Introduction
A User’s Guide to this Manual
A Campaign for Revival, Renewal, and Evangelism
What is revival?
T
he word revival refers to God’s activity in the lives of His followers to call them back to himself. Robert Coleman states that biblically, “The basic idea of revival is always the return of something to its true nature and purpose,” (The Coming World Revival, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL p.20). So revival is the process of a believer returning to his/her true nature which is a recognition of and a relationship with the one true God. The word revival has also come to refer to a church campaign or series of meetings. These meetings serve as an arena for God to work in the lives of believers who have fallen away from their First Love. As Christians respond to God’s call, they are then encouraged to reach their family and acquaintances. In short, true revival is God’s interaction with His people in order to energize them spiritually. Only after this can the evangelism portion of the revival meeting truly impact the lost for Christ. If the church were living with passion for God—as seen in the book of Acts—believers would not need revival meetings. Revival is God’s work to bring the church back to Himself. This workbook is designed to help churches plan effective revival meetings. It is dedicated to helping churches catch that vision for reviving those who already know Christ and empowering them to be soul winners to their peers, friends, and neighbors.
Revival meetings are changing in exciting ways! Why do we need another revival manual? First, the basic tenet of Christianity is very easy to understand—a soul who dies without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell. Second, because the gospel can always be conveyed through new, fresh, and exciting methods. Sometimes believers become too focused on the short-term effects of a revival, though the long-term, eternal results are far more important. To the outside observer a church revival ends after a few days or weeks of evangelistic fervor. The result, however, is that lives are changed and believers are empowered to reach out to others—lasting even decades later. Satan would prefer that individuals look only at the end of a series of revival meetings, rather than the new beginning that was launched in scores of lives. This manual does not pretend to condense all the wisdom of the ages about revival and revival meetings. This manual is more of a toolkit than the final word. Choose the material that applies to your unique situation and feel free to experiment. Be creative and attempt great things for the Lord! 5