 22

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The Wonderful World of Children’s Ministry

By Bill Hegedus

As a kid growing up in Northeast Tennessee, there was one thing that I looked forward to every week-a television show called, “The Wonderful World of Disney”. Every Sunday night we would come home from church, and as a family, watch it together. There was just something about the way it captured my imagination. Each week I was transported to a new place to embark on a new adventure. I would often find myself reliving those adventures in my backyard that following week. Whether I was Davey Crockett wandering the wilderness, or Captain Nemo exploring the depths of the ocean, my playtime was filled with a sense of wonder week after week.

I firmly believe that God’s word can have that same sense of wonder and amazement for anyone, especially children. It is “the Greatest Story Ever Told” after all. The best part is that God’s word is all true; it isn’t a fairytale. The lessons learned can impact a child for a lifetime. I know this first-hand.

My experience as a child in children’s ministry was one that was two-sided. I can honestly say that my first experience attending children’s church was awesome!

It was very much like Disney in a way. It captured my imagination and locked me in right from the start. As a boy with ADD, this was really something. I remember all the fun songs like “Father Abraham”, which had so many motions and had you moving so quickly, that you were out of breath by the end. I think you could do those same motions today and call it a aerobics class.

We would play fun and challenging group games, and when it came to the bible story, it was like watching the bible come to life. The way the stories were told week after week had me on the edge of my seat. Often, we would be left with a cliffhanger that we had to come back the following week to find out what happened. What new and exciting challenge awaited the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land?

I had an amazing Children’s Pastor growing up.

I still keep in touch with him to this day. I mean it would be weird if I didn’t because he is also my dad. In many ways, it was his influence that has been so instrumental in how I approach children’s ministry, even to this day. Seeing the joy on my dad’s face as he and his team led a group of nearly 500 children has never left me. All this in one room that was once the church sanctuary.

It may sound crazy, but Sunday’s were the day he most looked forward to most. Truth be told, so did I.

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Now my second experience was quite the opposite. After my father took the position of Sr. Pastor at another church in the area, I was in a completely different environment. I found it hard to pay attention and stay focused. There was something missing, and no it wasn’t my father. It was actually the creativity and passion in way the weekly lessons were presented. The Children’s leaders were nice, but they didn’t seem passionate. The rooms left little to be desired- bright white cinderblock walls with nothing but a flannel board attached to them. It’s not that the church didn’t care about the kids, they just weren’t a priority. Both of these experiences helped to shape my ministry philosophy in a big way-to think big when it comes to kids.

I truly believe in having a Disney mindset when approaching Children’s ministry. Now, that doesn’t mean your kids areas should look like Disneyland. It means being creative with how you connect and communicate God’s Word to kids. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Walt Disney himself. He said,“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well, that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” What a great philosophy to have. I think it applies very much to the approach we should have in children’s ministry. After all, we should want church to be a place kids are excited to come to and can’t help but to invite their friends.

I was lucky enough to see that in action with how my father approached ministering to children. He would be the first person to tell you that his passion was for helping kids understand the importance of having a relationship with Christ. That drove him to think and communicate in a way that relates best to a child. If it meant him spending and extra hour creating props for a bible story, he would do it. If the difference between the truth of scripture being communicated in a way that has a lasting effect was spending an extra 30 of time, wouldn’t you do it? I think you would.

Here are a few simple things you can do to help make the children’s ministry at your church truly wonderful.

For your worship time, find songs that are simple and repetitive. Come up with some fun motions that use the whole body to reinforce the lyrics of the song. This is a great chance to express to kids in songs how much God loves them. Stay away from songs that use metaphors. “Are you washed in the the blood” may be a great hymn, but it is terrifying to a

Continued on Page 26

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Keeping Church Revitalization Efforts Flowing During The SumBy Drew Cheyney mer Months in Youth Ministry Former President John F. Kennedy once said the following, “a rising tide raises all ships.” This quote has been sticking in my crawl ever since I heard it from a fellow Youth Pastor and for good reason, summer is coming and my calendar, programming, leader development trainings, and recruiting processes are about to kick into over drive.

Why you might be asking? Because summer is a great time to “raise the tides” in our youth ministries!

For many of us in leadership, summer becomes that 1-2 month stretch where we pull off the accelerator and mail it in. Families go on vacations, your leaders are taking some much needed time to rejuvenate, and you yourself are probably plotting and planning ways to make up time to your family.

While none of this is a bad thing by itself, it is this time in the summer months that 100% will determine the success of every Youth Ministries August to November months.

So here is a question that every Youth Pastor needs to chew on: How Are You Raising the Tides this Summer in your Student Ministry? It is a great question to digest, but for those of you looking for some specifics, here are 4 ways you can “raise the tides” in your Youth Ministry this summer.

1. Recruit/ Invest in New Leaders

One great way to raise the tides in your ministry during the summer is to have a plan for recruiting an additional (blank) amount of leaders. Depending on your church size your blank will vary, but if you have a leadership of 50, adding 10 new leaders is doable if you know what gift sets your specifically looking for. A tip I learned when looking for

new leaders is not to focus on their capacity right now, but instead the person they could become with God steering the ship. I look for people who smile a lot, people who look others in the eyes when their talking, people who could talk to brick walls if prompted, are empathetic to peoples needs, & etc.

Currently, I am working on helping make our Parking Lot Team deeper so I am looking for some amazing men and women who have hearts for opening doors, greeting parents, and providing a great first impression to families. In fact, as an incentive, I would run this goal by your supervisor and see if he/ the church would be willing to buy dinner for you and your wife/ significant other if you were able to reach that goal (I’m not kidding even slightly). If you want to raise the ships, you have to raise the tide in your ministry first and one great way to do so is to see the potential in God’s prompting as you interact daily with people.

2. Develop Your Current Leaders

It is amazing to me how many Youth Ministries have the strategy of “just wing it” discipleship models (and if that is you, trust me I get it). You are so busy with what little time that is available in your schedule that you are just trying to invest into a couple of your volunteers and smooth out problems along the way. But I plea with you, figure this out immediately. I know summer is a great time to hang out with students, and your right it is, but summer is also a great opportunity to invest into the leaders who are going to be the ones literally running your ministry. If you invest into their lives now, then you multiply efforts, but if you continue

to hang out with students and not create a plan for this, then you will probably have the same results you already have in a new school year and that is not advancement in the Kingdom.

Here’s why this matters though, its probably countercultural in most settings to invest more personally in leaders then you do your students, but if you want a bigger reach in schools, your community, in the homes of families, and your ministry, than you need to replicate yourself and some major leadership principles in those investing in your kids. So here is an example, for this summer our team needs to continue becoming more united around our vision, so I have shot 15 training videos that we will role out ever 2 weeks starting in June and continuing until basically September. Each video is 3 minutes and emphasizes one of the following key influences for a leader: Discipleship, Mentorship, Ownership, and Apprenticeship. I will also be having leader groups over to our house for game nights, intentionally encouraging leaders, and yes I will be hanging out with students over the summer some, but here is a key truth: In Order To Raise Your Tides, You Must Invest In People Heavily This Summer.

3. Plan To Execute

Hopefully over the last couple months you have been keeping a list on your phone or somewhere of some great ideas, tweaks, or additions you would like to see implemented if you had time in your ministry. Well guess what, you finally have time to execute these ideas over the summer. In fact, churches that are dying think that summer is when you take a break from the ex-

Continued on page 36 18

Does God really set people free?

Or are we just talking?

Transformational Discipleship was developed to train leaders how to guide both brand-new and longtime believers towards deep spiritual change.

This training is foundational for every believer. It guides people who are stuck on their faith journey due to unresolved, often hidden issues in their lives towards true spiritual, emotional and mental freedom through intimacy with God.

“It’s not like anything I have been through before.”

Pastor John Wright, Titusville, FL “This is life transforming. I’m going to teach the socks off this thing.”

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Whatever You Do, Don’t Quit “Whatever you do, don’t quit…I know you feel like quitting…but don’t quit…walk if you have to…but don’t stop.” These words came from my college football coach during the middle of what turned out to be one of the hardest pre-season physical tests I ever experienced. The test involved nineteen 100 yard sprints. As a lineman, I had to run each one in under 17 seconds in order to pass the test. I made the first five sprints in time, but then I began to experience cramping and pain in many different places. I was not alone in that experience. I began to hear the coaches imploring each one of us to not quit the test.

You see, if we missed the time on just one sprint, it meant the next day we would join others at 5:30 am for an hour of running. Following the hour of torture, we would join the rest of the team at 6:45 am for our regular practice.

Quitting was not an option because quitting the test was equivalent to quitting the team.

Gasping for air after each sprint, I can say I never walked during any part of that test and I finished each sprint using every bit of energy that remained. Though I did have an early wake-up call each morning and ran for the next several days at 5:30 am, I never quit. Decades later as I evaluate that experience, I understand the need to have a pace in the race, a lesson that is not useful only for athletes, but for pastors as well.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.

Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.” I love this athletic imagery Paul writes to the church. It speaks to my competitive heart.

In the local church, the summer months are a threemonth race. Each month presents its own unique challenges, including the natural slump of attendance due to vacations, a giving slump, and the slump in the overall enthusiasm for starting anything new and exciting. The potential exists to let ourselves become that boxer who punches at nothing or the runner who is running just to finish the race and has no desire to win the prize. We can so easily become that baseball player who suddenly struggles to hit anything and enters a summer slump where his batting average dips below .225. He begins to desperately swing at every ball thrown at him and like mighty Casey…he strikes out. For that batter, he loses confidence in his swing and in his ability to make contact. But then one day, it all clicks again. He gets that first hit, and he is as excited and passionate about baseball

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By Chris Irving

as he once was as a little-leaguer. Any athlete will tell you they follow a process, maintain a consistent pace throughout their season, and seek peace when they are struggling to maintain momentum. Let’s look at each of these areas in regards to church revitalization.

Process

In The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner say that progress is a step by step process. “Leaders know they have to break down big problems into small, doable actions…Successful leaders help others see how breaking the journey down into measurable milestones can move them forward.” The BIG problem in the summer months is the loss of momentum. The answer lies in breaking the summer months down into small, attainable steps so that your people experience the win early and often.

Think about it, when a team goes on a winning streak they become a force to be reckoned with. When the church is led to experience small wins in succession, even the greatest antagonists have a difficult time fulfilling their self-appointed role as the “thorn in the flesh” of the pastor.

I run in local 5k races throughout the year. One of the 5k courses in town is my regular jogging route. I love these races because I know the course very well since I run it at least once a week. I know on what hill I can push myself, and which hill I need to conserve energy. I know the strategy of the course because I know where I am going.

Knowing the course is a part of the process. You’ve got to know where you are going. However far out you plan for your summer months, you need to have your course laid out in your revitalization strategy for sustaining momentum in the summer months. Paul speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 9 when he references the boxer beating the air. I can hear Paul saying, “Hit something!”

The process you move forward with should be paved with small, attainable steps so that every small victory maintains and even increases the revitalization momentum.

Pace

Organizationally speaking, steadiness is found by mounting small wins on top of each other. The more wins that occur, the more momentum you gain. But you must pace yourself. Any athlete will tell you in their respective sport that pace in the race is very important.

The pace of the race is a part of the imagery Paul has in mind here if one wants to win the prize.

We have all witnessed the team that jumped out to a big lead early in the game, only to falter at the end because there was just no energy left. This year’s Super Bowl is

a prime example as the Atlanta Falcons crumbled in the second half and lost the championship.

A solid pace allows for small steps and small victories.

Each win will build on top of the next and will make it harder to return to the “preexisting conditions: each win also provides information that facilitates learning and adaptation.”

At FBC Gonzales, our summer months are a faster pace than the school year. We start early with a guaranteed win with Vacation Bible School. VBS is a great tool for us because the church in actively engaged in sharing the Gospel each day. What a win! What other week of the year is your church as involved in sharing the Gospel as the week of VBS? I love VBS at the beginning of the summer because it propels the church into the rest of the summer and sets the pace for continued revitalization and growth.

Peace

Even with small steps and a steady pace, you’re sure to encounter obstacles along the way. Do you know how to overcome adversity? Some say leaders need a strong psyche to make the organization grow. But the Bible says you overcome adversity with the peace that surpasses understanding, which guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. What does that look like?

As you strive to maintain momentum in the summer months, think of the Psalms of Ascent found in the book of Psalms, chapters 120 to 134. These Psalms were perhaps used as the Jews would take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for special feasts and times or worship. It is also believed the Levites would recite the psalms as they walked up the steps of the temple. Either way, these Psalms hold the keys to the truth about the One who will sustain the church as we move forward through the revitalization process together.

“I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?” The “mountains” may serve as a hiding place, or a place a steadiness and rescue. It could also serve as an imminent threat as is the case with Jonah in Jonah 2:6. Either way the question remains, “Where will my help come from?” The simple answer is that our help comes from the Lord. The rest of the psalm points our eyes to the Lord as our “protector.” He is our guard, our keeper, our helper, and our defender.

The summer months may seem like an imposing mountain, impossible to pass. But our help comes from the Lord, and that help comes in the form of peace for the troubled heart. Jesus tells us clearly, “let not your hearts be troubled.” Our hearts become troubled when we face stressors that inevitably accompany the process of church revitalization. But in the decisive moment, you must turn your eyes unto the hills and see your Lord.

Strap up your shoe laces, plot that race course, and run like the wind my friends. God bless you and keep up the good fight of the faith. And whatever you do, don’t quit.

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. 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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A Train Called Summer Continued....

On the other hand … if your church hosts a ministry that is ineffective or antithetic to your congregation’s DNA, given the above two reflections, stopping it for the summer might be a good idea.

If you’ve experienced a summer slump year after year, it will likely take a couple of years to make the shift to full summer ministries. You’ll have to convince music leaders, Christian education leaders, and so on to get on board. But that’s where the train metaphor can be a significant help as well. When it comes to being a change agent, whether you’re putting an end to the summer slump or launching a new ministry, the train metaphor offers excellent insights: • Get your cars/freight in order; • Take a few steps back; • Move forward by getting your leadership team and your church leaders on board one at a time if necessary; • Continue moving ahead a car at a time (or a leader at a time or a member at a time) until there’s enough momentum that if the caboose doesn’t want to go along, the forward momentum will be so powerful that it’s impossible to stop it.

Summer doesn’t need to grind your momentum down to a standstill. Put an end to your summer slump – or at least keep it from scuttling your church’s effectiveness – by keeping on keeping on.

Bill Tenny-Brittian is the managing partner of The Effective Church Group. For over thirty years, The Effective Church Group has been equipping churches and church leaders so they can be successful in reaching their mission. We provide consulting and coaching using the time-tested Complete Ministry Audit to help churches reach maximum effectiveness. Learn more at EffectiveChurch.com.

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Mentoring to Multiply Your Ministry Have you ever stopped to reflect on your ministry?

Have you paused long enough to consider what kind of impact you are having? Have you considered making changes to make a difference? A few years ago, I began to think back over my preaching and teaching. I wondered how many lives were significantly impacted. I had preached hundreds of sermons and taught just as many lessons to groups of a couple of dozen on up to several hundred. But what kind of difference was I making? Sure, some people have prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord under my preaching. A few marriages have been strengthened. A few people have rededicated their lives or even joined our church. A handful of people have been called into ministry and missions. But what have I really done to strengthen others?

After wrestling with that question for some time, I ran across Robby Gallaty’s book Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples. Gallaty gives practical advice on utilizing a mentoring ministry. I immediately began implementing it in my church and great things are happening. While I’ve tweaked a few areas, let me share some insights gleaned from Gallaty’s book to help in church revitalization.

Find a Few Good Men

Begin by prayerfully seeking a few good men to go through an intensified growth plan in personal discipleship. Don’t pick just anyone, but look for those who are serious about growing as a Christian.

Make sure they are the same gender and limit the group to 3-5. The reason you want more than two (one-on-one) is because one person may miss from time to time and not follow through with commitments. Too big of a group will keep some from participating and you want everyone to participate and share what they understand. A few people can help hold each other accountable better than a one-onone model, where the mentor may get frustrated in reminding his apprentice to keep up with the work.

Decide on a Timeframe

Let the group know how often they will meet, the length of time and the start and end dates. I sug24

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh, PhD gest meeting each week for 60-75 minutes. You can meet for breakfast or in a room at church or at someone’s house. Just make sure to stay on task.

While you may meet as long as 18 months, I suggest 6-12 months. The longer timeframe allows you to cover more material and get to know each other better. Remember, you are making disciples and that doesn’t happen quickly.

“Prayerfully seek a few good men to go through an intensified growth plan in personal discipleship. Don’t pick just anyone, but look for those who are serious about growing as a Christian.”

Select a Curriculum and Establish Topics

Depending on the life stages of the group, you have a great deal of possibilities here. I like to begin with something on spiritual disciplines for the first month or two (like Don Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life). Only reading one chapter per week is normally not challenging enough, so I often encourage two chapters per week. Other resources can be used to discuss marriage (C.J. Maheny, Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God), parenting (Paul Tripp, Parenting), finances (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle), Bible study (Max Anders, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible; Howard & William Hendricks, Living by the Book), doctrine (Wayne Grudem, Basic Christian Beliefs) and more.

The key is not to do a Bible study in John or Genesis, because that requires seminary-type tools which most apprentices won’t have. You want them to be able to reproduce what they are learning. They can read a book and ask key questions: What did you learn from this chapter? How does the author handle the subject of (blank)? Anybody who has read the book for themselves can lead that kind of study.

Memorize Scripture

In addition to weekly reading, Christians should be in the habit of memorizing Scripture. Again, depending on the maturity level and life stages of the apprentices, the verses could vary a bit. I encourage people to memorize key verses or passages on many of core doctrines of Scripture—the Bible (2 Timothy 3:14-17), Deity of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11), the Trinity (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-5), salvation (Romans 8:28-30), Christian growth (Psalm 1), etc. Setting a goal to memorize one verse per week will result in 52 verses in 12 months time!

Pray for Each Other

Take a few minutes for prayer requests each week.

But stay on topic. Explain that you want to maximize the time discussing the reading. You also want to pray for that person. Discourage prayer requests for their child’s school teacher. You don’t know the teacher and, while they should pray for their child’s teacher, they shouldn’t expect you to pray for someone you don’t know (people with the gift of prayer think I’m heretical here, but most Christians don’t have that gift and those who don’t are at a loss how to pray for these kinds of requests). Remember, the plan is to disciple others on particular topics rather than spend the majority of the time on prayer requests. You may discuss how to get more out of your prayer time for a week or two, but there are plenty of other topics for the Christian to consider in a mentoring relationship.

Make Them Sign a Covenant

After you explain what they will be doing each week over the next 12 months, have them sign and date a basic covenant. It should include that they realize they are entering into a time of accelerated Christian discipleship; they will complete the reading for each week; they will pray for the others in the group; they will speak, respond and interact in the weekly discussions; they will memorize a Bible verse each week; and they will plan to repeat the process with a different group once they complete their training.

People can make a commitment without a signed commitment, but one’s signature makes it special. It says, “I’m taking this commitment se-

rious and want to do this for the Lord and for my own well-being.”

Repeat the Process

A group of guys coming together to study and fellowship will result in a good time. They will grow in what they know. They will be more intentional about their personal walks with the Lord. They will value the Bible more, especially since they are memorizing it.

But if they don’t plan to break away at the end of the commitment to start their own group, it will fizzle.

That is why you must get them to commit to planning to repeat the process on the front end. Let them know it is expected rather than an option.

Over the last few months of the mentoring relationship, let one of them take the lead on initiating the discussion. Have them pick memory verses to work on.

Let them lead completely the last few weeks, so they can be more confident in leading their own group.

Dave Ferguson calls this area five steps of leadership development: (1) I do, you watch; (2) I do, you help; (3) you do, I help, we talk; (4) you do, I watch, we talk; and (5) you do, someone else watches. These steps will help prepare apprentices to lead their own mentoring group.

Conclusion

One of the greatest joys of 21 years of ministry has been my mentoring others. Unfortunately, not all of my apprentices went ahead to mentor others. But several have kept the commitment. What started out as a few now sees a couple of dozen being mentored.

I expect that number to double or quadruple by this Fall. Though it starts small, it grows deep. In time it will grow wide. Both deep and wide roots are needed in church revitalization for the long haul. May the Lord bless you in your efforts to make disciples who make a difference in the church 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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The Wonderful World of Children’s MinistryContinued...

By Bill Hegedus

kindergartner. A great resource for current kid friendly music is Amberskyrecords.com. They have a huge selection of music and videos for a great kids worship experience.

For your bible story time, use lots of visuals. Today’s kids are visual learners. The more props, pictures and illustrations, the better. One of the best props you can use is yourself. Change the level and tone of your voice during the story. Act out the story using kids from the audience. Adding sound effects is another thing that can really bring a story to life. For example, when telling the story of how Jesus calmed the storm, we used a small inflatable boat, a leaf blower and a spray bottle filled with water along with some thunder and rain sound effects. The kids had a blast, and it made the lesson really stand out. These were all items we had at home, so it cost us nothing but the time to gather them.

When it comes to games, think about way to get them up and moving. As a rule, I try never to have kids sitting for longer than 12 minutes without getting up. Be creative with your games and use them to reinforce the lesson they are learning that day. It could be something as simple as a relay race between boys and girls to see who can put the bible verse in order first. Sometimes getting a little messy is a good thing, too. Kids love playing games where they might get their hands dirty.

It may require a small amount of clean up, but if they walk away knowing more about God, it’s worth it.

No matter what you are planning, just ask yourself, “What can I do that will help make this wonderful?” It just takes a little time and intentionality to impact the life of a child.

Bill Hegedus is the Family Pastor at Bethlehem Church in Atlanta. Bill has over 15 years experience ministering to kids and families and currently serves as the Family Pastor of Bethlehem Church. His heart and passion is to help kids understand and live out a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Often described as a big kid himself, Bill uses laughter and innovation to do ministry in an exciting and memorable way kids enjoy.

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As we think about sustainability in church revitalization, what kind of new membership does a declining church need to remain sustainable? If your church’s average Sunday attendance is 150 participants what will it take to keep the church going? Consider that the average church participant remains an active participant for 15 years. Further think about todays church member averages every other Sunday during the year. With this in mind for the stuck and declining church of 100 it will need twenty new active church members this year to keep it sustainable. To keep the revitalization process going the church will need sixty new active members in the next three years.

- Tom Cheyney

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Just Breathe - Sustaining Revitalization During the Summer Months How long can you hold your breath? 30 seconds? A minute? Dean’s Blue Hole in Long Island, Bahamas requires more. It pushes the free divers’ lungs to the limits. Bottoming out at 663 feet, expert free divers take several minutes of non-breathing time to plunge into the depths…and back up. Can you imagine their lungs screaming for oxygen after several minutes? Perhaps you aren’t impressed with the several minute mark.

Every summer you hold your breath for 90 daysJune, July, and August. Summer. Vacation days, getaways and sunny lazy days give plenty of non-breathing time for the pastor desiring to sustain revitalization. So, what’s a revitalizer to do? Request family vacations only be taken in the Fellowship Hall? Hang a sign-up sheet so that absences are spread out and coordinated throughout the year? Plan your three-month sabbatical? Here are a few suggestions for sustaining revitalization over the coming months.

Take Time to Catch Your Breath

Rest is not a bad thing. God set the example, gave the command, and Jesus modeled it. Revitalizers get the feeling that you don’t have permission to let up just because everyone else is.

I’ve been there. You feel it is your responsibility to put the revitalizing “pedal to the metal” when everyone else seems to be letting up. That can be wearisome. But the church you are seeking to revitalize is not your church. It’s God’s. He builds it, and He sustains it. He gives. He grows.

He brings the dead to life. You don’t. You are not superhuman. You are human. And humans need rest. To deny that is to disregard the wisdom of your Creator. Thus, use the summer to catch your breath. Change up your routine. Adjust your schedule to spend more time with your family. Think through your sermon while sitting on the beach. Take a week off.

Scale back your extra meetings and the weekly

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By Brian Nall

schedule so that you can get refreshed. I’m not advocating being lazy, I’m encouraging rest.

Recognize the Increased Family Time and Equip It

During the summer, families spend more time together, for better and for worse. There can be the tendency to separate the revitalization in the church from home life. But the people are the church. Thus, when the family is revitalized, the church will be better positioned to follow suit.

Many families don’t have the tools to spend productive time together. Many families go their own way when they get home. Heading into summer, show your church how to maximize their time together. Order some family devotions that families could purchase. Email or post ideas on how to maximize their family time for the upcoming week. Consider a family movie night or even show how a family could go on a mission trip together.

Look Back and Look Ahead

Summer is half-way in the year. Half-way through the resolutions people wrote. Half-way through the goals you laid out in January. And Summer is the time for a check-up. Carve out time with a group (staff, deacons, trusted friends) to evaluate the first half the year. Ask: from what we set out to do, are we still heading in the right direction?

What have we learned? Where should we be clearer? Then, plan for the remainder of the year.

Ask: What must we do for what God has asked of us? Do we see common areas of struggle in our church or community that we can address in the remaining year? Based on the year so far, how do we need to pray for the future. If you are not where you want to be, don’t worry. Remember, direction is more important than timing. Just keep swimming.

Capitalize on Summer Only Ministry Opportunities

VBS and youth camp are generally the dominating calendar events of the summer. But there are many other opportunities that can help revitalize your church and be a blessing to your community in the process. For example, school bus drivers and cafeteria workers are off during the summer.

Generally, these are lower paying jobs; therefore, going without a paycheck during the summer is a heavy burden. Consider a food distribution for those workers. They serve your kids in the school year, and you can serve them in the summer.

Contact your school district for assistance.

Another idea, especially here in the humid sunshine State of Florida where the days can get quite hot, open a part of your facility for a couple of hours a day as a cooling center. It is a great place to live out scripture (Isaiah 58, Matthew 25:38) for the homeless or A/C-less. While they are there, love them, share Jesus with them, build a relationship with them. A final idea is to mobilize the students to help around your church campus. Many students need community service hours to apply for college scholarships.

Sprucing up the church campus serves Jesus and assists them. What are other opportunities to BEtheCHURCH are best done in the summer?

Encourage Fellowship

Adjusting your church schedule is not a bad thing. Doing so periodically helps teach flexibility, a great quality for missional living. For example, have a church-wide social the first Sunday of the month, set aside time for Sunday School class fellowships the second Sunday, do a church wide event in the community the third Sunday, and then a focused prayer service the fourth Sunday. The early church was known for doing life together. The Summer is a great time to foster that biblical quality and revitalize some worn out relationships in the process.

Give a Challenge

I recognize that you may be nervous about starting big things in the summer. Wise. But the summer can be a good time for personal growth in some non-threatening ways. Plus, these activities just might become a habit that will spill over beyond summer. Ideas: Read the Bible in 90 days, prayer-walk every street within a half-mile of your home. Host 2 neighbors in your home for dinner or lead a street-long cookout. These suggestions are fun. They keep your people moving towards a lifestyle that will help revitalize your church. They are in line with the pace of the summer months.

As you approach the summer, don’t feel you need to hold your breath. Resist it. So, no turning blue or being worried oxygen deprivation come July.

You’ve got this. Better still – God’s got you.

Trust Him. Rest in Him. He is the Sustainer of revitalizing. He upholds you with His righteous right hand (Is.41:10), and He will do the same for your church during the summer and beyond.

As you have been daily following the Spirit’s leading, prayerfully, biblically, putting what He instills in you into daily application, revitalization will come. He will breathe life into you and into your church.

Just breathe.

Dr. Brian Nall is the Executive Director of the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association in Escambia County Florida. In ministry for over 20 years, Brian is the author of An Uphill Journey: One Small Church’s Story of Revitalization.

He and his wife Candace have two children, Baleigh and Elijah.

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Leadership Consistency The Leadership Link…

Leadership Consistency

Throughout Scripture we see various passages that accentuate the athletic narrative. Most notably is when Paul challenges us all to run the race of life with fortitude and determination (Phil. 3). As a father of six children, all of whom play sports, I find myself watching many games and constantly developing my discipline of coaching from the side lines and helping referees make the right calls (though not all of them appreciate my efforts on their behalf ).

All joking aside, as one who loves to watch a good game, I really resonate with the correlations of sports with church work. One of the greatest lessons that I teach my children on the baseball/ softball field is the need for consistency. The difference between a good player and great player is in consistency; it is seen in doing the little things, every time. Always backing up the play, always running fast, always listening to your coach; consistency!

When you think about leadership in a revitalization context, the difference between good leaders and great leaders is also often seen in a leader’s willingness to be consistent. Though there may be times in which the church experiences lulls in the ministry calendar and such, a leader’s dedication and persistence to excellence is often times the difference necessary to ensure that revitalization efforts forge ahead amidst the long summer days in which people are constantly checking in and out. To say it another way; though church calendars and ministry schedules may change during the summer months, a revitalization leader’s commitment to leadership consistency and excellence never takes a summer vacation. As such, let me offer you just a couple of leadership principles that can help make a difference in your ministry this summer, if you will dedicate yourself to staying consistent in them.

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By Michael Atherton

Love What You Do and Do What You Love.

Full-time vocational ministry is tough, and the local church needs leaders who will develop a “never say quit” attitude. Talents and gifts do not develop that type of attitude. As a leader, if you know your calling, your purpose, and your direction, then there are no challenges that will prohibit you from pressing on. You will grieve when people leave your ministry and people hurt you with the things they say, but passion builds within you the persistence necessary to press on to achieve the purpose, plans, and possibilities God has revealed to you. If all you run on is talents, you can always take your talents to the next venue when times get tough. Passion will help you look beyond the hurts to see the ultimate goal. Furthermore, it is that same passion that will force you to love what you do and do what you love.

Become a Master Communicator.

Effective leaders are effective communicators.

We are helping people, whether corporately or individually, make the necessary changes that lead them from the status quo to reaching their full potential in Christ. The problem? As you lead individuals or an entire church through change, the greatest weapon in your arsenal will be communication. Be willing to communicate, communicate, communicate! Beware that as your church is made up of various age groups, their desired form of communication might be different. Some want newsletters. Some want e-mails. Others might want Facebook posts, and still others might desire a simple phone call. Do not become an ineffective leader by mandating that people must conform to your desired form of communication. I have been heard telling our staff, “If someone in the church family would rather hear from us in Morse code, we had better learn it!”

One last element of communication that must not be overlooked is your responsibility to listen.

Hear people and the things they have to say to you. Accept their praise and criticism. Listen to

their ideas, understand their perspectives, and genuinely consider their feelings. You do not always have to agree, but if they know that they have been heard, they will likely hear you better when it is your time to speak.

Love the People God Places Under YourcLeadership.

Love the people! I certainly know and can attest to the fact that people can be frustrating. I have received phone calls at two o’clock in the morning telling me every offense that I have committed. I have read letters written by the “mystery member” that have been filled with nothing but nonsense.

Let’s face it. Criticism is a part of ministry. But a bigger part of ministry is Christ’s command to love one another. Admittedly, loving some people is easier than loving others.

In the midst of difficulty, remember that God has placed you in the situation to be a steward of grace. Love the people God has placed under your leadership, regardless of their views, needs, or funny little quirks. It takes time, dedication, persistence, and patience, but great reward is the payout.

Do Not Compromise Your Integrity and Purity.

If there were ever a time and place to follow the practice of the Pharisees and set up safeguards to protect us, it would be here and now. Let me ask you some very serious questions. Do you have access to church money when nobody is looking?

Are you working when you say you are working?

Do you counsel people at inappropriate times or places? Do you tell the truth in all circumstances, regardless of the repercussions? What types of books or magazines are you reading? What do you spend your free time thinking about? What type of websites are you visiting? Are you “chatting” with people through the computer in an inappropriate way? Have your sexual ethics slackened?

Continual and slight deviations from the right path will greatly reduce our usefulness to God and to our churches. In fact, these secret sins can

weaken our characters so that when we face a moral crisis, we will not be able to stand the test. (Grammar check suggested changing from passive to active tense such as, “In fact, these secret sins can weaken our characters, leaving us unable to stand the test when we face a moral crisis.”) As a result, we go down in spiritual defeat because we have slowly faded into shades of gray. Protect your integrity and purity!

A Concluding Thought….

As a leader, you cannot afford to take a day off, much less an entire season. I have offered you a few leadership qualities that should be consistently exhibited in your ministry. But, please do not consider this list to be exhaustive. As a leader, the way that Satan can derail you in your revitalization efforts is by attacking you when you are weak. Consider the childhood game of red rover. You always look for the weakest person to have come over. Yet the person who comes over is always looking for the weakest link in the human wall to crash through. The game of red rover is about exploiting the other team’s weakness. So it is with Satan. He longs to exploit your weakness.

When you are preoccupied with something else, he will strike. When you are coasting, he will strike. When you least expect it, he will strike. This summer, be determined within yourself, that you will be a consistent leader and work every day to lead well!

Dr. Michael Atherton, Senior Pastor Cornerstone Church, Lone Tree, Colorado.

Mike has served as a Senior Pastor for 15 years. Leading a church in a church merger, he has learned firsthand the challenges of a revitalizer. Mike is the author of “The Revitalized Church.” Mike leads a Mentored Master of Divinity program at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and is the President of the Colorado Baptist Convention.

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As we think about sustaining church revitalization in the local church, consider that in these declining churches most members have not been members there fr fifteen years. A pastor of a dying church recently said, “If you can keep them for 15 years, you must be doing something right.” Did you know that the average membership length of time for an evangelical church is only nine years and charismatic churches burn people out in a little less than six years. To revitalize a church one must be focused on doing real disciple-making. So if we drop a person’s tenure to something like ten years, then we would need to incorporate 30 new people each year. A church with an average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 100 would need to incorporate 20 people. Sustainability can be achieved but it does not happen without a plan to connect and reach with ones community.

- Tom Cheyney

5 Steps to Revitalize Your Church Communications

By Mark MacDonald

I don’t have to convince you that many churches today need revitalization. Communication systems must be revitalized along with so many other crucial areas. It’s not as difficult as it may appear, but it’s incredibly crucial to the success of your revitalization efforts.

Why? Because people need to know who you are, what you’re known for, and what you plan to do for them. They need all of this communicated extremely well. You may have a great message, but if people don’t hear it the right way, at the right time, it’ll be lost or not noticed at all.

Here are 5 steps to the revitalization of your church communications to assure a foundation for an effective department that engages well and enables the potential for growth:

Understand your congregation and your community. Start at the beginning. You must

know the people you’re talking to well in order to know how to get them to listen and engage with your content. Remember you have an internal au-

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dience and an external audience. If your church has been dropping in numbers, you need revitalization!

You’ll need to change.

In your research of your internal audience, try to find out where a disconnect has occurred. If people aren’t engaging, the product you’ve been offering is wrong or not presented correctly. You’ll need to consider ways to fix this.

In the same way, try to discover why the congregation that has stayed with the church has chosen to remain. Most people don’t do something without receiving a benefit.

Discover and communicate your thread.

You need to know people’s perception of “church”.

Your goal is to change the perception so that your church is something desired.

You need to become known for a solution to their concerns or a path to their goals. For example, if everyone is thirsty, and you’re known for a place to quench their thirst, they’ll desire a connection with

you. The more that demand is based on a temporal need, the faster you’ll relate to them.

erything they’d want to know about you, events, and ministries.

Another more specific example: if your community is struggling with divorce and you become known for growing healthy marriages, people will pay attention to you.

- Each webpage has edited, small amounts of content that state just the facts with links to other areas of the site to give deeper meaning. A good rule of thumb? Each page or module (on the new longer-style pages) should have 50-75 words.

People don’t want to read long content. Use clear headlines and bullet-points for the main content.

Ensure that every ministry, message, and promotion establishes and reinforces your thread. This is the fastest way to connect with your community. Be known for the right thing!

Then your goal becomes training your congregation how to make the turn from the temporal to the spiritual solution; Jesus. Be known for a temporal solution they’ll understand and then help your congregation know how to introduce them to the permanent solution that Christ freely offers.

Establish a great church website. The most

effective mass-media communication solution relies entirely on a great church website. Your digital hub will work incredibly hard for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if it’s created properly. A great website is where social media, text messaging, and email promotion points to. NOTHING will work effectively if your website lets you down.

Here are the basics for an effective website: - A responsive user interface so the website works equally well on mobile as it does on desktop. This happens automatically in the code — so, based on the screen size, the layout and style sheets generate a webpage that works. Everything rearranges to accommodate the content.

- An easy-to-use content management system so you can quickly update and add content. It shouldn’t require programming skills or a developer’s mind. Wordpress is what we suggest since it’s a mainly free system that can be customized for your functionality. You’ll probably need someone to initially set it up for you (and troubleshoot), but it’s worth it.

- A simple website interface with easy-to-find content. This usually starts with a simple menu system with 5-6 menu items where most can discover ev-

- Good call-to-actions on every page so everyone knows what the next step is. Lead them to the next steps! And who to contact or visit when necessary.

Be very careful with print materials. No-

tice I didn’t mention a church bulletin, poster, direct mail, or flyers? Old-school churches still think they need them, and their congregations are addicted to them. But they don’t need them! With an effective digital hub, you need very few printed communication materials. Most people are very comfortable using the internet to find information. Don’t start something you’ll have to phase out in the future.

People want good digital content that’s available when they want it. The only way to supply it as desired is on your website because almost everyone has the ability to jump to a URL and find the information on their phones.

Or if they see something entertaining on your church’s social media, they can click a link that takes them to your web content.

The benefits of digital over print? Print is costly to set up, must be constantly changed and reprinted, and can’t be easily fixed if there’s a mistake.

If your congregation and community is addicted to your website, you’ll save lots of money. It all starts by ensuring a GREAT website first. If you have print materials now, consider reducing their size and reliance as you start pointing to the digital solution.

Consistently control everything you can.

You need a system and strategy to consistently deliver your thread in a visual, recognizable way. This

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is your brand. You need to consistently control crucial components so that they become instantly recognizable from your church. Control: fonts, colors, thread, and design elements.

The easiest way to do this is developing a simple graphic standard. This can be as easy as a simple one-page sheet that states how your church will limit the use of each of these elements.

You should also explain who your two audiences are and what concerns or goals you are a solution for.

And know specific words you’re going to be discovered by. Think about what your audience is googling (most search for solutions or concerns).

Make sure you’re using those keywords regularly. This allows your web content to be discoverable to a world that’s not searching for church.

Of course, you’ll also have churchy keywords so search engines point to you when a family moves to your area or wants to change churches.

A good communicator controls all of these things. There’s never a better time to revitalize your communication system than right now. Good communication keeps people happy and engaged. And that’s what revitalization is all about.

Mark MacDonald is a Bible Teacher, speaker, au-

thor of Be Known For Something, and communication strategist for BeKnownForSomething.com. He empowers churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, websites, and social media. His book is available at BeKnownBook.com and amazon.com.

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Standing Out Through the Summer, Instead of Standing Down As a pastor, I always dreaded the summer months, while publicly promoted them as the best ministry time of our annual calendar of events. Normally our congregational average attendance would dive by 15-25% on any given Sunday. Our leadership team examined the reasons for this phenomenon and listed the following contributing factors, plus some ministries that helped us bolster the summer blues. Before our evaluation and adjustments, we experienced decline in attendance, decline in financial receipts and an overall low morale.

Yes, there were those moments of ecstasy, but it was hard to get excited when we were spending a wad of money for VBS and receiving less almost every Sunday.

Here are things we saw as some of the contributing factors (The setting was the Denver, CO area): • Colorado people are nature people. They could now get out of the house and enjoy the beauty of their environment without carrying a snow shovel around!

Nature, and all her fun amenities, drew people from the monotony of weak Sunday services to the grandeur of majestic peaks and a myriad of recreational options.

• We are a much more mobile society. We can go because we have wheels!

• We were worn out from the yard work that was once hidden under the snow.

• We just don’t see the need for regular church attendance. We would rather DO church, than BE the church.

Once we understood this, and accepted it as what we were dealing with, we committed to make the adjustments needed to move forward and upward in the Kingdom work to which we had been called. Summer is a hard time to sell anything monotonous and time consuming.

Here are some ministry events that endeared our congregation to our community and families. As a result, many joined us, even on their valuable Sunday:

By Tracy W. Jaggers

• Try modifying your service schedule and take a break from small groups and meetings. No Sunday evening services throughout the summer break.

• We initiated “The Summer Celebration of Volunteers” – we changed our Sunday morning Bible studies to a Master Teacher style (one able-teacher leading several smaller groups) requiring about 75% less personnel.

This gave our volunteers a needed rest. After the special recognition service, we (the staff ) served lunch to all our volunteers and their families.

• Here were the main goals of our Master-Teacher Bible Study classes - building healthy families, training for effective parenting and producing strong marriages.

• Think about an annual Community Appreciation Day (First-Responders Day). This included a service honoring all law enforcement personnel: police, sheriffs, fire department, EMTs, etc. Ours was followed by a barbeque and games for the service personnel and their immediate family. This would be perfect if you serve near a military facility.

• We met in a high school cafeteria and we would rearrange the chairs almost every week during the summer. It places people closer together and makes each Sunday a fun surprise!

• Also consider a Teacher Appreciation Sunday for all school teachers (you may need to select only one school). We recognized them in our worship service, prayed for them to be successful and protected, and gave them a gift card to a local restaurant or theater.

• This is a good time to plan some needed repairs or additions to the place where your church meets. We built a 60’ x 40’ open-air pavilion. Upon its completion. we had a dedication with dinner on the grounds and a fun celebration service. By now, you should have grasped the idea that getting together, reaching out to the community and unreached, being grateful and celebrating the cooperative ministry of the church are important values to our congregation. Yeah, food too!

• Don’t forget the normal summer holidays/events – Vacation Bible School; Summer Youth Camp, National --Continued on page 62

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Keeping Church Revitalization Efforts Flowing During The Summer Months in Youth Ministry Continued ecution category, but the revitalized church on the upswing is the one who uses their summer, not to dream, but to execute the dreams God has placed on your impassioned hearts the last 4-5 months.

Meaning, do not start dreaming in July and role your next brilliant idea out in August.

Here is an example: Photography in my leadership position has its challenges because of the area I live in. So in order to highlight things going on in our Youth Ministry via social media, I need to get parent permission waivers and etc. for every Student I want to highlight via photography. So this summer I will be creating a team for this, training a team for this, walking them through the specifics I am looking for, and teaching them the kind of photos our Youth Ministry wants to highlight. So basically, our team is executing an idea this summer that stirred in our hearts in March and we will be using our time this summer to implement. Why does the timing of this implementation matter you might ask; because ships do not rise if we fail to execute.

By Drew Cheyney

ible schedule and find moments to spend time with your families. As someone who sacrificed this early on in ministry, know there will always be something to do.

There will always be a new strategy or mentality; there will always be another student or leader who needs Jesus in their lives, but our legacies are not what we do in our ministries although that is important, the legacies we leave on this earth are seen through our families, our kids, one day their kids, and the time you get with them is a rare commodity that needs to be sacred instead of sacrificed.

So while there will be a thousand things to get ready to promote, or training videos to create, your kids will only be 2 for so long, your time with your husband or wife is continually counting down, so keep in mind what your real legacy truly is and invest wisely this summer in what matters most.

4. Lastly, Spend Time With Your Family While summer is not the time to slow down or pump the brakes, it is a great time to have a flex-

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

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst

of wolves; therefore be shrewd

as serpents, and

innocent as doves‌Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and

anyone who welcomes me

welcomes the one who sent me�

Matthew 10:16 & 40

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RenovateConference.org/church-partners

Would you consider partnering with Renovate to help us revitalize churches across North America? You can do so by including us into your church’s Annual Church Budget. Your Monthly or Annual Support will help us continue to scholarship pastors and leaders of declining churches to the annual Church Revitalization Conference. Here are three ways you can become a Church Alliance Partner with Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference, in return for your partnership we will give you: RESTORER RE-INVENTOR LEVEL LEVEL Monthly or Annual Support

RENOVATOR LEVEL

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Personal Coaching From Tom Cheyney & Renovate Staff $500 Value

How to Become A Church Alliance Partner Please register online to begin your alliance partnership with Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference at RenovateConference.org/church-partners 37

Foundation for Renewal Sustainability Shirley and I lived for several years in Denver so I could go to seminary there. Needing a place to live, we enlisted a realtor to show us affordable houses.

One of the homes was in a nicer neighborhood. It had a great view of the mountains. The front looked neat and clean. But when we got into the back bedroom, we discovered why it was in our price range. There we found a crack from floor to ceiling wide enough to see outdoors.

Having grown up around the construction trade, I knew this crack signaled that the house had a bad foundation—that the house would fall down someday if it was not condemned by the city first. It was an easy ‘no’ decision.

Corinth. “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

All buildings built to last must have good foundations. And the taller they are, the deeper the foundation has to be to absorb the pressure from above. The current world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, has a foundation that bottoms out at 164 feet.

The foundation is not just the skyscraper’s footing. It keeps the skyscraper from sinking, crumbling or tilting (think ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa’).

When it comes to renewal, sometimes pastors assume that

When it comes to the church you lead, you have to think this same way. No one can build up a church unless he or she builds on a deep foundation. Paul is pretty explicit about this in his letter to the divisive leaders at 38

“It is in the marketplace, workplace, school and home where the people worship God with their lives, witness about the glory of God, and make disciples.”

By Steve Smith

their church’s spiritual foundation is pretty solid. After all, they are preaching Christ crucified. They are teaching the Bible, calling people to walk in the truth. But experience shows often that, while the pastor may be hitting all the right scriptural chords, his congregation may still be singing the wrong song—or not singing at all.

I once worked with a church whose pastor had a great honeymoon with the congregation when he arrived.

Sensing the need for a fresh vision, he led the core leadership on a two year process of rediscovering vision and building a strategy to accomplish it. Yet it all fell flat. The majority of the congregation kind of shrugged when it was presented. The pastor was baffled.

As we worked together, he quickly came to see that the vision wasn’t the problem. The church’s spiritual foundation was the problem. It wasn’t that he was not preaching important biblical truths. The problem was that the unfinished business in the spiritual life of the church had not been addressed.

Prior to his coming, the congregation had experienced a string of pastoral failures and bullying that throttled the spiritual life out of its people.

They still were going through the motions of being a church. But

their spiritual foundation was eroded. This led to a growing exodus of believers out the door who could not really tell you why they were leaving. Leaders were pulling back to watch instead of contribute.

It renews our hope in the gospel.

When a pastor undertakes the serious responsibility of guiding people in addressing their personal unfinished business, he is doing the true work of a shepherd.

The pastor needed to help his congregation address what they had experienced at the hands of broken men and how this had affected their trust in Jesus.

They needed to relearn how the gospel would make them spiritually whole again, after having been misused and misled by men who they formerly called leaders or even ‘Pastor.’

Perhaps you are currently leading your congregation in renewal.

You have worked hard with your leaders to chart the right course. Your congregation seems interested, even a bit enthused.

Before you go further in the process, check out your church’s foundation. Is there unaddressed unfinished business from the past that is already undermining renewal?

To lead a church to renewal, your congregation will need this level of healing and trust to re-establish its spiritual foundation. But there can be another level, a corporate level, of unfinished business which, left to fester, will undermine your renewal leadership. This is when the church has experienced collective brokenness in the past.

Brokenness such as a church split or an abusive leader or a pastor’s moral failure. Ignore these to your congregation’s peril.

Preaching Christ crucified is good. Preaching how Christ crucified heals and frees the church from past abuse and sin is more to the point. If you want to sustain fresh vision, develop a new strategy to sow the gospel and reap a harvest, then you also have to pay attention to the foundation that will allow the congregation to move from shaky spiritual ground back onto a firm foundation.

Unfinished business exists at several levels. For example, individually we all have spiritual, emotional and mental baggage we still carry which we need to surrender to Jesus. Deep personal wounds that we have never asked Jesus to heal because we think they are too painful to remember or too ‘distant’ in our past to be a matter of concern.

And growing addictive sin issues from which we need Jesus to free us instead of us trying to manage them and keep them out of sight.

Dealing with our unfinished business is the transformational work of Jesus through the Spirit.

group where people can learn about their unfinished business and begin to pursue deeper intimacy with God. • Go on a spiritual retreat with your leaders, during which the focus is on God and your relationship with Him rather than on church growth.

One of my transformational heroes, Ford Taylor, said that it is in the marketplace, workplace, school and home where the people worship God with their lives, witness about the glory of God, and make disciples. Church is where they come together to learn from leaders like you how to do this better.

Better is not just your strategies and systems, as important to renewal these may be. Better is when their lives are deeply established on the foundation already laid. So be a wise builder this summer.

Don’t let up on this as you go into the summer. Calendar time to do one or more of the following: • Explore with your leaders what past spiritual brokenness from the congregation’s history should be addressed. Invite an outside spiritual advisor for help in assessing this.

Steve Smith is the founder of

ChurchEquippers Ministries. He is the author of several books including The Key to Deep Change and the Increasing Capacity Guidebook. He is a strategic thinker, a relational networker, a mentor and coach to pastors and young leaders.

• Focus on transformational training. Offer a discipling 39

Pastor Rob’s Top Ten Questions About: “The Summer Slump” One of the first steps in growing, as a pastor is to learn how to ask the right questions about your organization. As a pastor, the whole congregation is looking to you for leadership. Most of the time, in the role of a revitalization specialist, we help pastors realize issues that exist within their churches that they already know about.

In many cases, rationalizations or excuses have been built up to become a literal spiritual stronghold in the pastor’s life. So I thought it might be helpful to probe a series of questions which can help us to understand what we can cannot change. I am going to write the question out, and then make some provocative statements about the question. I would then encourage you to take out a pen and paper or a journal and interact with the probe of the question in my thoughts. These questions are generally made to make you think. I personally believe you know the solutions and my job is to give you a little nudge.

1. If less work generates lower offerings, Why do you take your vacation in the summer time?

Have you ever seen a car dealership that closes for the summer? In the world, businesses are run by analytics. I once worked for men at the national shirt company in West Palm Beach mall. This man was amazing every day, he took the time to go to his large white plastic calendar that he had mounted on the wall. At the time I was there the calendar was now three years old. On that calendar he had tracked his sales for the day, the weather, the size of his staff, and his inventory totals. I asked him why he did this, and he told me that by tracking everything, every day that was important to his business that he could predict the size staff that he needed for the day; the volume of his sales and the impact that weather might have on his business.

This man was eventually promoted to be in charge of the national shirt company for the whole state of Florida. This man understood, that to be a great national shirt company manager, he had to understand completely the flow of his business. He also had to understand the causes of the flow of his business. Because he understood the flow of his business he could predict. As a pastor, it is imperative that we understand the flow of our business. The church summer slump is a nationwide phenomena. It involves part of the flow of our business as a church. We all know that people tend

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to take their vacations in the summer and we all know that this is understandable.

However, at the beginning of this point I mentioned the fact that you never see a car dealership slow down in the summertime. Their peak days for sales are generally targeted holidays. The business world has increased the targeting of audiences to their product to increase flow into their business. They have spotted times when people are more apt to frequent their business and they have designed their marketing campaigns to compensate and overcome their weak times and customer attendance.

Rick Warren is probably one of the great masters of understanding targeting and flow within the body of Christ. I’ve often heard him say that for a church to miss marketing on the “big three” days of the church: Easter, Christmas and Mother’s Day is downright foolish. These are the days of natural flow into the church. On the other hand, we have to think of what happens during the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which are big car sales days sandwiching the car dealer’s summer slump. Here is what the car dealer does not do: he does not go on vacation, he does not ease off on his staff, he does not reduce his inventory and he does not reduce the hours of his business. The car dealer is only interested in seeing people come to his doors so they will buy cars.

As pastors, what we have is a product is a far greater value and importance than the simple automobile. What I’m saying here is, curb the vacation and go into high gear in the slump. When things are difficult, work harder and don’t slack off. Pace yourself, and do not neglect your family, but understand that the summer can be one of the most productive times in the church’s life.

My next few questions can prompt some more thought… You have to ask yourself the question: “would Jesus Christ approve of you taking most of the summer off, either in your attitude or in your work?”

2. If VBS works and brings in hundreds of children into our church, Why don’t we grow in the summer?

Last year our midsize church had well over 200 children attending vacation Bible school! As I was planning for the summer, I had to ask myself the hard question if I can get 200 children to attend daily for one week, what would I have to do to get 200

children and their families involved in our church all summer long? I’m planning to come up with a massive visitation program with my men’s ministry to follow up on what are nothing but hot leads that are already interested in the Lord Jesus Christ and coming to our church. I asked my staff last week, how can we capitalize on the fact that these children are flowing into our church in mass? This question sets us up for the next point to ponder!

3. If you want to grow through the summer, Why do we close down our AWANA programs until school restarts?

Have you ever wondered why we shut down the AWANA program during the summer? I recall the last time I asked about this, that I was told that AWANA only runs during the school year and shuts down in order to give the teachers a break. Using the same rationale we should probably shut down children’s church and Sunday school for the summer as well. And why not all Wednesday night services church training events and church membership classes on top of that? Oh let’s just face it, why do we even do church during the summertime?

If we are not about the great commission of Jesus Christ 24/7×12 months a year, we are not a biblically valid church.

4. Why does attendance drop in the summer?

One of my favorite sayings of Rick Warren is that there is no excuse for having a boring church. I would venture to say that this is one of the key problems to church attendance in the summertime.

Even if the staff has to stay and not go on vacation, they are mentally on vacation or spending their time putting about why they are not. Some churches just going to slow down mode for the summer. Some of the most boring times in the churches life occur when the church has little expectation of good attendance. The rationale is, why bother going through all this effort if no one cares enough to attend. My answer to that is why serve up bad food, tainted with discontent and expects people to get excited about eating it. The summertime is the time for our very best intentional efforts to reach the community for Christ. There is no snow to slow us down,

By Rob Myers there is no cold to keep us in, so why not use this beautiful time of the year to get intentionally creative on making summer services the best in your town?

5. Just why do offerings drop in the summer?

You’ve heard the old phrase, “you get what you pay for.” Summer offerings drop many times because they don’t want to pay for what they’re getting! With all the electronic giving that is available today, a church is foolish not to provide a means for people to bring their offerings into the storehouse through your website or your church app. The days of checks be mailed in our gone… there over! The days of cash or gone. Well over 50% of our offerings on a weekly basis or electronic. The electronic giving portal will enable your church to remind people to give even while they’re not there. Using a very reasonable service like planning center can become a great tool for gathering in offerings while people are on vacation. It is also important to teach people in your membership training classes and in your discipleship material that giving does not just occur when they are in town it occurs all the time. Don’t blame them (the people) if you’ve never told them how they can give water gone!

Just a thought…!

6. If summer camp produces great results in our youth department, Why don’t we grow in the summer?

A lot of churches do not understand the need to invest in the youth department of the church. The number one question the people ask when coming to your church is going to be: “what do you have to offer my children?” Step one, get your church into a regular system of having a summer camp experience for your children. My father, Bob Myers, was one of the founders of church recreation in the United States during the 1950s when he worked for a young pastor named W. A. Criswel. A dad went to work in the later years with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention where he directed the Baptist camp in Santa Clara Panama.

He was fond of saying, “A child will learn more Bible in one week of camp, then in 52 weeks of sermons.” A solid youth program that follows up on the decisions that are made of summer camp is going to impact not just the kids but their parents as well.

You bring back a transformed teenager, that will transform his school when school starts and you will see growth in the summer that will not stop! Which meets the next question:

7. If camp works for youth, would it also work for adults?

Nationwide churches have moved away from getting their churches into general retreats in camps. I believe with all my heart that if you are wise you will weave together the need for them to have a vacation with what you provide in a retreat or camp format. At least give them the option to choose something that has a spiritual benefit for their family as well as a fun time!

There are many great camps all across our nation. Many of them are suited for full family attendance. This summer I am taking whoever will come for a four-day family camp.

8. If the school year is longer and summer is shorter, why has the attendance drop not decreased?

The fact is that our summers are now shorter, and families have less time to spread their vacations through what used to be almost a three-month period. What this is going to require of the local church is a higher degree of planning in a greater degree of enthusiasm. A lack of intentionality, coupled with a laziness through a longing for personal vacation will kill a church in the summer.

looking for a church that has solid biblical teaching and great contemporary worship. Ignore that and die.

10. How many of my problems with summer are related to my attitude?

As you going through these 10 points it all comes down to this last one. Most of the things that I’m talking about have to do with my attitude as a senior pastor. I can either launch my church into substantial growth through the summer or I can rationalize that I really am tired and need a vacation and just coast by getting in those extra golf games; going on those little excursions; dragging out my trip to the national convention. When I am gone, I can’t wait to get back… Check your leadership attitude, and ask yourself the question: in my what’s causing the church not to grow during the summertime? Make an intentional effort to lead. You say to me, “but Rob it’s not easy!” I say to you, “if you want an easy religion, don’t pick one whose leader dies on the cross for the sins of the world and ask you to daily take up your cross as well.” Attitude… What are you in this gospel ministry for? If you are here for self interest, repent and become the representative of Jesus Christ who tirelessly served others. If you need rest, go on a staffer treat and become spiritually revitalized; come back to your church with the fire in your heart they will follow you and grow all through the year!

9. Is it possible to gain momentum in the summer?

One of the most difficult things to gain in church life is momentum. It takes much effort to break the initial inertia of standing still in order to move forward. Most churches have effective momentum after the time of Easter, and just let it blow to the wind for the summer. These churches do not know how to maintain momentum.

I call momentum the great “Mo.” Mo is hard to achieve, an easy to lose. When I told my staff last Easter was that every Sunday after Easter needed to be done as well as Easter was itself. I want Easter to be a repeatable process within my church. I do not want to do things that I cannot sustain through the rest of the year on Easter. On the other hand I don’t want Easter to be lousy. I want every Sunday to be Easter good! Recent research has shown that the millennial’s are

Rob Myers is the Lead pastor of Miami Baptist Church, a vibrant multi-cultural church of over 700 in attendance located on the main East - West corridor of South Miami. Rob has been pastoring for over twenty eight years and before that was in music and youth ministry for ten years. Rob was a church planter for seventeen years and has now been the Senior Pastor of Miami Baptist Church for eleven years.

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Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Churches I went to seminary in the 1980s at the height of the Church Growth Movement. So when I took my first church, I was “loaded for bear.”

It didn’t take long to realize that the people in the rural congregation I was pastoring had a completely different understanding of church growth. My first years in that pastorate were more difficult than they needed to be. Thankfully, I had some great friends and mentors who helped me learn as much from their experience as my own mistakes.

The greatest lesson I learned is one that I still teach pastors to this day. It’s the difference between what has been called centripetal mission and centrifugal mission.

The first was God’s design for Israel, as he drew the whole world through the Fertile Crescent to the witness of His holy people nestled between the Mediterranean and the desert (Isaiah 2:1-5; 55:1-5).

The second is the design of His Church, going out from the “center” of Jerusalem into all the world (Acts 1:8).

The mistake I made in the 1980s is the same mistake many still make today: they put so much emphasis on the attraction of a centripetal mission – working hard to draw people to the church – that they nearly forsake the outward momentum of a centrifugal mission – taking the church out into the world. What’s more, keeping that Christ-commissioned centrifugal focus is an every-day, lifelong task.

It’s insidiously easy to fall back into a more attractional mindset.

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Being attractive in and of itself is not wrong; however, the lasting impact of people putting down deep roots within a church family can only happen when the mission of the church is focused outward not inward. Everything about the church’s ministry must be primarily designed with an outward motivation.

When it comes to church revitalization, this is usually the first ministry aspect I assess. The longer and more invested a congregation is in centripetal, attractional, inwardly-focused ministry, the harder it is and the longer it takes to return that church to fruitful evangelism and outreach. There are at least two issues with which such a church must ultimately deal. First a church that has been overly centripetal for a number of years has assuredly filled itself with people who were “attracted” to the church through its “attractional” ministries and programs. In most cases, such people are resistant to doing centrifugal mission themselves and will often oppose any migration by the church to a more “missional” ministry design.

The more the pastor and leaders push centrifugal mission, the noisier these folks will become – and ultimately they may even leave because they were never committed to such outward ministry in the first place. It’s sad, but many of these people have learned to be consumers rather than producers – and they may have a history of “church shopping” as a result.

The second issue such a church must address in any revitalization

By John Kimball effort is what I have called the “Law of Progressive Increase.” The Law of Progressive Increase is the idea that whatever the church did to attract these people in the first place can not only never be deleted from the ministry menu, but it must also be done consistently better and bigger to keep them. In many cases, attractional Christians (and especially those who truly have a consumer mentality) will eventually become dissatisfied with the church’s ministry because its impossible to keep improving and expanding it to meet their expectations. Such is the plight of an overly centripetal local church emphasis.

Centrifugal (outward) people, whether drawn in through witness and disciple making or transformed through a church revitalization process, are not only satisfied but will flourish in local church environments rooted in mission. Even though such ministry is more labor-intensive and grows far more slowly, the fruit of their direct participation in the mission of Christ’s Church ignites them. Their engagement outside of the church walls is often profound (I have found this to be particularly true among GenXers and Millennials). What’s more, centrifugal churches often see an incredible increase in spiritual growth and maturity among their members as a result of such participation.

This blessing also comes with an important warning: Centrifugal people will quickly become dissatisfied and will leave a church

as it becomes more centripetal (inward). Those who are drawn to Christ’s mission tend to be intolerant of any non-mission focus that overtakes a church’s time, attention and resources. When local church leaders see a steady increase in “attractional” Christians, they will also see a steady decrease in “missional” believers. The key is to maintain a more centrifugal mindset and design.

When it comes to revitalization, it’s imperative to keep the focus on the mission and not just the mechanics of change and growth. It’s way too easy to make church systems run like a well-oiled machine and woo people into keeping that machine running smoothly instead of doing what Jesus commissioned us to do. In most cases, churches in need of revitalization will inherently be in need of a well-planned migration to a more centrifugal approach to ministry – and that centrifugal approach must influence everything the church does. The Sunday morning experience must focus on Christ’s mission. All Sunday School, small groups and other disciple-making work must be outwardly focused.

Children’s, Youth and Student Ministries must lead the church out into the community to engage the harvest field. And all the while, pastors and church leaders must keep in mind that a centrifugal transition is costly – centripetal (inward) people will complain, and some will leave. What they are

resisting is personal revitalization – the mission may be in their vocabulary, but it is likely not in their experience. Some will resist because of anxiety of the unknown, but most will resist because they simply are not interested. This was not the church they thought they were joining.

I struggled with that last truth for many years. But then I had a personal watershed moment in my pastoral career. I was attending a John Maxwell event in Richmond, Virginia. I came to that event praying about resigning from the church.

I was broken, burned, and burned out. In that auditorium of about 1000 people, I really don’t think Maxwell was actu-

ally looking at me, but the fact is that he looked my direction and pointed at me from the stage as he made this point: “If you follow Jesus and do what he told you to do, people are going to leave. If you don’t follow Jesus, and you don’t do what he told you to do, people are going to leave. People are going to leave no matter which you do – it’s your job to decide which group needs to go.” I leave you pondering the truth of Maxwell’s wisdom.

Revitalization is costly. It requires change. And it can only happen when the church takes Christ’s mission (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) seriously. Become a Centrifugal Church.

Dr. John Kimball is the Founder/CEO of The Beaumeadow Group, a company specializing

in helping Churches and Nonprofits better utilize today’s electronic media for communication both to their constituents and the mission field. He also serves as the Lead Pastor of Palmwood Church in Oviedo FL, as the national Director of Church Development for his denomination, the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, and as a consultant, coach and trainer for The Praxis Center of Church Development in Manchester NH. Dr. Kimball has over 30 years of ministry experience on both the local and national levels.

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Turning Around a Generic Church 7Marks© of a Growing Church – Getting Volunteers Involved

7Marks© of a Growing Church – Building Revitalization Upon a Church’s Gifts (6th in the Series)

making significant kingdom impact because God has anointed these programs.

This article is the 6th of “7Marks© of a Growing Church” uncovering church revitalization secrets from the 2015 American Congregations Study conducted by Hartford Seminary (www.FaithCommunitiesToday. org). This sixth mark is that growing churches usually have at least one “specialized program.”

But too often church leaders are not aware of how much an effective, specialized program can be the foundation upon which to build a revitalized church. Turning around a church means recognizing which programs are having a kingdom impact in the community and channeling more funding and volunteers to those ministries.

This is a ministry it does well and church leaders put funding/person-power behind it to expand it.

Almost 52% of the growing churches could cite at least one specialized program. But less than 42% of the churches who claimed “no specialty” were growing.

Church revitalization takes place in even a small and dying churches if they uncover the specialized program that God has given them.

The Bible describes how God gives spiritual gifts that allow individuals to uniquely contribute to a fellowship of believers and to reach out to meet the needs of people in the community (1 Cor. 12:7, Eph. 4:7, 1 Peter 4:10). Gifts are listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 along with secondary gift lists in 1 Corinthians 7, 13-14; Ephesians 3 and 1 Peter 4. And, most Christians are a mixture.

I’ve seen that the same type of God-empowered giftings in communities of faith. Churches often have specialized programs that are

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God-empowered Specialized Ministries I’ve asked my students to list specialized programs they have uncovered in their own churches via a 5-step process (below). Their replies include: worship-oriented churches, preaching-gifted churches, churches that reach out to the poor, churches that have a strong Sunday school program, churches that offer tutoring for schoolchildren in the community, churches that support foreign missions, churches that support local missions, churches that plant churches, churches that launch multiple venues, churches that have large/multifaceted facilities, churches that have small but intimate facilities, churches that have strong prayer ministries, and the list goes on.

It is important to recognize that churches should be competent in multiple of the above specialties.

And, this not to say all of the specialized programs listed are good for everyone. But, these are the type of specialized ministries upon which

By Bob Whitesel

churches have focused to reach their community.

When revitalizing a church, and that church is small and weak, it is helpful to find a specialized, anointed program upon which the church revitalization can be built. This does not mean that everything a church specializes in, or even that it does well, is what God intends. Thus, 5-steps can help you ascertain if God has gifted a congregation with a specialized program which can become a foundation for revitalization.

An example of a church revitalization based upon a specialized, anointed program (This example is gleaned from several case studies in order to preserve anonymity.)

A small and dying church, had been trying to attract younger generations by offering contemporary music. Unfortunately this aging congregation had never been skilled (nor seemingly anointed) in contemporary music. Therefore these efforts failed.

But, though small and dying the church had a long tradition of members weekly tutoring 5th grade students over lunch in a nearby school. When polling the community (below) it became clear that this program was much appreciated. The church began to invite younger generations to join their lunch mentoring program. Younger generations, appreciating such service to the community, soon began attending the church.

Conduct a Saturday morning community survey to find your specialized, anointed program A simple survey is conducted by a handful of church leaders who go out into the community on a Saturday morning from 10 until noon.

Conducted in a public location such as the park or Civic Plaza, the leaders explain they are from a local church (identifying that church) and ask those they interview how they would describe their church.Leaders write down the replies and spend the afternoon looking for recurring programs about which people in the community know and appreciate.

Be forewarned, the community will know some negative things too. Yet, it’s important to be aware of these as well.

The leaders ferret out the one or two ministries for which the church is known and begin to build part of their revitalization strategy on this.

This is conducted in 5-steps.

Evaluate the specialized program though 5-steps 1) Describe the specialized program in two ways: A. In a first sentence, describe your church’s specialized program.

B. In a second sentence, explain what “need” it meets in the community.

2) Evaluate it for Biblical fidelity and longevity. Carefully narrow your focus to one or two ministries that can be sustained over a long period of time and which appeal to younger generations as well.

A. Evaluate this specialized ministry through a biblical lens. A ministry must line up with God’s Word and His intention to reconcile the world to himself. There are many specialized programs that may not be your most appropriate avenue for spreading the Good News.

B. Ask yourself if this program can be maintained over the long term. If the church is known for “a good choir,” but choirs are less appealing to the younger generations, this is probably not the specialized program upon which you can build your future.

3) Expand the program. This may require taking the focus away from other things you’re doing and refocus time and treasure on a specialized program that is having an impact. Though not easy, it is wiser to spend time and treasure on programs that God has anointed, rather than trying

to simply copy what other churches are doing.

4) Tell people you are expanding this ministry. Feature it prominently on the main page of your website and in your communication.

5) Evaluate your specialized program through the 5-steps every year.

Ask people (in a community survey) about specialized programs for which your church is known.

Look for an increasing awareness in the community of the specialized, anointed ministry.A specialized and impactful ministry is a characteristic of growing churches according to The American Congregations Study. These 5-steps will help you discover an anointed and specialized ministry upon which God may intend to build a revitalization.

Bob Whitesel D.Min., Ph.D., is a award-winning writer and sought-after consultant on church growth.

Founding professor of Wesley Seminary at IWU, he holds his “Annual 1-Day Church Consultant Training” as a Pre-Conference to Renovate in Orlando including: • Credit available for Society of Church Consulting Training Levels 1&2 • Credit available for continuing education or 3-graduate credits through Wesley Seminary.

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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SOUTHERN

BAPTISTS

February 8

Criswell College, Dallas The focus for 2018 is reaching the generations in revitalization. Our focal theme is on assisting the local church address specific generational needs in its context without neglecting those who are still present. Speakers will address engaging the various generations in a reaching and discipling ministry.

COST

$15

OF

TEXAS

David Fedele

Reaching Gen Z

Johnny Derouen

Reaching Youth

Pastor of Adult Mobilization, FBC Colleyville

Senior Pastor, FBC Mustang, OK

Mitch Tidwell

Collegiate Evangelism Associate, SBTC

Grant Skeldon

Initiative Network Founder

Kenneth Priest

Convention Strategies Director, SBTC

8:30am - 4:30pm Keynote Speaker

Jonathan Falwell

Senior Pastor, Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA

Speaking on

Ministry in a MultiGenerational Church

REGISTER AT

CONVENTION

Reaching Collegians Reaching Millennials Reaching Gen X

Chris Shirley

Reaching Boomers/Builders

Chris Enright

Technology for the Generations

Professor of Discipleship Dallas Baptist University

Information Technology Associate, SBTC

Lance Crowell Church Ministries Associate, SBTC

Disciplemaking Among the Generations

sbtexas.com/revitalization 47

ARE YOU LEADING YOUR CHURCH TOWARD “A SUMMER SLOW-DOWN,” “A SUMMER OFF”, OR “A SUMMER SURGE”?

Personally, I’ve never been one who approaches the summer months as a time to slow down or to take the summer off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for summer vacations, taking some time to relax and many other seasonal opportunities and adventures the summer months bring.

As I think about it, my approach to summer goes back to how I was raised. Growing up in at that time the small town of Gilbert Arizona, located east of Phoenix, we had a family business where we manufactured and sold various pre-cast concrete products.

So, summers consisted of long, hot hours working in the sun, doing plain hard work the old-fashioned way. Then after work each day, our high school football coach would have us lift weights and do all kinds of cardio work so that we might get stronger and in shape for the upcoming fall high school football season.

Even though I’m sure I did my share of complaining during those summer months growing up, many times I’ve looked back and have seen how beneficial that time in my life was. This period in my life prepared me not only for the upcoming fall football season, but much more importantly, learning the disciplines of a strong work ethic while I was younger has been a major plus in my life, family and ministry throughout my adult years.

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Having served local churches for over 30 years as a Lead Pastor, many of those churches which needed to be revitalized, I’ve always made it a point to lead the church to prepare for and work hard, expecting not only a summer surge, but also believing what is done in the summer months will produce a fall harvest. If you want to keep the revitalization efforts flowing during the summer months in your church, then you cannot approach this season of the year with a summer “slow-down” or “taking the summer off” kind of mentality.

Let me suggest to you three forward movement principles from God’s Word as the summer months rapidly approach:

PRAY In the 5th Psalm, verse 3, David prayed, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Prayer is an essential spiritual weapon to overcome the enemy. Sadly, prayer is often an under-utilized weapon among God’s people. Let me strongly encourage you in your personal life and in the life of the church to seek fresh ways to talk to God and to hear from him in prayer.

Some prayer-related questions for you to consider might be:

By Darwin Meighan

What should the prayer focus be this summer for the unique setting and context God has placed you? When it comes to personal and corporate prayer, consider exploring new settings and new locations to pray during the summer months. Consider identifying strategic neighborhoods or certain areas of your community for your people to prayer walk or to gather periodically for community-focused prayer. Remember, doing the hard work of prayer, will reap a bountiful harvest for the Lord in due time.

STAY As a leader and church body, together you must stay the course over the long haul to do what God has called you to do during this season of renewal. To experience the reality of revitalization in your church, you cannot take a season off. You must persevere - staying the course. As Paul admonishes, lead your church to “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 If God has given you a visionary process or strategic plan then by all means you must continue moving your church forward toward spiritual health and renewal. This is not optional. Refuse to settle for a summer slump.

Do not allow a slowdown in the

The Imploding Church: What to Do When It’s All Falling Apart First, ask for some time. We may feel that the church,

and our ministry, is in so much trouble that the church will not be able to pay its bills and may have to dismiss staff in order to survive, but that is not really the case. In all my years of working with churches in revitalization, I can tell you this. Churches live longer than people think. They may be hanging on by a thread, but they hang on for a long time. Ask the church and key leaders for time to address these issues. Ask people to bear with you six months because in six months, things can be vastly different.

Second, you need to know that good people do not fight. It would be nice if some of your supporters

would just stand up to the bullies in the church, but they do not. It does not mean that they do not love and support you; good people just do not fight. You probably have the support of the majority of your members, even if they are silent. Do this exercise - take a moment and look up at the ceiling tiles. How many bad ones do you see? Count them…Now count the good ones. You are where you are because God put you there. Stay put and stay faithful.

work God has called you to. First, pray expectantly. Second, commit together to stay the course.

Yes, you may choose to suspend a certain ministry or ministries during the summer months for various reasons, especially to give ministry team leaders and members a time to get refreshed and recharged. But for the most part, strive to keep most ministries intact, expecting God to continue to work and grow the church.

Summer is also a great time for you as the revitalizing pastor, along with your church staff and leadership team to evaluate where you are in the overall strategic process of renewal and revitalization for your church.

To do this, you will need to step back and look at the big picture.

As you do this, enjoy celebrating

Third, talk it out. Find someone you trust and talk about these

things. Do not keep them bottled up inside you. Remember, Jesus split His own church! In the synagogue in Capernaum many of His disciples decided that following Jesus was just too hard for them. The Apostle Paul admitted that he had enemies. How many New Testament writers addressed conflict in the church?

You are not the whole problem; you may be part of it, but you are not all of it. You can be the pastor, but you are not the church.

Fourth, take responsibility for your mistakes. You have

to own them because they are of your doing. You must ask for forgiveness if you have hurt people and change your attitude and behavior to prove your remorse. This does not necessarily mean that you will be forgiven. It is my experience that the church is not very good at forgiving, but you will go nowhere without addressing your failures.

Dr. Terry Rials is the founder of ChurchRevitalizer.com, serves

as the Senior Pastor of the Crestview Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, and leads the Church Revitalization Team Leader for Capital Baptist Association. He earned his doctorate in Church Revitalization at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a frequent conference speaker.

together those wins God has given you up to this point in the turn-around journey. Rejoice together knowing he has been at work bringing about greater spiritual health and impact in your church for the Kingdom and for His glory. Of course, also use this time of evaluation for being flexible as you continually look to the Holy Spirit for leadership.

Take the time to ask questions like: Is there a need for a change of course direction? Prayerfully and openly discuss the areas that are on track along with those areas where adjustments need to be made. Look also at next steps in the strategic process and as you do this prepare, plan and resource for these next steps accordingly. Who are the people you need? What finances are

needed? What else do you need to consider for the next steps God has planned?

PLAY A “summer surge” leader understands the wisdom of taking time off. So, yes, do take a summer vacation. I recommend taking a full week off, but preferably two.

Two weeks off with consecutive Sundays will do wonders for you, your wife and your family as you reconnect, while also together seeking renewal and spiritual refreshment in the Lord. Consider also utilizing the summer months as a time to set aside certain days specifically for personal spiritual Continued on Page 56 49

5 Steps to Growing Your Sunday School During the Summer First, You must know the purpose of Sunday School. When I

ask Teachers what is the purpose of Sunday School they give me one of the following purposes: Bible study, Fellowship, Ministry. All of them are great answers, but they miss the key purpose. The purpose of Sunday School is to help the church carry out its mission of making disciples.

The Sunday School facilitates the church in carrying out the Great Commission. Consider what Moses told the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 31:12, “Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law.” This passage is many times referred to as the Great Commission in the Old Testament.

I share with my Sunday School leaders that these are the core value of our Sunday School as it outlines 4 key practices of our purpose: Reach people, Teach people, Win people, and Develop people.

Bob Mayfield, the Sunday School/ Small Group specialist at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma said: “In fact, if you want to put the purpose of Sunday School in modern terms, read Colossians 1:13.

Did you see that ‘rescue’ word? Your Sunday School class, whether it is a senior adult class or a newborn class, is part of the greatest rescue mission in world history. We are part of our Leader’s rescue mission to save lost and perishing souls from a Christ-less eternity and bring them into a personal relationship with Jesus.”

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The starting key to an effective summer Sunday School emphasis is clarity about our purpose and how it impacts all we do during the summer months. With our purpose in mind, then we must put an emphasis on key strategies that help us fulfill our purpose.

Second, Set enrollment goals for the summer months. The

definition of enrollment: “To register a prospect as a member of a Sunday School class. Sunday School Enrollment is the Welcome Mat for an outsider to become an insider in a class.” We need to develop an atmosphere where everyone knows we can enroll anyone, anytime, and anyplace. When we promote this open door for our Sunday School we are emphasizing a high priority on Bible study for everyone. This open attitude will promote new excitement in the Sunday School as we infuse new members during the summer months. A focus on new members can bring a new excitement in the purpose and place of the Sunday School in the life of the church.

WHY IS ENROLLMENT IMPORTANT?

Andy Anderson did Sunday School research and conferencing for the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay) in the 1970s. He made an important discovery in his research among all sizes of churches around the country–who were in a mix of rural, suburban, and city settings. He discovered that when 3 lost people were enrolled and active in Sunday School for a year, one out of the three would be saved. This shocking revelation shows that the Sunday School can be the most powerful evangelistic tool the church has.

By Fred Boone

In the churches that I have led I have found that open enrollment is a powerful method of reaching people for Christ. After years of setting and reaching enrollment goals I wondered why it had such an impact, then one day the Lord revealed to me the truth about this principle. I was reading Psalm 126:56, “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” The seed is the Word of God and we sow in the souls of man. Then comes the harvest. Enrollment increases the field; therefore the harvest is increased. This is a great promise from God’s Word.

Third, Start new units or classes. Forming a new class is

recognizing that there are people who can be reached if a new group is formed with the purpose of reaching this unreached group. There are several target groups: church members who are not enrolled in any group, age groups that have a missing segment or start a group with a special purpose. We started a “Parenting Class” for the parents of children who where enrolled in our Vacation Bible School.

Here are some key principles about starting new classes: • The law of 10. For every new class that you start, attendance will increase by 10. This should be the number one reason for starting a new class.

• Prayerfully recruit a teacher and core leadership team.

• Train teacher and core leaders (SundaySchoolLeader.com provides some great resources)

• Select curriculum – for summer months a short subject driven curriculum is the best choice.

• Set place and time for group. Remember if you select a time other than Sunday morning you will have to make provisions for childcare.

• Set a start date. Remember we are talking about a summer emphasis so a late May or early June start date is best.

• Promotion – the pastor should speak about the opportunity. The target group should be visited, called and sent a letter with details.

Also, use social media in creative ways.

• Just Do It!

Fourth, Set contact goals for the summer. Definition of Con-

tacts: “Love, concern, compassion and care is expressed by phone, email or letter, and visits to members with the goal of involving the member in life changing Bible study.” There is great value in making weekly contacts to members and prospects of the Sunday School.

Contacts should be seen as ministry touches and they are never more important than during the summer months as people travel and generally get out of pocket. It only takes someone missing Sunday School three times in a row to get out of the habit of attending.

Fifth, Contest and Challenge Goals. The icing on the cake is

the fun you can incorporate to accomplish these goals. You must build excitement and anticipation for your summer emphasis to have the expected impact. Again the senior pastor must take a leading roll in promoting a special summer focus. In fact the entire staff and key leaders must be on board for you to have any significant success. There are two key ways to building and highlighting the summer months.

Contest would be between classes in the Sunday School. Adult classes would compete against other adult classes, youth against youth and children against children. Contest can be developed around themes, like baseball. Points would be based on one new member = 10 runs, a visitor = 5 runs and contacts = 1 run. Develop a team to brain storm possible themes for your church and your setting. Challenge goals are the church-wide goals that are promoted from the pulpit week by week. The pastor encouraging the church by preaching a series of sermons on the theme to build continuity in the effort. The potential is limitless.

Seek the Lord and set your sites on goals that only the Lord could accomplish and you could have the greatest summer in your church’s history.

Here is a formula for increasing attendance: 1 / 7 / 10 The meaning is simple. There will be an increase in attendance of 1 when 10 contacts are made within 7 days. In other words for every ten people we contact each week attendance will increase by one person.

Fred Boone is the Executive Pastor, First Baptist Church of Mount Dora in Mount Dora, FL.

Are You Abusing Your Pastor?

We are living in a day where satanic forces are everywhere. Even the local church can become a place where evil individuals are allowed to run rampant. This chapter deals with the hardest issue pastors face when trying to begin the work of revitalization. It is when abusive lay people seek to hurt their under-shepherd. There is within some churches an air of toxic DNA that surfaces when those who have been part of killing the church are not happy with the pastor who the Lord is using to revitalize the church. Pastor abusers seldom repent of their sins and seek to remain in power until someone with a stronger backbone removes them. As shepherds continue to be battered, they ask themselves, “When will the silent majority of godly church members join together and excommunicate these bullies?” Satan loves that the membership within the local church have not risen to expose and remove such individuals from destroying the church.

God’s shepherds are being destroyed by these abuses while the rest of the membership avoids dealing with these unhealthy situations in the church.

-Tom Cheyney

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Church Revitalization that Results in Community Transformation A church in need of revitalization is one that has stopped growing or is in decline.

When the church is no longer reaching her community and the gospel is not being propagated – the community suffers. On the other hand, when the gospel is generously spread and people have the opportunity to receive the hope that is in Christ, the community benefits. The reason for this is that communities are made up of people and when people change for the better, the community changes for the better.

Likewise, when churches are revitalized, their local communities go through revitalization as well.

In the First Century, when the gospel first made its way into Asia Minor, entire cities and the whole province was radically transformed. We see this beginning in Ephesus.

First, Paul took the gospel to the synagogue where the Jews were anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Luke tells us in Acts 19 that Paul was able to preach in the synagogue in Ephesus for three months before moving on due to some backlash that he received from those who did not accept his message. When he left the synagogue, Paul and the new disciples of Jesus meet regularly in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

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What Does a Transformed City Look Like?

At Tyrannus, Paul had daily discussions with these followers of Jesus that resulted in them spreading the gospel throughout Ephesus and the entire Roman province of Asia. Luke records that, within two years, every person in the region had heard the gospel.

What kind of an impact did all of these new believers in Christ have on their community?

Well, Luke gives us a glimpse into the initial stages of community transformation in Ephesus. First we see that people held the name of Jesus in high honor (v 17). The indication is that believers and non-believers alike were in awe at the name of Jesus.

We see this also taking place in Jerusalem. Luke reports in Acts Chapter 2 that, “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”

Luke also indicated that the believers were, “…praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”

Secondly, new believers in Ephesus publically confessed their sins. The third transformational indicator was that people were turning away from pagan worship and sorcery.

By Mark Weible Finally, Luke tells us that the gospel “spread widely and grew in power.”

Beginning with the End in Mind Do you think that it is possible to see these kinds of results in your city or region today? If so, what would your area look like after your church is revitalized and community transformation as taken place?

Imagine that you are looking 20 years into the future at an anniversary celebration of your revitalization journey.

You’ve invited the mayor of your town, an 80 year-old woman and a 12 year-old boy to speak. Each person is talking about the impact that your church has had on their lives and the community as a whole. What would they say?

How does this shape your vision of the future of your church? How do you get to the fulfillment of that vision?

Practical Steps that Lead From Revitalization to Transformation 1. Approach your community as a mission field. When Paul entered

Ephesus, there were very few believers and their understanding of the gospel was not coherent. He had to start from scratch. Dependency upon the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer are not tak-

en for granted on the mission field. You are a missionary.

2. Start with those who are expecting God to do a mighty work in their lives. Paul went to

the synagogue first – looking for Jews who were anticipating the Messiah before he went to the Gentiles.

3. Sow gospel seeds generously. Expect that

God is going to allow every person in your region to hear the gospel and that He is going to use your church as a catalyst for making it happen.

4. Disciple new believers to be disciple-making trainers of trainers.

Don’t just teach them the commands of Jesus, but teach them to obey His commands. For a good resource on how to do this, check out Ying Kai’s book, T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution.

5. Give top priority to multiplication. Disciples

multiply disciples; leaders multiply leaders; groups multiply groups and churches multiply churches. Every paid and volunteer leader should have the primary responsibility of developing more leaders. This should be more important than the accomplishment of tasks alone.

5 Practical Steps 1. Approach Your Community as a mission field.

2. Start with those who are expecting God to do a mighty work in their lives.

3. Sow gospel seeds generously.

4. Disciple new believers to be disciple-making trainers of trainers.

5. Give top priority to multiplication.

Do You Really Want to Shake-up the Status Quo? There are some downsides to community transformation.

First of all, it is hard work.

Even though you are totally dependent upon God to make it happen, He is going to expect a lot out of you.

Secondly, There are people who will resist you at every turn. Do you remember the riot described in Acts 19:32?

There was also increased persecution from the Jews and the Romans. In fact, Asia Minor had become the focal point of the persecution of Christians by the end of the First Century. The truth is that, for whatever reason,

there are people who are vested in the status quo and they don’t want to see their world changed – not even for the better.

Expect opposition from within and outside of the church. In the First Century, it came first from the religious people because their beliefs were being challenged. Then, it came from the money people who made money off of paganism. They did not want to loose their livelihood and were unwilling to do something more productive.

You too should expect some opposition to your revitalization efforts. But, if you believe that God has something better planned for your church and your community, it is well-worth the sacrifice.

Mark Weible serves as the

Church Planting Director of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association and the strategic Director of the Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference. Mark has a wealth of experience as a church planter and local church coach.

Mark is passionate about church multiplication, renewal, planting, and coaching.

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Keep Church Moving Everything in its own time “Do not say there are yet four months until the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are already white for the harvest.” John 4:35 Actually, the time of year really shouldn’t have any effect on Revitalization efforts. In fact the summer months should actually enhance the work.

During the winter months it is difficult to get a congregation motivated. Those months are best used for planning and refining the changes, goals and process desired for new growth and health. The plans are more readily obtainable with “outside the walls” ministry.

If the revitalization effort is to make serious headway; what the church does during the summer months will “flesh out” the concepts and principles” ironed out in conferences and ministry forums. Obviously, a Church revitalization process has to build organizational structure and foundation; but the summer affords a great opportunity to “engage” the community and culture of the church surroundings. People are more active during the warmer months.

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The church revitalization team should schedule outreach events which will promote the changes and new identity of the church – the vision and focus changes have the greatest opportunity to be publicized during the “thaw” of the year.

The summer ministry; community or congregation will provide the sustained momentum necessary for the fall ingathering of people.

The church has it best time to project its new image and life by hosting or supporting community projects, parades and performances. The summer is the “get out” time for the congregation.

There are many projects or ministry initiatives that can be done during the summer. These can range from lawn, gardening and planting new flowers or trees. A church that hasn’t done its homework of getting ready for the summer; misses valuable months to encourage the congregation while engaging in the community. Engaging the community means more than passing out flyers for VBS or having fund raisers for Youth camps.

We have adopted a “No Sunday Night Summer” programming; so people can have a break during the nice weather. The congregation needs a break, so it can have time to relax and vacation. This doesn’t mean we quit everything – we just don’t have organized

By Jim Grant

“Sunday night.” We have things like ‘movie night’ or concert on the ground, with “gutter sundae” and “singin’s. Often fielding a sports team in the city leagues brings a lot of outside connection with people that otherwise would be holed up in their houses. This church for years had parcels of land it doled out to the community for vegetable gardens. In a metro or urban setting this can be a real outreach work.

The point I am trying to make is the summer months provide the best time for “outside connections” to be established. If we hold to a new image of “reaching people; then no summer slump” is the answer.

We have partnered with Habitat for Humanity by participating in “Bucket Brigade” where we paint and refurbish houses for low income families. This brings the congregation together for team building, but also gives a much needed “win” boost for helping others. Additionally, the community has fireworks, parades and outdoor social events that we have supported/participated in and even had “booths” for summer day’s community events. Too often the church that only plans for itself during the summer will only get the satisfaction that they sent the “kids to camp” again.

I have learned that “change causes excitement.” People are drawn to

new buildings and construction projects. Summer affords a church to do some much needed outside facility sprucing up. This could be simple as having the parking lot re-stripped or putting in fresh flowers or shrubs out for accenting the landscape. The community needs to see the Church – outside and doing things not just for itself. We have volunteers who go around and water the community flower buckets along the main street of town.

If a Church can be seen “participating” in the community; the community will take notice that the Church is really part of the community. I have seen over the course of some 40 years of Church life that most churches are content to have done VBS and Youth to Camp during the summer. If summer is to be an impacting and image changing time, then the congregation must come alive during the spring.To wait until summer, in the heat of long days – people will have already opted for shade trees and iced tea!

Spring is a new life time – with the Resurrection and springtime

changes; the Church must be ready for the new life that has been lying dormant over the winter. By this I mean the Church must come to life, and come out of its “dead wintery” attitudes and behavior. Just as there is always much spring clean-up and busting out after the winter around our homes; so to this must happen in our spiritual lives.

If summer is to be an impacting and image changing time, then the congregation must come alive during the spring.

The Church admittedly, always has a lot of spring cleaning to get done. There should be less time spent inside the walls of the Church facilities and vast amounts of time outside connecting with culture and community. Obvious-

ly, the extent of the summer month’s activities will be dependent on resources and people.

People need to take vacations and get much needed rest and relaxation; but this doesn’t mean everything is put on hold.

Pastors should expect people will be gone for various reasons during the summer. But this doesn’t mean the church can’t play and work hard at the singular goal of showing new life and growth. If the seeds aren’t planted in the spring, no need to weed during the summer and unnecessary to harvest a crop in the fall.

So summer planning happens in the winter and is planted in the spring.

Those things planted will need watered and maintained during the summer – and if all goes right there will be a “great harvest” in the fall; which is another time for celebration and ingathering for the Church and community.

Jim Grant is the Lead Pastor of Heartland Baptist Church in Alton, Illinois. He is a veteran with 25 years of service in the Air Force. His extensive travels, while in the military, allowed him the unique ability to have served in the full spectrum of churches, styles, and health. Jim is the Gateway Baptist Association Revitalization Team Leader 55

ARE YOU LEADING YOUR CHURCH TOWARD “A SUMMER SLOW-DOWN,” “A SUMMER OFF”, OR “A SUMMER SURGE”? - Continued retreat to take a breath, to clear your mind, to seek God and to relax.

As your church does the hard work of ministry during the summer months, you must also take the much needed time to play together as a church family.

Schedule strategic opportunities where you intentionally lead your people to move out beyond the church walls. Use these outside-the-walls opportunities to connect, building relationships and serve the people of your community. As you do, God will open doors for you to show them Christ’s love, but also to tell others His story and of His amazing love for them.

CLOSING “SUMMER” THOUGHTS During the summer months, I learned some things as a young high schooler growing up in Gilbert Arizona – some important lessons that are still very much essential for my life, family and ministry today. So, revitalizing pastor and leader, with the summer months just around the corner, what will be your approach?

Will you lead your church toward a summer slow-down, a summer off or a summer surge? Which of these approaches will best continue the flow of revitalization

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By Darwin Meighan

in your church? Which of these approaches will best prepare you for a stronger and in shape church for the fall months of harvest and beyond? This article has focused on three revitalization principles that will have a positive impact on your church these summer months.

Pray. Stay. Play.

I’m praying expectantly for God to mightily bless you and your church with a summer surge and an abundant harvest in the fall months that are soon to follow.

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. If you would like to talk about a revitalization process for your church or if you need tools or resources, feel free to reach out to Darwin at dmeighan@ nevadabaptistconvention.org

revitalizer

LIBRARY

Davis, Andrew. Revitalize; Biblical Keys To Helping Your Church Come Alive Again. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Books, 2017.

Revitalize; Biblical Keys To Helping Your Church Come Alive Again by Andrew Davis is one of the latest publications from Baker Books. Davis was first called to the pastorate at First Baptist Church Durham, North Carolina in 1998. At the time of calling Davis frequently identifies the church culture as “toxic.”

The work then weaves biblical principles and some of his personal experiences

to depict the nearly two-decade long revitalization journey at First Baptist Church Durham to see a once toxic church grow to become the present day healthy and fruitful church (22). Davis’s desire is to be an encouragement to pastors who are leading revitalization works (16). The work is not an academic exercise on principles of revitalization nor is it a “copy and past” manual of revitalization techniques. The work has also earned some strong endorsements from top leaders in evangelicalism.

Those endorsements do not disappoint.

Davis has truly reflected theologically in his work towards revitalization. His definition of an unhealthy church takes into account both numerical plateau and decline as well as spiritual sickness.

Equating revival and revitalization, Davis brings a biblically centered approach towards the spiritual disease filled and toxic environments of an unhealthy church. Each chapter is filled with encouragement towards God-honoring and Christ-centered practices. The work also reaches deep into church history looking to examples of Zwingli, Luther, Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor and others. Taking a long reach back to the past in order to look far into the future.

in the church is the cause for this book.

The authors detail their conviction of leadership, the implementation of leadership development in the culture of the church and the practical and intentional methods for developing leaders.

Geiger, Eric, and Kevin Peck.

Designed to lead: the church and leadership development. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2016.

Whether your calling is to a healthy established church, a revitalization church or a church plant you will need more leaders. Designed to lead: the church and leadership development by Eric Gieger and Kevin Peck is a manual for developing leaders in the church.

The absence of leadership development

Geiger and Peck build the work around several premises. First, leadership development is not an option for the church. If the church is to have leaders for its various functions then leaders must be made. Secondly, the duo holds the conviction that leadership development is part of the process of discipleship. Building from the rationale that the church is to make disciples who are both committed to life-long learning and being a blessing to the world the most effective way to accomplish these two goals is to develop leaders.

Davis’s roadmap for revitalization came to him in the 2004 publication of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

by Mark Dever. Davis has restated those nine marks to reflect the work of revitalization. Within pages of each other Davis additionally lists 11 characteristics of dying churches.

Here is where one critique lies. There are occasions in the work where the material does not detract from the argument nor aid it but seems only to fill pages. Some of the sections in the chapters seem disconnected.

Within a few pages of each other the readers will see 11 reasons to revitalize, a restatement of Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church followed with 11 characteristics of a dying church. All of the content is rich but some of it feels like filler.

Overall, Revitalize; Biblical Keys To Helping Your Church Come Alive Again by Andrew Davis is an excellent work. Working through the biblical principles and theological convictions for revitalization that are presented here will cause the reader to have a firm and convictional foundation for revitalization ministry. Davis’ book would be an excellent work to read for group discussion. It is a must addition to the revitalizer’s library.

Leadership development is not however exclusively for the local church that develops those leaders. The authors write, “Because a local church exists to serve her community, to bless the world, and be a light to the nations, then the leaders developed in each local church are developed for much more than each local church” (7).

Geiger and Peck address a wide range of issues including how to analyze and transform culture, ways to identify potential leaders and a process to engage in leadership development. The key is being intentional The authors write, “Churches that consistently produce leaders have a strong conviction to develop leaders, a healthy culture for leadership development, and helpful constructs to systematically and inten-

Continued on Page 58 Book Reviews by Rob Hurtgen

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BOOK REVIEWS CONTINUED... tionally build leaders” (14 – 15). For the leader who wants to develop leaders but does not know how the book is a process blueprint.

There are a couple of chapters that could stand on their own. Specifically, the “Pipelines and Pathways” chapter is incredibly rich with content that would

have a greater impact if broken down further. While urgency is communicated throughout the work the time needed to change a culture may lead some to discouragement. The reader, particularly if serving in an unhealthy and toxic church culture, must both patiently measure the impact that following this blueprint for leadership development

Fit To Grow When determining if you are fit to grow, when summer rolls around it is time to evaluate. The question comes to, what are we evaluating? To evaluate is to assess or formulate an idea regarding an issue. The items to which to evaluate involve the ministry practices the church is presently engaged. At some level, the church must determine if what is being done is effective; are lives being changed, is the kingdom being advanced?

First numerical evaluation should occur. Some criticize the nickels and noses counting, however, these are real facts which are tangible and measurable. There are four key criteria I look to assess in a church as it is being revitalized.

First is worship attendance; are there more in attendance today than one year ago? Three years ago? Five years ago? (Obviously a portion of the determination is how long you have been serving as the pastor). The second evaluation is in baptisms; have we baptized anyone in the past year?

Are we baptizing more now than we have in the past? Third, do we have more in Sunday school/ 58

has on the whole of the church while taking intentional steps that have a seismic influence on the whole of the church.

The conviction driven nature of this work oozes off the pages. The biblical rationale for developing leaders is clear, concise and compelling. Designed to Lead is a must for the revitalizers library.

By Kenneth Priest small group attendance than in previous years? This question gets to the heart of discipleship.

Are we discipling more people now than in previous years. The last is the nickels; has giving increased over the past year? Do we have better stewards today than we did a year ago?

The next evaluation is on actual missions and ministry. There are a number of ways to evaluate. In order to do this you must have, from the beginning, established parameters (or understood methods) for evaluation. An example, in the evangelistic work of the church, the first, and most significant question is, are persons being saved? If you do not have any professions of faith, you must ask why not? Yes, it is our place to plant or water, and God brings the harvest. However, if we are consistent in our work of planting and watering, ultimately God will bring the harvest. As such, if no one is being saved by the work we are engaged, we must consider using different approaches in evangelism. In evaluating this, you might even consider if evangelism is even being done.

How do we evaluate evangelism in details? Maybe conduct a survey asking members IF they are engaged. Are they witnessing to persons in their network? Are they engaging in gospel presentations? Sometimes we presume the people are doing what we are asking them to do, without ever asking them if they are actually doing it.

This question of effectiveness must be addressed for each area of ministry and missional involvement for which the church is engaged.

Another evaluation consideration should be on time. How much time is spent engaged in the various ministry endeavors. If a ministry is requiring too much time, one might consider eliminating it or reducing the involvement. An example of this in revitalization might be a Vacation Bible School event. Whereas I believe this is a strong tool for evangelism in the community, if demographics show you do not have many families with children in your community, you might spend time on creating a VBS experience, and

have little participation from the community send the children are just not there. Therefore, this is a poor use of time and indicates a ministry which should not be implemented at this time in your community. Therefore, I would advise cutting this ministry from your budget and calendar. This consideration of time should be asked of each ministry and missional endeavor.

In determining your fitness for growth, you must move from evaluation of ministries and missions involvement to resource alignment. A consideration is expanding growth options. Just as in the above illustration VBS might not be effective, there might be a ministry to begin. As you evaluate your community context and determine children are not as prevalent, you might find out you have a higher concentration of senior adults.

Therefore you might determine launching a ministry to this demographic actually expands the ministry of the church and creates a platform for reaching new people. This is a way to realign resources. The funds which were going for VBS could go to start this new ministry to a population which is prevalent in your community. Engaging the community requires you to evaluate who is in the community which can be reached and developing ministry

opportunities to engage with the gospel.

Using the summer to prepare and focus the missional attention of the church is ideal for determining how to invest resources for sustained growth as well. During the summer most churches experience a shortfall in cash flow. In revitalization this can be troublesome. Insuring you invest appropriately during these summer difficulties will make certain your priorities are aligned in the fall.

Also as you are looking if you are fit to grow, focus on your uniqueness as a community of faith within your context. Do not try and be the church next door. All too often I see churches attempting to start a new ministry simply because the church down the street offers the same ministry.

They want to be like them. This is not the answer to revitalizing your church. The answer is focusing on what God would uniquely have you to do as a congregation. If you organize your church for growth around the simple concept of being who God has created you to be and therefore accomplishing the mission he has set out for you, then growth will follow. However, if you attempt to start a ministry because some-

Sometimes we presume the people are doing what we are asking them to do, without ever asking them if they are actually doing it.-Kenneth Priest

one else has it, you will always be compared to the other ministry.

Not only by you and your church members‌always looking to see if you are keeping pace, but also the community will compare which ministry is best and vote with their attendance. This is a dangerous line to walk for the sake of meeting the needs of consumers. The real focus should be on reaching those whom God would have you to reach in your unique context and being faithful to that calling.

My final thought on being fit to grow is on the budget of the church. Costs should be seen as a factor which prevents ministry and mission. Every dime spent on fixed expenses, prevents ministry and mission advance for kingdom work. As you spend your summer evaluating the ministries of the church, you should also look at how your fixed expenses are preventing ministry and determine if there is any way to reduce these costs.

Could you do an energy study which would then free up electricity and water usage expenses, thereby engaging ministry with more funds? Could you reduce office hours to eliminate a/c usage in the peak hours to free funds?

All of these things should be considered during your summer to determine‌are you fit to grow?

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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Soaring With Summer Momentum

That is right…SOARING…not SNORING…Summer may be a time for some extra naps, but not when it comes to reaching new people. Church renewal at times is a matter of perspective and priority.

I see the Summer as a great time for church health and growth in developing momentum.

No, I am not on drugs and I am certainly not sleeping. Summer is a time when not only people in our congregation make family, business, career or ministry moves, but new people are moving to our various regions and some of them are looking for a new church. They have new jobs and that may mean relocating… to your region…Did you read that?

New people are moving to our various regions and some of them are looking for a new church?

With the passion of follow up that we have during the Easter, Mother’s Day, Start of School and Christmas seasons…I advocate the same energy going into reaching new people during the summer.

Why? You have a ripe time to reach new people in transition who need new friends and some stability in the midst of transition.

Children are sad that they are leaving their friends. Parents are masking the pain so that the kids are not upset, but lonely just the 60

same. Singles are excited but also nervous about the new surroundings. Young marrieds are pumped up about the newness, camping, hiking, biking and just enjoying the environment around them.

All the same still wanting to meet likeminded couples and people.

“Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11) My wife, family and I enjoy the summer for vacations just like you all do. However, we use the summer in the pastorate having new people over for barbeques, coffee and dessert, along with time in our home. If you do not want to open your home this way, I understand. How about hosting time at your local church.

Each worship weekend or whenever you meet for weekly worship can provide the following: - Meet new guests with the pastors, Lead/Sr. Pastor and key leaders each week for a reception. It can be 30 minutes to an hour long with relational focus, snacks/drinks, some brief vision and a time of loving on people.

Alternate a small group or other key leader hosting this weekly.

- Order a list of new people moving into your area (start up to

By Greg Kappas

10 miles), that gives you weekly updates or at least monthly updates where you can mail out a nice postcard welcoming them to the area. Begin your new move in list with people who have moved in over the last quarter and then have it sent to you regularly. Outreach Marketing does this very inexpensively and it has been one of the best tools I have ever used in reaching new people. The church that I led in NE Seattle saw this more than pay for itself in less than 6 months with new people that came into our local church body. This continues to be one of the best tools that churches use nationally.

- Follow up your above regular list with a welcome wagon type of gift. We gave a coffee mug, pen, water bottle, etc. It is low keyed and effective. If your area is not distrusting, you can have a team (they liked the name Cookie Brigade at our church…your choice) that drops off a dozen cookies with the greeting gift. Be creative, and be a missiologist to your communities and culture.

- Have a different ministry in your church sponsor a monthly Coffee and Dessert time for all new people over a few months at a time (some people will miss 1 or 2 invitations and need to still be invited). Have someone administrative in the above ministry in your church help you with this. A relaxed 2 hour time for coffee, drinks, desserts, questions

and answers, vision, relationship building, a game that helps identify each new person and their interests, hobbies and something unique to them, etc. helps move toward some new community.

- Plan a monthly small group for all new people that simply meets until your regular small groups are up and running again. If no small groups at your church, then take guests that are interested and form a new beginnings group for your new people.

If you do not have enough to form a group, then still schedule monthly cookouts, swim parties, reading groups, etc. that will appeal to your communities.

The fact is that people need truth and relationships. Starting a new members class is not the first step; getting to know them and representing Jesus and His Word are the first steps. Pray for new people to come, pray for them when you meet them, pray and invite them into an environment of love and care.

Is it possible that we do not focus on reaching new people due to our lack of love for the lost and for those believers who are not connected to a local church family? Is it possible that we treasure our own comfort and rest instead of letting Jesus seek and save the lost through us? Is it possible as servants of Christ that we claim our own rights and that summer is “our time” to rest from a hectic

pace throughout the year? Is it possible that pace and rest can become our god of comfort, instead of regular priority?

I believe in proper pace and rest Biblically and Theologically… yet, I am fully aware of some pastors “checking out mentally and emotionally for 8-10 weeks” every summer.

I hope that you seize the moments of this and each summer…

Moments of fun family time…

Moments of time with your spouse that brings smiles and great joy…Memories that represent pace, rest and planning… times to meet new friends and be with long time friends...cool refreshing events and weekend happenings that invite new people to consider and connect with your local body. They are hungry for Truth and Relationships!

I have pastoral friends who reach out to Olympic athletes and budding Olympians who train on the various bike paths of Central Florida. They use the training times to hand out water and to greet the athletes who are flying by on the paths. They use the 4th of July and Veterans Day to be creative and intentional in their outreach to those without Christ. I am so proud of David and Darlene Miller, along with their staff who seeks to intentionally engage their communities for the Gospel…frequent-

ly…passionately…creatively… prayerfully.

What actions can you take this summer from the above suggestions or others that God puts on your heart and mind? What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do? What steps are you going to take now and throughout the summer to sharpen your spiritual sword and influence in your regions for Jesus Christ? Reaching new people is essential to your personal and church health. You can be the change agent along with your family to see more guests and new people as a regular part of your worship times and through your small groups.

It really is simply a matter of Truth and Relationships!

Greg Kappas is President and

Founder of Grace Global Network Greg has been married nearly 35 years to his remarkable wife, Debbie and has 2 children with a grandchild due this Summer. He is the Author/Editor of over 15 books. Dr. Kappas speaks at various churches, conferences and venues throughout the United States and in over 40 countries. He is a coach and consultant to pastors and global influencers in leadership development.

You can reach him at grkappas@ yahoo.com

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Standing Out Through the Summer - Continued a nd International mission trips, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day and Labor Day – all provide checkpoints for effectiveness, connection and ministry that glorifies God. • Revitalization can be stifled during the summer if we lose our focus from affecting our community (being out in the harvest field), to one of maintaining and “playing it safe.”

Let me end with some personal words to you and me as leaders. We need to capture summer because it is the best opportunity for quality time and quantity time with children and youth. It’s also a great time to capture quality time for yourself and your family.

• Support the summer events as much as possible. It will endear you to your congregation. Be their cheerleader and make sure they have what they need to succeed.

You will meet lots of new prospects through VBS! • Preach a “summer” sermon series.

Something like Spiritual Disciplines; The Sermon on the Mount; Great Characters of the Bible, etc.

• Have some guest speakers preach for you or be part of a “current issues” panel discussion (just to name one). Choose wisely!

• Read a good book for yourself (the Bible is a pretty good choice)!

Check out your local Baptist encampment/Christian camp for a summer retreat. Many have a cabin just for pastors to get away.

• Spend some of the extra daylight hours to go for a walk, hike, bike or the like. Sitting around staring at a

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computer screen sucks a passion for exercise right out of the moment (of course, guess where I am now?).

• Spend some valuable time with your lay leaders. Go fishing, play a round of golf, meet at a coffee shop and just chat, go to the gun range and get rid of some old ammunition. My ideas only get limited by my selfishness and/or laziness.

• Do a local mission project with your wife and/or children – serve in a local soup kitchen; clean up a neighbor’s yard; mow an elderly person’s lawn; work on a local Habitat for Humanity project; pick up trash in a city park, etc.

• Create new memories for you, your family and your congregation. Have a worship service at a nearby lake and try preaching to the crowd from a boat. Baptize in a local lake (make sure it is clean and approved by the powers that be). Take a field trip to a zoo, museum, art gallery, etc. Have a sunrise service (on a day other than Easter – is that a sacrilege?) and then give them the rest of the day off for family time (provide a strong list of possible family outings from which to choose and ask for testimonies the following Sunday). Plan a Sunday morning when everyone comes in work clothes to do acts of service and share the love of Christ with those who are not in your building.

• Finally, plan, prepare and press toward a big start to the fall. Get out into the community and make a difference for the Kingdom of God! If you were like us and in a rural setting, “Back in the

By Tracy W. Jaggers Saddle” says more than “Back to Church Sunday.” Besides that, who even knows what those phrases mean except church folk?

If we are expecting healthy, effective summer church ministry, and we desire continuous revitalization throughout the break, then we need to stop thinking like the church and start reaching out to the unchurched, unreached masses. I think that fits perfectly with Mathew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8. Be faithful and serve like someone’s life depends on it!

Tracy W. Jaggers

Associational Director of Missions Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, Illinois. Tracy is an adjunct professor with Gateway Seminary in CA. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. He is a frequent blogger and writer for state and national revitalization websites and magazines, and is an active speaker in state and national revitalization conferences and webinars.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

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Estelle Myers, C.E.O. & Women’s Revitalizer

“Baptist World Charities is happy to participate in Revitalization Magazine! Our team is ready to help you REVITALIZE your church through Missions and Evangelism!”

Rob Myers, Pastor, President, Revitalizer & Men’s Mentoring Leader http://pastorrobmyers.wordpress.com V.P. Dr. Franco (M.D.), Medical Missions

Our Motto is: If I can go, I will go…

If I cannot go, I will send…

But I refuse to sit and watch!

Thomas Myers is an amazing 24 year old Evangelist who will travel to your church and help bring Real Revival to your congregation! His relevant and inspirational messages from God’s Word will help to “Re-set” your church.The alters are full when he gives an invitation. He can be booked for weekend Revitalizations through our website.

Join Dr. Bob & Estelle as we Launch: Teachers On Mission with the Haiti Initiative. Join us as we Teach God’s Word in the University of Haiti’s Education System in North Haiti!

Take your Church on a medical missions trip or help serve in Orphanages around the World!

Thomas Myers, Evangelist

Dr.Bob Brumley, PHD Educational Missions

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ENOVATE R National Church Revitalization Conference

November 7-9, 2017

Speakers Include:

Orlando, FL

Karl Vaters Micah Fries Gary McIntosh Jennifer Bennett David Murrow Tom Cheyney Paul Smith Terry Rials Ron Smith Steve Smith Jason Cooper

(FBC Winter Park)

RenovateConference.org

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Church Revitalization Workshops

25

National Church Revitalization Speakers

4

Breakout Session Opportunities

4

Main Sessions by Revitalization Practitioners

4

Pre-Conference Intensive Subjects

1000+ Fellow Church Revitalizers Working Together

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