Developing the Discipline of Perserverance

THE

CHURCH

July/Aug 2021 Vol 8, Issue 4

Revitalizer A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue

Developing the Discipline of Perseverance

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.”

ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

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

Miriam-Webster defines perseverance as the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. And that is precisely what every church revitalizer must do!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

We know what the word perseverance means, but why is perseverance so important in the revitalization of a church? How can we practice perseverance in our lives, and how does it help us in overcoming problems, challenges, and obstacles in the revitalization of our churches? Let me suggest, as you begin reading this edition of the magazine, that there are some benefits of practicing perseverance. Think on these things: Perseverance means that you are eager to overcome your obstacles.

Perseverance builds character.

Perseverance makes you push the limits of your comfort zone.

Perseverance is proof of what you are capable of.

Obviously we do not persevere just for the sake of perseverance. Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite problems, tribulations, failures, or resistance. By delineation, you have to have something to work on. There has to be a challenge or a goal worthy of achieving in church revitalization. Remember, that once you figure out the goal, you need a strategy to make it all happen.

In Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Roman’s 5:3-5) he affirms: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Within this edition we want to look at The Importance of Perseverance in Church Revitalization.

Stay connected, more is coming!

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

Contents

Courage from Start through Finish Tough Skinned and Dogged Determination Tom Cheyney

Ken Priddy

p. 16

Learning Revitalization from The Gambler Bill Tenny-Brittian

p. 18

p. 10

Pivot from Being Friendly to Befriending Never Give Up! Bob Whitesel

p. 24

George Thomasson

p. 30

How to Carry On and Not Quit Gary Moritz

p. 34

Also in this issue: The Revitalizer

Book Review with Rob Hurtgen

p. 29 4

A Big Gospel in Small Places: (Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters)

by Stephen Witmer

July/Aug | Vol 8, No 4

Learning to Persevere Pressing On...

Michael Atherton

p. 40

Steve Smith

p. 44

Serving In the Hard Places Watch Out, the Road is Full of Potholes

Desmond Barrett

How to “Keep on Keeping on”

p. 54

Driving Your Church Into the Future David Jackson

p. 56

Tracy Jaggers

p. 48

Steve Sells

p. 50

Revitalization: Overcoming Adversity through Perseverance p. 58 Richard Harvey Stumble and Fall p. 60 Rob Hurtgen Cooking on a Stove Not a Microwave p. 63 Jim Grant I Think I Can, I Think I Can p. 66 Ron Smith 5

THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 8, No. 4

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Tough Skinned and Dogged Determination

By Tom Cheyney I love the carton that shows a collie looking up into a tree with a caption which says, “Once I figure out how to climb this here tree you are mine squirrel. You are mine!” If you are going to be successful as a Church Revitalizer working in revitalization and renewal you must develop some degree of dogged determination wrapped in a spirit that is toughed skinned. I define being tough skinned as a steady persistence in following a course of action, a belief, or a purpose. It is steadfastness in action. It is seen when continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, impediments, opposition or previous failures. Every church revitalizer has experienced all of these at some point in the journey. We need to acquirer this leathery skin complexion as renewal leaders because culture and the forces of evil will place stumbling blocks in our path. It is important that you practice perseverance. It really matters in revitalization and renewal. It matters because our lights will shine in the darkness, reflecting the light of Christ to a hurting, chaotic, and broken world. So do not be dismayed, and don’t give up pastor when the going gets tough simply dig into prayer and study of the Word. While I am encouraging you to be toughed skinned, let me give you a little wisdom thought for you to chew on. Here it is: In Revitalization It Is Not All About You, So Quit Picking on Yourself Here’s an important rule for every church revitalizer. It is not all about you. To develop a tough skin, you must first remember that you are not the center of that churches universe.

Yes, sorry to say, you are not the fixed point around which the church universe even turns. Stop brooding about how little attention you get as the church is being revitalized. Ask your spouse for more attention if you need more. Pastor your gloomy thoughts intensify, leaving you emotionally crippled and thinking that you have ruined everything. Stop it please

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for the sake of your church. People in your church will behave badly. There will be jerks in your church just like there are in mine. Fussing and feuding over it does not help. Here are a few tips to developing a toughed skinned: • Church revitalizer’s must not take things personally because it is not about you.

• Church revitalizer’s must not let others get to you.

• Church revitalizer’s recollect that everyone gets rejected sometimes so pick yourself up.

• Church revitalizer’s understand when members declining your idea, they are not rejecting you.

• Church revitalizer’s do not hesitate to unstick sticky situations.

• Church revitalizer’s are not self-focused.

• Church revitalizer’s do not worry about looking stupid.

• Church revitalizer’s learn to be patient.

• Church revitalizer’s are not quick to blame others.

• Church revitalizer’s think about their church members first and foremost.

Thinned skinned pastors are miserable in revitalization so if that is who you are pastor do anything but revitalizing a church.

Practicing Dogged Determination as a Church Revitalizer Alright, you are practicing becoming toughed skinned now what? Unassumingly, dogged determination. Dogged determination is the quality that you show as a church revitalizer when you have decided to do something (a course of action) and you will not let anything stop you. If you describe someone’s actions as dogged, you mean that they are determined to continue with something even if it becomes difficult or dangerous. If that is not church revitalization, I do not know

what is. Church revitalizers practice this quality when they are tenacious towards a goal and achieving a challenge. Tenacity is the quality of being “very determined.” I believe that as revitalization pastors we need to ask the Lord our God for dogged determination. There have been countless times in my church revitalization and renewal journey that I have found peace and comfort in Galatians 6:9. It has given me more than once the strength to take the next step forward and not turn back. It says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” That is a prayer worthy of church revitalizers everywhere. Pray that scripture right now and thank God that you can pray such a prayer. Many pastors are declaring to the Heavenly Father that the road towards renewal is a lot longer than they expected. The rocks and barriers have not been easy to overcome. There have been times in my own life as a pastor when I was tired where I wondered if I should try to do something else. I prayed, “Lord give me the dogged determination to not become weary in doing good revitalization activities, even when I do not see any immediate fruit. Church revitalizer I want to tell you that I really believe that the harvest is coming, that the Lord have promised it to those who refuse to give up. My prayer for all of you is that the Lord God will fill all of us with a dogged determination to bring renewal in our churches and that we will not let go of this vision until church revitalization comes to pass in our church.

Church Revitalizer’s Never Learn How to Blow Retreat Let me give you two verses to hang your perseverance on. In James 1:12 he declares: ‘’Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.’’

Then in Revelation 2:10 we read: ‘’Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.’’

Church revitalizer, if you are going to be what God wants you to be in your personal spiritual walk with Him, it is going to take that quality of perseverance. Every successful church revitalizer has it. It would be so easy to look back at what all of us have had to go through during this past year. A lot of us look at what we are still going through right now, as we look at plans that have gone awry. We look at prayers for the revitalization of our churches that have gone unanswered.

We look at the various difficulties that have arisen. We look at pressures that face us every day and we can easily begin to question the Lord. Listen to me, church revitalizer, God will never tempt you to do evil, but He will test you. The devil tempts you with evil to cause you to stumble, but God sends a test to cause you to stand, to see whether or not you are willing to be the one He will use to bring revitalization and renewal to the church.

Church Revitalizer’s Know that Perseverance is Necessary for Spiritual Growth I want you to see why it is necessary to persevere. If you are going to be a spiritual leader, perseverance is necessary for spiritual maturity. Notice what James 1:2-4 says: ‘’Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’’ God allows trials in our life in order to stretch us, in order to test us, in order that we might struggle that our spiritual muscles might grow, that we might exercise our faith until we have been disciplined in the crucible of the problems and the stress of life to become all that God wants us to be. Many of Church Revitalizer’s want God to remove the struggle, we want Him to remove that difficulty in our life when it seems we are stretching and struggling and hurting, but we have not become what we ought to be. We want God to remove these things.

James said rather than praying for God to remove these things, count it all joy. He said because struggle builds your endurance. Perseverance is necessary for spiritual growth.

Church Revitalizer’s Know that Perseverance is Necessary for Spiritual Victory Perseverance is necessary for spiritual victory. In 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul makes a statement and he said, ‘’Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal precession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.’’ Paul said I am always triumphant. We are always in a victory march as the people of God. We don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory, and the victory has been won through the Lord Jesus Christ. We may be going through struggles, but we are praising God all the way because we have the victory. A revitalizer will never know what victory is until they go through struggles. Paul understood this when in 2 Corinthians 4:8 he said, ‘’We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.’’

He said it is coming from the east, the west, the north, and the south, from every direction. It is coming from below and from above. He said we are pressed in on every side, but we are not crushed—we are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted but not abandoned. We are struck down but not destroyed. He is talking there about the victory we can have in the midst of our problems.

Church Revitalizer’s Know that Perseverance is Necessary for Spiritual Prosperity Look at what he says in James 5:7 ‘’Be patient then brothers until the Lord’s coming...’’ How long are you supposed to be faithful pastor? How long are you supposed to read your Bible? How long are you supposed to pray for the revitalization of your church? How long are you supposed to believe God for the renewal of your church? It is until Jesus comes again.

We are to persevere until the Lords coming. I want you to see that spiritual prosperity is through perseverance. Spiritual prosperity comes to the person who waits for God to send the harvest. And God will send the harvest.

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Church Revitalizer’s Know that Perseverance is Necessary for Spiritual Peace Understand pastor that perseverance is necessary for spiritual peace. James reminds us of Job in the Old Testament. Look at James 5:10-11a, ‘’Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered...’’ The Bible says we look at the people who have persevered and we consider them blessed. Then he said in James 5:11b, ‘’You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.’’ Think about Job’s perseverance. Job did not understand what was happening to him. One day everything was fine, one day he was enjoying prosperity. He said man it does not get any better than this. Then all of a sudden, everything came collapsing down on him. Satan attacked him in three ways. The devil came against his fortune.

They came with the news Job all your cattle, all your herds, all your crops; everything that you own is gone. You are bankrupt. You have zero! That is pretty tough for somebody who has always had affluence. And that is the way Job was. He attacked his fortune. Then they came to him and they attacked his family. The devil came against his family. They came to him and they said, Job, your children and their wives have all been killed. They are dead, they are gone. Your family is gone. They took all of his family. The only thing left was a nagging wife.

Then the devil attacked his flesh. The Devil came against his flesh. Job was covered with boils from the top of his head, the Bible says, to the bottom of his feet. He was covered with boils and he was suffering. He seemed to be an outcast. He sat in an ash heap and mourned. And his friends said Job you have done some great sin. They turned against him. Through it all, the Bible said Job did not lose his faith that his faith endured under pressure, that even when he lost his fortune, his family, and the flesh, he continued to trust God. That kind of perseverance means that you have to have a peace.

Do You Have Perseverance?

Let me ask you church revitalizer, do you have perseverance?

Are you ready to give up on your ministry and your church?

If you are, let me say do not do it, don’t do it. You go to your dictionary, you find the word quit and you cut it out because it is not in God’s dictionary. The Bible says ‘’be thou faithful even unto death and I will give you a crown of life.’’

Many years ago, the story is told of one of the battles of Napoleon in the Swiss Alps. And in that great battle, Napoleon watched from his vantage point higher on the mountain, while his army was in a death grapple with the opposing army in a valley below. Napoleon watched with dismay, as his men seemed to be disorganized and disoriented. They seemed to be losing the battle. The enemy was pushing them back and back and back. Finally Napoleon turned to a young sixteen-year-old boy who traveled with them as their bugler.

Napoleon did not know this young man because he was new

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to their troop. But he said to him, “Son blow the retreat for our men. They are going to be slaughtered in this battle. Blow the retreat; we are going to retreat to fight again another day.”

The young man replied, “Sir I am sorry, I am so sorry sir but I do not know how to blow a retreat.” Napoleon said, “What do you mean you do not know how? You are a bugler boy.

You are in this company for this very purpose. What do you mean you don’t know how?” He said to the lad, “Do the best you can.” So the bugler boy put the bugle up to his lips and he blew with all of his might but when he blew instead of blowing a retreat, there came the glorious sound to charge and it rang out all across that battlefield. When Napoleon’s troops heard the bugler sound the charge, they believed reinforcements were coming up from the ranks to help and they began to stand their ground against the enemy. They began to fight harder. They reached down within them and they found something that was there that they had not previously tapped. They fought like they had never fought in all their life.

The enemy began to drop back and drop back until finally the enemy was routed. It was all because of a bugler who never learned how to blow retreat.

I want to tell you church revitalizer, we need some of God’s pastors who do not know how to blow the retreat. We need some church revitalizer’s who have never learned defeat. We need some church revitalizer’s who never learned to give up.

We need some church revitalizer’s who never learned to turn against God. We need some church revitalizer’s who never learned to turn their back on the Bible and who never learned to give up in their Christian walk. We need some church revitalizer’s who are always triumphant though they are pressed and though they are under trials, but they know they are in training for that day when they are going to stand before Him who will give them the crown of life. Press on and persevere church revitalizer. Press on!

Tom Cheyney is the Founder & Directional Leader of the RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference (RenovateConference.org).

Some of Tom’s books include: The Church Revitalizer as Change Agent, Slaying the Dragons of Church Revitalization: Dealing with the Critical Issues that are Hurting Your Church; and Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in America’s Heartland. Tom lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Cheryl and travels all over North America assisting declining churches by bringing revitalization and renewal to the congregations.

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Centrifugal Buzz:

Courage from Start Through Finish

By Ken Priddy It takes courage for church leaders to begin the arduous task of leading their congregation through credible revitalization, and, I would suggest, it takes even more courage to stay the course and finish what was started. In making such a statement, I realize that, perhaps, the first matter to address is the matter of credible revitalization. What is it?

The key, of course, like ordering coffee at Starbucks, is the adjective; in this case, credible. Meaning what? When something is credible it’s believable, it’s authentic, it’s real, it’s trustworthy, it’s reliable; it’s capable of accomplishing what is intended. So, credible revitalization is a revitalization initiative that is real, authentic, wholehearted, thoroughly committed, and capable of being successful. It’s the real thing. This stands in opposition to incredible revitalization that, by definition, is unbelievable, inauthentic, unreal, untrustworthy, unreliable and incapable of accomplishing what is intended. Unfortunately, incredible is an apt description of many, perhaps most, revitalization initiatives. Why is that?

There are many potential reasons for a revitalization effort to fail and it’s not possible to address all of those reasons here.

The focus, rather, is on one of those reasons. When revitalization fails, it’s often because church leadership failed to stay the course, failed to follow through; failed to persevere. Why, then, does church leadership fail to persevere, not giving a revitalization effort the time, energy and resources needed to take root firmly and move a congregation onto a healthy revitalization trajectory?

Failure to persevere can be driven by a number of reasons, sometimes alone and sometimes in combination. I’ll cite six of the most common: 1. Lack of Unity Among Leaders: It’s vitally important for the top-level leadership of a church to show a united front to the congregation in regard to support for revitalization. When key leaders break out into factions regarding the commitment to revitalization, the congregation will follow suit. Factions become adversarial, lobbying for conflicting interests, and the unity needed to face the challenges of revitalization dissolves into disunity and the revitalization effort collapses.

2. Lack of Immediate Results: Despite the fact that most churches have been in ministry for many years or even decades, arriving at their current state of health over a long and winding road, once the decision to revitalize is made, leaders often expect to see instant results. A few changes are made

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and new ministry elements attempted, and the expectation is that this initial effort should create visible results almost overnight. This is an absurd expectation and is simply not going to happen. It’s going to take many weeks, perhaps many months and, most likely, several years, for revitalization to take root and gain the momentum necessary for significant results to be achieved. Often, impatient leaders read the lack of immediate results as a sign that revitalization is not going to work, so they abandon the effort.

This perspective is further amplified by the fact that many churches have made attempts at revitalization before and seen them come up short. When the current revitalization effort fails to render instant results, some leaders interpret that as a sign that the effort is going to fail just as previous revitalization efforts have. Ironically, it’s likely that previous efforts that failed did so because of a failure to persevere. Therefore, history repeats itself and the revitalization effort gets the blame.

3. Focus on Improvement Over Transformation: The root of this issue is the program-driven nature of most churches. Programming is seen as the core element of ministry and, therefore, revitalization is viewed as an attempt to improve certain programs. Certain perceived key programs are selected and leaders go about the task of improving these selected programs. The reasoning is that programming is the key so better

tain changes, when those changes actually arrive, they find they cannot handle real change. It’s not exactly what they thought it would be. It feels different than they imagined. So, they backtrack, sometimes feeling that they have been hoodwinked, and begin to push back against the very changes they might have previously supported. It turns out that many might appear to be willing to change only to find themselves unable to change when the change actually occurs.

5. Degree of Difficulty: There’s no mystery here. When folks are endeavoring to revitalize, they often underestimate the degree of difficulty that revitalization presents. They naively conclude that revitalization is simply a matter of making a few decisions and popping improved or newly created ministries in place. They wrongly assume that the congregation will get on board because it’s populated with followers, and they wrongly assume that the community will respond in significant ways because the revitalization plans look good on paper. Neither assumption proves true.

or improved programming should bring about revitalization.

The problem is that most programming is targeted toward the insiders within a congregation, so, in improving programming, all that’s done is that the people who are already with the church benefit from improved programming. This, however, does not address the real cause of most long-term plateau and decline which is an inward ministry focus that rarely connects with the community outside.

Credible revitalization involves turning a church’s focus outward toward reaching a lost community with the Gospel. This requires much more than improved programming for church insiders. It requires a systemic transformation to a new church culture, one that features sacrificial commitment to outreach and evangelism.

4. Push-back when Theory becomes Reality: Revitalization requires change from the status quo. In order to acquire different results, some degree of change must be introduced.

Change is difficult for most people, particularly if that change requires their giving up something that’s important to them.

Even so, congregations can be inspired by the cause of reaching people with the Gospel and can, despite its difficulties, embrace change – at least in theory. As the idea of change is introduced, folks can genuinely be convinced that they are ready for change and can commit to supporting that change.

However, though some genuinely buy into the theory of cer-

6. Unwelcomed Success: This final reason might seem counterintuitive, but is nonetheless true. Intuitively, we reason that revitalization efforts fail because they’re unsuccessful, but, sometimes, their failing is driven by success. File this under unexpected consequences. There are times when revitalization efforts do, in fact, produce results in the form of new folks from the community coming into the church. However, there are occasions when church folks discover they don’t really want these people in their church, so they pull back on revitalization.

Here’s a quick example: One aging inner city church decided to try to reach children in the surrounding community. They initiated a Wednesday evening ministry designed to reach such kids. It was a resounding success, with upwards of one hundred kids showing up each week. However, they used foul language and trashed restrooms and other property. The custodial staff complained and, after a short run, the ministry was canceled.

These six catalysts for revitalization failure highlight the complex and difficult nature of revitalization. It requires great courage to get started, but even greater courage to finish.

Ken Priddy (D.Min., Ph.D.) is Founder and Executive Director of the GO Center, a training and consulting ministry committed to church vitalization and revitalization. Ken also directs LEADERTOWN: A Laboratory for Organization & Leadership Development.

His thirty-plus year journey in church planting and revitalization has grown into a national presence among evangelical leaders. He’s an effective trainer and consultant, but perhaps his most significant contribution is his extensive development of training curricula.

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Learning Revitalization from “The Gambler”

By Bill Tenny-Brittian A lot of years ago, there was a singer/song writer/actor named Kenny Rogers who came out with a hit song called The Gambler. After the song topped the charts, someone in Hollywood thought it would make a great movie and they cast Rogers in the lead role. Honestly, I don’t think the movie was all that great, but the song was catchy and the words of the chorus create a nice outline for the theme of this issue: Developing the Discipline of Perseverance in Revitalization. (If you’re unfamiliar with the song, you can catch the official YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo.)

Let me start out by sharing the chorus’ lyrics: You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em Know when to fold ‘em Know when to walk away And know when to run You never count your money When you’re sittin’ at the table There’ll be time enough for countin’ When the dealin’s done.

When it comes to revitalizing a church, there’s a lot of truth in them thar’ words. I’d love to tell you that every church you’ll ever work with is a candidate for a successful turnaround. I’d love to tell you that when the going gets tough, the tough not only get going, but the tough discover that it’s all been worthwhile when the dust finally settles. And I’d love to tell you that perseverance always pays off, or at least pays off most of the time. But none of that would be true.

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The truth is, there are a couple hundred thousand churches in North America that are desperately in need of revitalization, but the research continues to show that less than 20 percent of them are likely to survive and thrive from revitalization efforts … the other 80 percent are going to “go out of business” sometime in the future … many of them in the very near future.

That said, pastor, you only have X number of years to engage in productive ministry. If you’re well trained in church turnaround (or are willing to get trained), and if you have the stomach and backbone to engage it, then you’re a hot commodity – there aren’t all that many of “you” out there.

So, limited number of years meets limited number of effective revitalizing pastors and a seemingly unlimited number of desperate churches, it’s critical that you get connected with the right church in the right circumstances at the right time so that can be as effective as possible – because if you are successful at revitalizing one congregation, there are hundreds more waiting for someone just like you to come along and lead them. On the other hand, if you find yourself in a congregation where it’s clear there isn’t going to be a successful turnaround, then you have a choice. Turn your back on your revitalizing skills and passions in order to be a hospice chaplain of a dying church or move on and find a congregation that’s actually ready and willing to engage the difficult and painful process of turning around. In other words, “Know when to hold ‘em; Know when to fold ‘em …”

In the next few paragraphs, I’ll share some thoughts on when to hold, fold, walk, or run.

Know When to Hold ‘em

This one’s easy. Sort of. If you’re in a revitalizing church and everything is going your way; you’re making friends, not enemies, with the changes you’re making; if the church is in a serious growth spurt and you’re doing baptisms every other week or so then you definitely want to hold ‘em. Stay, by all means. Enjoy paradise … because that’s what it is and it’s not going to last! (Okay, I started with the perfect ideal situation because that perfect ideal situation doesn’t seem to actually exist … at least, I’ve never found this congregation!)

Know When to Fold ‘em

Full disclosure: I don’t watch professional poker and the two times I’ve played serious poker, I seriously lost, so I’m advising you not to take card playing advice from me! On the other hand, I do know enough that when I occasionally play poker for matchsticks, there are times when you’re better off tossing in your cards at the very beginning because the hand you were dealt is unlikely to win. Like poker, church turnaround is an all-in, win-or-lose kind of game, so if you’re going to play, make sure you have the best possible winning had before you up the ante!

The truth is, and I’m fairly certain that if you’re reading the What That Looks Like article then you know the truth, revitalizing a congregaThe best time to evaluate whether or not a church is a cantion is perhaps the most difficult church work anyone will didate for a successful revitalization effort is before you take ever do. I’ve been told that Aubrey the call. In law school, they call that Malphurs started his church planting doing your due diligence, that is, inclasses with the statement, “No one vestigating the case seriously before “The truth is, there are is young enough to turn a church you invest too much (or anything) around. You’ll be better off starting into it. When it comes to a church a couple hundred a new one.” I’ve done both revitalizasearch team, I can assure you that if thousand churches in tion work and church planting and they’re interviewing you to be their North America that are I can tell you, it’s a lot easier to start pastor, then they’re courting you just desperately in need of a church from scratch. Revitalization as if you were a date. They’re putting is cold, hard, thankless work that will their best foot forward, and of course revitalization, but the suck you dry. But if you can lead a so are you, and that’s a problem. research continues to congregation to turn around, it’s also When everyone is trying to impress show that less than 20 some of the most glorious work on everyone else, truth often gets burearth. ied and half-truths worm their way percent of them are likely to the surface. Let’s be honest, every to survive and thrive So, when the going gets tough, church desires to grow and reach from revitalization you’re going to want to toss in your new people. But having the desire cards, push back your chair, and quit. to grow isn’t the same as having the efforts …”

Most of the time, you’re better off – will to turnaround and grow. A sucand the church will be better off – by cessful turnaround always means your staying put, dealing with the issome members are going to quit the sue (and there will always be issues), learning, and moving church. A successful turnround always means introducing, forward. However, there are times you’re going to need to implementing, and enduring significant changes. And it seriously evaluate whether or not you’re wasting your time, means the congregation will go through the five-steps of energy, and resources trying to bluff with a busted 7-high grief, almost always starting with anger, before they emstraight (technically, a 7–2 off ).1 And that’s what the next brace a new way of thinking and a new way of behaving. three sections are about. I’d say that unless one of the folBut no one’s thinking about that in the call interview belowing scenarios is present in the church, plan on sticking cause everyone is trying to impress everyone else. it out. You may not be successful, remember very few turnarounds are, but you will definitely not be successful if you So, before you invest in a church, take some time to evaluate fold, walk, or run. whether it’s a viable candidate for revitalization. You can get more details on this issue at https://effectivechurch.com/ before-you-start-does-the-church-have-what-it-takes/.

1 For the novice, in five card poker, a 7-high broken straight, off-suit is pretty much the worst hand you can end up with. Called a 7–2 off, your five card hand would have a 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 in a random combination of suits. In this case, any hand with an 8 or higher wins. Of course, if you were dealt this hand, it’s not totally terrible because you’d know to fold ‘em and you’d only lose whatever the ante was.

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Know When to Walk Away

None of that’s helpful, though, if you’re sitting at the table with a pair of fives, you’re in (so far) for $50, and someone just raised you $100. If you fold, you’re out the $50 and the five-buck ante. If you call and lose, you’re out $155. But if you win, you get the whole pot.

Is he bluffing?

In every revitalization, there’s a time when you’re going to wonder if you’ve made a mistake – maybe this congregation isn’t willing to stay in the game long enough for real transformation to stick. You’ve made a modest investment of a couple years into the church’s revitalization. There’s been a lot of hard work and you’ve put in some blood, sweat, and tears. There may even have been some significant fruit. But … you’ve hit a wall. The bully or the controller has undone some or most of your progress. The board has started pushing back on your recommendations. You’re having trouble raising up the next generation of leaders.

Time’s marching on and the money’s marching out. Maybe it’s time to give up.

Maybe it is.

But probably it’s not.

How can you tell?

There’s only one thing that’s 100 percent reliable, and that’s prayer coupled with a listening attitude that allows the Spirit to speak to you clearly. But … it’s awfully difficult to hear what God has to say when you’ve already decided what you want him to say. And if we’re completely honest, once we’ve hit the wall hard, there’s a side of us that knows what we want God to say – “Run, Forrest, run!”

So, pray. That’s always a good first step, but don’t forget that the Bible reminds us that there’s wisdom in knowledge (Proverbs 1:1–7) and there is wisdom in advisers (Proverbs 15:22). A prudent revitalizer will access both … in that order.

Start with Good Information When you’re down $155 (or a whole lot more) and you’re dealt an ace-high hand, it can be difficult to accurately evaluate where you’ve been and where you’re at. And though Kenny Rogers reminds us to never count our money when we’re sittin’ at the table, he was a country star singing about poker, not about church revitalization. When you’re in the pit, it’s helpful to measure the subjectives by the objectives – you need to know what’s real.

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That said, here are some questions to answer and some statistics to gather. Don’t just think about the answers, print out the list and write out the answers. Be honest and be thorough.

Over the past twelve months: 1. Have you been able to spend at least 50 percent of your time in the community and in the company of your target audience?

2. How many new contacts are you making each week?

3. Compared to the previous twelve months, how many first-time visitors attended worship (or a small group)?

4. How many first-time visitors have become returning guests?

5. How many returning guests have become new members?

6. How many conversion baptisms have you done?

7. How many antagonists have left the church?

8. How many loyal supporters can you count on (whether they’re in leadership or not)?

9. Taking into account savings/endowments, annual giving, and annual spending, how many more years does the church have left?

10. How many hours are you working each week? How many days off are you getting each month? And have you taken your vacation time?

And now ask yourself a couple of subjective questions … be completely honest with your answers: 1. Is the Sunday morning church culture welcoming, friendly, and inviting for visitors and guests? (This should jive with questions 4–5 above.)

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, what is the excitement level of worship? (1 = Like a Lone Figure in a Deserted Graveyard Dripping in a November Rain; 10 = Like a Rave Filled with Twenty-One-Year-Olds on Their Birthdays) 3. How’s your walk with Jesus? Elaborate.

Share the Information with Your Coach Next, make an appointment with your coach – make it a face-to-face appointment, even if it’s via Zoom or Facetime.

Send your coach the questions and responses to all of the above so s/he can honestly evaluate it. During your time together, be honest about how you’re feeling and what you’ve been thinking. Ask, “Is it time to leave, or is it time to dig in?” and once you’ve worked through that, ask, “What do I need to do next?” You may just need to take some time off. You may need to reevaluate how you’re spending your time and who you’re spending it with. You may need to re-

visit your own expectations. Or you may need to engage a faithful exit strategy. Whichever it is, be straight with your coach and then listen. Couple that with serious prayer time and you’ll have the tools you need to know whether it’s time to push your chair back from the table and cash out your chips or not.

Know When to Run

There are times … it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen … when going through a planned evaluation and extrication process just isn’t a good idea. If you’ve invested in knowing when to fold ‘em, that is, you did your due diligence and entered faithfully and openly into a revitalization project, then the chances of having to “run” should hover down at about the same odds as you being dealt a royal flush at the poker table … 1:649,740. To be honest, that’s just an example … but the point is, if you’ve done your homework, the chances of something going so wrong that you need to quit and quit-right-now are very, very low.

In our experience, when a revitalizing pastor has to flee the church, it tends to mean that the pastor was poorly suited for the task at hand in the first place. We’ve worked with too many denominations that didn’t thoroughly and honestly assess a revitalizing pastor before recommending or appointing them to a revitalization project. Too often, if someone has a pulse and an expressed desire to work in a turnaround situation, the denomination is far too willing to rubber stamp the candidate. (Willing revitalizing pastors are really, really hard to find!) When a poorly assessed – or a poorly trained – revitalization leader is thrust into a turnaround situation, the conflict that is absolutely a part of every turnaround can quickly spiral out of control, putting both the pastor and the congregation is a very bad situation. In those cases, running is likely the best solution.

But let’s presume that you, dear reader, are not of that ilk.

And let’s presume that you did your due diligence before you got started. With that done, you’re still guaranteed a tough time at the table with a whole lot of lousy hands being dealt your way. But if you’re skillful, if you understand the game you’re playing and you have a handle on the stakes, you might well be able to beat the odds. However, sometimes, no matter how well you play the game, there comes a time to bolt from the table and make a dash through those swinging doors.

When is It Time to Run? Before I give you the very short bullet list, let me say that if you have a coach, an accountability partner, and/or a

denominational leader that you’re accountable to, don’t sprint from the table until you’ve at least spoken with them.

This isn’t so they can talk you out of your decision, but so they can have your back and offer resources, advice, and help as needed.

That said, here’s the bullet list for when you should consider bolting from the game: • When it’s unsafe to stay. If your physical safety is threatened, it’s time to leave. Now. And you should probably be dialing 9-1-1 on your way out.

• When you are being personally and consistently bullied and the church’s leadership doesn’t step in to support you.

• When your family is being used as a pawn to “get to you” and, again, the church’s leadership doesn’t immediately intervene.

• When the church withholds their financial obligation to you. In this case, you should probably be calling your attorney on your way out.

• When your health is seriously compromised because of the stress. I’ve seen too many revitalizing pastors have heart attacks, strokes, commit suicide, and get cancers in a large part because the job’s stress. If you’re not cut out for this very difficult work, and few are, then plan your exit gently (Know When to Walk Away). But if you haven’t heeded the warnings, or if there were no warnings and the stress has compromised your physical or mental health, run … don’t walk … to get help and to get out.

There are certainly other instances, but these are probably the most common of the uncommon reasons why you might need to make a hasty exit.

Although any revitalization project is a gamble, you don’t have to live a gambler’s life as a revitalizing leader. The advice Kenny Rogers sings about is applicable to all of us in turnaround ministry.

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. He is the co-author of The Role of the Senior Pastor and also teaches Pastoral Leadership for Phillips Seminary with an emphasis on leadership.

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Let’s Cover the Land in

Thank You Jesus Signs!

How it all started...

In 2016, a young teenager named Lucas Hunt prayed for help to display Easter signs in his hometown of Asheboro, NC. Also, he prayed that these efforts would have a giant impact on the Kingdom. A few weeks later a board member at his church, Connie Frazier, sought the Lord’s direction concerning an Easter project for their congregation.

Lucas and Connie were unaware of each other’s prayers and desires. Then, God spoke very clearly to Connie instructing her to design a Thank You Jesus yard sign that would be distributed nationwide.

Thank You Jesus signs were embraced and the wave of gratitude took hold.

Lucas’ prayers and vision, support from Lucas’ parents and Connie’s design and business background led to the creation of the Thank You Jesus signs. This project, with its roots in a small rural church, has turned into a 501(C)3 that receives royalties from the artwork to invest in sharing the Gospel. The investments include grants to spiritual non-profit organizations that seek to share God’s love and the many reasons why we Thank Jesus.

Over 250,000 signs have been sold along with car magnets, gar den flags and bracelets. Hundreds of people have been led by the Lord to purchase and display the signs as a ministry of sharing God’s goodness through Jesus Christ. Become part of the Thank You Jesus movement as it spreads throughout the country!

t r a p e m Becof the o T!

N E M E V MO

www.thankyoujesussigns.com

Pivot from Being Friendly to Befriending

By Bob Whitesel Churches hire me to advise them on healthy growth. And one of the things I do with every church is to visit incognito, as a secret shopper so to speak. I come unannounced and analyze how they connect newcomers to their faith community. I do this before I have conducted any workshops, so almost everyone does not know who I am.

After interviewing hundreds of non-churchgoers and newcomers, I’ve been told that most aren’t interested in being greeted in a friendly manner … instead they are interested in making friends. I would describe this as a desire “to be befriended.”

Over 30 years ago when I began doing this most churches had very minimal guest services. Ushers handing out bulletins at the back the sanctuary was about all most churches provided. Even in large churches, guest services had not yet developed.

Greeters began in the business world. And now, whether at Walmart, Target or some other large box store, you will find people positioned at the front doors to greet you and say “Welcome.” Over time the church adopted this policy, without thinking through the different goals of a big box retailer and a community of faith. A big box store has greeters to put the guest at ease and help them make a purchase.

Now some 30 years later I’ve seen remarkable progress. Most churches have greeters, guest server tables/kiosks and newcomer classes. But is this enough? I don’t think so. Here’s why.

In Most Churches Guest Services Have the Wrong Goal Today most churches have some degree of guest services ministry. In smaller churches it is usually a table in the back staffed by one or two people. In midsize and larger churches it often begins with a greeter in the parking lot. Then a volunteer opens the door and greets you with a broad smile. Inside the foyer or narthex there is usually a booth that says “guest services.” And at the door to the auditorium another greeter welcomes people as they enter.

I would describe this as a “friendly” attitude, in which greeters smile, shake a hand and say “Welcome,” “We are glad you are here” or some other salutation. But newcomers have told me this is all too customary and all too insufficient.

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From Where Did Our Goal of Friendliness Emerge?

But the church is different. When people visit a church they are often seeking spiritual solace and/or answers to spiritual questions. At big box stores guests are not there to make friends with the employees or the owners. And so greeting goals are different.

When people visit a church they are seeking spiritual solace and spiritual answers. Everyone knows that best way to talk through your questions and quandaries is with someone you consider a friend. Therefore, befriending guests becomes the goal of guest ministries (a very different goal than greeters at a big box store).

And so greeting guests, even multiple times from the parking lot to the pew, is an insufficient goal for a church where newcomers are trying to make friends and to become part of a family. Friendliness is insufficient for making a friend. It must be followed by something more. And that is befriending.

Pivoting Your Guest Services from Being Friendly to Befriending In guest services you have the ultimate goal to befriend, not just be friendly. Let’s define the difference between friendliness and befriending. Friendliness is where people greet others in an approachable manner and demeanor. Such greeting requires the guest to reach back out to the greeter. And, it also requires the guest to take the initiative to share their needs.

But should the responsibility of sharing needs be put upon the shoulders of the guest? After all, the guest has already reached out to us by entering our unfamiliar church environment. Therefore, our response to a visitor must go beyond greeting and initiate the befriending process. This includes tactfully getting to know the newcomer so we can help them with their needs.

Because the church is a place of spiritual healing and growth, hospitality ministries must ask themselves, “How can I help this person with their spiritual needs?” And to help a person begins with becoming a friend. The scriptures remind us…

A family is how the Bible describes the church: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Gal. 6:10 NIV A family is comprised of true friends, who do more than greet you, they befriend you: “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” Proverbs 18:24 MSG A family member will generously meet your needs: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Rom. 12:13 NIV. Defining friendliness and befriending with these verses in mind: • Friendliness is being approachable, but expecting a guest to reach back out to you.

• Befriending is • Tactfully taking the initiative to connect with guests, • Beginning to make a friend (or helping them find some people who will befriend them) • And getting to know their needs as your friendship develops.

Friendliness alone is inefficient in guest services.

In my incognito church visits for clients I’ve experienced this many times. At one church a tall gregarious gentleman greeted me on multiple occasions, mostly at church but once at a fast-food restaurant. At the latter he handed me a small wooden cross with the service times imprinted. When I saw him the next time at the church I reminded him about the small cross and shared my appreciation. But he didn’t remember. He had handed out so many small crosses and greeted so many people every Sunday, that despite multiple visits I was no closer to making a new friend.

He was the very outgoing, gregarious person we typically choose to be greeters. But his job was friendliness. And he did it well. But as for remembering guest, getting to know some of their needs, etc. that wasn’t in his character. Too often gregarious, friendly people become the lion’s share of our guest services’ volunteers.

But the befrienders, those people who naturally make the time and take the effort to get to know a guest are usually not yet involved. But I believe they should be the majority of guest services people. Here are two negatives and four pluses to filling your guest services ministry with befrienders.

Without Befrienders - Greeters often enjoy saying hello more than they enjoy finding out how you’re doing.

People who like to greet and offer a heartfelt welcome are important volunteers. But they tend to be focused on the immediate experience rather than the underlying need. Yes, we need gregarious people. They are outgoing and enthusiastic.

But we need befrienders too. Compare Moses and Paul’s leadership abilities. When God appoints Moses to deliver his people, Moses’ shows his unwillingness and insecurity of being God’s spokesman (Exodus 3:11-12). Paul on the other hand is enthusiastically outgoing and willing to stand before tribunals or mobs (2 Corinthians 11:16-33). Perhaps greeters are best comprised of extroverts, while befrienders are more circumspect and possibly even introverted. We need both introverted volunteers and extroverted volunteers. But the latter may be more adept at greeting than taking the time to befriend and ascertain needs.

Without Befrienders - Guest services comprised of mostly friendly people can inadvertently give the impression a church is not interested in learning about deeper needs.

If your guest ministry is based mostly upon friendliness, people who visit your church may get the feeling of a superficial experience. Like my experience with the man who greeted me every Sunday, but couldn’t remember who I was; greeting is necessary, but it is only the first step in the befriending process.

Populating your guest services with mostly friendly people often creates a superficial spirit to the congregation too. Attendees get the feeling that you’re only interested in their presence rather than their needs. Even the way we greet people can contribute to this. Remember, guests are coming to an unfamiliar environment to connect with people and make a friend. When you customarily say, “We are glad you’re here,” or “I’m glad to see you,” your greeting is focused on you and what makes you happy. Instead, we want to find out how guests are doing, how we can help them make new friends and then let a friend help them.

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With Befrienders - You get those with the biblical “gift of hospitality” more involved.

The Bible describes a “gift of hospitality” in various scriptures such as Rom. 12:9-13, 16:23, Heb. 13:1-2. Fuller Theological Seminary professor C. Peter Wagner describes the gift of hospitality as “creating comfort and assistance for those in need.” Still the Greek word philo-xenia in Rom. 12:13 and Heb. 13:2 goes deeper.

Philo means “brotherly or family love” and xenia means “love of strangers.” Therefore I would suggest that, “those with the gift of hospitality befriend strangers like family by creating comfort and assistance.”

For example, consider how the root word in hospitality is also found in the word “hospital.” Let’s say you went to an emergency room. And, there was a gregarious person who greeted you, smiled, helped you find a parking space, opened the door for you. Then you went in. But no one to asked how you were doing or tried to ascertain why you were there. You would feel like the hospitality had been insincere. In a similar fashion, populating your guest services with people who have the “gift of hospitality” is critical for reaching out to those needy souls whom the Holy Spirit is drawing to your congregation.

With Befrienders - Guest services will focus more around community and befriending, rather than herding people in/ out of the facility.

When hospitality gifted people are involved, they will create opportunities to get to know the newcomers. One article I read described how hospitality volunteers set up tables in the foyer after the service with a sign above each describing different hobbies such as fishing, running, art, hiking, pickle ball, etc. After church people would gather at these tables and begin to make friends with people like themselves.

With Befrienders - Guest services volunteers with the gift of hospitality will stick with it until a newcomer makes friends.

Characteristics of befrienders include: • People who have been at the church for many years and know many people in the church.

• People who are good at connecting people.

• People who are known in the business world as “connectors” or “networkers.”

• People, who when they meet newcomers, find out about their interests, their stage in life and their hobbies.

• Those people who look for similar people with which to connect neophytes.

• And, volunteers who just don’t hand newcomers off by introducing them to someone else. They write down their name and contact information to follow up with them and ensure they make new friends among the church attendees.

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With Befrienders - Hospitality people in your guest services ministry create a balance that you can reduplicate in other ministries in the church.

Consider your small groups. Usually there is a leader/teacher, a hospitality person that sets up the room and arranges refreshments. But that’s it. What if you added a befriender, someone that actually had the “gift of hospitality (to) befriend strangers like family by creating comfort and assistance.” Image someone who reaches out to new people either in your small group, Sunday school class, Bible study, activity group, sport team, etc. and then connects them with like-minded people within the group.

This would eventually pivot your entire faith community into a refreshing balance of greeters and befrienders.

Summary A list of needs that church visitors most often cite when visiting a church are described in more detail in my other book (Spiritual Waypoints: Helping Other Navigate the Journey, Abingdon Press).

But regardless of the need, we can see in this article that needs are best addressed by friends.

And, too often guests will seek to make the pastor or staff member their friend, because he or she is perceived as one that can help them with their needs. But the staff will soon be overwhelmed.

But in healthy churches the pastor and ministry staff find and recruit volunteers with the “gift of hospitality” to connect guests to friends who will befriend and meet the needs of others.

This is the most overlooked, yet crucial element, of every guest services ministry. Leader it’s time to pivot!

Bob Whitesel is an award-winning author/consultant on church health and growth. He has been called “the key spokesperson on change theory in the church today” by a national magazine, co-founded an accredited seminary (Wesley Seminary at IWU) and created one of the nation’s most respected church health and growth consulting firms: ChurchHealth.net

The

Revitalizer LIBRARY

Stephen Witmer, A Big Gospel in Small Places: (Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters), Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2019.

Stephen Witmer wants you to care about small places. His book A Big Gospel in Small Places: (Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters) outlines a case for the importance of rural America and the priority of ministry in these forgotten communities. Whitmer does an excellent job of presenting the confusion surrounding rural America, identifying the challenges unique to rural America, and outlining a case for embracing a rural pastorate.

Rural America faces similar challenges at equal or more devastating rates as urban areas. Places scattered across rural America plagued with alcohol and drug abuse, absent parents, particularly fathers, low wages, few job prospects, and limited to no activities for their young. Whitmer highlights the problems facing rural Americans regarding suicide rates, education opportunities, and rural America’s greatest export, its young adults. The challenge is not that rural America faces such hardships. One challenge is that rural America is misunderstood by pundits, idealized, and romanticized as an escape from the cities, and unless making headlines as influencers in national elections, forgotten.

Even though seventy-five percent of the landscape in America is rural (22) and more than three billion people worldwide live-in rural areas (5), the strategic emphasis of seminaries, missions agencies, pastors, and writers is upon the population-dense cities. As a result, thousands of churches dotting the countryside are undervalued, underfunded, and surrounded by people who do not know Christ.

Yet, because rural American is unseen, its people, problems, and parishes are dismissed. As a result, the church in rural America faces a detrimental crisis.

Witmer demonstrates a clear focus in his work. He writes in the introduction, “To minister effectively in small places, we need a gospel shaped theological vision to see both ourselves and our place is as God does. As the gospel helps us disentangle our value from our postal code and the worth of our postal code from its size, amenities, and influence, will be freed for joyful gospel ministries right where we live” (12-13).

Rural people and rural churches are as much in need of gospel-driven, Christ-centered ministries as every other city in the world. Witmer’s work is data-driven, with a sprinkling of anecdotes and illustrations. His analysis of the rural-urban divide shines a light on the next great political and social division.

Witmer’s work should be read by directors of missions agencies, denominational leaders, seminary professors, and pastors. Works like Witmer’s and others will fuel the vision for healthy ministry in rural areas. Attention from urban initiatives should not be withdrawn, but rural ministries will be perceived as equally valued, funded as equal partners, and seminaries will encourage to serve in what seems to be an unseen place. Whitmer’s work is excellent and critical for understanding the future of the American church. Perhaps readers of this review will consider planting themselves in a rural town to see a once forgotten church renew.

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.

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Never Give Up!

By George Thomasson Michael Iaconelli, or “Ike,” is a name immediately recognized in the world of professional bass fishing. It seems that he is either loved or hated, because of his loud, emotional outbursts and unpredictable tantrums during tournaments. His winnings have exceeded $3 million and in addition to professional fishing he is a television personality and podcast show host. He co-founded “The Bass University” which is dedicated to assisting bass fishermen to improve their skills.

“Ike” is perhaps best known for how he responded after he caught the winning fish to capture the coveted title of “Bassmaster Classic Champion” in 2003 on the Louisiana Delta. After he landed the winning fish, he fell to the deck of his boat and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Never give up! Never give up, man!” A little-known fact is that Mike, because of heartbreaking personal problems, had seriously considered giving up his professional bass fishing career prior to that epic win. However, he is still competing at the highest level today. Why? Because he took his own advice and never gave up!

After a lifetime of ministry in church revitalization, I want to emphatically echo the exclamation of “Ike” – “NEVER GIVE UP!” Just as bass fishing must address many variables i.e.: water temperature and clarity, wind and current, moon phases, seasonal patterns of the fish, lure selection, etc., so also the challenges of church revitalization are many.

To achieve success as a bass fisherman or church revitalizer, one must become a serious student of the “sport.” Of course, to call church revitalization a “sport” would not only be in-

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appropriate but almost sacrilegious! However, the level of perseverance required to succeed in any sport is also a must in church revitalization. If we ever hope to see a church that is sinking toward the bottom become spiritually buoyant again, we must adopt “Ike’s” mantra – “NEVER GIVE UP!” But what does that look like in church revitalization?

1. Never give up on PRAYER. If you accept the Lord’s call to church revitalization, you should be encouraged and captured by what the great E. M. Bounds once said. “The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.” He also emphatically stated, “Every mighty move of the Spirit of God has had its source in the prayer chamber.”

I have become convinced that the most impactful thing we can do to bring new life to a struggling church is to “bathe” the entire process in believing prayer. Begin by making prayer your top priority. Challenge several men in the church to join you weekly in an early morning prayer and devotion time. Identify a passionate prayer warrior in the church and ask them to help you lead the body to become a praying church. Preach a series on prayer and provide special venues for prayer groups. Immerse the entire revitalization process in prayer. You will be amazed at the supernatural things the Lord does in response to the prayers of the people. After all, didn’t Jesus say that His house is to be a house of prayer?

Mt. 21:13

2. Never give up on RELATIONSHIPS. Never forget that you are in the “people business.” You don’t just teach and preach the Bible. You teach and preach PEOPLE the Bible! I know that many times people seem to be the problem. And I have heard my pastor friends, who were dealing with conflict in their churches say tongue-in-cheek, “If it weren’t for people, church would be a delight!”

Identify the “influencers” in your church and bring them in close. Begin to share your heart for revitalization with them.

Let them sense your burden and passion to see the church come alive again. Ask them to pray with you to see a mighty movement of God in the church. Take them to breakfast and lunch. Visit them in their places of business. Ask them to share their dreams and hopes for the church. In short, secure their “buy-in” to help you lead the revitalization efforts. Don’t take significant steps in the process until they are with you and don’t leave them behind as you lead. Take advantage of their “leadership currency” in the church and let them lead with you.

3. Never give up on VISION. You may want to consider employing the services of a trained consultant to help guide and implement the revitalization process. You will then be free to love on your people, lead in the prayer efforts and preach relevant messages.

The consultant can help with community research, understanding of the current reality of the church, factors that may be holding the church back, enlisting and employing teams to address these factors, forming and embracing a fresh vision for the church, and keeping the leaders on track with the strategic plans for revitalization.

Once a clear and compelling vision for church revitalization has been formulated, it must be integrated into every facet of the ministries. Talk about it from the pulpit; place signage all over the campus; find ways to draw a straight line from the vision to everything you do; and celebrate positive steps toward its realization. Help the church understand that your purpose and vision is why they exist!

4. Never give up on PROGRESS. Once you have identified the things that are holding you back from accomplishing God’s vision for your church, your revitalization team, with the help of your consultant, will want to prioritize them. Ask the question, “If solved, which of these factors will make the most positive impact toward revitalization?” Then form teams, set goals, and get to work on priority number one. You may be able to work on two or three of the factors at the same time.

Here is where you, as the pastor, must be in touch with the pulse of the church. Because you have identified limiting factors that are holding the church back; begun working intentionally on solutions; and bathing it all in prayer; significant progress will be evident. The people will see it. You will encourage the people to celebrate and give God the glory.

But this is the time for you to hold up a yellow caution flag!

The natural tendency is for the church to take a deep breath, let out a sigh of relief, rejoice because of the signs of new life, and mistakenly think that the church has been revitalized.

Just the opposite is true. When you see signs of progress toward spiritual revitalization, it is NOT time to decelerate. It is time to put your foot on the gas pedal and accelerate! Don’t give up when you see evidence of progress. Push forward.

Stick with the plan. Work through all the limiting factors.

Keep the teams working. Help them focus on accomplishing their S.M.A.R.T. goals through intentional accountability.

Don’t give up when progress surfaces. There is still much to be done.

5. Never give up on GOD. Perhaps the most crucial advice of all is to never give up on GOD! Remember this is NOT your church. It is God’s church.

Jesus said to his disciples on one occasion, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Mt. 16:18 Church revitalization, in the final analysis, is a supernatural work. Only God Himself can breathe new life into a gasping church. However, He has chosen to work through human instruments.

You as pastor should have the trust of the people. They should want to follow your leadership. Make sure that your walk with God is fresh, up-to-date, and passionate. Your people should see that your ministry, as you lead them toward revitalization, is the overflow of your love relationship with Jesus. As you lead them through every step, point them to Jesus. Emphasize that they must spend daily time with the Lord in his Word and prayer as they move forward. As He blesses their efforts in His church, lead them to give Him all the praise.

George Thomasson is a native of Arkansas but spent most of his ministry in Florida and Texas. He holds degrees from Palm Beach Atlantic University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He presently serves as Mobilization Pastor for Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

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Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com

How to Carry On and Not Quit

By Gary Moritz In ministry, you are going to experience highs and lows and everything in between. Let’s face it, some days being a pastor just stinks. The struggles that ministry brings, and these difficult days and times can make you want to quit and give up. However, you must develop the discipline to persevere.

You may find yourself asking the question, “Why do I keep doing this?”“Why don’t I just quit!” During these times of despair, you need to remember that discipline builds perseverance and resilience.

God is writing His story through your life. Your life is His narrative. Each experience you go through matters to God. These experiences will be great victories, accomplishments, and miracles that you saw God do in your ministry. They may be tough times that you endured that only after time you see how God worked through the pain and suffering. God will build resilience in you because He knows how much you can endure.

I have the privilege of talking with many church revitalizers.

The most common revitalization question I have been asked is, “Should I walk away from this church, this community, and people?” I believe this question is asked out of a sense of doubt and the temptation to quit. Some common themes have surfaced after digging in during these conversations to get to the root of the doubt and questioning. Let’s look

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at the temptations that cause church revitalization pastors to quit.

Most pastors that think about quitting face an overwhelming sense of frustration, the heavy costs of ministry, a lack of stamina and fatigue, constant conflict, and disqualification.

Frustration Revitalizers want to quit because they feel frustrated with a church that does not desire to change or is more concerned about control rather than growth. The emphasis is placed on meetings rather than people. Pastors are sick of the church pride battles and serving under governing boards of people who haven’t been called to lead a church and are not doing anything other than saying no to everything. Instead of fulfilling the kingdom mindset, the church is filled with gossip, bickering, and committees that fight over stupid stuff.

No pastor wants this for their church. The easy out is to walk away out of frustration and instead be a part of a life-giving church and what appears to be a better situation. Pastors feel frustrated when they feel as if they are powerless to move the church forward. Just remember, the grass is not always greener on the other side, and there are frustrations in every ministry, not just yours.

The Heavy Costs of Ministry At some point, every pastor starts to think about the cost of ministry. I am not talking about financial costs. I am talking about the cost to life, time, energy, focus, family, and your physical, spiritual, and mental health. Revitalizers want to quit because of the high personal cost they have had to pay to stay in ministry and keep a church moving toward health and vitality. Revitalization pastors are gifted and have a good heart, but because of low pay, long hours, and dealing with the dysfunctions of a ministry in trouble, they begin to wither away. The physical, mental, and spiritual toll of revitalization is challenging, and it can give rise to the temptation to walk away. This is where your tactical resilience comes in. You must train for the pain so that you can endure it. If Satan cannot disqualify you through other means, he will do his best to wear you out so that you eventually become ineffective.

Lack of Stamina and Fatigue I have found that the first five years of church revitalization are exhausting. And something happened when I turned forty-five years old. I seem to have less energy and stamina.

I may be more innovative, wiser, and more experienced, but I don’t have the stamina I had when I first started ministry. I fondly remember my early days in ministry as a young youth pastor. But I can’t do all-nighters as I did back then and then get up on Sunday morning and lead worship for three services. I can’t eat a whole pizza and still feel good at bedtime.

My body can’t take it.

Satan will tempt you to quit when you are exhausted. You need to listen to your body and take your limitations seriously. As you get older and spend more time in ministry, your focus shifts from trying to be good and doing everything to becoming a specialist and good at a few things.

If you are doing everything and your schedule is wearing you out, it is time to start delegating and giving stuff away.

Maybe it’s time to reprioritize your calendar and schedule and stop doing some things. You need to take time to rest and recuperate. If you don’t do it, your body will more than likely force you to do it. Spend some time sitting at the feet of Jesus and ask Him what you need to change. Ask Him to restore your energy and passion for His work.

Constant Conflict Conflict will take you completely by surprise. Conflict can arise over music, Bible versions, doctrine, preferences, dress, denominations, pride, service times, pews, chairs, the sermon is too long, the sermon is too short, and the list goes on and on. As pastors, we are constantly dealing with con-

flict. Pastors are often ill-prepared to deal with the barrage of conflict within and without the church. Whether you have been trained in it or not, it’s time to take the bull by the horn and deal with it. Start reading everything you can about good conflict resolution skills so that you can learn how to deal with the conflict instead of letting it consume your life and cause you to want to quit.

Disqualification Sometimes pastors don’t have a choice in leaving the ministry. They must quit because of something that has disqualified them to serve as a pastor, a shepherd of a group of people. These situations are awful for everyone involved. This is where your accountability must come into play.

Set up safeguards in your life to protect you from your weaknesses. If pride is your weakness, have people in your life who will not be afraid to confront you when they see it start to swell up in you. If sexual temptation is a problem, make sure that your spouse has access to your calendar and all your devices and accounts, and encourage them to check on you often. Put safeguards on your devices and work hard to overcome sexual temptation. If money could potentially be your downfall, put safeguards in place with your leadership team so that there can be no question of impropriety within your church. Whatever your weakness is, do whatever it takes to address it. Don’t give Satan a foothold because it won’t take long for him to get a choke-hold on you. Don’t let Satan take you out.

If you are thinking about quitting, don’t. From one pastor to another, don’t do it unless God has clearly and confidently called you to leave. Seek help and stay in the fight.

Gary Moritz is the lead pastor of City United Church, located in Lunenburg, MA. With a church planter mindset, the Lord called him and his family to New England in 2013 to take over a church in need of revitalization through a pastoral succession. He also works for Liberty University as a subject matter expert on church revitalization and as a assistant professor in the School of Divinity, and he serves as the Director of Church Revitalization for the Baptist Convention of New England.

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TACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR CHURCH REVITALIZATION AND RENEWAL “Gary Moritz has lived the life of leading revitalization as well as anyone I know, especially in a New England context. In Carry On, you do not merely have someone reporting to you the theories of church revitalization, you have someone who has led it and lived it, tactic by tactic. What an incredible gift this book is to church leaders around the world.”

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THIS BOOK WILL OFFER YOU STEPS, RESOURCES, AND DIRECTION ON HOW TO BECOME TACTICAL IN THE FIGHT. USE IT AS A FIELD MANUAL TO HELP YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU UNDERSTAND REVITALIZATION AND THE STEPS NEEDED TO BRING YOUR CHURCH BACK TO HEALTH.

IT WILL TAKE ...

TACTICAL ENGAGEMENT

TACTICAL ENVISIONING

TACTICAL ENLARGEMENT

TACTICAL EXECUTION

Determine to be “All In” and refuse to quit the fight for church revitalization and renewal.

Learn to trust in, dream about, and envision what God wants to do in you and your community.

Stay true to your call and learn to say “Yes” to whatever zip code God calls you to.

Identify and execute your tactical next steps towards revitalization and renewal.

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON Gary Moritz is married to the co-author Jana Moritz and is the lead pastor of City United Church located in Lunenburg, MA. Together, the Lord called them and their family to New England in 2013 to take over a church in need of revitalization through a pastoral succession. Gary works for Liberty University as a Subject Matter Expert in Church Revitalization and as an assistant professor in the School of Divinity. He also serves as the Director of Church Revitalization for the Baptist Convention of New England and is the co-host of Revitalizationtoday.com with Dr. Tom Cheyney.

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Pressing On...

By Michael Atherton Revitalization is not for the faint of heart, as leaders and laity alike must heed a similar call to perseverance. As everyone is working to help provide health and stability to the church, inevitably, there will be good experiences and bad experiences. As such, each person must remain committed to the ultimate calling. Dr. Tom Cheyney will argue that, for a church to experience revitalization, everyone involved is committing to a 1000-day minimum investment. Perseverance mandates commitment when things are tough, fortitude when things are unfair, and persistence when one would otherwise want to quit.

There may be no better story of perseverance in Scripture than the story of Joseph, whom we read about in the latter chapters of Genesis.

Soon after, the brothers were eating and saw a group of Ishmaelite businessmen traveling from Gilead to Egypt.

Judah, one of Joseph’s older brothers, suggested selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites so that technically they were not guilty of murder. Plus, they could make some money while they’re at it. And that’s just what they did. The brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They then took Joseph’s robe, killed a goat, dipped the robe in the blood, and brought it to their father as if Joseph were dead. Jacob was upset, to say the least. Meanwhile, the businessmen who bought Joseph took him to Egypt and sold him to one of the higher-ups in the Pharaoh’s court, “the captain of the bodyguard” (37:36 NRSV).

Let me provide a word of background. Joseph was Jacob’s favored son, and therefore he gave him a fancy coat, even a famous coat, a coat of many colors. Scripture says that Joseph had a dream that essentially amounts to his brothers bowing down in submission. I am not sure about you, but Joseph’s brothers responded the same way that my brothers would have reacted had I told them they were going to worship me. First a coat, then a prediction…

Among the many lessons provided in this account, people will often align themselves against one who receives a Word from the Lord. This passage reminds us that not everyone in the world is interested in hearing from the Lord. Right upfront, we must recognize the similar plight in the life and leadership of a revitalizer. Not everyone wants to hear, experience, or accept what the Lord has to say through that individual. In Joseph’s case, we can very clearly see three responses offered by his brothers.

Joseph’s brothers were furious at him. Joseph was the second youngest brother, and there was really no logical explanation for why he should have received such an abundance of attention. While Joseph’s brothers are pasturing their father’s sheep at Shechem, Jacob sent Joseph out to meet with his brothers and report back to him. As Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they conspired to kill him. The only question was how they should do it. Plan A: They kill Joseph, then throw him into a pit and say some wild animals killed him. Plan B: They throw Joseph into a pit but don’t kill him. When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped off his fancy coat and threw him into a pit.

1. Joseph experienced hearts of hatred.

I suppose when you live in a home of one father, four different mothers, and twelve sons, you will likely have all the makings of potential problems. Yet, this is an understatement of Joseph’s situation. As a father of six, I have seen my children display a foul heart towards one another far too many times to count. But the hatred that Joseph’s brothers showed took this concept to a whole new level.

One could argue that Joseph’s problems really stemmed from his father’s view of him. In Jacob’s mind, Rachel was his first wife and was the love of his life. As a result, Jacob

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treated him as the first-born child and his heir, hence the beautiful coat. Jacob’s favoritism led Joseph’s brothers to have a disdain for him.

One cannot excuse Joseph’s brothers, whose disdain for Joseph was off the charts. They had decided that their best play was to rid themselves of their brother. We read of their hatred in the account of them plotting his death. You don’t go from everything being fine to threats of murder without many steps in between. While we don’t know what all those steps might have looked like, we must imagine that Joseph had often been a victim of the actions that erupt from foul hearts.

2. Joseph experienced spirits of jealousy.

Should Joseph have shared his dream with his brothers?

Could we not rationalize that he should have just remained silent? Was he egging his brothers and parents on? The immediate, and might we add the predictable response, of such preferential treatment was that Joseph’s brothers allowed jealousy and envy to take over their hearts.

You cannot find a time in Scripture where jealousy or envy was practiced, yet God’s blessing flowed. In fact, maybe some of the most devastating character flaws in Scripture reside under the umbrella of pride, jealousy, and envy. Jealousy has a sister named Malice, and the two usually work together. Jealousy works on one’s heart, while Malice takes that inward dissatisfaction and manifests it outwardly in expressions of anger, rage, and hatred.

3. Joseph experienced acts of maliciousness.

Matthew 5 teaches us that hatred in the heart is the moral equivalent of murder! Though Joseph’s brothers did not actually kill him with their hands, some had done so many times over, in their hearts. This entire story shows hearts marked with hatred and jealousy that gave way to malice.

The brothers decided it would be best to kill Joseph. Yet, in a “weak” moment of moral ambiguity, they had a moment of grace (if we can say that) and decided instead to simply sell their brother into slavery. This single act launched a journey in Joseph’s life that would be a phenomenal storyline for any Hollywood movie. God used all these negatives to bring about His positive in a way that only He could do. So, notice…

Despite the hatred, jealousy, and malice, Joseph didn’t lose heart!

So much of your life really comes down to your perspective. Far too often, we mistake our circumstances for God’s

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blessing. Yet, notice here, God also uses the terrible circumstances of life to bring about His tremendous blessings. In fact, some of the most magnificent movements of God in Scripture happened when people must have thought their world was falling apart: • Abraham on Mount Moriah • Moses’ mom, who had to give up her son • Jonah’s flailing in the water before the fish swallowed him • Lazarus’ family before Christ arrived • Paul and Silas in jail You see, God knows exactly the right timing in which to make His presence known by all those around. God had providentially brought Joseph safely to Egypt, knowing all along that all the bad things that happened would be used for man’s good and God’s glory. Though Joseph may not have realized it at the time, years later, a much more mature Joseph was able to say: “What you meant for evil against me; God meant for good (Genesis 50:20)”.

I really want you to think about this for a moment. What would have changed in Israel had Joseph lost heart and surrendered in death? We can (maybe we should) ask this same question related to Abraham, Moses, Paul, even Jesus. Their steadfastness changed the world! Likewise, your steadfastness, in the wake of all that the world means for evil, will change your world as well. Don’t lose heart, but press on!

Michael Atherton has served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of O’Fallon, O’Fallon, MO 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 past President of the Colorado Baptist Convention.

Learning to Persevere

By Steve Smith I wasn’t the poster boy for revitalization. Coming directly from seminary to a rural town church in Wisconsin, I almost muffed the assignment God gave me by planning to quit. I had to learn perseverance. He made sure I learned it.

The church was 25 years old and had only been able to afford bi-vocational pastors. They had no expectation that I would be full-time when they called me. Their sole focus was to build a new building and find a pastor who had experience and could help them in that task. I didn’t have experience—but they were desperate after two years of searching.

What I didn’t know when I said “yes” to the call was the depth of their problems. The search team failed to tell me that the congregation had been through a split several years before. In their tiny town, that was a big deal. Worse, I had no inkling that a pyramid organization had become deeply rooted among them, so much so that they were spending time in Sunday School discussing its truths, delivering product in the church building, and seeking to recruit every visitor to become part of someone’s downline. The gospel ran a poor second to all of this.

How bad was it? I found out quickly that there was little Bible knowledge among the leaders. Certainly, they were sweet people, loving people. But I was pretty certain that I could have preached heresy from the pulpit any given Sunday and no one would have challenged me.

How bad was it? The first Sunday morning I came, a man whom I had met while candidating walked in the back door of the chapel, came up to the front and handed me a note. It read, “My wife and I will not be attending this church anymore.” A great way to start your ministry! Later, when I visited them, their excuse for leaving was their dislike of another church leader.

I wanted to quit every three months. Like clockwork, the pressure of the situation would well up and I would grab my family and escape the area for a few days. I would grouse at God about the unfairness of putting me in such a church. But at the end of each respite, since there was nowhere else to go, back there I would head for the next three months.

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This cycle went on for two years. Though I wasn’t idle about my calling—sowing the gospel, dealing with the pyramid organization and leading them in the first steps of building that dreamed-for new building, I would hardly say I was persevering. It was more like I was enduring a bad assignment, hoping that something better would be in store for me.

Then God woke me up to what was wrong—with me! This issue I was struggling with wasn’t the congregation. It wasn’t about the assignment to which He had sent me. The issue was that I wasn’t spiritually ready to be used by Him. All my years of preparation and serving in healthier churches had blinded me to the condition of my soul. I wasn’t pursuing intimacy with God. I was merely regurgitating stored up information about Him. As a result, I was wandering down a road of selfpity and comforting myself with sin instead of becoming the leader God had sent me there to be.

I found myself praying this prayer: “God, unless you take charge of my life, nothing eternal will come out of it.” Humanly speaking, I was fulfilling my pastoral duties, but producing nothing that remotely looked like treasures in heaven. I was for the first, though not the last time, humble before my Father.

This is the first lesson I had to learn in perseverance.

Perseverance is not the product of biblical education or human will. It is not merely vowing to outlast your opponents,

Notice that he had been at the top of the pyramid organization in the church. When he came on board, he influenced the rest of the congregation to join him too. So, although we had a long way to go, I was no longer alone in the work.

The third lesson I had to learn was to watch for God’s breakthrough moment. I had been trying to force the issue, to personally move the church forward. It just wasn’t happening.

Then came God’s breakthrough moment. And I wasn’t even there to see it. For some years, the trustees had not been paying out missionary support because they didn’t think the church would survive financially. They felt they must pay the bills first. Then came the month end when the church was facing a much larger than usual deficit. I was out of town when the trustees met to decide what to do (Here is where the ‘ally’ thing comes in). My newly acquired partner told them they would have to pay out missionary support first and then see what God would do. And they did! Within six weeks all the red financial ink disappeared, never to return. whether you define them as the outliers of the congregation or the devil himself. Perseverance is the product of the Spirit.

It is a change in your heart, a change in your relationship with God that involves surrender to His will. It is the true reason God sends you where He does—to further conform you to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29). I came to understand that being on assignment by God was more about my spiritual formation than anything I might do for His kingdom. That became the moment when I was actually ready to be used to lead revitalization in that church.

The second lesson in perseverance would follow quickly. I had to learn that I couldn’t do this alone. I needed allies. Not just friends, but people who would actively help me.

Pride is a terrible trap. I had been arrogantly thinking (to myself ) that no one in the congregation knew the Bible like I did or understood how to walk with God like I did (gulp!).

And therefore, revitalization was for me and me alone to bring about. I had no plan to include others. When I gave up my arrogant pride, I began to build the relationships needed for this journey.

I particularly focused on the man who had been at the top of the pyramid organization in the church. Though quite a few years older than I, we became the best of friends. I sought him out. I made the time. I shared with him the spiritual possibilities. We came to love each other.

This was God working before their eyes. What I had prayed for and preached to them went home to their hearts. They saw that they could trust God. The path to revitalization was thrown wide open by God Himself.

If you want God to use you to lead revitalization, you must learn perseverance so you won’t quit before you see the faithfulness of God. Pursue intimacy with God. Let Him change you deeply. Discover the allies that will help you so you will not be alone in this work. Finally, learn to wait on the Lord.

After all, what are you persevering for anyway? God is the one who revitalizes his church. You are there as His servant. As you faithfully preach and lead, He will, in His own time, bring the breakthrough that will open the way to see your church regain its gospel impact on its community.

Steve Smith is the founder of Church Equippers Ministries, serving churches by training them in transformational discipleship and church systems. He is the author of several books including The Key to Deep Change and The Increasing Capacity Guidebook.

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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.

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Watch Out, the Road is Full of Potholes

By Tracy Jaggers As a Revitalizer, we can find a plethora of examples of renewal in the Word of God. It’s wonderful when the Lord reveals these models of wisdom that can help shape and mold our character and attitudes. I wish I would consistently and constantly assimilate their traits into my daily living! Here are my favorite biblical examples. Ones who have stood firm during the tsunamis of life and responded in righteousness. Nehemiah is my man for strategy and prayer; Enoch, my model for an intimate relationship with the Father; Ittai, (one of David’s commanders) is my symbol of steadfastness and loyalty, Job is a mirror, reflecting perseverance and faithfulness, when all seems horrible, and Jesus is my preeminent model of obedience, holiness, and righteousness. For these giants, I am eternally grateful!

In this world, I have encountered spiritual leaders who have come under unwarranted attack from church members while striving to guide their church to health and fitness. Why would any church member not want their church to be productive and effective for the Kingdom of God? Could it be they are not really one of us, or could it be that they can’t bear the thought of “their church” changing? Or maybe it’s simply that they are uninformed about what the Bible says about the health and growth of His Bride? Whatever possesses them to be a barrier, the leader often ends up the target of their refusal to submit to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

So, let’s examine the determination and grit that a successful revitalizer must possess. First, what does the term “perseverance” mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as, “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.” Perseverance is needed for our spiritual success as well as our success in human life. It is a command from God!

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In Revelation 3:7-8 and 10, He expects us to persevere. How do we do it? Well, we cannot in our own power and intellect.

We must have God’s spirit living and working in us. That’s the only way we can endure.

A person who has perseverance endures no matter what the trials or how much suffering or grief he or she may go through. It’s from the root word meaning “to remain under.”

What does that mean? It means a person would be willing to remain under trials, if necessary, and to honor and glorify the Lord. By enduring such trials, they learn the lessons only trials teach. We need to view barriers and potholes as part of God’s plan. I found personally that when my church was struggling, so was I. They were mirroring the leader’s lack of energy and passion.

Job, when confronted by his wife about his trial, said, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” Job 2:9 (NASB) Making adjustments in a struggling or declining congregation has never been easy and during a revitalization process it is no more palatable. The process can expose flaws, weaknesses, and failures, but it can also present the congregation with checkpoints for the church to be able to see when the congregation and the leadership are moving forward. This gives a view toward a brighter future.

How can a congregation and its leaders endure and proceed in the face of scrutiny, opposition, or desertion?

1. Be absolutely certain you are following Christ’s plan (not your own). Paul states in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We have persistent steadfastness, not because we are invincible, tough and wise, but because we have the power and anointing of the Spirit of God within us. When we are weak, He will exchange His strength for our weakness!

Another way to say it is found in 2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV). “For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” If you are absolutely persuaded that you are the leader to walk the church through revitalization and you are certain the direction is His, then stand up, speak boldly, and invite your church family to follow your voice!

Okay, here’s one more peg to hang your hat on: Galatians 6:9 (NLT) “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Don’t give up, sit down or shut up if you certain of His calling and direction.

2. Accept suffering as God’s way of guiding our ideas and opinions so we see the best option - His plan! The fruit that grows on the outside of a tree and is exposed to the abuse of weather is always the sweetest, because it receives the most sun. Are you allowing the Son to shine on your situation or are you trying to stay in the shade of comfort and convenience?

James 1:2-6a (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.

3. Walk in faith, God is for you and with you! Perseverance is when we keep coming back, and we never give up. Keep trying, keep knocking and, finally, the door will open. Stay the course (let me rephrase that – “Stay His course”)! 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (NKJV) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

4. Don’t give up! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said this, “Perseverance is a great element of success, if you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you’re sure to wake up somebody.” If God is with you, stay in there for the duration.

Keep the faith, charge with courage, be tenacious and run with stamina.

His goals are just ahead. They are well within reach. No church knows how much time it has left. Most everything has a shelflife. Sooner or later our best intentions come to an end. Where will your best efforts, your greatest adventures and your most zealous passions lead you? Why would we want to consider accepting failure when He is with us? Many before us have worked too hard, for too many years to let the legacy and the mission of the church fade away into obscurity.

5. Don’t be afraid of those who oppose you! Ezekiel 3:9 (NKJV) Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead (the conspicuous part of our head that discloses our direction); do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” If you are on track, following God’s design, they are not opposing you; they are opposing Him! Remember, “stay on course even if the road is loaded with potholes.”

Nehemiah faced opposition, but he prayed, developed a plan, sold the people on the purpose for the new walls, consistently pointed them to the goal ahead, and reminded them that The Lord would be with them and give them the victory. The walls were rebuilt, safety and security were regained, and it was all done super-fast – just 52 days! Let us keep our eyes on the prize and hold fast to our energy source, which is found in our Savior, the King of kings? We won’t be disappointed at the results! Focus on the goal, not on the potholes!

Tracy Jaggers is the Director of the Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, Illinois. Tracy’s doctorate is in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. He writes for state and national revitalization websites and speaks for revitalization conferences and webinars. He is a contributing author for the book entitled, Practical Tools for Reinventing the Dying Church. His website is: www. churchrecharge.com.

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How to “Keep on Keeping on” in Church Revitalization

By Steve Sells The only way for the pastor/revitalizer to have success in revitalization is to develop the discipline of perseverance.

The standard definition of perseverance is: “Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately; firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” To be clear, perseverance is the essential difference between success and failure. Perseverance is hard and learning to persevere is taxing but it is absolutely necessary.

My first church was a training ground. As a young and inexperienced pastor, I had the opportunity to glean wisdom from a gracious and kind old lady who went by the name of Aunt Mamie. Aunt Mamie was a godly woman who love her Lord, her church and her pastor. I made it a weekly habit to visit Aunt Mamie. The visit turned out to be more for me than it was for her. I survived on her weekly dose of encouragement. She always prayed for me before I left and as I walked out the door she would always say the same thing… “Preacher, keep on keeping on.” That one word of encouragement helped me persevere through many difficulties in that church.

When I think of a pastor/revitalizer leading a church through the revitalization process I am drawn back to Aunt Mamie’s words, “preacher, keep on keeping on.” Don’t quit!

Keep going no matter how tough it gets…don’t stop. That sounds good, doesn’t it? However, it is a difficult task.

The best example of perseverance and persistence in the Bible is Nehemiah. God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in order for the city to be secure again.

As a great spiritual leader and builder, he was determined

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to accomplish the will of God. When faced with all kinds of opposition, Nehemiah understood what it meant to “keep on keeping on” and be persistent. In fact, Nehemiah 6:3 says, “And I sent messengers unto them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?” He basically said I prefer to “keep on keeping on” doing the will of God.

If the pastor/revitalizer is not committed to persevering through whatever comes, the work will never get done. The burdensome task of church revitalization requires special skills and clear leadership qualities that will demand perseverance. The leader must be resilient. Paul describes perseverance as being “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). There are at least three elements of revitalization that require a great deal of perseverance, all of which were real in Nehemiah’s work.

There must be Perseverance in Prayer

The most important element in any revitalization effort is prayer. However, often difficulties in our work are met with a combative approach and we realize we can’t win the battle we decide to flee. We want to walk off and forget it all.

Nehemiah, however, understood that one person given to faithful prayer brings a power to be reckoned with. Simply stated, one person plus God makes up the majority and it will insure success and victory. Nehemiah persevered in prayer to complete Gods assigned task. He prayed about everything.

All of these seasons of prayer lead Nehemiah to a point of yielding his will to God’s will and plan. Nehemiah shows his heart as a servant when he prays in Nehemiah 1:6 “Let your ear be attentive, and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.” Like Nehemiah the pastor/revitalizer must recognize God’s will and genuinely yield the work to Him and His plan. The pastor/revitalizer must persevere in prayer.

There must be Perseverance in the Plan of God

A plan is no good if it is not worked. The best way to survive and keep your focus in check when things are hard is to “work, work, and work.”

When God leads the pastor into a church revitalization process he always has a plan for the work. However often the pastor will “grow weary in well doing.” This is when it is so important to persevere and know that God’s plan is his responsibility…not yours. Sticking to a plan is difficult at times because we let our own ideas get in the way of God’s plan. If you want to “revitalize a church,” with your own plan, don’t bother, you can’t do it. However, if you want to be obedient to God’s Word and follow the Holy Spirit, go for it. Fasten yourself to what God tells you to do in His Word.

One of the grave mistakes that a pastor/revitalizer makes is trying to do everything without help from others. Getting help is a good thing. It is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a character trait of a good leader. Sometimes we’re ashamed or embarrassed and fail to ask for help.

You must not allow pride get in the way of the plan. The question is, are you willing to persevere whatever comes your way in order for God to bring His plan to fruition.

There must be Perseverance in the Face of Opposition

One of the biggest problems in church revitalization is the rise of opposition during the process. Often, the pastor/ revitalizer will shy away from the task because of a few bullies. There are always a few bullies who will try to disrupt anything positive in the process. Usually these bullies are reacting to changes that are proposed. People simply don’t like change, especially if it makes them directly uneasy. However, a few bullies must not be allowed

to dictate the direction of the church. The revitalization process will always lead to epic change and that change will almost always bring opposition and difficulty.

When you begin a church revitalization process be prepared for opposition…it is just around the corner. This is the one time in the process that perseverance becomes most difficult. It is not “if” opposition comes but “when” because it will come. Nehemiah faced massive opposition from not only Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, but even from his own people. When you take a step of faith, you can be sure that opposition will come, either shrewdly or blatantly. I love Nehemiah’s words about opposition. He said in 4:14 “Be not afraid of them: Remember the Lord.”

Then in 4:20 he said “Our God will fight for us.”

No matter what kind of opposition we might face in doing God’s will, God is faithful. He expects us to be faithful as well. He expects us to persevere. If we are walking in fellowship with the Lord and if the plan we are following was set by God, then we must have the perseverance to continue to accomplish the plan no matter what difficulties we face. The pastor/revitalizer must know that God is behind them and upholding them. They must never fear the opposition.

As we said in the beginning, it is not easy to persevere.

Keep on keeping on no matter how difficult the assignment might be. Simply put… stick with it, be persistent, and never give up!

Steve Sells is the president and CEO of Operation Transformation church revitalization ministry in Salisbury, North Carolina. Steve has served in ministry for 43 years in North Carolina and Georgia. Dr. Sells is the co-author of the book With Greater Power. He seeks to help churches of all sizes experience new health and growth.

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Serving In the Hard Places

By Desmond Barrett Serving as a pastor in a revitalization effort can be lonely and, at times, disappointing. No wonder thousands of pastors have walked away from their call in search of greener pastures or left ministry altogether. Countless pastors have asked themselves in these defining moments of their ministry, “Does God or anyone care?” Thankfully, he does, or thousands of churches would close annually without the faithful leadership of an undershepherd who is willing to serve in the hard places. Reviltization is about caring about the call, coming to terms with where God has placed you, celebrating the success, and committing to continue to move forward.

Care about the calling Serving in a small struggling church can make a pastor feel empty, isolated, and alone even when others are around.

The once-massive structure called the established church sits predominantly empty each Sunday except for a few sprinkled souls here and there. Once many families entered her foyer, today, she is a vast monument to her past growth, which has become a confining coffin waiting for the pastor to speak her eulogy. One can not underestimate the isolating effect of a small struggling church on the pastor’s psyche. As the leader walks the halls of the church, in the emptiness of the church edifice lies whispers from past triumphs that seem all too much for the tragedy taking place in the dying church. Amid the downcast aloneness of the pastor’s inner being, God begins to speak to the soul of the undershepherd to lead the church forward.

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While others have left her or even mocked her, the revitalization pastor sees, senses, really, the beauty of what God is doing. With a remnant of believers, God is calling the church back to life. The pastor shepherd of this flock must care about the calling and the assignment. God has called the pastor to this place and time to lead this struggling church, and if the pastor does not care, then why should the people. It will take time and ‘tactical patience,’ as Mark Clifton loves to say, but she will come back alive if the pastor is willing to do the work to help her rebound from decline.

Come to terms While the world outside her walls ignores and might even forget she still exists, the church of Jesus Christ is still very much alive. The address of the declining church still matters to God. Through the faithfulness of her leadership, it will matter again to the community around her. Long before the decline, God led a group of planters to plant the church at its current location, where she sits today as a testament to the faithfulness of past believers and God. The revitalization pastor must understand that the dire situation the church finds itself in did not happen overnight thus will not be restored overnight. The faithfulness of God has not left the property, and he is still working if his people will choose to work where he is overseeing.

If the growth happened decades ago, it could still happen today. Still, it takes a determination to evaluate the effectiveness of every program and position within the church

and have a willing spirit to adapt to today’s needs that the community needs from her. Coming to terms with the current circumstances takes a holy boldness that a revitalizer can bring forth, an act of courage to challenge traditions and to establish God’s reality for today in the local church.

This step can be painful but promising if the remnant is willing to surrender their will for God. The terms of engagement for today may look vastly different from yesterday year, but if God is in it, he will restore this work for his glory.

Celebrate the success Serving in a hard place can cause a pastor only to see the negative and miss the God moments weekly. The revitalization pastor needs to remember that the most significant breakthroughs come from the most incredible battles.

Celebrating the successes from the week before, however small, is a crucial component to a turnaround. In years past, a candle would be lit near the pulpit. A reminder to the people that someone won a soul the week before. While the candle did not save a soul, the visual effect was a powerful reminder that God was still at work. When someone is helped through the church, a soul won, a gift was given, a prayer presented; it is a reminder that God has acted through his church to help someone in need. While it may seem insignificant to do simple acts of service, it is essential to God and should be celebrated.

Celebrate the small wins, which will add up to larger and larger wins for the church. Momentum begets momentum, and in a revitalization effort, every little bit helps restore a sense of success inside her walls. Allow personal professions of celebration to take place during each service, celebrate with weekly social media posts, and allow the spirit of celebration to light the darkness and overtake the heaviness of the past with the present reality of spiritual success.

Commit to continue What a revitalization pastor does is vital to the local church and God. If it is essential to these two communities of faith, it must be critical to the pastor. Too many pastors miss their destinations because they leave a revitalization effort too soon, burned out from work, frustrated in progress, and longing for something new. Feeling this way is natural when serving in the hard places of ministry, but do not make the mistake of leaving too early before God has used you according to his plan. Commit to continuing to press forward in obedience, surrender to his will, and follow the path that has been laid out before you.

As the revitalizer embraces the call in the work that needs to be done, one must remember that the calling will not be completed in twelve or twenty-four months but most realistically will take years to begin to see a turnaround. Far too many pastor/church relationships breakdown before the effectiveness of revitalization measures can be evaluated.

Commit to continuing to move forward even when you feel no one is following. Commit to continuing even when the work seems not to be going anywhere. God does the most extraordinary work in the hard places and reveals his love for the church. The downturn in the church took decades to accomplish, and the revitalization efforts may last much longer, but with a willing spirit, God can turn the tide of decline.

Serving in the hard places is all about finding ways to care, come, celebrate, and commit to the church God has called the revitalizer too. God still shows up in the hard places and communities where pastors toil away, seemingly alone, ignored by colleagues, and forgotten by the community. God calls new life to spring forth in these death chambers, but it takes a tenacious revitalizer to hold fast to the negative headwinds that seem to mast around the local church.

Through a tacit understanding of what has to occur, a commitment to prayer, and a willing heart to do the hard work, God will restore the local church.

Dr. Desmond Barrett is the Lead Pastor at Summit Church of the Nazarene in Ashland, Kentucky and is the cofounder of the Rural Revitalization Network. He is a graduate of Nazarene Bible College (BA) and Trevecca Nazarene University (MOL) and (EdD) in leadership and professional practice. He is the author of Revitalizing the Declining Church: From Death’s Door to Community Growth and has done extensive research in the area of church revitalization and serves as church revitalizer, consultant, coach, podcast host, author, and mentor to revitalizing pastors and churches.

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Driving Your Church into the Future

By David Jackson During my adolescent years, I was eager to embrace the freedom and status of driving my own car. I dreamt of the time when I would be able to cruise the downtown area of my city, pick up my girlfriend in my own car to take her out on the town, and show off my “wheels” as a symbol of my newfound maturity. My parents weren’t opposed to the idea, either. While there were anxious nights in the early days of my driving, they knew it would provide me, and them, a freedom, yet undiscovered. They recognized what I had not yet grasped: perseverance in the process earned me their trust. Showing myself responsible helped me establish the credibility I needed as a driver.

In church revitalization situations, tactical patience is one of the most important characteristics a pastor brings to the experience.

He must wait for the pregnant moments of opportunity, move tactically and strategically as he can, and endure through difficult times and circumstances to affect change. This, to be sure, is more art than science. However, there are some key insights I’ve learned over the years that will help you navigate and anticipate the perseverance needed to see the church you serve revitalized for our Lord.

The most important demonstration of your commitment to perseverance is seen in prayer. When the early church was commanded to wait for God’s Spirit to fall on them, they made it a matter of prayer. They seized the opportunity to commune with God (Acts 1:14). This accomplished at least a couple of things. First, it brought unity of purpose to the people. As they

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prayed together, they were knit together by God’s Spirit, as one people, one family, one body. Second, it aligned their heart with the heart of God. They submitted their agenda to His agenda.

This calmed their spirits and, as they rested in Him, the Spirit readied their hearts for the opportunities that would come.

Pastor, if you have a restlessness in your spirit, spend more time in prayer. Attune your heart and your interests with those of God. Get others to join you in prayer, and it will bind your hearts and your priorities together with those of the Father. This is the most basic need in revitalization, and certainly the greatest key I’ve learned to perseverance.

Focus on the relationships, not the tasks. Impatience and hurriedness come to me, because I have my eyes on accomplishing a goal or objective, rather than the people involved. But Jesus always concentrated on the people at hand. He valued them, nurtured them, and treasured them. He knew they were God’s creation, not to be manipulated or “run over” in route to an accomplishment. They were the prize, in whom the Father had given worth, dignity, and insight. Building relationships for the sake of what they are—not for what you can get out of them—earns trust and gains credibility. Both of these ingredients are essential in leading a church revitalization effort.

Pastor, this means carving out time in your busy schedule to be with your people. When you are with them, it involves active listening and asking open-ended questions (not ones simply

answered with a “yes” or a “no”). These conversations will reveal the heart of your people to you, and will engender the trust you need over time. Find ways to make this happen, and your perseverance will become easier and more enjoyable.

Be consistent and methodical as you make forward progress. Think the tortoise, not the hare, in the old proverbial story.

Quick bursts of effort—regardless of whether they produce success or failure--may excite you and even some of your leaders, but it will emotionally drain many of your people. Rather, find ways to steadily and systematically move forward with incremental changes that produce lasting gains. Such success is typically more permanent and more stable, which makes it more palatable for those who worry change will rock their world. Your consistency is comforting and speaks volumes to your personal maturity, your care for those in the congregation, and the long-lasting effect of the changes that must take place.

To do this well, understand a wide majority of people in the typical congregation are seeking stability. It provides them with a sense of safety and security, a kind of “spiritual equilibrium,” if you will. They expect you to model this, as well, as they will take their cues toward peace or anxiety, faith or fear, from you. Remember: one step at a time moves us forward. Not everybody is able to run, even if you desire it to be that way.

Concern yourself with the journey, not just the destination.

This is a mental part of the perseverance process. You must learn to relish the experiences of every day life and ministry, not just the end game of seeing the church revitalized. This means each day offers you the opportunity to learn something new about God, about self, and about the people you are called to serve. In my opinion, this makes every day one filled with excitement and anticipation. It means every day can be a “win” on the journey to God’s desired future.

Part of the discipline of perseverance is realizing that God is using the experiences to better shape you and the church for the future He has in mind. This is a plus, for it reminds us God is actively invested in our lives, in order to prepare and position us for what He has ahead. As a result, learning mode should be a daily reality, for it may bring a new nugget of insight or truth that will assist the church in the revitalization process.

Be strategic in prioritizing your ministry efforts. Realize that not all efforts and priorities are the most strategic or beneficial for the church at any given time. In other words, don’t simply busy yourself with ministry activity without thinking through its ripple effect on the rest of what still needs to happen for the church to be revitalized. Focus on the most strategic priorities first, the ones that can help you make either the greatest impact for the Kingdom or the ones that can help you leverage other

efforts effectively in the future. Use these gains to produce momentum, create a positive church culture, and enhance credibility.

Pastor, this starts with shepherding the people well. Know them, love them, feed them, serve them. Don’t get caught up in the numbers game! Serve the people God has given you well, as they need, and as God expects. Let Him take care of the numbers, as He sees fit. Instead, be diligent with the people and then, take initiative in reaching out in the community to show the love of Christ well. Determine to get your people out of the building into the community, not simply get your community into the building.

Finally, plan to stay. Perseverance demands it. Nothing undermines the work of ministry like short tenures and leaders who abandon the flock quickly, simply because things are developing at a much slower pace than they personally prefer. For me, the pace rarely moves as quickly as I’d like! Yet, I know there is value in patience and endurance. Much can be learned from this. And in fact, much can be gained by it for the future of the church. Imitation takes time to see, study, and emulate. Habits are ingrained slowly. Change that lasts needs time to take root.

Some writers suggest it takes at least six to seven years for a pastor’s tenure to begin to bring this kind of change, and to make lasting church revitalization possible. Other researchers suggest church revitalization needs a minimum of 1000 days for it to have impact. Both fall short of statistics suggesting the average pastor doesn’t tend to even stay this long at his post. What these researchers do agree on is this: pastoral longevity is critical to any legitimate effort for a church to experience revitalization and renewal. So, stay. The grass is not greener somewhere else; it’s just different.

And drive your church into the future safely, confidently, and patiently, knowing all the while God is opening up the highway to revitalization before you, as you head His way.

J. David Jackson serves with the North American Mission Board, as a Replant Specialist for the northeastern region of the United States, and is author of the book “ReNEW: Traveling the Forgotten Path,” which forges a path of revitalization for local churches. The book can be found at amazon. com. Jackson can be reached at drjdavidjackson@gmail.com.

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Revitalization: Overcoming Adversity through Perseverance

By Richard Harvey High school wrestling season is long and grueling. Even the relatively short six minutes on the mat in a wrestling match can seem like an eternity. To the untrained eye, brute strength and athletic skill may seem like the most valuable assets for the wrestler, but the most important weapon in that six-minute battle is stamina. Competitors that still have some “gas left in the tank” going into that third two-minute period are more likely to prevail.

In order to be physically prepared for wrestling season, my son decided to join the cross-country team. Each year his endurance grew, and his times got faster. He even qualified for the state cross-country meet every season. As a result, the hard work, consistent training, and perseverance paid off.

Though he never stood on the platform as a state champion, three times he qualified for the state wrestling tournament.

Perseverance—having the mental determination to go the distance—proved to be a key for success. The same can be said of the revitalization effort in the local church.

In 2 Peter 1:6, the apostle encourages believers to add perseverance to their self-control. As the natural outgrowth of self-control, perseverance could be viewed as self-control being exercised and developed over a long period of time.

The word in the original language is hupomone. It can be defined as “the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance.”1 1 BDAG.

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Distance runners have to build up endurance. It does not happen automatically or immediately. Endurance takes time to develop and usually happens gradually by adding more distance to one’s training a little at a time. The writer of Hebrews uses the metaphor of running to describe adversity and hardship that can be expected of the Christian life.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV, emphasis added). When Paul writes to the church in Corinth, he uses the same metaphor to remind the believers that… in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control (1 Cor. 9:2427, ESV, emphasis added).

Notice the connection between self-control, discipline, and perseverance. The opposite of endurance would be to quit— to give up—to give in. And this kind of determination is not reserved for individual believer only. God is calling the church to persevere—to face adversity—and with his help, to emerge victorious. Remember that Peter is writing to the church body collectively when he says they are to supple-

ment or add perseverance to their self-control. In the same way that a distance runner knows there will be hills to climb, adversity to overcome, and a psychological wall to break through, the church that will endure is a church that is not afraid of hard work and discipline.

Another way of viewing perseverance is through the lens of what Thom Rainer calls the “scrappy church.”2 The scrappy church could also be called “feisty,” “tenacious,” “determined,” “dogged,” or “persistent.”3 According to Rainer, scrappy churches “refuse to give up…. They don’t see limitations; they see God’s possibilities.” 4 He notes several common characteristics of these “tenacious” churches, including an unwavering belief that “God still has a plan for them.”5 Other noticeable similarities include a fierce commitment to prayer, a refusal to see other churches as competition, and a determined effort to transition from inward to outward focus.6 Faith is believing that God can do something miraculous to turn around a declining church. Perseverance is waiting faithfully and working diligently until He does.

God is still at work when we are waiting for a breakthrough.

He may be working externally to align certain circumstances or events in order to bring about the turnaround. Consider how Daniel prayed acknowledging that God works behind the scenes to accomplish his plans and purposes. “Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him’” (Dan. 2:20-22, ESV). Remember the promise from Romans 8:28 that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God is also at work internally molding and shaping his people and his church into a useful and fruitful instrument in order to grow the kingdom of God. We have to hold on to the hope that we have that he will fulfill his promises. We can endure hardships and continue working in the kingdom without giving up because we believe He is faithful to his Word. We can have the same confident assurance that Paul had “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil.

1:6, ESV).

One other thing that should be considered is the distinction between waiting patiently, or persevering, and the stubborn refusal to accept the need for change. In Slaying the Dragons 2 Thom S. Rainer, Scrappy Church: God’s Not Done Yet (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), 8.

3 Ibid., 8-9.

4 Ibid., 9.

5 Ibid., 24.

6 Ibid., 25-28.

of Church Revitalization, Tom Cheyney describes those who simply refuse to change or adopt the biblical principles necessary to see a significant turnaround.

Not everyone within the local church is willing to acknowledge the need for revitalization and renewal. There are some quite willing to watch their church decline week after week. …The preference is towards the status quo and not toward making greater demands on the participant’s lives. It is as if they have a secret pack [sic] with one another that the last one alive will simply turn the lights off.7 Biblical patience, or endurance, is quite the opposite of the prideful unwillingness to accept the need for revitalization and change. When the bible speaks of waiting patiently for the Lord it is not suggesting digging in your heels and refusing to move, or grow, or be productive, or change in any way.

In fact, in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) Jesus condemned the servant who buried his talents while waiting for the master to return. He called that servant wicked and lazy. On the contrary, Jesus praised the servants who actively increased their talents knowing that the master would eventually return and they would have to give an account for what they had done while waiting for his return.

Whether the revitalization effort seems like a grueling cross-country marathon or a punishing wrestling match, the Lord is still the source of our strength. Jacob was willing to wrestle with the Lord until he received the blessing. He may have walked with a limp, but he knew that he had gone the distance and refused to give up until the blessing came. Hold on to Jesus and to the hope we have in his great and precious promises. Revitalization will attract adversity. It comes with the territory. But don’t let adversity overcome you because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, ESV). Remember that “the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:3b, NIV). Expect adversity in church revitalization and overcome that adversity through perseverance. “If you do these things,” as 2 Peter 1:10 promises, “you will never fall.”

7 Tom Cheyney, Slaying the Dragons of Church Revitalization: Dealing with the Critical Issues That Are Hurting Your Church! (Orlando, FL: Renovate Publishing Group, 2017), 16.

Richard D. Harvey is the pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church in Bay Minette, Alabama. He is a 2020 D.Min graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with specialization in Church Revitalization.

He has served churches in Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida and is also author of the forthcoming book Fail Proof: Eight Biblical Principles That Will Keep You from Falling.

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Stumble and Fall

By Rob Hurtgen I recently competed in my first Olympic Distance Triathlon. I signed up for this race 10 months before the event. I enjoyed the race but had a few setbacks. Reflecting on this event, I want to draw three parallels to church leadership and revitalization.

First, you need a plan. I had outlined my ideal training plan. I knew what I should be doing to move towards my goal. You cannot accomplish anything without a plan. If a goal is worth pursuing it will require some sort of outlined action steps to achieve it. True for building a house, training for a race, and revitalizing a church.

Having a plan does not mean that everything goes according to your schedule. For example, in Acts 15, Paul approached Barnabas with a plan to return to the churches they established on their first missionary journey. Visit with them, see how they are doing, instruct them in areas that they need teaching. However, Paul and Barnabas, while sharing the same desire, had a division over how they should execute the plan. As a result, they went separate ways. Providentially more ministry was accomplished separately than if they stuck to the original plan.

You need to have a sense of action steps you are going to take to move towards your desired result. A goal absent of plan is just a dream that will become a nightmare.

Second, expect setbacks. I experienced some setbacks leading up to and the day of the race. The swim, though shortened due to water temperatures, was more difficult than I expected. About two months before the race I was not seeing the results I wanted, I grew discouraged, and my motivation dropped out. I also did not anticipate how busy the month before the race was going to be. My youngest children had many end of the years school events, my middle child had two and three soccer games each night of the week, my senior in high school was getting ready to graduate, and my college-age child wanted to move home for the summer. The competition for the limited resource of time was fierce. Something had to give.

In your revitalization work, you will experience setbacks. Some you might anticipate, others you could not. The Lord is the only one who gets everything done the way He thinks it should be done. You and your church are fallible.

Paul attempted to go into Asia and Bithynia but was prevented from doing so (Acts 16:6-7). He had a setback to his plan. However, the Lord had something better in mind. He is led to Macedonia, and the gospel presses into Europe.

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You are going to have setbacks in your revitalization journey. The issue will always be how you respond to setbacks. Will you, in faith, trust that the Lord has a better plan. Will you in faith under his providence persevere. Will you gather your leaders together to pray and talk through the issues. Or, will you give up and walk away.

Third, embrace your results. My results from the race were not what I wanted. I was pleased knowing that I gave 100% effort to reach the goal. But I had expected different results.

In ministry, you are going to have expectations and results that do not align. You expect to have a blowout attendance at the fall outreach project resulting in a twenty-five percent growth in worship attendance. You expect the announced new plans for the sanctuary to be embraced. You expect when you outline your vision for the coming years to be received and welcomed without question. You have expectations for your revitalization work that may not match with the results you earn. Embrace the results.

Embracing the results forces you to celebrate what worked and critique what did not. When you celebrate what worked, you set a framework to duplicate and scale those efforts.

When you critique what did not work, you create an opportunity to evaluate, learn, and make new mistakes. If you do not embrace your results, especially when they are not what you wanted, you will become frustrated, risk nurturing bitterness, and begin the path to ministry burnout.

I have some other races on my calendar this year that I have already taken what I learned and adapted my training approach. I will sign up for another triathlon. I continually learn how to lead my revitalization efforts facing one setback after another. Celebrating what is working. Critiquing and adapting what is not.

Proverbs 24:16a (NLT) says, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” Trust in the Lord. When you stumble, get up one more time.

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.

The local church is the only organization that can facilitate eternal hope, lasting change, and total transformation in the lives of people and communities everywhere. Even so, today’s local churches are often in desperate need of renewal and revitalization themselves. In The Revitalized Church, Pastor Michael Atherton uses his firsthand experiences to show how a local church community can once again become vibrant. The Revitalized Church shares Atherton’s eighteen-month journey merging two church communities with a common vision and discusses the challenges and the victories he encountered. In addition, he examines the key biblical leadership principles that were used to help sustain the church community.

Cooking on a Stove Not a Microwave

By Jim Grant The adage “A watched pot never boils” pertains to a stove top cooking process, not a microwave timed cycle. I guess I am old school, or just old but I remember when we would bake bread at home. The process was to mix the flour and ingredients into a dough. The dough would have to rise, we did this by placing it on the wood stove. [We had two wood burning stoves for heat] Of course you must punch the risen dough to let it rise again, when the yeast had fully activated the dough would be placed in pans and prepared to go in the oven. After a time of cooking, the fresh bread would be done, and we indulged ourselves in this fresh bread. Of course, times have changed, but another old saying is “better than sliced bread” meaning that things were greatly improved.

I bring all this bread making dialogue to get to the point that some things just take time, and those short cuts while they may achieve the same results, are not necessarily the same quality or as lasting. When it comes to putting a revitalization process into action, short cuts do not help. It has been said that a revitalizer should expect to invest three years into a revitalization situation. In our technological world of instant results this is a troubling duration.

This is where the church and revitalizer must develop a patience discipline. God is not in a hurry, we are! The LORD took six days to create, after each day beginning with day two, He took time to reflect on what He had accomplished and said – “It is good.”

When I was a child growing up, we had cartoon Saturday’s; two of my favorite cartoons were the Jetsons and the Flintstones. These two cartoons depict what I would describe as our dilemma when it comes to Church Revitalizations processes. On the one hand you have the Flintstones with their Neanderthal living conditions and on the other hand you have the Jetsons with their space age technology. We live in the 21st century and have developed into more of the Jetson’s world. I can still see Jane putting some tablets into a bowl and punching some buttons and instant presto lunch was made!

I say all this to say, we must be careful to take our time in revitalization actions. We really do have people in our churches that are old enough to remember when they were growing up that a radio was the only source of entertainment. Now I must warn all that having patience does not mean slow, it means take our time and ensure that what we are doing is going to achieve the results that are needed.

I have been guilty of wanting to move faster than the situation warranted. When we move at our pace to get our results, we usually leave people behind and wind-up having to do “battle damage clean up.”

Revitalization is people and people are the church. I have shared with pastors that if they think they are moving too fast, they probably are, and if they think they are moving too slow, they probably are not going as slow as they think.

Communication is key is revitalization work. Timing also is crucial. In scenarios such as mergers, replant and restarts the catalyst must make sure the church and people are follow-

ing. This brings me to another aspect of taking our time, dating.

I know you are saying WHAT? If we look at revitalization situations, they do take on a dating climate. How many of us have had long term dating when we were courting our spouse? I have known some who dated for years before they finally decided to marry. Revitalization is about relationships not about pushing a process through. The revitalizer must be a PEOPLE first and TASK second person. This is a difficult aspect of revitalization. I struggled with wanting to get to the results that sometimes I left the people behind or worse, neglected them totally to get to the goal I had conceived.

In dating again, it takes time to know the other person, such is the case with a revitalizer. Revitalizers will have a set to tools and skills to work through revitalization, but we cannot forget that we are dealing with people not inanimate objects.

Revitalization is NOT about us, but about the people of God in a real situation that needs the MAN of GOD to lead them out of the wilderness.

Now having said all this about the revitalizer; the other side of the coin is the people involved in the work. The leader must clearly communicate the urgency of the work, yet not allow the church/people to wander around aimlessly. I have found that churches/people are all about talking about what needs to be done, but struggle with actually doing something.

While patience is a virtue that must be present, inaction cannot be tolerated. There comes a time where action must take place.

How does one develop patience? Slowly!

• Revitalizer must get before God, before he gets before people.

• Pray before acting and keep praying.

• Develop the Plan of God for HIS people.

• Instill the Will of God through scripture to the people.

• Communicate the PLAN over and over.

• Gather the people so you can lead them.

• Move towards the goal in unison.

• Take rest stops along the way.

• Trust God for results, not processes, or books.

I leave you with two other truths: James 1:12 Rome was not built overnight.

The turtle beat the hare in the race.

Jim Grant is the Executive Director of the Galveston Baptist Association. He is an Air Force veteran, retiring with twenty-five years of service. He has a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological seminary with a concentration on Church Revitalization.

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Read From It. Learn From It. Lead With It.

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Transitional Pastoring That Transforms Churches A Step-by-Step Survival Guide for Christians in Troubled Churches Provides a complete guidebook to the revitalization of Gives the reader a roadmap through the rugged territory of church difficulties. Available on Kindle or Paperback.

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a congregation by way of a Redevelopment Transitional Pastorate. It is simple, readable, practical and includes a treasure trove of appendices which give the reader tools to put to immediate use. ISBN: 978-0-91180-2917

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I Think I Can, I Think I Can: Overcoming the Negative side effects of Revitalization

By Ron Smith Everyone has Dark Days: Dark Days of Doubt, Disappointment, Distress, and Depression Job 30:26, But, when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came.

“I came to you in weakness - timid and trembling.” 1 Cor. 2:3 (TLB) “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

4 responses to doubt:

* Listen to your doubts Stop calling ourselves names and we start calling on God’s name

If I’m going to be an example to someone (and I am whether I want to be or not, whether I think I deserve it or not, I am) then I may as well follow the best example I have -- that’s Jesus Christ.

If I’ll follow Him and make the best attempt I can to follow Him, then those who are following me just might catch some of that and be following Him to.

2. I am called – My calling qualifies me. My qualifications don’t make me called.

Depend on God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” 2 Cor. 3:5

* Ignore your doubts If listening to your doubts makes them big, ignoring them makes them bigger. You put them in a corner and pretend they’re not there and they grow bigger and bigger.

One of the main reasons God allows a season of self-doubt to come into my life and your life, is to remind us of the fact that we have to depend on Him. He’s the one we find our confidence in.

* Lie to your doubts

* Tell your doubts the Truth & Act on that Truth

Genuine confidence has to be built on the genuine truth. The truth is I am inadequate for a lot of life’s needs. I can’t meet all of my own needs.

1. My calling is a calling to equip others – I have a purpose!

Be An Example “Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life.” 1 Tim. 4:12 (NCV) “And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.”

“And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.”

1 Cor. 11:1 (TLB)

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“... apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

“I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.”

Phil. 4:13 (NCV) As Pastors we live between two worlds constantly; what we know God has spoken and what is currently taking place. That gap is the gap of self-doubt.

It’s in that gap that the preparation for ministry and the ability to handle that ministry is formed. If we skip that gap or refuse to learn in that gap then I forfeit the blessing or I cannot handle the blessing.

3. Go back to your abilities and gifts…Don’t try to be someone you are not. Use Your Gifts. Strengthen your gifts. DON’T RELY SOLELY ON EXPERIENCE “I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on “I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire2 Tim. 1:6 (NCV) During a season of self-doubt, two great temptations come into our lives, as regards to God’s gifts. One is the temptation to be an imitator. The other is the temptation to be a spectator.

“Do not neglect your gift...” 1 Tim. 4:14 (NIV) “Each one would use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” 1 Pet. 4;10 (NIV) Decide to Grow “Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!” !” 1 Tim. 4:15 (TM) “Grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and “Grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet. 3:18 (TLB) “With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.” Eph. 3:20 (NCV) Perseverance Prescription: Decide which voice you are going to listen to Find the Truth Stand on the Promises Speak Wisely (check out the Ten Day Word Fast Study on YouVersion)

The key to boldness is staying spiritually filled and emotionally healthy.

Be Confident People seldom follow a clueless leader Be Ambitious - take the lead. Leaders lead. Leaders step out.

Leaders put the first boot on the ground. In order to say, Follow Me, you must take the first step.

Be Strong not rude Bold not a bully Don’t begin to practice what is problematic.

It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you’ve got to walk in front of your group. You’ve got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, and discover the first sign of trouble.

Be Proud not arrogant: It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment Jeremiah 13:15, “Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.”

Be Humble not timid: humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction.

MINISTRY IS A LONG-HAUL BUSINESS A preacher should have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child and the hide of a rhinoceros. His biggest problem is how to toughen his hide without hardening his heart.

—VANCE HAVNER

Ron Smith is the Senior Pastor of WaterStone Church in Longwood and Lake Mary, Florida. Ron is the author of Churches Gone Wild. Ron serves as the National Coach for Renovate and the Co-Leader of Renovate One Day with Tom Cheyney.

Be: Be Bold (not obnoxious – not dictatorial) Frogs have an advantage over us, they eat things that bug them.

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