The Church Revitalizer Magazine August - September 2015

THE

CHURCH

Aug/ Sept 2015 Vol 1 Issue 5

Revitalizer

“A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue”

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

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RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference

Speakers Include Tom Cheyney Bob Whitsel Michael Atherton Ed Stetzer Paul Borden Neil Franks Ron Smith Bruce Raley Terry Rials Paul Smith

November 2-4, 2015 Orlando, FL

RenovateConference.org Aloma Church

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THE

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Revitalizer FEATURES

August / September | Vol 1, No 5

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IRRELEVANTLY RELEVANT: The Quest For Significance In A Changing Culture

By Chris Irving

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Twitter

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KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE TO MAXIMIZE CHURCH REVITALIZATION

DOGS: 32 BARKING Sparking Revitalization By

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh

THE SEVEN PILLARS OF CHURCH REVITALIZATION AND RENEWAL

By Tom Cheyney

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Facebook:

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Reducing Distractions

By Lee Kricher

PEACEMAKING IN CHURCH REVITALIZATION

By John Kimball

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

REGAINING RELEVANCE FOR REVITALIZATION By Mark Weible

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EIGHT EXCUSES PASTORS MUST BE ELIMINATE By Ron Smith

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THE LEADERSHIP LINK…

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By Michael Atherton

WHEN CULTURE AND VISION PRODUCE CHAMPIONS

By Greg Kappas

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.”

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Desire for Authenticity Not Cultural Relevancy

By Jim Grant

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Successful Students Pastors Have Well Defined Expectations

By Drew Cheyney

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When Fraud Comes Knocking

By Rodney Harrison

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Preach the Big MAC?

By Rob Myers

38 How to Get Off Stuck if you are Facing Change!

By Dr. Tom Cheyney

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48 Are You Thinking About Revitalization?

By Darwin Meighan 50

6 Ways to Create a Change Culture in Your Church

By Karl Vaters

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Is Ministry Getting You Down?

By Estelle Myers

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Turnaround Churches: Northern Bound By Kenneth Priest

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Relevant Preaching and the Revitalization of the Church

By Paul E. Smith

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Are You and Your Church Evolving?

By Tom Cheyney

revitalizer

62 Why Can’t Ministry Organizations Change?

By Glenn Miller

LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS

The Church Revitalizer Book Reviewer: Rob Hurtgen 57 Can These Bones Live By Bill Henard 57 Advanced Strategic Planning

By Aubrey Malphurs

How to Change a Church in 8 Steps

By Bob Whitesel

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

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THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 1, No. 5

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

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

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

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

ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

by Tom Cheyney

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

After a year of having church members and revitalization pastors asking would the Renovate Publishing Group consider publishing a magazine exclusively on the subject of Church Revitalization and Renewal, we have launched a bi-monthly subscriber donation based magazine for the purpose of raising up the conversation regarding this critical need in the local church. Our goal every other month is to provide you with a Church Revitalization Retreat in every issue. During the next few issues we are assisting with a clearer understanding of revitalization terms. With the field of church revitalization and renewal expanding so quickly, here are a few of the key fundamental definitions to begin ones journey: • Old Blood Congregations: Churches that are older adultheavy are often prone to ministry failure. Old blood churches tend to focus everything inward, committing all their resources to internal service or maintenance, and slowly become anonymous in their community.

• Outreach/Maintenance Compendium: is when equilibrium between reaching the loss of ones community through outreach and the building up of those who are already saved and part of the local church (maintenance), the congregation will decline.

• Paradigm Shift: Pronounced “Para-dime”. A paradigm is a framework into which we fit ideas which we hold to be valid.

It provides order for arranging how we look at the world.

When one changes the primary way he or she looks at the world, we call that “paradigm shift”. The most profound paradigm shift for the Christian is the conversion experience.

Stay connected, more is coming...

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

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Dr. Tom Cheyney is the founder and directional leader of Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and Executive Editor of the Church Revitalizer.

Thirty-Eight Church Revitalization Models For The Twenty First Century Authored by

Tom Cheyney Renovate Publishing Group

ISBN-13:978-0990781608 ISBN-10: 0990781607 List Price: $19.95

Purchase Online at: RenovateConference.org/Bookstore

While some church revitalizers see church revitalization models as mere fable, others see the validity of having examples and samples to study in the effort to get a glimpse of what God might be saying about how to bring church renewal to their present work! Regardless of the debate regarding myths for models or strategies for the revitalization churches, there appears to be at least six areas and thirty eight strategies that a church seeking renewal could consider.

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Desire for Authenticity not Cultural Relevancy

This article will try to investigate whether Church Revitalization is relevant. Is there a need for Church Revitalization; in other words does the Church stand in need of restoration and renewal? Is the modern church formats that lead to get attendance numbers, but little discipleship, really making a Kingdom difference? I would hope that you would already be familiar with the cultured Christianity we face today in many churches and denominations. The church and Culture are at odds, not that this should surprise us. In the recent decisions of the SCOTUS, it is very obvious that American culture is out of sync with biblical Christianity and Scripture.

There has been a great outcry from many Christian key leaders. The cultural wars have been going on for decades. The struggle for effective evangelization of the Gospel has been confronted with the struggle of becoming more like the “culture trying to be reached” versus “being stalwart against culture.” There have been many moves towards trying to make worship and church environments amicable towards the Lost. The thought is that if “we look like them, we’ll be able to connect them.” The struggle that occurs with changes of worship and practices, we may engage the Culture, but lose our relevancy. The statistics can be quoted by the researchers that the Church is in trouble –decline-plateaued and dying.

As a revitalization pastor, I am compelled to look at the situation of the Church and compare it not to statistics, but to the Word of God. How does the Church compare to what Jesus said that He would build? Should the Church look more like the culture that is in located in?

Should the Church compromise on

dress, music, facilities and the like to accommodate [draw interests from] the Unchurched? That is the greatest question facing any local or regional church. If a church accommodates the desires of the “world” will it still be relevant? The answer is multifaceted. The word relevant means effective, pertinent and applicable.

While this doesn’t of itself give the answer, it does make us think of our goals and results. There is a position many, many churches have taken, in that it doesn’t matter what the process is, as long as the desired result is achieved. Again confronted with, “What is the Church trying to do?” If it is gain more people in attendance, many things will draw a crowd, but seldom does the crowd stay long after the event.

The Church is not winning the younger generations to the Gospel.

There may be mega churches with thousands of attendees, but what is the effect on the surrounding community. We have been called to be light in darkness, salt to the world and be in the world but not of it. We live here, but we are not to be overtaken by the things of the world.

There must be a definitive difference between the World and Christianity.

If there is no difference; if we look like, talk like and act like the World, are we Relevant? I think that there must be an engaging of the culture around us, but if we have become so visually and functionally like the world, then the world makes the decision that “the Church” is no longer relevant. Here is the key point – the World determines if the Church is relevant to them, not by agreement with them, but is contrast to them.

In America we have organizations that fight each other on both sides of a moral or ethical issue. While the advocate for each side of the

by Jim Grant

issue provides great commentary and social media buzz, rarely does it provide a platform for resolving the issue. Truth of the matter, there should be great contrast between what the world believes and practices versus what the Church believes and practices. The reality is this “The World Culture is better at living out who they are, than the Believing Church being who they are supposed to be” There is great need to engage the cultural issues facing us today. However, engaging the issues has to be more than rhetoric. The greatest change agent in changing the world and its immoral ways is showing the Lost the Love of the Lord. Argument doesn’t change views and lives; the love of Christ poured out of the Believing community into the Hurting Unsaved community.

If the Church decline and death problems are to be addressed, the purpose of the Church must be restored. We have been sent to make disciples, teaching them whatever Jesus had taught. Ed Stetzer identified three kinds of Christians: Cultural, Congregational or Committed.

There is one more type of Christian – Carnal. The Church is struggling, in our struggles we cannot become more like the World; we must become more like Jesus. Therein is the relevancy. Churches decline and die because they forgot their mission. Two problems exist; first is the staunch position of isolation the Church from anything that is viewed as a threat to the past. This usually results in a rapidly dying congregation. The second problem is cultured Christianity, and its loss of relevancy.

Both situations call for restoration and renewal. The older generations cannot be closed minded towards the changes of community and

Continued on page 16 10

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Regaining Relevance for Revitalization

Is your church still relevant to your city? Cities change and people change while the gospel stays the same. When your church was first started, the founding pastor and members most likely wanted the church to be relevant to the community where it was planted. They probably looked at the people with missionary vision and asked questions like, “How do we reach these people with the gospel?” Has your church’s neighborhoods changed so much that it is time to take a fresh look at the people you are trying to reach? Is it time to evaluate the church’s relevance to the community?

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:19) When the message of the gospel began to spread to Gentiles in the first century, church leaders realized that they were placing unnecessary religious burdens on non-Jews who were turning to Christ. To address this issue, the leaders of the early Christian Church gathered in Jerusalem to discuss whether or not to require new Gentile Christians to embrace old Jewish religious traditions. The decision was made to allow the Gentiles to worship Christ within their own cultural context. In light of the gospel of grace through faith in Christ, it would not have made sense to require the Gentiles to embrace legalistic traditions that would make it difficult for them to come to Christ. So, the church leaders removed unnecessary religious requirements and updated their practices in order to be true to the gospel while being relevant to newcomers to Christ. By considering the

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cultural and religious backgrounds of new people coming to Jesus, the early church was able to advance the gospel rapidly during the first century.

The Apostle Paul certainly took into account the background of his hearers whenever he shared the gospel.

A classic example is when he spoke at the Aeropaus in Athens. Before speaking, Paul walked around the city and observed their objects of worship. In his message to the Athenians, Paul found common ground with his hearers by referencing the altar “to an unknown god.” He used that as an opportunity to proclaim to them the one true God (Acts 17: 22-23).

by Mark Weible

sights and sounds of our own neighborhoods. Before long, the community changes ever so subtly that we fail to realize that the church is no longer relevant to the community.

When he was in Athens, Paul walked around the city and observed the activities of the people. He saw what they were worshipping and where they lacked knowledge of the one true God. When he had the opportunity to address the people, he pointed the way to Christ.

Observation

Paul made a compelling case for sharing the gospel in a culturally relevant manner. This is done, not for the sake of the hearers of the gospel, but for the sake of the gospel itself.

The gospel compels us to consider the context of the hearers when sharing the good news of Christ.

We can be more effective at reaching our cities and neighborhoods when we take the time to get to know the area and the people all over again. My good friend, Hal Haller, loves to ride with pastors and church planters into the heart of their target communities and ask the question, “What do you see?” By asking that question, Hal is asking for an interpretation of the cultural context of the community. Many respond by saying, “I see cars, buildings, and people.” Hal responds with, “What do you see?” “I see a woman with a baby stroller, a homeless man, and an elderly woman carrying a bag of groceries” the person responds. Hal asks, “What do you really see?” After further observation, one notes, “I see hurting, hopeless people living in despair and in need of the gospel of Christ.” Deeper observations lead to a greater compassion for the lost and a better understanding of how to contextualize the gospel.

Community Rediscovery

Demographics

It may be necessary for your church to rediscover her community. Too often, we get too busy to take in the

In addition to subjective observation, your church may benefit from a demographic study of your com-

In his writing to the Corinthians, Paul emphasized that he set aside his rights, privileges and preferences in order to be a more relevant preacher of the gospel: To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (I Corinthians 9: 22-23)

munity. You may be able to request this from your denominational office or you can purchase a demographic survey directly from a vendor such as The Percept Group (perceptgroup. com). A good demographic study will combine census data with psychographic profiles of population segments within your defined study area. This information, combined with your own observations can help you to gain a greater understanding of the people that you are trying to reach.

Assessment A Community Needs Assessment could be helpful for discovering ways that your church can help meet the needs of people and community service agencies serving your city. A CNA involves church members interviewing officials with local government and community service agencies. Participants ask these community leaders about the purpose of the organizations that they lead, how they serve the community and how the church can help. This process can not only help the church better understand the needs of the community, but also serve to create connections of opportunity for service.

like to see changed. Bob Logan, author of the Church Planter’s Toolkit, suggests asking what radio station they listen to. This will give some insight into the music preferences of the people living in the area. When conducting a community survey, bear in mind that the interaction is more important than the information. Interviewers don’t want to be in a rush to gather information and move on the next person. The person conducting the interview may very well be the only person that a community member has met from the local church and this time can also be used for relationship building.

munity, you can start with a blank slate by asking, “If we were starting our church today – what ministries would we develop.” Or, you can evaluate existing ministries to see how they need to be tweaked to better connect with people in your area.

You should consider ending unproductive or ineffective programs and adding new ministries.

Designing Ministry After observations, interviews and data gathering the information needs to be compiled into a presentable format for discussion. The data should be shared with a planning team and, eventually, the church body. With a better view of the com-

Mark Weible is the Church Planting Director for the Greater Orlando Baptist Assocition and the Strategic Director for RenovateConference.org.

Survey Another tool for community rediscovery is the community survey.

This can be done online or through direct mail. However community surveys are most effective when they are done face to face. Depending on the area, these surveys can be conducted in businesses, residential areas or both. The idea is to make direct contact with people and ask them about what is important to them, their impressions of the neighborhood and what they would

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Elephant and Dinosaur ChurchesContinued...

culture. The Cultural Christianity cannot become so like the culture that they lose ability to “save out of the world.” There must be a return back to the mission of the Church.

When the Church remembers and returns to the people of God, and live out visibly in the culture, God will change the community. Countless times, Israel drifted into “name only people of God;” having allowed

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

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

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the culture to invade and takeover.

Solomon is a classic example of how cultural acceptance can infiltrate and draw the people of God away from the Lord. Israel was chosen

by God to be the witness of God in the World. He cautioned Israel over and over – do not become like the people in the land. In modern day application, if the Church is going to be relevant; there must be a

by Jim Grant

difference between Believers and the World. Relevant – again means effective, pertinent and applicable; Authentic. The World, is tired of plastic, they desire the REAL and if the Church is viewed as the plastic world they already live in, well, then the Church just lost its relevancy to them.

CHURCH CHURCH Revitalization Revitalization Conference

February w Dallas/Fort Worth 9am - 4pm • $20 February w Dallas/Fort Worth

9am - 4pm • associational $20 Open to pastors, and church leaders alike.

This will be a day of intense conversations centered Open pastors, topics associational church leaders alike. aroundtostrategic relatingand toward revitalization of This will be a day of intense conversations centered the local church. around strategic topics relating toward revitalization of the local church.

Conference Speakers Speakers

Lance Beaumont

Micah Fries

Nathan Lorick

Lance Beaumont

Micah Fries

Nathan Lorick

Lance Crowell

Rod Harrison

Bart McDonald

SBTC Discipleship & Online Strategies

SBTC Worship Strategies SBTC Worship Strategies

SBTC Discipleship & Online Strategies Lance Crowell

Tom Cheyney

Founder & Directional Leader Renovate National Church Tom Cheyney Revitalization Conference Founder & Directional Leader Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference

VP LifeWay Research VP LifeWay Research

SBTC Evangelism Director SBTC Evangelism Director

Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness Rod Harrison

Executive Director SBT Foundation Bart McDonald

Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness

Executive Director SBT Foundation

Nathan Lino

Kenneth Priest

Senior Pastor, NE Houston Baptist Church

SBTC Director of Convention Strategies

Senior Pastor, NE Houston Baptist NathanChurch Lino

SBTC Director of Convention Strategies Kenneth Priest

register at sbtexas.com/revitalization register at sbtexas.com/revitalization

North American Society for Church Revitalization & Renewal North American Society for Church Revitalization & Renewal February e Criswell College • 9am - 3pm • $49 February Criswell College • 9am - 3pm • $49 Academic writings ine the field of church revitalization and/or renewal should be submitted to kpriest@sbtexas.com by Nov. 6, Academic writings field of church revitalization and/or is 2015 for review by in thethe Coordinating Council.

If your research renewal should be submitted to kpriest@sbtexas.com

by Nov. 6, selected to be presented, you will be notified by Jan. 8, 2016.

2015 for review by the Coordinating Council. If your research is selected to be presented, you will be notified by Jan. 8, 2016.

Coordinating Council Members: Tom Cheyney, Renovate National Founder Coordinating Council Members: Rod Harrison, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Tom Cheyney, Renovate National Founder Tracy Jaggers, Tryon-Evergreen Baptist Association Rod Harrison, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kenneth Priest, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Tracy Jaggers, Tryon-Evergreen Baptist Association Kenneth Priest, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

sbtexas.com/nascrr sbtexas.com/nascrr

Writings should not be longer than 20 pages; plus a bibliography. By submitting an academic writing, you are agreeing to allow the North American Society for Church Revitalization and Renewal to publish your paper in the NASCRR Journal. Writings being presented will be included in the journal automatically; other writings may be included in the journal for a future asthan determined by plus the coordinating council.

Writings should not beissue longer 20 pages; a bibliography.

By submitting an academic writing, you are agreeing to allow the North American Society for Church Revitalization and Renewal to publish your paper in the NASCRR Journal. Writings being presented will be included in the journal automatically; other writings may be included in the journal for a future issue as determined by the coordinating council.

With the world changing and the local church slow to respond to such changes maintaining relevance is critical in this post-post-modern age. A church is a living organism made up of spiritual believes who have had a salvation experience with our Lord Jesus Christ. As such we have made a commitment to the responsibility of carrying out the commands of our Lord. The New Testament church is a spiritual, a functioning, a relational, and a reproducing body.

-- Tom Cheyney

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Successful Student Pastors Have Well Defined Expectations

Whether you are aware of it or not, we all have expectations placed on us. When you are born it is expected that you one day grow up. When you are married, it is expected of you to be the best husband or wife you can be.

As you grow older, it is expected that one day you will pass “six feet under.” In fact, pastoring people comes with its expectations too! For example, ever taken a job where you were sold the moon and recognized when you got into the thick of the mess that there was more expected of you then you realized? Subsequently, this may come from wisdom, or it may come from being blindsided before myself, but have you ever asked this question from your leadership & church: What is Expected of Me? Such a random thing to ask because we all have job expectations right? For instance, you are probably expected to grow your ministry, see students accept Jesus into their lives, impact your community, and hang out with students and leaders. But exactly how big does someone think your ministry needs to be? How many lives need to be changed for your leadership style to be seen as impactful? What does community impact mean specifically? And the biggest one, how many students and leaders is seen as enough for you to meet the expectation? Seem a little over detailed? Well if you have ever been in a leadership position where not knowing these measures has burned you in the past, than those details may just 18

save you some sanity and certain stress.

Currently, I am in my sixth year of pastoring students, and if I would have had the wisdom to ask clearly what was expected of me in every place I have lead, I would have stayed a whole lot saner in ministry. Instead I did what the majority of Student Pastors do, I let surface answers and lack of specifics fly because when it comes to Student Ministry, what else matters but impacting students? Well, the answer is actually A LOT! Marc Devries, Pastor and Author, says this about expectations, “If you want your youth worker to succeed, define what “success” will look like. Most youth workers think they’ve been hired to build relationships with students and develop creative programs. Few realized they’ve been hired to run complex organizations.”1 Consequently, the problem in some of our situations is that few of us are clearly ever told what matters most to the ministries we are leading into. So when we step into situations where we have to be master marketers, befriend certain “E.G.R.” elders, or meet numerical numbers we are unaware of, we become overwhelmed by what we wish we knew sooner.

Devries continues in his book by saying, “seldom do expectations rear their heads in the context of a calm, clarifying discussion. Most often they come in the form of multiplying complaints that leave

1 Devries, Mark. Sustainable Youth Ministry. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

by Drew Cheyney

the youth worker feeling as if he or she was lied to somewhere in the interview process.”2 So again, here is the question that matters most in whatever year, position, or church you are in: What is Expected of Me… Really?

Right now I am leading at a church in California who was very upfront with me about what they expected: I was brought in to increase attendance, implement our church’s vision, develop a strong and deep leadership infrastructure, figure out any and all systematic or structural barriers which are inhibiting our student ministry overall, and develop an Associate Pastor who has the potential to one day take my job when God decides my time in Student Ministry is over.

Sound pretty specific? Here was the best part of the agreement, I was told from the very beginning that our numbers were to reflect 10% of what our adult attendance averages weekly. I was told not to change anything or make drastic moves within the first 6 months so I could get to know our culture, team, and people better before doing so. And best of all, I was given a time frame for those expectations too! Do you know what that has done for me?

It has given me a clear picture of what is exactly expected of my leadership role. Is it perfect? NO! But what it is, is a clear goal, path, vision, and expectation that I can completely get behind because I

2 Ibid, 105.

Continued on page 36

THE

Revitalized Church Forfeiting Self to Follow God MICHAEL ATHERTON

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Irrelevantly Relevant

The Quest for Significance in a Changing Culture

I am the father of 6 children ranging in age from 20 months to 20 years old. My wife and I are challenged daily to raise our children and grow them first into believers and then into mature followers of Jesus. With all the challenges that media and public school present to the parenting quest, we constantly have to remind ourselves that we are parents, not entertainers or best friends, and we have no business trying to be cool in the process.

Among the many lessons I learn in parenting, one thing stands out in my mind. As a father, I must be irrelevantly relevant. As a parent, I know my biblical role is to teach truth and live truth in front of my children daily, from infancy through adulthood, whether or not my kids consider me relevant. This irrevelant revelance is even more pronounced during the teenage years when the hormones kick in and teens begin to act out on their impression of our supposed irrelevance. I must continue in the parenting task God has assigned me without bending to the pressure to be liked, popular or fun. Parenting is a difficult job for sure, but a critically important one.

In the same way that our children change almost daily, so does our culture. We face decline in churches today because the church seems to be, on many levels, irrelevant, insignificant and pointless to daily life. I recently returned from a mission trip to Germany, where we serve in a church-to-church partnership. As others and I have shared the gospel in Germany over the past four years, we have met people who do not understand the importance of the gospel. It’s irrelevant to them.

The culture in Germany is a culture seeking prosperity, urban in many settings. The people are postmodern, post-Christian and they define for themselves right and wrong. Why would they need the church? They are searching for anything that seems relevant.

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by Chris Irving

Cultural shifts like the one we are now experiencing in our own country come quickly. So how can we meet this challenge head-on while remaining faithful to the call of the church in Scripture to be faithful witnesses of Christ Jesus? How can we stay relevant in a culture with so many competing influences? Let me suggest that we embrace our role of irrelevant relevance. In the same way that parents must focus on the task of parenting and avoid the temptations to be cool, the church needs to obey the Great Commission without spending so much time trying to be cool and relevant.

In a blog post for The Gospel Coalition, John Dickson writes, “If the Bible affirmed what every passing culture believed, that would surely reveal that it was not a body of wisdom for every culture through all time. Imagine, however, that there was a book containing eternal wisdom for all cultures. What should we expect to find? We would discover that it was always at odds with every culture at some point, for cultures are always in flux, sometimes coinciding with the Truth, sometimes departing from it.”

This is the perfect example of the church’s role as irrelevantly relevant. While our culture (and even many people on our church membership rosters) progressively moves toward viewing the church as irrelevant, insignificant and pointless, we must remember what the Truth says about the church and her mission. We know the Bible states clearly that the Body of Christ is necessary, relevant, and essential for the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and all cultures.

Paul speaks to a church struggling for relevance in the midst of a major cosmopolitan city. Corinth was a city steeped in culture and significance for its time, and progressive in its lifestyle. The church of Corinth struggled on different levels as they watched their culture infiltrate the church. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul explains how he remained relevant in ministry, even though many tried to subtract from his relevance and ministry.

Relevant Humility

In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul defends his apostleship. In so doing, Paul defended his relevance to the church and the gospel mission. Paul says, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” In verse 12, Paul expresses the truth of enduring hardship so as not to place obstacles in the way of the proclamation of the gospel. Later in verse 19, Paul claims, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” Paul is the prime example of a man called by Jesus, completely relevant on all levels, willing to humble himself to serve all so that all might know Jesus.

Revitalization is linked to this need for relevant humility.

As churches desire relevance in a culture that largely claims the irrelevance of the church, we must live with necessary humility. Paul says in Philippians 2 that the church ought to follow the example of Jesus’s humility.

Humility wins an audience. Humility, though it sounds like a position of weakness, is actually quite captivating in a culture which constantly forces pride and boasting in ones own accomplishments. Paul had every reason to boast in his accomplishments, but he counted all of these accomplishments as loss for the sake of knowing the relevant Savior, Jesus.

The church can fight, fuss and file lawsuits all day to gain relevance. The church can become “seeker-friendly” and use smoke, lights and entertaining bands to gain relevance. But true relevance is not found in boasting of our own self-righteousness. Relevance is found in obeying the Great Commission, winning the lost to Jesus, just like Paul did. Let us humble ourselves before the cross and serve the lost with the aim of winning them to Jesus.

Relevant Prayer

A healthy and revitalized church exists because at some point the prayer life of the church transitioned from vocalizing prayer requests and reading through prayer lists to focused and relevant prayer. As we pray, our hearts conform to God’s, our vision conforms to His, and ultimately we depend on Him to meet our needs in order to fulfill His purpose.

Going a step further, a relevant prayer life focuses the church on how God desires to engage culture. If we are to focus on winning the lost (and we certainly are), then we must pray for the lost. If the church identifies a need for increased focus in corporate worship, then corporate and private prayer should focus on this need.

It is not an evil thing to pray for Aunt Melba’s big toe to

heal after she stubbed it on the coffee table, but if the church’s corporate prayer time focuses more on temporary, earthly needs than eternally significant needs, such as the need for meaningful corporate worship or winning the lost, then the church will become irrelevant to its Kingdom purpose and decline. The relevant prayer life of the church specifically targets the weakest, most eternally significant areas of the church.

If I were not a pastor, then I would be a coach. One thing I learned in my kinesiology studies at Texas A&M, was the principle of specificity. You train the specific areas of your body for the specific sport or activity in which you engage. This is why you don’t see the world’s strongest men competing in the New York Marathon. They have not trained for endurance but rather brute strength. The same is true in our corporate prayer life. Target specific areas where the church is weak to build spiritual muscle and see results.

Here is how we practice relevant prayer at the church I currently pastor. Once a month we have a specific time set aside known as the Concert of Prayer. Ten stations are arranged in no particular order around our Fellowship Hall, each containing ten specific points of prayer.

We pray for the lost, the leaders of our church, our government and our missionaries. We pray that God would move our hearts and give us a burden for our community. The prayer stations vary each month so the church’s prayer life is not static, but fluid. Fluidity allows you to remain relevant in prayer.

Relevant Purpose

At the end of 1 Corinthians 9, Paul reminds the church that we are to run with the purpose of winning. At the end of chapter 10, he exhorts the church to do all that we do for the glory of God. In his book entitled, “Autopsy of a Deceased Church,” Thom Rainer states, “The deceased church, somewhere in its history, forgot to act upon the Great Commission. So they stopped going.

And making disciples. And baptizing them. And teaching them…Perhaps its more accurate to say the church ‘decided’ not to act upon Christ’s command.” A church in decline no longer views the Great Commission as relevant. They win and disciple the lost only as necessary, having transitioned to immaterial pursuits of self-perpetuating purposes. They started majoring on minors that have no kingdom or eternal consequences.

Our purpose must remain the pursuit of Great Commission. A relevant church does not spend its time trying to entertain and be cool in an effort to be relevant.

Irrelevant relevance is the goal as the church seeks to

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fulfill the Great Comission. As the church evaluates its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, the leadership must keep in mind the purpose of the church, which is to make disciples that make disciples. Churches that make disciples that make disciples are healthy and healthy churches plant healthy churches.

There is one way for anyone to find meaning, significance and sure satisfaction: the gospel of Jesus. When this gospel is presented and lived out by a church that is truly changed by the very gospel it proclaims, that church screams authenticity, value, and relevance.

As a parent, I realize my children do not need me to be cool and it is not my job to be their friend. They need me to challenge their thinking, challenge their attitudes, and challenge what they think is relevant for their life. As I do challenge them, what was once irrelevant in their thinking eventually transitions to relevance. So the world may feed us their thinking that the gospel and the church are irrelevant in the 21st Century, but you and I know different. Let us proclaim to the world that even though they say we are irrelevant, we are actually quite relevant because of the Gospel. So let us join together in praying for change, participating in change, and proclaiming the source of life-change, Jesus Christ.

Dealing with Con Artists

By Rodney Harrison

Con artists are essentially saying, “I am a ministry opportunity. Take me on…NOW.” I believe every ministry of the church should be at God’s invitation and should honor God while supporting the ministry and mission of the church.

Giving a con-artist money that will be used to buy a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of booze does not meet even one of these stipulations. By definition, a con artist is one who conceals, falsifies, and deceives people who could assist them. The key words are conceal, falsify, and deceive. In scripture, believers are exhorted to be on guard for those who would practice such things. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14)? For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light ... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:8).

A young mother comes into the office. “Can you help us?

We ran out of gas, and don’t have money because our car needed fixin’. We’re on our way to Texas, where my husband has a job waiting. We spent our last $20 on formula for the

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Chris Irving is the Lead Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Gonzales, TX. Chris has served in ministry for 15 years in Texas. He led a small rural church to revitalization and is currently involved in the revitalization process of First Baptist Gonzales. He earned his Masters of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Ministry in leadership studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Irving aims to help pastors equip the lay leadership of the church to serve in ministry. He and his wife, Amber have been married for 14 years and have six children.

baby. If you could spare a twenty, we could get to (the next town) where we’ve got some family.

At this point you see a young man standing by an older car, clutching a blanket-swaddled bundle you assume is the couple’s infant. Your kind heart says to give this young woman the $20 she asks for. But your common sense says otherwise. So which do you listen to?

If you’re like many, you’ll reach into your pocket and fork over the twenty. You’ve likely just been a victim of one of many distressed stranger scams. It is not unusual for teams to make $200 or more per day using this scam. Variations of this scam involve prescription drugs, car parts and groceries.

Another scam that comes knocking is the “service personnel” who comes by unexpectedly to service your computers, copier, phone, furnace or air-conditioning. These scammers will often drive up in a service van wearing official looking uniforms. A week later the church receives an invoice for services, payable to a P.O. box or out of state address. Such scams often go undetected, and can net the scammers thousands of dollars in a matter of weeks. Worse yet, when the scam is realized, it can cost the revitalizer valuable support and momentum in the renewal process.

This article is adapted from the new book, “Confessions of a Church Felon: Protecting Your Church from the Flames of Fraud”

by Glenn Miller, Jeff Kick and Rodney Harrison.

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Know Your Audience

to Maximize Church Revitalization As I sit here writing this article, I am spending a few days in Sofia, Bulgaria, as my wife and I are about to take home our four-year-old adopted daughter.

She knows all of a couple of English words and that is nearly the extent of our Bulgarian. While she has exhibited a fun-loving spirit through these last few days, I am sure she has been a bit frustrated at times as she tries in vain to communicate something to us.

But it didn’t have to be this way. We could have been learning Bulgarian these last nine months, once we accepted her as a referral. We recently finished hosting a foreign exchange student from Ukraine, and I sat out to learn Cyrillic, the alphabet of both Ukraine and Bulgaria. I ultimately gave into my busy routine as pastor, professor and parent to keep from learning much. Oh, how I wish I would have learned more then to communicate better now!

This issue is one of the main elements of preaching—knowing your audience so you communicate more effectively. Too often I hear pastors lament how people “oooh” and “ahhh” over a guest preacher who delivers a strong message. Such a pulpit guest usually has only a few sugar sticks and he doesn’t know the audience well, preaching in generalities. The local church pastor, however, has a trump card with preaching to his church—he can (get to) know his audience unlike someone filling the pulpit.

I want to share with you a few ways you can get to know your audience better so the message you preach hits a nerve with them. I do not intend to downplay the role of the Holy Spirit in applying the message, but most of us would agree He works most powerfully through the personal relationships we have cultivated.

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by Joel R. Breidenbaugh

Spend Time with Your People

One of the greatest advantages a church revitalizer has over a mega-church pastor is how much easier it is for him to get to know his audience by spending time with them. I know more than one mega-church pastor who tells other pastors not to waste time visiting with their own church people in favor of spending time finding ways to connect with the un-churched. Church revitalization and growth cannot happen without reaching out to the lost and un-churched, but a pastor, by definition, must also care for the flock the Lord has entrusted to him. So how can you spend time with your people beyond seeing them on a Sunday?

Visit Your People

As a pastor of small and medium-sized churches, I have always enjoyed visiting my church members in their homes. I learn a lot about what they value when I see their flower garden, tool shed, living room, dining room and the like. Some people place greater worth on their things than they do hosting others in their immaculate houses. Others arrange their house in such a way that the grandkids can stop by without notice and pick up right where they left off!

I often get to meet additional family members when I come into church members’ homes. Such meetings allow me to connect with more people than I originally anticipated. Active church members appreciate their pastor meeting with them, and meeting their un-churched family members is a bonus for me and for them.

Stop by Their Place of Work, If Possible

Those who operate their own businesses or work for customer-relation services are almost offended if you don’t stop by their workplace. Visiting their place of business gives the pastor insight into what they go through on a daily or weekly basis. It also

helps you see their mission field in equipping them to reach others for Christ.

Attend Their Family’s Extracurricular Events

I cannot count the number of sporting events, graduations, piano recitals and comparable events I have attended over the years. I am not suggesting you spend all your time at these outings, or you will miss out on your own family. Showing up to a game and sitting with the parents and grandparents in the stands speaks volumes to others. The old adage is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Have Them in Your Home

No matter how hard you try, some people will not ever invite you into their home (possibly out of fear they cannot clean it for your visit). You can, however, invite them over to your house.

Though you may want to invite a couple of families over at the same time, getting to know more people, my wife and I have enjoyed hosting Sunday School classes, potluck style. After enjoying food together, I sit everyone in a large circle and have couples tell us how long they have been married and a memorable story in their lives (it is often humorous!). Everyone enjoys getting to know others better, but as their pastor, I probably get the most out of it.

Utilize Social Media to Connect with Your People

Technology provides us with many benefits unknown to previous generations. Social media sites offer elements of micro-blogging and miniature journaling. While you may not want to spend time listing many of your own life events, scrolling through what your friends and contacts have to post helps you learn what makes them tick, whether it is comments and pictures about family, vacation spots, work, favorite teams or various ideologies. Jot down occasional notes as reminders for building illustrations and application in your sermon. Although confidentiality should mark personal conversations, information on social sites is usually fair game for public use. You probably want to go the extra

mile and obtain permission about sharing someone’s story, especially if they are one of your church members.

In addition to scanning through other’s posts, take time to “like,” comment or share. People receive encouragement from others responding to their posts and pictures. It communicates your interest in their lives.

Listen, Laugh and Cry with Your People

As a pastor, you will be talking a great deal more week-in and week-out through your sermons than your members. As you spend time with others, make sure you take the lead in listening to them. If getting them to talk is difficult, use a few key questions to get them started. I like asking people how they came to know Jesus or what brought them to our church.

I also inquire how couples met or find out what they do for a living. While listening to people tell their stories, you will sometimes laugh and sometimes cry, yet always grow in your relationship with them.

Conclusion

Hopefully these suggestions will aid you in knowing your audience as you preach and shepherd. As you strengthen these relationships, you will find these people—your people—will grow to love you for loving them. That kind of relationship building will not only strengthen your preaching, but it will also strengthen your pastorate, helping revitalize a church in need of a caring pastor.

“I often get to meet additional family members when I come into church members’ homes. Such meetings allow me to connect with more people than I originally anticipated.”

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

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When Fraud Comes Knocking It is often the little things that derail revitalization. At Friendship Baptist Church in Holden, Missouri, the revitalization process was being hindered by weekly panhandlers. It will be only a matter of time before someone comes asking for assistance with gas, food, utilities or cash. Often, the person dealing with this request is the least equipped to respond to such situations, such as receptionists, secretaries or volunteers. A typical outcome is to fork over $20 in the hope that the “visitor” leaves.

As Christians, we want to do the right thing at all times. Ironically, panhandlers and scammers know that, and prey upon churches that are unprepared when fraud comes knocking.

Almost every time I teach about this fraud in the form of con artists and scammers, someone brings up Matthew 25:35-40. Let’s look at this passage together: For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me. “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. Notice that the King indicates, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” It can be argued that Jesus is speaking of “the brotherhood of man” and the passage applies to anyone who is hungry, thirsty, in need of lodging or cloth. Ironically, most members who accept this interpretation expect the church to respond with appropriate benevolence, while they personally never would invite these folks into their homes.

The King in this text is the One who separates the sheep from the goats (v. 32). The best understanding of the phrase translated “brothers of Mine” are the followers of Jesus. As believers, we are responsible to demonstrate brotherly love. This is consistent with Paul’s words in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Earlier in Galatians 6, we are reminded, “Do not be deceived.” With that exhortation, consider ways of responding to those who come knocking.

- By Rodney Harrison

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

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The Midwest Regional Church Administration Conference “The Gift of Administration — Answering the Call”

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The Conference will feature keynote speakers such as Steve Dighton, First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Early bird registration of $119, ends August 31 $159 Starting September 1 For more information visit: 3EConference.com Register at: 3EConference.com 27

Eight Excuses Pastors Must Eliminate Feature Writer Let’s not waste time. Let’s dive into the list.

sible that we have not created an environment where they grow spiritually, develop their faith and worship God?

Excuse #1 – People just don’t see the vision or value of the church.

Excuse #2 – The world offers too many options on Sunday; we can’t compete.

Yes, people are leaving the church. Pew Research Center projected about 106 million Christians will leave the faith over 40 years. (That’s over 7,000 people a day!) If we’re not careful we can use this as an excuse. We need to be looking at our value system to determine if we are value-less. Why should people take time on Sunday to be with you?

Reasons Why People Attend Church (research conducted by Gallup)1 1) 23% – for spiritual growth and guidance 2) 20% – keeps me grounded/guided 3) 15% – it’s my faith 4) 15% – to worship God 5) 13% – the fellowship of other members

(the community) 6) 12% – believe in God (religion) 7) 12% – brought up that way (tradition) Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church (research conducted by Thom Ranier)2 1) 90% – Pastor/Preaching 2) 88% – Doctrines 3) 49% – Friendliness of Members 4) 42% – Other Issues 5) 41% – Someone at Church Witnessed to Me 6) 38% – Family Member 7) 37% – Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church 8) 25% – Relationship Other than Family Member 9) 25% – Sunday School Class 10) 25% – Children’s/Youth Ministry 11) 12% – Other Groups/Ministries 12) 11% – Worship Style/Music 13) 7% – Location Top 6 Things that Keep the Formerly Unchurched Active in the Church (research conducted by Thom Ranier)3 1) 62% – Ministry Involvement 2) 55% – Sunday School 3) 54% – Obedience to God 4) 49% – Fellowship of Members 5) 38% – Pastor/Preaching 6) 14% – Worship Services What we learn from these statistics is that people want to belong to a church. Is it possible that we as ministers do not know how to communicate the values of our church? Is it pos1 http://churchrelevance.com/qa-top-reasons-for-church-attendance/ 2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

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by Ron Smith

The bad news is, in terms of entertainment and sensation, the world is more attractive and alluring. The good news is we don’t have to compete with the world - that’s not our calling. Here’s even greater news: what the world has to offer doesn’t last long, and the people around you are left searching – this is why so many people live for Friday – hoping it will get better.The world’s promises are enticing, but empty. We may not be able to compete, but we can and should be relevant. Make the Bible and the application of its truth relevant to where your community lives.

Excuse #3 – I don’t have the right leaders.

No one has the right people because there is no such thing as “the right people.” Jesus spent three years with 12 unlikely candidates. There was nothing right about them. Having the right message, the right methods and the right mandate places the people you have on the right path. The right people will never show up. You will always be doing two works: the evangelist, drawing them in and the equipping work of fitting them in.

Leaders are made. Leaders emerge as the horizon of ministry reveals itself. As Pastors, we are body builders and leader makers.

Excuse #4 – Our people are not open to that type of change.

People in general are not open to change. If you’re not willing to embrace change you’re not ready to lead. Put simply, leadership is not a static challenge. In fact, leadership demands fluidity, which requires the willingness to recognize the need for change, and finally, the ability to lead change. Most of what we do as Pastors is lead people to places that they would not normally go. Resistance is naturally built into what we do.

Here are some basic tips for leading people through change: 1.

Never change just for the sake of change.

2.

Understand the end goal.

3.

Create a plan. Nothing happens by chance. Victory

goes to the prepared.

4.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

5.

Enlist and identify key players.

6.

Set realistic objectives and timelines.

7.

Manage expectations. This is huge; as we manage

expectations we can delegate work load, develop lead

ers, deny accusations, deal with anxiety and perform

ministry. The difference is most people manage minis

try and delegate expectations.

8.

Preach the vision. Preach the goal. Preach the win.

Preach the mission.

Excuse #5 – If we had more money we could pursue a bigger vision.

Here is the hard truth: there is never enough money, resources or time. Vision should always exceed resources. I cannot find one story in the Bible where the people were aware they had the resources to accomplish great things for God. Often when God calls us we feel woefully inadequate and miserably ill equipped for the task. Often 5 fishes and two loaves of bread feed more people than we could ever imagine. If we had the resources then why would need God? The vision is not as much about the resources as it is the relationship with God. What God wants to build is “a people” more than a program or a building. If in the process we build something then so be it but the reward is the relationship we have with God that we did not have before. The resources to possess the Promise Land were not there. In the process the children of Israel became a people of God – it is this “structure” that lasts to this day. If we are not pursuing something or someone bigger than ourselves, then what are we doing? If we are not a people of faith then who are we?

Excuse #6 – We struggle to break the attendance barrier.

Growth barriers can be hard to break. There are so many factors contributing to the health of the church that affect growth. Realize this, there is nothing magical about a certain number that precedes zeros. Believe it or not, a church that runs 5,000 has the same fundamental issues of a church that runs 50. Having more zeroes only adds to the need for workers, leaders, dollars, and programs. Yes, a church that has 5,000 is able to offer “more” due to its size and possibly even appear to afford more, but fundamentally they need leaders, workers, dollars and space. The same process we use to break through the 100 barrier is the same process we use to break 1,000. Here it is; 1.

Be convicted that you must reach people at any cost.

2.

Learn to equip.

3.

Learn to delegate.

4.

Learn to communicate.

5.

Learn how to develop stewards.

6.

Learn how to take yourself to the next level.

being in your community will prevent this type of wake up call and will give time to make a plan, communicate, delegate and equip.

Excuse #8 – We’ve been waiting on a move from God.

God is not neutral when it comes to taking steps of faith.

God is ready to move. God is ready to move more than we are ready to act. Maybe you know it this way, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Our part in the “move of God” moment is not WHEN will He move but WHERE is He moving. God is constantly moving around us. We must pray for eyes of discernment to see His movement. The hardest part of this movement is discerning how to meet Him where He is moving.

We must learn how to mobilize people, programs and resources toward His movement. I call it spiritual surfing. As surfers in the ocean of God’s activity and presence we must discern how to ride the wave of His movement. This is done in our preaching, teaching, worshipping, gathering, fellowshipping, serving, and evangelizing. As we engage in what we know to do, we will see God and begin doing those things we did not yet know to do.

Isaiah says it this way, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon him while He is near;” Isaiah 55:6

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Excuse #7 – The area around our church has changed.

It was no accident that you have a particular church address.

God in His providence was not taken by surprise when the community around you changed. This excuse is a very telling statement. This statement reveals the true heart of the church.

It reveals an inward focused church that all of a sudden woke up one day and came to this realization. It reveals a church that is unwilling to meet with “those people” that have moved into the neighborhood. It reveals a shallow understanding of the Gospel statement, “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord.” In other words, the thought is, “Evangelism is something others do and it is for people miles away from us.” It reveals a shallow understanding of the mission found in one word: “Go.”

Communities often change and churches need to be prepared to change with them. Keeping a pulse on your community by

Ron Smith is the lead pas-

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

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

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The Leadership Link…

by Michael Atherton

Moses, God’s Leader – Part 2

There may be no greater leader in Scripture, outside of Christ, than that of Moses. God used Moses to deliver the Israelite children out from under the slavery of Pharaoh and the bondage of Egypt. Yet we understand, in order for Moses to be successful he had to navigate all kinds of challenges. He had to face his fears. He had to return to his enemies.

He had to acknowledge his inadequacies. He had to face a number of realities, which I am sure he would have rather just ignored. Such is the case with revitalization leadership. To be the leader who is willing to lead in revitalization, the challenges will be great. Looking at Exodus 18, we can find encouragement from the life of Moses as to what a revitalization leader should consider.

“The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 30

Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves” (Exodus 18:13-26).

In last month’s edition of the Leadership Link we identified that Moses had to become a man of prayer (v. 19) and Moses committed himself to communication (v. 20). Picking up where we left off, let me offer:

3. Moses received a vision and executed the plan (v. 19-20).

Proverbs 29:18 reads, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” Though other translations use the word vision in the place of revelation, the NIV captures the intent behind the original Hebrew word much better. You can call it a revelation, a vision, a dream, or whatever other clever catchphrase you wish, but the reality is the church is not in need of another manmade idea. God’s people need to follow a leader who has received a vision from God, not simply a leader’s wish list that if accomplished, will help propel him or her up the ecclesiastical ladder.

There is far too much at stake to allow our selfish predispositions to get in the way.

From a ministry perspective, vision is the picture of what God wants to accomplish through His church for His Kingdom’s purpose. Notice

the progression in this definition: it is God’s will for God’s church for God’s purpose. Going a step further, it is only after a church receives God’s vision that the congregation can contemplate the expression thereof through a mission statement.

That is to say that the vision precedes the mission.

Without a vision from God concerning what He wants, you do not have a mission.

4. Moses selected and developed leaders (v. 21).

God has given you a great tool for revitalization and you are often looking right past it. In fact, God may have given you many tools that you have completely taken for granted. As you stand in the pulpit this Sunday and you look out at 50, 100, 500, or 1000 different people, take note that each one of those individuals represent a tool that God has placed in your arsenal for revitalization.

God has uniquely gifted each one of those individuals. Every Sunday, when your church assembles, you have prophets, teachers, administrators, and evangelists. Within your congregation there are people with the gifts of mercy, faith, helps, giving, and so many more. Each of these people represent a resource for you to ultilize in helping to revitalize the church. The reason you are a leader is that it is incumbent for you to select the right people for the right positions at the right time.

You constantly want to be selecting and developing leaders for the tasks that around the corner.

jobs. The implications are clear: Moses was able to do those things that nobody else could do, because he only did those things that the other capable leaders could not do. In short, he was able to stay focused in his leadership.

One could ask the question, what was the result of Moses change in leadership strategy? From my vantage point, I see two major results. First, Moses was able to gain the strength necessary to last longer. Many pastors and church leaders end up burning out and therefore, leaving the ministry, simply because they are exhausted from carrying the load by themselves. Let me encourage you to understand, you will last longer in the ministry when you are willing to carry out God’s vision utilizing God’s people as opposed to carrying out your vision, by yourself.

Second, the people experienced peace. Jethro saw from the outside what Moses could not see while standing in the middle. The people needed answers to their problems and though Moses’ day timer had been maximized, he was simply out of time to do everything that was required of him. When he empowered other people to help him the entire camp experienced peace.

Exodus 18 is a tremendous story of leadership.

Indeed, Moses was God’s leader in his generation. What about you? How will the story of your leadership be read?

5. Moses empowered the leaders to do their jobs and he did only what they could not do (v. 25-26).

Once Moses selected God fearing, trustworthy, and capable men, he released them to do their jobs. He did not micro-manage them. He allowed them to go and carry out their responsibilities. These leaders brought to Moses only those items for which they could not solve on their own.

Moses had selected the right people for the right

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

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Stop Making Excuses It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” We are skillful at the art of making excuses, aren’t we? “I don’t know how.” “I didn’t understand.” “I couldn’t find the right tools.” “The voices told me to clean all the guns today.” “I threw out my back bowling.” “I have a Doctor’s appointment.” Do you ever catch yourself making excuses when things don’t turn out as you had expected in your church? Have you ever tried to explain away why you didn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t or simply wouldn’t do something? If so as a church revitalizer, these are subtle signs that indicate you are living a life of excuses, which prevent you from reaching your full potential for revitalization and renewal. ~ Tom Cheyney

BARKING DOGS

Sparking Revitalization

By Reducing Distractions

by Lee Kricher

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

I met an elderly pastor of a storefront church several years ago. The church had about a dozen members. I soon understood at least one reason 32

his church probably would not grow much larger.

He told me that he brought his dog to church every week and that the dog would lie down in front of the podium, barking often during each service. The regular attendees became accustomed to having the pastor’s beloved pet in church but a visitor mentioned to him that the barking dog was a distraction. He told me that his response to the visitor was, “My dog is my best friend and he stays, even if that means you don’t.”

I am convinced that most churches have their share of barking dogs – things that in some way distract members and visitors from the vision and mission of the church. In 2003, Amplify Church was filled with barking dogs. Here are just a few

of the many things that we chose to eliminate: • The small, wooden sign at the church entrance was literally rotting from weather and age. Anyone who saw it would assume that the church was probably deteriorating, as well. We covered the sign with a canvas sign created by a local printer until we could afford a modern, attractive sign.

• Along with our sign, our church foyer created a bad first impression for visitors. Bulletin boards and posters lined the walls. On the bulletin boards, anyone could place anything they wanted from business cards to flyers advertising programs in other churches. Many of the things that were posted were outdated. The sheer volume of information hung on these bulletin boards screamed to a visitor that we were an unfocused church. All posters and bulletin boards were removed and pertinent information was placed in our bulletin and on our website.

• The color of our foyer also gave visitors a bad first impression. It was painted mauve, the same color it had been for more than a decade. It was the color of Pepto-Bismol but had the opposite effect. We painted the foyer a neutral shade of gray.

• One of the church practices we eliminated was the unwritten formal dress code that had been a part of the church since its inception.

Because of relaxed dress codes in the workplace and schools, a significant percentage of young men did not even own a suit. To require people to buy clothes so they could come to church seemed to be illogical. Our dress code was a distraction for the very people we were trying to reach.

• One of the many church programs we eliminated was the training program for evangelism that had been conducted for over 20 years at the church. This program required people to attend a class weekly for several months in order to receive an evangelism certificate. One reason we ended this program was that it competed with our new emphasis

on small group attendance, which we felt was essential to our vision. Few people could attend both. It also created an impression for some that the responsibility to evangelize or even invite others to church was primarily carried by those who were “certified.”

It is amazing how many programs and ministries can be sustained by a very small number of church members in a declining church. These church programs and ministries often continue to exist long after they should have ended. In their book Simple Church, Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger put church programs into proper perspective: Programs were made for man, not man for programs. If the goal is to keep certain things going, the church is in trouble. The end result must always be about people. Programs should only be tools.

Letting Go and Saying “No” We know that in our personal lives we sometimes need to eliminate good things – even things that we like – from our schedules so we can focus our time and energy on the most important things. The same is true for churches.

Time, energy and resources invested into unnecessary programs or ministries is time, energy and resources that cannot be invested in those things that will most directly impact your core mission and your ability to reach the next generation.

I realized that we had to be able to let go of many of our current programs and ministries and to say “no” to many good ideas for new programs and ministries. By the way, I found that it is exponentially easier to say “no” before a program gets started than it is to end that same program after it gets started.

In his book Deep & Wide, Andy Stanley writes about the importance of being willing to let go of things no matter how meaningful they have been in the past.

Nothing is new or innovative forever. Your best idea, the one that other churches emulate and 33

take credit for, will eventually go the way of handbells and bus ministries. It’s naïve and arrogant to think otherwise. We are foolish to assume that our ideas are transgenerational. We are equally foolish to assume that we will intuitively be able to sniff out the need for change in our own organizations. If it were that easy, everybody would have made the proper transitions at the proper time. Truth is, the clock is ticking on our good ideas. It’s ticking backward. And it’s ticking faster than we think.

It might seem offensive that church programs, ministries and practices are listed in an article called Barking Dogs. It has nothing to do with how much these things were valued or loved at Amplify Church. They were good things that we felt had become a major or minor distraction to our ability to fulfill our vision and reach the next generation.

The reality was that the common denominator of many of these programs and ministries was not their link to our vision or mission but that they were housed in our church building. To use another analogy, these ancillary ministries and programs were like bags of sand holding down a hot air balloon. They had to be jettisoned if Amplify Church was ever going to soar.

The list of things that should be let go varies from church to church, of course. It is highly unlikely, though, that EVERY program, ministry or practice in your church should continue to exist in perpetuity. When all is said and done, effectively fulfilling your vision and mission is as dependent on what you choose NOT to do as it is about what you choose to do.

Which programs, ministries and/or practices in your church may be a distraction to those you are trying to reach, including the next generation?

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

Preach The Big Mac?

By Rob Myers

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. Acts 8:4-6.

One of the greatest difficulties to overcome in the revitalization of the church is the concept that: “somebody else is going to do it for us.” Somebody else is going to tithe, so I don’t have to; somebody else is going to teach Sunday School, so I’m not needed; somebody else is going to work the nursery and finally somebody else will do the Great Commission. If the prime objective of our remaining in this world after our salvation is to do the great commission, why have our churches, produced so few people who have had a first hand experience in leading someone to Christ, baptizing them and then teaching them to do the same?

Sometimes amid the circumstances of life, we tend to vegetate and sit in one place. God did not give us a command to sit, but to go. If we come to the place where we belong to God and we refuse to do what he says to do, he can very well create circumstances that will cause us to move. I say this, because I have to say to you: the great commission is not an option, and God was not joking when he spoke it. It is God’s only plan; there is no plan B, C, or anything else. Verse one of this passage teaches us that persecution broke out and the church was pushed out and scattered out of Jerusalem.

It is obvious; that they had done a great job of phase 1 of Acts 1:8. Jerusalem was turned upside down with the gospel of Christ! Do you think that, maybe God needed to give them a little nudge?

Needless to say, Philip the young Greek deacon, preached the Word of God wherever he went. It is interesting that God used the multicultural “Greek Jew” to go into an area that the “Hebrew Jew” would have abhorred, because of the prejudice that they had toward the Samaritan people. This bates the question: “What do I say to a people that I have a “history” with? …I’m saved and changed, but they have years of backlash prejudice built up

against “my kind.” Notice here that Phillip did not negotiate his terms with God… He just went!

What does this have to do with the “Big Mac?” I find one of the most interesting things about McDonald’s, and the Big Mac, is that wherever you go in the world the Big Mac remains constant. It always has: two all beef patties, pickles, lettuce, special sauce and a sesame seed bun. I make it a point to buy one wherever I go in the world, because I see the Gospel of Christ and the Word of God like the Big Mac: it is always culturally relevant and never has to be adapted. It is interesting to me that McDonald’s has learned to culturally adapt the rest of its menu, while leaving the Big Mac alone. When I was a kid in the Bahamas, McDonald’s served conch salad as a side item, as well as peas and rice. In Guatemala, you can get with black beans with your eggs for breakfast. I even got a Big Mac beside the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias and they had adapted some Jewish food to it as well, but the Big Mac, as in all cases, remains the same: two all beef patties, pickles, lettuce and special sauce on a sesame seed bun. The lesson learned, is that the Word of God never changes, yet the cultural adaptation is necessary. This is why Philip did not hesitate to go and preach the Good news of Jesus Christ even to the Samaritans.

How then do we get our people to share their faith?

My method is simple, review your potential leaders and find the ones who are willing to drop their nets and follow Christ. Jesus did not recruit men whom he had to drag into service, or who were filled with the strongholds of excuses, but he recruited men who knew how to achieve goals - men with aspirations to move beyond the mundane of the everyday business of fishing (insert any job type here) to become fishers of men. Ask a man to merely follow you and to serve you, and you will have a co- dependent. Ask a man to come with you and become a leader and you will have a world changer. Peter did not sign up to stand by and watch, he signed up to lead! Don’t invite an exciting man to a boring agenda, rather invite him to explore the power of the Good News of Christ! The Big Mac in our illustration is the Word of God, which is eternally relevant and unchanging. Teach men the stories of the Word of God, pour your life into them and in three years you can re-make or revitalize any church.

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Building Sustainable Student Ministry Volunteer Teams that Last - Continued legitimately know what I agreed to walk into.

So here is the hard part, do you know what is expected of you? Have you had conversations that lead to you getting exact answers? Whether you have done it right in the past or not, the important thing is that you have those answers at your disposal now! Why? Because knowing what is expected of you allows you to walk comfortably in your own skin; which also lets you problem solve, create, plan, and lead your ministries more effectively.

A former Lead Pastor of mine wrote a book a couple years ago designed as an impassioned plea to fellow pastors to “check themselves at the front door” when it came to leading and pastoring people; and in this book he wrote this, “an amazing sense of freedom comes with becoming secure in our own skin, secure in who we are, and secure in what God has called us to be and

by Drew Cheyney

do.”3 I do not know about you, but there is nothing I want more in my calling then to be able to be the husband, leader, & man God designed me to be, and knowing what is expected of my leadership position helps me be those things. So ask yourself again: What is Expected of Me? 3 Lovejoy, Shawn. The Measure of Our Success: An Impassioned Plea To Pastors. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2012.

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

Why I Am Not Revitalizing My Church!

Declining or dying churches and church leaders often makes various excuses for why they are not revitalizing their church. Some fear the failure around them and they make an excuse. Others are embarrassed because of what they thought would happen in there church have not. Some fear the things they must do to bring about the change needed for renewal so they make excuses.

Still others lack confidence in their ability to revitalize the church. To eliminate excuses from our lives we must first look at eliminating all traces of fear. Fear traps and locks us away within our comfort zone. Living a life of excuses can have very serious and lasting consequences. Not only will excuses prevent you from reaching your full potential, 36

but they will also hold you back from recognizing opportunities, talents and skills you might have, to help you overcome your problems. If you don’t challenge yourself to reach new heights, you will never really know what you’re capable of. New opportunities lie hidden around every corner, however you will never find them if you riddle your mind with constantly finding reasons to make excuses.

Here are some of the most used excuses for why one has not revitalized ones church: The task is demanding My talent is inadequate The time is not right The teaching is dangerous I cannot change.

- Tom Cheyney

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The Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization and Renewal: Foundational for Declining Churches

The Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization and Renewal Our Lord loves the local New Testament Church and it is His desire to see it grow! The need for Church Revitalization has never been greater in North America!

An estimated 340,000 Protestant churches in America have an average attendance of less than one hundred. Research data tells us that in the United States more than 80% of the churches have plateaued or are declining. Each and every week we are currently seeing somewhere between fifty and seventy-five local churches closing their doors and not opening them again. Everything that must be done in the area of church revitalization cannot be accomplished in a few hours on the Lord’s Day! The most recent research data released in January of 2012 by the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, has said that within my own Southern Baptist Convention we are at a critical juncture regarding church plateau and decline. The most recent series of studies have been conducted by Bill Day; Associate

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Director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, who serves the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as the Gurney Professor of Evangelism and Church Health in his sequential studies on church health and growth of 2003, 2007, and 2010.

In January of 2012 Bill Day reported, that currently there are less than seven percent (6.8) of our SBC churches that are healthy growing churches. That means 3,087 of our 45,727 SBC churches are healthy. Even the number of SBC churches is in decline and we need to address the needs for church revitalization immediately.

Thinking About the Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization Working in the area of Church Revitalization will lead you eventually to consider the Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization.

A Church Revitalizer will not be working in all of these areas at the same time, but you will eventually find yourself working in most of them at one time or another. Take a moment to reflect upon the Seven Pillars graph as we discuss these areas of renewal and revitalization.

by Tom Cheyney

Revitalization and Realignment

Perhaps the easiest pillar to address is revitalization and realignment. Some observers of church revitalization and renewal argue that the era of small churches is over and that the future belongs to the arising mega churches across North America. Granted mega is an amazing phenomenon of the past thirty years which seems to have arisen with the concept of the massive campus church. But to ignore the 340,000 plus churches in North America that average less than 100 weekly in church attendance would be ill advised! Those who serve and those who attend these churches are an enormously significant network of Christian influence.

Even the mega church finds itself struggling to avoid plateau and decline.

A church in need of Revitalization is described as one where: there is the plateauing or declining after a phase of recent or initial expansion; then the church experiences the beginning of a high turn-over of lay leaders; there becomes a shorter duration of stay of fully assimilated people within the work; the church morale and momentum level drops; the church coasts for a brief time

and then drops again, only to see the cycle of decline repeated again and again. The result is the church hits a new low! This new normal is the first sign of a church in need.

Refocusing

Refocusing is the second pillar and it helps churches that are growing, but still need to set new challenges and look for new opportunities to expand their gospel witness into their target area. Questions such as what is your biblical purpose and why do we exist as a congregation must be addressed. Looking at how God showed up in the past is a good way to get the church unstuck by addressing where it has been, how God has worked and

what does He have for its future.

Addressing the church’s focus, vision, and leading them to discover God’s new direction is just the beginning of helping a congregation to begin refocusing towards the Lord’s new calling plan for the church! Many a pastor today has never been taught how to grow a church and they feel quite stuck and in need of someone to come along side of them and challenge them to refocus one’s self and the church!

Re-visioning

A little bit harder certainly, but not as hard, as the descending order of decline that will eventually lead to the Restarting pillar of revitalization. Have you ever seen a church that once was alive

and vital begin to lose its focus and drive for the cause of Christ?

That is a church that needs to work on its Re-visioning strategy! Any Re-visioning strategy works to help churches dream new dreams and accomplish new goals that lead towards re-growing a healthy church!

This strategy is designed for a weekend retreat tailored fit to foster a sense of ownership and team ship related to discovering a shared vision for the church.

Understanding the critical milestones necessary for a new vision will help foster healthy church practices that might have been lost. Something as simple as achieving a great goal of some sort can begin to launch a church back into a Re-visioning strategy.

Something as simple and dangerous as the Lord’s children taking 39

an ill advised rest that resulted in a slowing or stalling of the momentum into a maintenance mentality can cause a church to become stuck.

Renewing

Church Renewal is the forth pillar of the seven pillars of Church Revitalization process. Often the church simply needs to get back to that which was working and get back on track. When that is needed a careful renewal strategy needs to be planned and carried out. Renewing a congregation becomes much harder than the refocusing, re-visioning and revitalization process. Not everyone who works in church renewal is wired the exact same way and it is important to understand each congregation’s individual needs and not try to make a one size fits all! There is no magic pill in church revitalization. Far too much writing on church growth of the 1980’s was designed in a one size fits all “bigger is better” model and while it may not have been the only cause for declining numbers in our churches, but it certainly contributed! It is vital that you prepare the laity for the work of church renewal as well as yourself. Communicate early and often with the church how the renewal process will take place and how it will be implemented.

Prepare yourself spiritually and then prepare your leaders spiritually. Then begin preparing your church spiritually for renewal! A Church Renewal Weekend is a great way to start! Church renew40

al is not about finding the magic medication or treatment to get growing. It is more about discovering God’s vision for the church and practicing it for the long haul. The utilization of a Church Renewal weekend works well to draw God’s people back towards health and vitality.

when it is necessary to reinvent itself to a changing community.

When a church experiences a shift in the community makeup, often there will be to various degrees, the need to redevelop a new experience for those who make up the new church context!

New experiences must replace old experiences. New practices likewise will replace old practices. A church that is experiencing the need for reinvention must take seriously the need and make the commitment for reinventing itself, revaluing itself, reforming itself, and reinvigorating itself to fit the new context.

The restart church revitalization model is being used all across North America. Changing the mindset of the residual membership can Restoration This sixth area of Church Revitaloften be very difficult. ization deals with things a church Senior adults occupy and a minister must go through when circumstances necessimost of these restart tate that a restoration process is candidate churches called for! Things such as: Gaining a new and fresh underfor which change is standing of the new future for often hard to come the church is vital if success is in the church’s future. by. Until the church is ready to make drastic Inspiring new prospects with a vision that is both compelling changes, it is useless and motivational. Prospects seek to become involved. to be inspired and not dragged down in the world in which we live in.

Reinvention

This fifth pillar of Church Revitalization deals with tools and techniques to assist the church

Meet new needs in order to give you a restored place among the community in which you seek to further minister.

Become prospect driven during these days of transition. Look

for new and yet to be reached opportunities to minister.

Remember if you try to do everything you will end up doing nothing. Therefore pick your greatest opportunities first and let the rest follow along later.

Craft something that comes out of a community in flux and look for ways to reconnect to the community where you once were firmly entrenched. Keep in mind you have been given a second chance so don’t blow it. Prayerfully seek the new things because it might be something you will be doing for a long long time!

Restarting

The final Pillar of Church Revitalization is the hardest and often only happens once the church’s patriarchs and matriarchs have tried everything else they could think of to grow the church with no success! The challenge here is that most churches wait too long to enter into this area of revitalization and by the time they are willing to utilize this strategy, they have sucked out all of the life within the church and it is no longer a viable candidate for this effort. When a sick church no longer has the courage to work through the various issues that led to its poor health, it is usually identified as being on life support and in need of a restart. This type of church has been flat-lined and just holding on by means of its legacy and the faithful few who attend. The Restarting Strategy (also known as a Repotting strat-

egy) is for an unhealthy church to once again begin growing and to engage in a renewed vision that is demonstrated through sufficient evidences of hope.

The restart based church revitalization model is being used all across North America. Any group planting churches or working in the area of Church Revitalization should have a restart strategy if it is going to be a wise steward.

One critical point from the start is a complete change of leadership and direction is a must for this revitalization model to be successful. Lyle Schaller reminds us that 85,000 evangelical churches are running fewer than 50 on Sunday. Being aware of their “critical” condition, however, is not enough. They have got to become convinced they need “major” surgical treatment. One church I have worked with still believes that they have more to offer, though their decline has been meteoritic and yet they

refuse to allow a restart to take place.

Changing the mindset of the residual membership can often be very difficult. Senior adults occupy most of these restart candidate churches for which change is often hard to come by.

Until the church is ready to make drastic changes, it is useless to become involved. There are thousands of churches like this all over America: Some are Baptists, others are Methodists, even in the Assemblies you can find them, Presbyterians, the Lutherans have them, Congregational, Christian, and many others, waiting for a mission-minded congregation to get involved in offering “new life.”

One startling phenomena is there are churches today that as the laity begin to depart this life often see nothing wrong with taking the church to the grave as well.

That was never part of God’s plan for the very thing He gave up His life.

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the founder and directional leader of Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and Executive Editor of the Church Revitalizer.

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Peacemaking in Church Revitalization

by John Kimball Conflict and Revitalization

Church conflict and congregational plateau appear to go hand in hand.

The closer a church moves toward decline, the worse and more consistent the conflict. In reality, as a church becomes more self-focused (our building, our worship style, the way we do church…) multiple human agendas will always replace the singular, unifying Immanuel agenda of disciple making and will compete with each other for supremacy.

Most church conflict can be traced back to such a battle led by powerful personalities. And the congregation that allows this to continue unchecked dishonors Jesus.

Once a church succumbs to the conflict cycle, it is next to impossible to work through any revitalization process unless the conflict is addressed. Many a congregation has implemented a great developmental process only to be derailed by the “usual suspects” in the same old conflict patterns. When a congregation receives biblical conflict resolution training at the beginning of revitalization, it can set the whole body free to experience the fruit of change. In my work with my own denomination, we have found this issue so important that we now require a church to go through biblical peacemaker training before they can enter into our revitalization process.

It’s that critical. It saddens me, but I believe that some local congregations have closed unnecessarily because they refused to deal with their internal conflict.

It’s the Gospel

Biblical peacemaking and reconciliation are, in fact, the gospel in action.

We are commissioned to be Christ’s

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ambassadors (Matthew 28:18-20), given both a ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). A local church cannot reconcile people to God using the gospel of peace and remain unreconciled to each other.

Jesus warns us that withholding forgiveness is never allowed for the Christian (Matthew 18:25). And Paul teaches that our forgiveness of each other should be just like the Father’s forgiveness of us in Christ (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). Reconciliation of personal relationships should be an expectation in any church pursuing revitalization. Of course, not all relationships will be reconciled, but we must follow Paul’s injunctions to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) and “if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:17-18).

It is essential that everyone in the church learn the principles and practices of biblical peacemaking.

Teach children these principles early as a normal part of their discipleship and you will be amazed at how well they implement it with their friends. Teach teens these principles and help them to contextualize it in school – they will be equipped to handle the normal relational challenges of adolescence and even apply it to bigger issues like bullying.

Teach adults these principles and help them see how they can be applied in the home, in the workplace and within the church family. And as people employ what they have learned, be very intentional about guiding this new understanding to the unrest within the congregation.

Bring those who’ve been wounded

together with those who did the wounding and walk them through the reconciliation process. It may take a while to fully see the fruit of this if the church has operated without reconciliation as a normal part of life for some time. Don’t get discouraged. And don’t give up!

No one can be exempt from peacemaking. The gospel is the message of reconciliation, and forgiveness is the heart of the Christian Faith. It is biblically inconceivable that anyone would call themselves a follower of Christ and not practice forgiveness and reconciliation. Powerful personalities will likely push back against the gospel alignment biblical peacemaking will foster. Some will resist the accountability that such an emphasis will require. And others will respond in fear because they have no frame of reference for the work of reconciliation. Bring them all back to the Word of God and do not relent. Their own spiritual health depends on it, and so does the church’s.

So what does a congregation that is truly at peace look like? The following is a non-exhaustive list, but it does provide seven key traits such churches typically have in common: 1. Everyone is consistently taught how to use biblical peacemaking in their own relationships and is expected to do so 2. Personal peacemaking is demonstrated in the lives of all leaders including the pastor(s) 3. People’s agendas are never allowed to take precedence over relationships.

4. Confession of wrongdoing is a normal part of life for people in the church family

5. Forgiveness is fully understood and granted whenever its needed 6. Accountability is both expected and requested within the church family.

7. The people of the congregation are known for their humility out in the community.

You can see how the spirit of such a church changes and how these traits can lead the congregation to focus outward to their community. Reconciliation fosters a level of real, Christian love that knows no bounds. Remember, Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). And when a congregation’s driving force is love, the church is back on track for revitalization and fruit.

Peacemaker Ministries

There are various ministries that come alongside congregations in conflict to help them process it well.

Some denominations also have staff or volunteers who are trained to help with intervention, reconciliation and even mediation. Chief among all these options is the work of Peacemaker Ministries. My own reconciliation training was with them and I found it life-giving. I am one that naturally runs away from conflict. I found that, for me, the fear driving my escape was simply rooted in not knowing what to do. As a young pastor, I would be intimidated. I would be at a loss for words.

And the powerbrokers in question would seem to get the upper hand every time. But once I received the training and learned what to do in conflict situations, the fear began to dissipate and I got to see the Holy

Spirit show up and reconcile hearts and relationships! It amazed me then. It still excites me today. For more information, you can see the Peacemaker Ministries website at www.peacemaker.net.

So what about your church? Is conflict (whether overt or bubbling beneath the surface) regularly derailing life and ministry within your congregation? As you survey your church family, do you see many broken relationships? And more important, are your brothers and sisters in Christ working toward reconciling them?

Conflict increases with the need for revitalization. It’s evidence that the gospel is not being lived out like it should in daily life. Because of this, it is impossible to bring revitalization to a local church until they begin to root out their conflict. It simply will not bear the intended fruit.

Times are Changing, So Change With the Times

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

John serves as the Lead Pastor/ Planter of Palmwood Church in Metropolitan Orlando.

- Tom Cheyney

People are afraid of change. Times are changing so change with the times. Our God however, is a God of change. We can learn at least two things from scripture about change: initially, we can learn that Christians should not be afraid of change. In Revelation 21:5 He declares “Behold, I make all things new” God does all kinds of “new things” in our lives every day. When we first become Christians, we die to our past, are buried in the water’s of Christian baptism and rise up a “changed” person, a new changed creature in Christ.

Our God is a God of change, and God can do great things when His people and His churches allow Him the freedom to change their lives. Someone once observed that the only persons who like change are wet babies and even they are not too excited about it either. Churches are notorious for that kind of attitude as well. True spiritual maturity is approached when people turn their attention to those outside the church and seek ways to spread the good news rather than exercise their entitlements as members.

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How to Change a Church in 8 Steps!

So, what steps are required to transition a church?

Just 8 actually. John Kotter is a renowned and respected change coach who perfected eight steps for organizational change that have been applied successfully to thousands of organizational transitions.

Harvard Business Review said, “Perhaps nobody understands the anatomy of organizational change better than retired Harvard Business School professor John P. Kotter.”

I have consulted or mentored hundreds of church transitions. And, I have found Kotter’s eight stages to be reliable, valid and important steps for a healthy church transition to living color.

Here are the key phases for implementing the principles and procedures of a church revitalization.

8 Steps to Transforming Your Church 1. “Establishing a Sense of Urgency.”

It is important to begin with a period of time where you acquaint the congregants with the need and Biblical mandate for transitioning to a church living color. Because of the urgent situation, many church leaders will be tempted to ignore this step and launch headlong into transition. Yet, in my consulting work I have found that this step is critical. Pray, study, research and dialogue on the importance of a church transition first.

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By Bob Whitesel

Share the urgency is multiple venues. Don’t just use sermons, but let this be the topic of Bible studies, discussion groups, prayer groups, small groups and Sunday School classes.

Remember, urgency is a key. Congregants must understand that we are today at the point where changes in communities across North America requires churches to stand up for Biblical principles of growth and change.

2. “Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition.”

The second step which you must successfully navigate is the development of an influential and guiding coalition. Even though you might think you know the situation the best, due to history, education or background: a church is a communal organization and leadership works best when there is a communal leadership. Find those that resonate with the transition and help them take the vision to the rest of the congregation.

Look for “persons of peace.” When Jesus told his disciples to spread out and take their message to the byways and villages of the Israel, he suggested they rely upon persons of “peace” they might encounter (Luke 10:6). The Greek word for peace is derived from the word “to join” and it literally means a person who helps people from divergent viewpoints and even warring convictions to join together in unity whereby oneness, peace, quietness and rest result. So, enlist people who are “peacemakers” who have demonstrated they can

bring warring and opposing parties together.

Listen to the naysayers, even though they may not be part of your guiding coalition, your coalition should hear them out. This is a step that if overlooked will usually splinter the congregation. This is because research has shown that unless you go to the naysayers and listen to them, they will feel left out of the consultative process and eventually fight the change. So go to those who will most affected or displaced and listen to them. Hearing them out has been shown to create new networks of dialogue that can prevent polarization. But, you must go to them early in the vision creating process.

3. “Creating a Vision.”

People must see the future before they can work toward it. The goal is to have an easy to read, clear vision statement in no more than a paragraph.

Get all of the members of your guiding coalition to help you draft, refine and edit your vision.

Many times church leaders rely solely on a written statement of vision. While this is helpful (if drawn up with input from your guiding coalition, see above) you must create a vision with the following “communication elements” too.

4. “Communicating the Vision.”

Use all communication vehicles available to you: written, vocal, electronic, narrative, arts, mixed-media, etc.

Experience it first-hand by taking your leaders and congregants to places where turnaround ministry is being done. In these locales congregants can see first hand, ask questions and experience the heart of a ministry that is being revitalized.

Vision can be communicated best by picturing something rather than just writing out a paragraph of technical terms.

Use stories to help people picture change. Scott Wilcher while studying change found that successful change is more than twice as likely to occur if you attach a story to depict the change. In the Bible you can find dozens of Biblical stories that depict change. Attach these stories to the vision to make the vision “come to life in a story” (after all that is what Jesus did with his compelling use of parables).

5. “Empowering Others to Act on the Vision.”

Delegate your power to others.

Too many times passionate church leaders are tempted to go it alone.

One pastor said, “Jesus had to do it alone.” And atonement and redemption were definitely things that only the Son of God could accomplish.

But remember, he rounded-up and delegated to his disciples his ministry (Matthew 10, Mark 6, Luke 9, 10).

You too must delegate to those you have mentored.

Create accountability. Because the Good News (Matt. 28:19-20) is so essential, it requires that evaluation and accountability be central too.

Have regular checkup discussions with clear objectives.

Remember, because change can be polarizing, oversight and accountability for progress are essential.

6. “Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins.”

This is the key step most overlooked.

Kotter discovered, and we have confirmed in our church consulting, that short-term wins help people see the validity and direction of a new vision.

Short-term wins are projects, programs and processes that can be undertaken quickly and temporarily. They usually won’t change the long-term outcomes (yet). But they demonstrate the validity of the transition in a quick, temporary way.

Thus, they pave the way for longterm wins.

Many short-term wins will convince reticent constituents of long-term legitimacy of the new direction.

Use temporary “task forces” instead of semi-permanent committees to investigate and launch new directions in ministries. Then as task forces prove their effectiveness they can be transitioned into more permanent committees.

7. “Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit the vision.”

As noted, wins even in the shortterm can give the leadership coalition the social capital to make structural changes.

Don’t start with structural changes.

You haven’t got enough buy-in from hesitant members and/or most of the congregation.

Only after your short-term wins validate your approach will you be able to change systems, structures and policies.

8. “Institutionalizing New Approaches.”

As your church moves in the exciting direction of revitalized ministry, encourage an organizational structure that promotes this in the future.

Institutionalizing principles of church transformation will allow you to reach out to new people and cultures as they develop in your community.

Finally for long-term health and viability, the revitalized church of must acquire a personality and reputation as a church of consistency in theology but change in Godly methodology.

(Adapted by the author from his upcoming book with Mark DeYmaz, reMix: Transitioning Your Church to Living Color, Abingdon Press, 2017).

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

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46

Church Revitalization in Rural America

By Tom Cheyney & John Kimball

Book & DVD Resource Set 47

Are You Thinking About Revitalization?

(Wrap your Mind around the Relevance of God’s Omni-ness)

God is Able is an amazingly powerful song of the Christian faith which declares the greatness of our God. So if you’re thinking of leading your church in the journey of revitalization, the lyrics of this song will serve as a continual reminder of the God you are serving - he is without question a God who is able. He is our hope for revitalizing churches. Before you read further, I encourage you to Google the lyrics to this song and/or listen to it online.

God is Able. We need this reminder often because let’s face it, we all experience struggles. Pastors and churches certainly fall into this category as well. Life has its share of struggles - certainly no surprises there. And yet at the same time, we must hold on to this powerful truth: Whatever we might face in our personal lives and in our churches, the Bible promises, our God is stronger. We worship and serve a God who is able.

The apostle John wrote in 1 John chapter 4, verse 4, “You, dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

It’s easy for us these days to look around and see all of the bad stuff that’s happening in our culture and it’s true, there’s plenty of it. And yet, John assures us that God is stronger than everything.

He is stronger than anything you’re facing in your personal life. He is stronger than anything your church is going through, no matter how bad or hopeless it

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may seem. The fact is: we worship and serve a God who is able. God is stronger than everything. And everybody. And every circumstance. Hallelujah! Praise God! Since revitalization is a spiritual issue, we must look to God on high, our exalted Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, allowing his Spirit guide us in the journey. God is strong and he is more than able to revitalize the pastors and churches that make up the landscape of our country today.

The Omni-ness of God The vastness and enormity of God’s might, power and strength is a concept that is nearly impossible for us to wrap our finite human minds around. However, whether our task is to plant a church or to revitalize a church, we must recapture the omni-ness of God and his relevance as we do the work of his kingdom. Relevance is defined as: meaningful or purposeful in current society or culture. From this definition, grab ahold of this truth in your life and in the church. Getting a solid grasp of the omni-ness of God is of immeasurable value and relevance for the church as we strive to impact the culture God has called us to reach with the Gospel.

By Darwin Meighan

least in part, the meaning of the word, omni. Omni Hotels – they have it all! Great rooms. Breathtaking views. Awesome amenities. Very much omni-like! I really liked this word omni until a friend of mine the other day said his first car was a Dodge Omni. And he said the word omni (which means “all”) sure did describe his first car alright. He said of the car it was all kinds of trouble! Okay let’s forget about the Dodge Omni. Erase that from your brain and let’s take a moment to look a little closer at the reality of God’s omni-ness, especially as it relates to revitalizing our churches.

God is Omnipresent

Just what is this word, Omni all about? Omni is a Latin word that means “all,” “in all ways,” “in all things,” “every,” or “everywhere.”

God’s omnipresence is the biblical truth that God is present at all times and in all places. Perhaps you have you forgotten this, or you’ve not thought much about this lately? God is ever present in your life. God is also ever present with that rural church, suburban church or urban church which is desperately seeking God and in need of revitalization. God is omnipresent. In the 42nd psalm, the psalmist writes, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” The words Jesus spoke in the Great Commission give us the assurance of his ever presence as we obey his command to go and make disciples. As we go, Jesus says, Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age, Matthew 28:20.

If you’ve ever stayed at an Omni Hotel, then you understand, at

One aspect of God’s omni-ness is that he is always with you. His

Be Stong and Courageous!

Church revitalizers need to be willing to take risks for the good of the local church they serve. They need to be strong and of courage. In Joshua chapter one, God instructs Joshua 3 times to “be strong, and be courageous”. Such easy instructions, but how is he to be strong, and courageous? It’s easy sometimes to be cocky, and pretend to be brave but what Joshua needed was true bravery, and courage. God not only directs Joshua to be “strong, and courageous,” but he dictates to him how to be so. To live the kind of Life that God wants us to in the society that we live in we too need courage the way that Joshua did. Sometimes it’s hard to be strong, and courageous. God says we are to stand on his promises. If we are to accomplish what God calls us, and instructs us to do, we as well must stand on the promises. The problem is many churches in need of revitalization are sitting on the premises instead of standing on the promises. Like Joshua, we must not turn, not compromise, not become distracted, must not become detoured from what the will of God is. Faithfulness is the key. Lastly, we must start the process of revitalization and renewal. Many in our declining churches have heard the word of God, sensed his presence, and his leading, but are we still just sitting. What are you waiting for? Now is the time to get going. There is ground to cover, battles to be won, jobs that are unfinished so let’s “be strong and courageous” and do it! Let’s get going.

- Tom Cheyney

strength is ever-present, in every place, for every circumstance you face, for every church that needs to turn things around. Friends, we desperately need the omni-presence of God.

God is Omniscient A second aspect of God’s omni-ness is his omniscience. God’s omniscience reveals that he is a God who is all-knowing. He is perfect in knowledge. His understanding is infinite. Paul communicated the omniscience of God in Romans 11, verse 33 where he writes: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his

judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

God’s knowledge is another facet of his strength. We need this wisdom and knowledge of God in those ministry contexts and churches in need of renewal and revitalization. In our efforts to revitalize God’s people, we must prayerfully and humbly look to a God who is all-knowing. His knowledge and wisdom is limitless – and so we must ask him to lead and guide us back to the place where our churches are once again outwardly-focused toward fulfilling the Great Commission.

God is Omnipotent Finally, a third aspect of God’s omni-ness is that he has infinite power. The prophet Jeremiah stated in Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah is testifying to God’s omnipotence. He is Almighty. God can do everything.

With God, anything is possible.

The biblical evidence cries out, God is able. This is awesome news! Since this is true of God, no person or no church is beyond hope. God is all-powerful. He is

Continued on Page 56 49

6 Ways to Create a Change Culture In Your Church Adapt or die.

The longer I spend in pastoral ministry, the more convinced I am of that truth. Especially in Small Churches.

The good news is, because of our size, Small Churches can adapt more quickly than our larger counterparts.

Like steering a speedboat instead of an ocean liner.

Sadly though, that’s not our reputation. Of all the parts of the body of Christ, Small Churches have a far greater and more well-earned reputation for being stubborn, static and refusing to adapt than any other segment of the church. It doesn’t have to be this way.

This article comes from the 4th most-read NewSmallChurch.com post of 2013.

Historically, small congregations are where most of the church’s revolutionary changes have been birthed – often spilling out into the culture at large. With the American Thanksgiving holiday coming up, it’s important to remember that 37 of the passengers on the Mayflower were members of a Small Church. Yes, a Small Church founded the United States of America! There are many more instances of Small Churches changing world and church history, many of which I outline in The Grasshopper Myth.

This is not just theory or history. It’s a present-day reality. In the last 21 years, I’ve watched as the church I pastor has transformed from a static, dying place into a vibrant, innovative change agent. And there are many other Small Churches doing the same. And no, we didn’t compromise our core values to do so.

They’ve actually been strengthened because of it. (See point #3, below).

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Here are 6 steps that many innovative Small Churches have taken to become nimble and adaptable.

1. Figure out how to say “yes” to new ideas

As I’ve written before, this may be the #1 way for a church to become adaptable and innovative. Every church has people with new, fresh ideas. Then we (yes, pastors, I’m looking at you!) scare them away by putting on the brakes before their ideas can be tried. Or we humiliate them when an idea doesn’t work.New ideas need the space to breathe. They need a champion. In a church, that means the lead pastor..

Figuring out how to say “yes” to new ideas doesn’t mean green-lighting every half-baked notion you hear.

You can still trash those 10-page manifestos written in crayon. But it does mean creating an atmosphere where innovative people know they will find a sympathetic ear. That, combined with a mature leader who will help edit an almost-there idea into a let’s-give-it-a-shot reality is a winning combination.

I’m not the big idea-generator in our church. I don’t have to be. We’ve fostered an atmosphere where people with new ideas know they’ll be heard, their ideas will be respected, their half-notions will be edited, experiments will be tried, successes will be celebrated and failure isn’t fatal.

2. Move from a destination mindset to a change process A destination mindset is one in which we look for ideal programs or material goods, then set them in place forever. It’s the false notion

by Karl Vaters

that all we need to do is find just the right building, program, curriculum or furniture, then stick with it until the (always) bitter end. In a destination mindset, items and ideas become idols.

But a change process is one in which we realize that no facility, program or piece of furniture will last forever.

They’re not sacred. That title is reserved only for God and our foundational theology.

But change needs a plan and a process if it’s going to work consistently. A church needs to decide why, how and when changes will occur. (I write more about this in my follow-up post, The #1 Rule to Help Reduce Church Clutter and Renew Effective Ministry.)

A clear and rational change process gives a congregation a clear path to follow. It reassures the timid and it inspires innovators.

3. Provide and promote stability zones

Our church didn’t start changing things right away. We spent a long time – years, in fact – nursing a sick and dying church back to health by re-establishing who we are and what we believe.

We studied scripture together. We asked hard questions like “if this went away, or that were added, would it strengthen or weaken the Gospel message?” This allowed people to find a firm, stable footing before we started down the path of change.

In Dirt Matters, Jim Powell talks about how establishing stability zones has allowed Richwoods

Church to have a church culture that is open to change: Part of the problem churches face is that many people are freaked out and emotionally unsettled by the speed and onslaught of an ever-changing world. Without even realizing it, they want to be able to walk into a church and find a stability zone. A place that doesn’t change.

An environment that is consistent and reliable… because little else in their world appears to be. …

For us at Richwoods, this includes our essential doctrinal positions and some practical aspects of ministry, such as the practice of believer baptism. We also serve communion every week in our corporate worship services. These beliefs and practices are part of our history, and they serve as islands that people can drift to in the midst of rocky seas.

Stability zones are a practical means of expressing the theological essentials. They’re like the safety net that allows the trapeze artist the freedom to try daring new feats because there’s something to catch them when they fall.

The more a church is open to change, the more they must emphasize the things that never change.

4. Follow the change pattern of Jesus and his disciples

One of the most amazing and admirable characteristics of Jesus’ early disciples was their ability to walk away from centuries of extra-biblical traditions and embrace the core of the Gospel. On the outside, it must have appeared to many of their family and friends that they had rejected Jehovah himself. But they had done the opposite.

What was it that gave them the wisdom to know the difference between fringe traditions that could and must be abandoned (like circumcision and eating pork) and essential doctrines that needed to be strengthened (like monotheism and a biblical moral code)?

The best answer to that was actually given by enemies of the Gospel.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) (emphasis mine) They’d been with Jesus. There is no substitute.

It was Jesus himself who established the best pattern for church change.

Five times in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeated “You have heard that it was said…” followed by “But I tell you…”

In doing so, he reminded them of the Old Testament law, validated the core of it, then strengthened its ultimate purpose with new teaching.

5. Communicate the need for and nature of change

People need to know what’s being changed and why. They need to be reminded how a changeless gospel needs to adapt to a faster-than-ever changing world.

In a previous work, I wrote about the importance of reducing surprises by communicating changes well in advance. People can handle change.

But three things need to be in place first: • They need to know why the old idea is being tossed.

• They need to know what’s better about the new thing.

•They deserve not to be surprised when it happens.

6. Lead by example

Pastors, how have you changed in ways that the congregation can see?

In the 21 years I’ve pastored my current church, I’ve changed how I minister in every imaginable way. From the way I dress to the way I preach and just about everything in between. It was painful at first. It’s fun now.

No, I don’t change those things to be cool, different or even relevant. I change on the outside because I’m still changing on the inside. God is still working on me.

I’m not a finished product any more than our church building or programs are. And neither are you.

Pastors, take a serious and realistic look at yourself. Is the growth of Christ on the inside of you evidenced in any way on the outside? If not, is it possible you’re not really growing at all?

An adaptable church is only possible when it’s led by an adapting pastor.

Karl Vaters is the author of The Grasshopper Myth and is Pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California.

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Is Ministry Getting You Down?

Ministry is tough and not for the faint of heart. Many people view ministry from the outside looking in. They see the pastor speak on Sundays, and think that is all he does. I remember one man asking me what my husband does with the rest of his week. There were so many thoughts that raced through my mind of what I could tell this guy, but instead I just said, “Not much, he just relaxes and plays golf all week.” Of course the tone of my voice was extremely sarcastic as I smiled and walked away. People see what they want to see, and most think that the life of the pastor’s family is quiet, peaceful, and uneventful except on Sunday mornings. Of course pastors’ wives know this is not the case.

The truth of the matter is that a pastor’s schedule looks very much like a doctor who has to be on call for his patients 24/7. Most pastors have more families in their congregations than doctors do patients in their practice. The constant day-to-day grind of a pastor’s schedule wears on his entire family, especially in situations where funds are low and peoples’ needs are high. Church plants and churches in need of revitalization typically fit that model.

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Consequently, the pastor and his family members are expected to fill the shoes of missing staff members due to a shortage of funds. Churches that are not able to adequately staff for the needs and programs that the church offers within community can create quite a strain on the wife and children of the pastor. Most men are single minded and are totally committed to the spiritual growth and development of their congregations, often forgetting that their wives are also committed to the growth and development of their children. And then there is the need for time for personal growth and rest that is often sacrificed for the needs of the parishners and family members.

Pastor’s and their wives are human beings who have needs of their own. They are not super human. If the pastor’s wife is feeling neglected or overworked by her church and husband, she can quickly become resentful, not only toward her husband, but also toward her church and eventually the Lord. Ultimately, this can become disastrous to the ministry of the church and to the health of the pastor’s family. There is an old adage, “When mama’s not happy, no one is happy!”

Mon’s and dads lead by example, and pastors and their wives are no exceptions. So before we get too caught up in revitalizing the church, let’s make sure our homes are revitalized as well. Having been the wife of a pastor for the last 34 years, and a Church and School Administrator for over 25

By Estelle Myers years, I have a few suggestions on how a woman can keep her balance walking the tightrope of ministry in her church while at the same time caring for her family.

1)We all need mothering.

“As a mother comforts her child so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13, NIV) “I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (II Corinthians 6:18, NIV) Don’t forget whom you are serving and that your God is mindful of your needs too. You are the daughter of the King, and as such you can ask what you will and He will meet your needs as no one else can, not even your husband.

So do not neglect your time alone each day with your heavenly Father, for He cares for you dearly and wants to nurture you as you nurture others.

2)Your love is supernatural.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

(Mark 12:30, NIV) God gives us the example of what it is to love and then asks us to do the same through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Natural human love will wane and eventually burn out. But the love of God is everlasting and supernatural; for He empowers us to love as He loves. This is an amazing truth and must be realized in our

relationships within our home and church. This love touches our mind (commitments), our heart (emotion & passions), our strength (commitments) and our very soul (ultimate intimacy). Learn to live in God’s will and love as He loves, then you will never be put to shame.

3)You are a woman of influence.

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (Proverbs 14:1, NIV) Women have the ability to build others up or tear them down, both in their homes and in the church. Your children and church members will follow your example. You are extremely influential and have the ability to make or break your husband, your family, and the overall ministry of the church. That is a lot of influence!

Don’t blow it! Don’t let your legacy be one of negativity, complaining, gossiping, and conflict. Remember your calling and your position in Christ. You are royalty and need to act accordingly. Your family name, Christian, has great meaning and you have the privilege to carry on the family legacy. Do it well and with honor. Be a woman of “noble” character for then your husband will sing your praises and your children will call you blessed!

4) No one is perfect!

“We love because He first loved us.”

(John 4:19, NIV)

Reality check- there is no such thing as a “Superwoman”- so quit applying for the job. We all make mistakes each and every day. Get rid of your own expectations to be something that you are not.

As you learn to take responsibility for your own mistakes and ask for forgiveness you are modeling to your children and congregation what they need most- to do the same. We are only able to love and forgive others because Christ first loved and forgave us despite our shortcomings. The least we can do is follow His example and seek to love and forgive our spouse, our children, and fellow church members who may hurt us along the way. This is the golden ticket that wins the lottery for a lifetime of peace and true happiness.

5) Live each day with hope.

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Luke 1:45, NIV) Remember, in the end, God does not call us to be successful in the eyes of the world, nor does He expect us to save the world (that’s His job), He only expects us to be faithful to Him. Therein lies our hope- in Christ. If we will simply believe and trust God daily that He will do that which He has called us to do, we will be blessed.

So as you travel through this journey called ministry, know that Jesus has your back. This is why Paul could say with confidence that we are not to “worry about anything, but with prayer and supplications make your request known to God” (Philippians 4:7, KJV). Stay connected to God, your family and your friends and learn to live life in light of your ministry, not in spite of it. If you are able to stay balanced in your relationships, you will discover that you truly will be able to “do all things through Christ Jesus” and that you will accomplish more than

you could have ever thought or imagined.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen!” Ephesians 3:17-21

Estelle Myers is the wife of Rob Myers, Pastor of Miami Baptist Church.

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

-Tom Cheyney 53

When Culture and Vision Produce Champions One of the best athletes on our national championship baseball team was of a different ethnicity and culture than mine…he could fly with the wind and ran down a lot of long shots that I gave up as a pitcher. In fact, he caught a number of balls that were supposedly in the alley. There were times that I headed to third base to back up a potential triple and before I even got to my position for the throw to third, the ball was still in the air or already in the web of his glove. I was relieved and he always had a big smile on his face when he caught a long out. He had my back. He had our team’s back. Leon Murray was a great centerfielder and friend.

This was even true with several others who shared similar ethnicities with me but were of significantly different cultures than mine. We were teenagers at that time, growing up in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. Gas was 29 cents a gallon; we were blasting the music in our newly developed hobby, called DRIVING. We hung out together, sometimes driving 45 minutes from practice to one of the guy’s homes. We were a community within multiple cultures and various ethnicities. We were a TEAM. We loved each other, we sacrificed for each other, we accepted one another, we laughed together, we won together as elite athletes having a blast and less than a handful of times we lost and cried together. The summer of 1972 was intense, playing about 70 games. It was FUN, the 54

stuff that dreams are made of.

We did not like to lose. I still do not like to lose. My wife and daughter’s remind me of this when necessary over cards, board games and on the iphone with Yahtzee. That team taught me a lot about culture(s) as a Christian and pastor.

These young men who won the Mickey Mantle National Baseball Championship in Danville, Virginia have an unusual place in my heart. We have already lost 2 to death, our manager Kenny and our standout left handed young pitcher, Bobby. Each death takes a little out of my heart internally.

They were MY FAMILY and we lived together with focus, commitment and genuine love for each other. Playing with MY FAMILY IN 1972 still is one of the highlights of my life. Multiple cultures of athletes formed one culture of FAMILY. Is your church leadership a family? No, please don’t just nod, think about this…

Are you able to say with a smile on your face, this is MY FAMILY? Behind the scenes came the story of back to back national champions, Sweeney Chevrolet. In 1971 Barry Bonnell, Mike Peppers and others led Sweeney Chevrolet to the same national championship as we celebrated a year later.

There wasn’t any time from the 1971 National Championship before athletes like Bobby, Leon and myself were receiving letters and calls from Kenny to play for Sweeney Chevrolet in 1972. It was an honor that we fully em-

by Greg Kappas braced…our Vision, to win back to back national championships and to take home our own championship. We took ownership, to work on our game individually and collectively to be the best.

Manager Kenny and the coaches assembled the best high school talent in the gold rich baseball world of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, Ohio. They worked hard and planned who would fit, talent and personality wise; who was teachable, who had the undeniable work ethic and who would lead the team.

They wanted leaders who would listen and others who would follow. They wanted chemistry that would not give up until we would leave Virginia with the title in our hands. But, there was one thing they did not want…no primadonna’s. One or two stars in our region were left out. They were more upset than South Carolina over the Confederate flag leaving its pole.

Our Manager and Coaches knew that the one or two players would have destroyed the chemistry. Then there would have been no FAMILY and no NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Despite the lobbying of a few teammates to get these young men on the team, the mature coaching staff made the right decision. That decision fueled the passion that we could be the finest team of 15-16 year olds in America. As the season went on and postseason play began, we faced our greatest competition of the year getting out of our region. A team that we

had played earlier in on our regular season in a tight game gave us the strongest competition all post season…we almost did not get out of our own city!

We swept States; swept Regional’s and swept through Nationals until our National Championship Game. Our opponents from New Jersey, had one loss in the double elimination tournament. In the first game, their star pitcher threw lights out, and we loss a very tight game. That left one more game, which was do or die for the National Championship.

We won that game, breaking it open in the middle innings and ending our season as the finest team in the country.

A year later every player on that team who graduated from high school went to college on a baseball scholarship or signed a professional baseball contract.

We knew that we had to be a FAMILY that had each other’s backs (Culture) to win Nationals (Vision). That is why my friend Craig Skidmore recently began Face booking me to catch up and see how one of the Family Members was doing. We still care for each other. I still feel the pain when one of our own dies.

Of course, I have continued sharing my faith in Jesus and the Gospel to these friends of 43+ years ago (I met Jesus in college). I love them and miss them. We accomplished something that no one will ever take from us and that those of us now in Christ on that Greg Kappas is the President of the Grace Global Network and Vice President of TTI

team recognize was a remarkable gift from the Lord. As you have followed my story on Culture and Vision, think about your story in your life right now and in your church?

• Honestly, is your church leadership your FAMILY? • Do you accept all cultures, ethnicities and ages as part of the Kingdom of God and therefore now part of your spiritual family?

• Are you sold out to the culture along with the vision of your ministry?

• Have you avoided the cultural primadonna’s?

• Is there a VISION to reach every man, woman and child with the Gospel as you partner with other fine churches and ministries in your region?

• Does your vision compel you to sacrifice, to laugh, to relax and have fun, to stay focused and to hang out with your leadership since you are in this together?

• Is your vision prayed through, is it caught and bought by your team?

• Is your personal vision and your church’s vision clearly from the Lord? Are you sure?

Is there any of your flesh or comparison behind this?

• Is God driving the culture of trust and family in your life and ministry?

Churches and church revitalizers must engage ones community if it is going to survive.

Are you currently addressing the needs of your community with the Gospel? What on going outreach events are you offering to the area where your church is located. What are the positive impressions your community has towards you and your church? The church needs to do a better job of sharing the Gospel and its relevance. Those who hear the Good News also have a responsibility to receive the news and act upon what they hear, and to follow where the Holy Spirit leads.

-Tom Cheyney

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Are You Thinking About Revitalization? (continued)

a God who changes things. He causes life transformation and resurrects those things which are dead or dying.

We’ve just taken a brief look at the omni-ness of God. He is omnipresent. He is omniscient. And he is omnipotent. God is stronger than everything. He is the Almighty God which pastors and churches must turn to in their time of need.

A question a person might ask is, how do you receive this omni strength of God? That’s a great question. Our first thought might be: Well, you just ask. You just ask God for the strength you need and this is definitely true. But this also leads to a second question: If this is true then why aren’t more pastors and God’s people living stronger lives if all we have to do is ask?

The Bible answers this question: God gives his strength to those who come near. Pastor, church leader or church member, are you living near to God? Or are you living far away from him? Could it be that your life or your church’s ministry is a reflection of just how close or how far you are living in proximity to God on a daily basis?

The Bible says, God gives his strength to those who are close by, to those people who turn towards him, to those who run back to him, and to those who live daily in his presence. James writes, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) Revitalization is a spiritual issue and it calls us as spiritual leaders, along with our churches to draw

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By Darwin Meighan near once again to Almighty God. The omni-ness of God is here, right now. He is Ever-present. We desperately need his presence.

He is All-knowing. He knows our situations and he knows our needs. He is All-powerful. We draw supernatural strength from him. The omni-ness of God which is fully displayed through his Son, Jesus Christ is our great hope. He is the one, true living God. He is the God who is able.

Darwin Meighan is currently leading Light in the Desert Church in Mesa Arizona through the process and journey of becoming a revitalized church.

He also serves as a member of the state revitalization team in Arizona. He is called by God, and passionate about coming alongside in partnership with pastors of existing churches, for the purpose of seeing God revitalize and strengthen them for his mission and his glory.

He has received his undergraduate degree from Dallas Baptist University in Business Administration, a Master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in Religious Education, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky in Leadership. You may reach Darwin at pastor@litdbaptist.org.

Displaying the love of the Lord displays a churches ability to attract and connect with people at a heart level.

Showing love is a way for church members to draw people to themselves, not because they are charismatic, but because they care about people and see the best in them.

They relate at a heart level and trust comes easy. This is not an issue of whether or not large numbers of people flock to you, but whether people who know you seem to migrate to you or away from you. That’s an important question to ask of your church and its membership. When you do hook up with people, do you quickly connect at a heart level? People like you best when you are yourself.

They may not all like you, but they will like you best when you are yourself. They can trust you when they know “what they see is what they get.” Be yourself.

-Tom Cheyney

revitalizer

LIBRARY

CAN THESE BONES LIVE BY BILL HENARD

Occasionally there are a few books that immediately become recommended books: Can These Bones Live? : A Practical Guide to Church Revitalization by Bill Henard is one of those books. Henard, professor of Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes as a pastor for the pastor who is either considering accepting a call to a church that is in need of revitalization or has determined that the church they are serving is in need of revitalization. Can These Bones Live? is a must add to the revitalizer’s library.

Henard covers wide variety of introductory material towards revitalization and church health. The foundation of the work is the notion that church health is the thrust that leads to revitalization. What distinguishes church health from church revitalization perhaps should be left to be debated by the academics; Henard’s focus

ADVANCED STRATEGIC PLANNING

BY AUBREY MALPHURS One of the greatest challenges revitalizers face is not the passion or seeing the need for revitalization but knowing how to create an indigenous plan for revitalization that is clear, concise and easy to communicate.

This is where Advanced Strategic Planning (3rd edition) became an incredibly helpful tool for the revitalizers library.

The practical illustrations that arrive from Dr. Malphurs church consulting experiences matched with the wisdom a seasoned professor and practitioner reflect a greater sense of practicality

is on practical strategies and information that both develop the revitalizer and move a church towards revitalization.

Drawing from personal experiences and an extensive variety of church and business leadership Henard presents a wide swath of issues related to revitalization. He touches on everything from the church facilities to the church’s organizational structure, to why it is important to update the churches nursery, keep spelling typos out of the church bulletin and to streamline the organization in order to engage millenials in leadership positions. The chapter entitled “Physical Barriers” – the longest chapter in the book – details not only how the churches facilities prevent growth but also how the administrative structure in place either hinders or enhances growth and everything in between. There does not seem to be one topic between the covers that is not touched; which may in fact be a weakness of the material.

As for the revitalizer himself, throughout the work there are nuggets of information to process through that will aid in both leading a revitalization effort and developing as a revitalizer. Henard stresses Church Revitalization greatly depends upon the continually revitalized leader.

Perhaps one reason revitalization efforts fail is due the lack of awareness and understanding on behalf of the revitalizer. Henard’s work combats revitalizer

in the strategic planning process that in the previous volumes. Malphurs demonstrates that he, like the men of Issachar, understands the times and he has learned not only how to navigate them but to instruct others as well.

A warning needs to be included with this work; this is not a book on leadership this is a book for leadership.

Meaning that book focuses its attention on how to lead the church and become a more effective leader. The process outlined here can, if applied, develop and refine the unique mission and vision the Lord has granted to each local church. This volume takes the reader beyond the simple notion of calendaring, budget creation and ritualistic planning. Driving past managerial understandings to leadership that presses towards health and revitalization by taking the reader through the process

ignorance. His seven to ten year strategy (pages 89 – 90) outlines what to expect as a revitalizer. The categories of church membership – The Older Thirties (31), The Younger Thirties (35), The Tens (38) and the Newbies (39) – give a framework for the revitalizer to think through in their leadership strategies and techniques. A call for personal spiritual revitalization and dependence upon the Holy Spirit is refreshing. The catchable moments between the covers are tremendous.

Critically, more time could have been spent on developing a Biblical and Theological rationale for revitalization; though this is not his emphasis. Henard makes a strong case for revitalization citing stagnating numbers, devastating church closures, the number of new church plants matching church deaths only then to be add to the death tolls a few years after launch. There is a subtle call to consider revitalization over church planting along with the exposure, which will be shocking to some, that even church plants after five to seven years will find themselves in need of revitalization.

Overall, this is an excellent resource; one the revitalizer should read and then work through with their team. While shallow on a Biblical and Theological rationale for revitalization it is in depth in presenting a ministry philosophy for Church Revitalization. Henard’s work is a must for the revitalizer’s library.

of thinking and acting that is necessary to navigate the continual nature of change..

Describing the life cycle of every organization Dr. Malphurs employs the use of The Sigmoid Curve. This visual maps the birth, growth, peak, plateau, decline and eventually death of every organization. Every organization unless intentionally acted upon will progress towards death. Every church, every organization, every leader must continually keep an eye on their location on the Sigmoid Curve in order to know where they are and to gain the insight of when to act.

The chapters on the Theology of Change are refreshing. Revitalizers are change agents. Yet many have not built a theological framework for ...

Continued on Page 58

Book Reviews by Rob Hurtgen

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BOOK REVIEWS CONTINUED... change. In our age we are exposed to extreme rates of change. The technology that we enjoy on a daily basis has only been with us a few short years yet many cannot imagine life without. The church must navigate its way through the sea of change in order to share the unchangeable gospel. This work can offer the revitalizer a theological framework for change that can aid in leading change necessary for revitalization.

Personally, this book reminds me that

there are days when I don’t want to be a leader. Days when I do not want to take on the hard extremely hard and emotionally draining work of being a revitalizer. There are days when I just want to show up, do my job and go home. I don’t want to be responsible for what could be and must be. I don’t want to evaluate and implement systems to accomplish our mission. I don’t want to receive the criticism from leading. I just want to show up.

But God will not allow me, or you, to

Turnaround Churches: Northern Bound When you think about a compass, typically we refer to north as “up”. A turnaround church is considered “northern bound” as directionally, that is up. The goal of any church should be to focus on a northbound trajectory.

The goal of pastors and church leaders should always be moving “northern bound.” This simple thought, can help focus on the primary goal. Northern bound means: growth, growth comes from reaching people, reaching people happens because believers are on mission in their respective communities. The end-result, lives are changed and the kingdom is expanded. Are you in a northbound church? If not, maybe you should begin to ask yourself, what would it take to turn this church around, and what is your role in this conversation.

Organizational turnaround is difficult. Human nature is to focus attention on “the numbers.” When dealing with spiritual situations – ie the turnaround 58

of a church – it’s important to assess and evaluate the spiritual condition of the environment, to make certain the congregation is spiritually where they need to be and thereby committed to success. This is difficult. First, many struggle with understanding how to assess spiritual realities of congregants. In the true simplest form, I believe this can be done in two ways. First, the Fruit of the Spirit bearing evidence in the lives of the church family. Second, lives being changed in the community.

Breathing life into a dying organization starts at the top. It is particularly important for the leadership to be together. In Patrick Lencioni’s book on organizational health, “The Advantage,” he addresses this issue by encouraging organizations to build cohesive leadership teams and then to create clarity within the teams. This clarity is insuring the organization is moving together on the same path accomplishing the same plans. If everyone is not

just show up. As a revitalizer you have been called to be a servant-leader. That calling means never just showing up. It means stepping in the gap of criticism because the right thing is being done.

It means always asking not only what can be done but defining what must be done. Revitalizers never have a day that is “business as usual”. They must always do more than show up. Advanced Strategic Planning is a must addition to the revitalizers library. Through it a plan can be developed to where no one ever just shows up.

by Kenneth Priest on the same page, moving in the same direction, to accomplish the same plans, the church will not turnaround. Too often, churches and leaders are attempting to accomplish different agendas.

Whereas the pastor may be concerned for the community, the church might only be concerned with the status quo…or vice versa. Striving for organizational health will create some level of conflict, this is not bad. Many times, spiritual leaders believe conflict is the presence of disunity and therefore the presence of Satan’s hand at work. This is not the case. In fact, a careful study of division and disunity in the New Testament, when studied contextually, will see at times conflict exists and God’s hand is at work.

The difference between healthy and destructive conflict, has to do with the end-result.

When God is involved, a holy end is achieved. A simple look at the story of Ananias and Sapphira is a great example, in Acts 5. The outcome was to bring about health

in the body of Christ in the early days. The two were not expected to sell the property and give the money, but they chose to sell the property and then lie about what they were giving. God brought about a holy end to insure health in the body.

The difficult position in turning around an organization is addressing those persons who are indifferent or not on board. In a church, we cannot simply kick them out. We must do all we can to disciple them and lead them to see why we need to be accomplishing the goals we have set.

Typically, these goals are outreach oriented, and not everyone is on board with engaging in outreach. The church cannot keep doing the same things it has always done and expect breakthroughs. This requires additional energy to accomplish the tasks.

We have to move out into the community and engage the culture for Christ.

A “best practice” approach is to visit with key leaders of the church early on, to share from God’s Word the plans and vision for the future of the church.

Pastors and leaders need to have an open, honest discussion about what the future holds for the congregation. If you have someone who truly cannot get aboard — or who is causing disunity among the congregation — you must

disciple them to change, or the church will need to remove them from leadership.

When it comes to adapting to strategic changes or accepting new ways of doing things, the Rogers Innovation Adoption Curve applies. Innovators are the first 2.5% to adopt the innovation. The next 13.5% are the early adopters the new idea. 34% represent the early majority of the adopters, then the next 34% are the late majority. Finally, the laggards make up the final 16% to adopt the innovation.

These stats tend to be accurate for revitalization within the church. The exception of course are times of crisis change, which is the church will close its doors in the next 6-12 months if something does not change quickly.

Many pastors spend time pouring over the laggards when energy should be focused on accelerating the time to get the middle 68% on board earlier. In revitalization, time is essential. Turning a church around is a slow enough process as it is; spending time on attempting to move a group who will always be the slowest to adopt new ideas can exhaust the pastor and other leaders and lead to not be effective for the Kingdom. The middle 68% will come around, they just need more information. Use the 16% early adopters to assist in communicating the need and sharing the vision with the middle ma-

jority. Once you have this 84% on board, the lagging 16% will either join you, or move on. None of us want to see anyone leave, but you cannot wait for them to finally “buy-in” to the needed change, or you will never move off the present decline.

The spiritual condition of the group as a whole must be addressed throughout the process.

This is why in much of my writing I discuss no matter which model a pastor is using in revitalization, you must address spiritual renewal. This renewal is what will insure the church does not go back to where it was. A new leader can come alongside a church and instill some fresh energy, however, if the spiritual practices of the people are not matured, then what is there is an energized group of immature believers… not healthy. Reaching the middle 68% through renewal means the pastor must use the prime times of communication to address turning the church around.

The old adage is still true, the pulpit is the best method for communication in the church.

In order to rightly bring about a Northern Bound church, the pastor must preach for spiritual renewal. Spiritual renewal can only be brought along through God’s Word. Biblical sermons address who the church is supposed to be and how the church is supposed to function. These topics are paramount in turning the church around.

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

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

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Relevant Preaching and the Revitalization of the Church Some years past I was leading a conference with Aubrey Malphurs on Church Planting. He spent two days talking to everyone about their, structure, style, systems, statements, strategies, and staff of a Church Planting. The last day, I was to address preaching. Make no mistake about this, “THEY CAME TO HEAR AUBREY”. Yet, as I stood on that day to begin I said something like this, “If your structure, style, systems, statements, strategies, and staff are in place, perfect and pleasing, yet you have “NOTHING TO SAY” how long will they stay”? At least for the moment I had their attention. Perhaps as I have yours now. I want to address some of the things about preaching in this day and time as we trying to revitalize the Church that may be a bit controversial, and anti-cultural, but extremely necessary as you fight the good fight of faith in leading your church to be what God intends for her to be; The Bride.

I want to address some of the relevant issues in Preaching as well the relevancy of Preaching in our efforts to Revitalize the Church.

The question I want to begin with is this one, “Can Preaching be a Defining Moment in the lives of People Today”? We know from a historical perspective that preaching was a defining moment. From the prophets of the Old Testament giving a “thus says the Lord” word to the evangelist and pastors of the New Testament providing a current event “thus says the Lord” word, Preaching has provided many defining moments for individuals, communities, cultures, and countries (those no longer in existence as well as those still in existence today). I know you believe Preaching to be a Defining Moment. I know you pray, plan, practice and prepare to be

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used by God in your preaching so that it will be a Defining Moment.

So, let’s delve into this deeper. Is preaching an event or is it an experience for you and your people?

I’m not trying to provide semantics, I am trying to get us to think through the potential difference.

I have been to events and I have experienced events. I have been to numerous graduation ceremonies in my tenure as a Pastor.

I have preached them, hosted them, sat through them, endured them, and enjoyed some as an event. Yet, this past May, I sat in a graduation ceremony in Iowa that brought me to tears as I watched the processional, presentations of degrees, and even the speakers address. Lara and I watched our 23 year old, NCAA Wrestling Athlete, walk across the stage to receive the business degree he earned in FOUR YEARS. Still not sure if I was crying because of his accomplishment or the cost. But, I was sure crying! What made this event different from other events of similar nature that caused it to be an experience that brought out emotion for me to cry? Simply Put, IT WAS PERSONAL! I am concerned today that preaching has become less personal. In revitalizing a Church there are numerous issues that “the People” have in the change that is occurring in “THEIR” Church. Preaching is one of the best and most effective ways to ease those changes in the church when Preaching is Personal. I, of course, am in no way speaking about attacking personal issues in the church. I call that “Pot Shot” preaching. A person stand behind the anointed shining Silver lecture these days, rather than the Holy Wood of the olden days, and feels completely comfortable taking “Pot Shots” at politics locally,

by Paul E. Smith

people’s habits, or even problems with people the pastor may have. Making Preaching Personal is letting the Bible address the issues, events, changes needed, relationship issues, and even structural issues with BIBLICAL RELEVANCY. The pathos and ethos of the early presenters of the Scriptures was evident because of the way they received it and were required to live it. I suggest that we need to find away to receive the word with freshness today as if it is not “old news” it is still “GOOD NEWS”. A quick look back into the scriptures as well as history indicates that those who Preached the Word did so with liveliness, emotion, personality, authority, freedom, sensitivity, seriousness, zeal, warmth, urgency, persuasion, and power. The business model presented to a different generation informs us and instructs us as to “what people will listen to and what they won’t listen to”, and many today or preaching designer sermons based on their audience rather than dynamic sermons based on the audible hearing of God (yes, it should be so loud you can’t miss it) as to what they should say. For preaching today to be Relevant it must be Personal.

Relevant Preaching today must not only be personal, IT MUST BE PRACTICAL. An irrelevant word is a waste of everyone’s time. I have told my people numerous times if they ever want to drive me to my prayer room and fasting, as they have to do is say, “Pastor, that word wasn’t very relevant (practical) today. Making your messages practical is not putting them in the form of How to’s or What for’s.

To revitalize the Church we have to revitalize our preaching to make it practical. I know many will argue that the Bible is irrelevant

Are You and Your Church Evolving? for today. I think those who do argue such are being irreverent to their Calling and Commission. I could spend time, although 1200 words won’t allow me, giving you scripture references where the Bible in it’s own time period was culturally, politically, socially, emotionally, and financially perceived to be irrelevant. But, remember, it establishes, promotes, and teaches about how to live LIFE in a NEW KINGDOM… God’s Kingdom. And it’s practical, relevant, ways are only such in God’s Kingdom. Our task, calling and commitment in revitalization is to Preach and passionately believe that Living according to God’s Kingdom principles will result in Kingdom Come reality. Aren’t you amazed as how many people believe reality t.v compared to the Kingdom Reality of the Scriptures? I even see and hear more sermon titles from reality T. V. Imagine, and perhaps do it, preaching a reality sermon on John the Baptist. The eating of wild locust, honey, and the dressing in camel hair could make even an episode of Survivor look lame.

Pray, Fast, and Meditate to make your preaching practical to the people from a Kingdoms Perspective not a cultural perspective.

The last issue I have space to address in this article is Relevant Preaching today must not only be personal and practical, IT MUST BE POWERFUL. Powerful preaching is not determined by emotions, tenor, and volume. Yes, those do play a role at times. Powerful Preaching is taking the Word of God and presenting it to the People so they can encounter and experience God. We have judged far to long the effectiveness of our preaching by those who “accept” God’s word. I encourage you to look at the times the Bible mentions about those who “didn’t

accept” the word and the consequences that ensue.

It seems THE CHURCH is always trying to hone, re-create, change, struggle, and adapt with the demands placed upon her by society and culture. Through the years many changes have occurred from times of services, length of service, days of the week, places where the church meets, songs (remember the worship wars), decor, stain-glass vs no glass, Starbucks vs Folgers (read the book), and many more.

I remember a reference in a movie years ago that made a powerful point as to the medias involvement in our country and simply said of Ronald Reagan, “No wander they elected an actor as the President”. If we are not careful, perhaps the same could, should, and will be said about the pulpits of our churches. To avoid such a charge from the world may not be avoided. However, for us to avoid such a charge from God, we must, as his original presenters of the Word did, make the Scriptures Relevant so we can Revitalize HIS Church.

Paul Smith is Pastor of Life Church in Mandeville, Louisiana, a church that has reproduced over 60 new congregations, and is a sought-after speaker on church revival and revitalization. #paulesmith01

Relevant ministry is the buzzword among many church revitalizers as we work to help church evolve and stay relevant. Some churches are open to such conversation while others are afraid to think about what their church has become and the steps one must take to allow it to evolve into something much healthier.

The world is changing faster than it ever has before, and without sacrificing the Truth of the Gospel, the church needs to change with it. Evolving ones church towards a future which impacts culture and community is important.

There are some things pastors and churches can do to make sure they do not miss opportunities to minister to people in the midst of a changing culture. Networking ones struggling church with a healthy one willing to come along side of you and assist is a tremendous way to begin the journey back towards health.

These churches can bring value and support to the membership of a declining church and offer encouragement while giving direction. These networking of churches working to revitalize dying churches help bring fresh vision and ideas back to ones community. Keep in mind is that change is not new to the church.

Churches have been evolving in different ways, and for different reasons, since the beginning of time. Stop resisting the necessary changes which just might save your church.

-Tom Cheyney

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Why Can’t Ministry Organizations Change?

When it comes to change, Machiavelli wrote:

basic changes are resisted because it is not recognized, that however successful those things were in the past, they are simply not working as well today.

by Glenn Miller by focusing on input. That is, the church celebrates the number of people involved, or the amount of production energy required, rather than the quality or efficacy of the final result.” If we are working hard, and have a lot of people involved, it must be God!

“We will have opposition and resistance from those who are negatively impacted by change, and only lukewarm support from those who benefit 5) They simply do not have the from it!” spiritual or intellectual gifting needed to discern the need for Ministries are no different. Some min- change. ➢ The addiction to intentionally istries resist change because: unpopular music – “This is the Thomas G Bandy, in his book assumption that spiritual depth can 1) They are comfortable where they “Kicking Habits” claims institutions be measured by aesthetic taste or are. They and their constituents are (churches and ministries) are addicthistorical interest.” being served adequately and thereed to certain habits (addictions) that fore there is no compelling reason for prevent them from changing. ➢ The addiction of worship as an change, their needs are met, they are information event - “This is the happy, they are satisfied.

Here are just a few of the addictions assumption that social and personal he asserts that keep churches from change will happen through better 2) Their corporate ego and pride changing: education…. If they are better prevent them from embracing informed… the world will change.” necessary change. If they change or ➢ The addiction to mission by agenalter their path, someone might have cy – “Mission becomes an activity, ➢ The addiction of parish chaplaincies to admit they were off track, or they not of the congregation, but of – “This is the assumption that the needed to adjust, or that prior decisalaried professionals…” role of congregational leaders is to sions were wrong. Most organizations take care of the folks on the inside, ➢ The addition to accountability have difficulty dealing with this. while busily telling the folks on the through management – “This is outside what they are doing wrong.”

3) They are unable or unwilling to a destructive habit of multiple see it. Sometimes, even successful layers of overlapping supervision Bandy goes on to conclude that: organizations’ vision becomes myopic. designed to reduce risk, avoid They are unwilling or unable to see mistakes, and maintain control.”

“The crucial point is that the awakwhat needs to change. This can be a The church is safe, but no one can ening (changing your ministry for spiritually based issue or a physical move or get anything new done. greater relevancy) does not come one. from within the circle of addictions, ➢ The addiction to acceptable me(same people and processes of 4) Change is seen as an abandondiocrity – “This is the destructive church history) but from beyond the ment or criticism of previous leadattitude that accepts the best that circle of addictions. (New people, ership or previous success. It can ill-equipped people can offer. It new processes, learning from the even be seen as disrespectful and measures the success of any procommunity around you)” irreverent. Sometimes, even the most gram, ministry, or other initiative

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CHURCH Revitalization Conferences February e Criswell College

September q Northeast Houston Baptist Church

Cost: $20

Time: 9am-4pm

This conference is open for pastors, associational leaders, and church leaders alike. This will be a day of intense conversations centered around strategic topics relating toward revitalization of the local church. If you are uncertain if your church is in need of revitalization, believe you are in need of revitalization, or simply interested in hearing more, then you are invited to join the conversation.

Speakers: Ted Elmore

Pastor/Church Relations Assocociate SBTC Praying for Revitalization

Nathan Lorick

Director Evangelism SBTC Revitalization & Evangelism

Alan Stoddard

Senior Pastor, FBC Ruidoso, NM Preaching for Revitalization

Craig Etheredge

Jim Henry

Senior Pastor, FBC Colleyville Revitalization & Discipleship

Pastor Emeritus First Baptist, Orlando Florida Encouragement for the Revitalization Pastor

Randal Lyle

Kenneth Priest

Senior Pastor, Meadowridge Church Ft. Worth Revitalization & Multicultural Ministry

Director Convention Strategies SBTC Introduction to Church Revitalization

Terry Turner

Senior Pastor, Mesquite Friendship BC Revitalization & the African American Church

Register: sbtexas.com/revitalization 63

RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference

Speakers Include Bob Whitsel Tom Cheyney Michael Atherton Ed Stetzer Paul Borden Ron Smith Bruce Raley Terry Rials Paul Smith

November 2-4, 2015 Orlando, FL

RenovateConference.org Aloma Church

95

40

5

5

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1000+

Church Revitalization Workshops

National Church Revitalization Speakers

Breakout Session Opportunities

Main Sessions by Revitalization Practitioners

Pre-Conference Intensive Subjects

Fellow Church Revitalizers Working Together

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