Dealing with Structural Changes in Church Revitalization

THE

CHURCH

Nov/Dec 2020 Vol 7, Issue 6

Revitalizer A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue

Dealing with

Structural Changes in Church Revitalization

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.�

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From The Editor Welcome to the Church Revitalizer Magazine!

The Revitalization of the local church has never been more important than it is right now. We are beginning to see signs that were similar to the church planting movement of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s where there was the watering down of the cause by those who wanted to attach their preconceived wagon to the cause in an attempt to parley such attachments into chance. The result was a growth of thousands of newly created church planting organizations watering down what was required to plant a healthy church plant.

As we close 2020 I am not seeking to be an alarmist, but it has crossed my mind that the same thing that happened in church planting might be about to transpire in the field of church revitalization and renewal. Never has there been a greater need to keep the cause of church revitalization and renewal focused on saving declining and dying churches.

Instead of focusing on solving the intractable problem of why churches are closing, forward-thinking leaders will try to learn from models that are thriving. Models that are thriving today and, in the future, will have certain things in common, such as a commitment to making disciples of modern secularized Americans, a deep knowledge of the changing cultural landscape that exists outside of Christian enclaves, and a capacity to grow and multiply without the traditional funding sources that churches have traditionally relied on. That doesn’t mean new thriving churches will all look the same. They will range from freeform experimental communities to retooled and revitalized traditional congregations. Some will be closely akin to Micro-churches where slim networks are formed all over the community. Their strength is in sustaining a fellowship of missional leaders to lead these networks. Some of the better-known ones are: The Well; which is a group dedicated to creating spaces in which to forge community with the poor.

This includes a weekly meal, affordable groceries, community meals, a mobile unit distributing material goods, and a bicycle co-op. Flourish: a community where nurses and healthcare workers come to be loved, encouraged, empowered, and sent out to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their profession.

Burning Bush: a network of artists and creative professionals serving and helping each other play their part in the body in ushering an era of intentional, missional diversity and creativity within the community. A few could be coffee café’s or diner teashops. Not only do diner churches reach different people, but compared to traditional approaches to church planting, they’re cheap. Art churches is another one. The Church of Craft is interesting as they meet in an Etsy lab in Brooklyn, and different chapters have sprung up all over the country. These are churches that are formed around the knowledge that mak-

ing things is often a person’s spiritual practice. There’s also Wicker Park Grace, which meet in an art gallery. Creating art, poetry and music has become central to who they are as a community.

Food churches are springing up everywhere. Many congregations are using food—farmer’s markets, local food movements, etc. to connect with the community. You can hear Craig Goodwin talk about how his existing congregation started a farmer’s market. Miriam’s Kitchen is a place where new members often talk about “coming upstairs.” In other words, they first connected with the church through Miriam’s, but then they decided to venture up the stairs on a weekend for worship. Lastly, how about Podcast churches. Revolution Church in NYC meets in the back of a restaurant. They probably can’t seat more than 50 people, but they podcast to 10,000 people. If those 10,000 people pay $10 to support the church, they have funding to keep going. Jay Bakker co-pastors the congregation, so I’m not sure if the model would work for everyone, but the model is worth mentioning.

Often the conversation around the mission of the church can circle around issues. Questions about the Church’s response to race, politics, poverty, gender, generational gaps, and current events will always feel urgent. What can get lost in this is questions of structure. In fact, even the most thoughtful and prayerful engagement of difficult issues will never get communicated if churches do not operate in expressions that make sense in their context. We hear so much today why the denominational church isn’t working. In some ways, I think of our churches like a crop of corn that was planted at the same time. That field produced corn for 50 years—so much wonderful corn that many of us were fat and happy. In our abundance, we forgot to diversify and plant new fields. Now the corn is coming to the end of its season, all at the same time. The crop may be coming to end of its season, but the ground is not fallow. All of us must deal with structural changes.

Within this edition we want to look at:

Dealing with Structural Changes in Church Revitalization Keep Staying connected, more is coming!

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

Contents

Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile Tom Cheyney

p. 10

Form Follows Function: The Mission-Focused Structure Bill Tenny-Brittian

p. 14

Centrifugal Buzz: Community Culture and Structural Changes Ken Priddy

p. 18

The 7 Windows in the Church Leader’s House (Part 2)

Lessons from the Living Room Ceiling

Bob Whitesel

p. 22

Setting the Table for Church Revitalization

Terry Rials

p. 28

George Thomasson

p. 32

Also in this issue: The Revitalizer

Book Review

by Elisabeth Elliot

Rob Hurtgen

Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Step-by-Step, Research-Informed and FaithBased Planning Manual

p. 84 4

Suffering is Never for Nothing

The Humanitarian Disaster Institute

Nov/Dec | Vol 7, No 6

Facing Institutionalized Survival

New Wineskins How to Change the Culture of Your Church

Pete Tackett

p. 36

Steve Smith

p. 44

Ron Smith

p. 40

The Leadership Link: Initiating Structural Changes to Achieve Revitalization Michael Atherton

p. 46

Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Renewal

Where Should We Start?

Mark Weible

Tracy Jaggers

p. 50

p. 54

The Winds of Change p. 58 Desmond Barrett Back to the Basics in Church Structure p. 62 Steve Sells

Leadership is Hard p. 76 Rob Hurtgen 7 Traits of a Revitalized Pivoting Church p. 78 Gary Moritz

Blessed Are the Flexible p. 64 Matt Henslee

Six Structures Needed for Church Growth p. 80 Gary Westra

Getting Rid of the Clutter p. 68 J. David Jackson

For It’s One, Two, Three Strikes, You’re... p. 82 Joel Breidenbaugh

What Structure Can and Cannot Do p. 72 Brian Thorstad

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THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 7, No. 6

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

PUBLISHER Executive Editor Dr. Tom Cheyney Associate Publisher Mark Weible Associate Publisher Circulation & Marketing Ashleigh Cheyney

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To help churches that need to be reinvigorated and renewed effectively receive help in issues that revitalizers face everyday. Articles, resources, and information are gathered from authors all over the country who have been through, or may currently be in, the revitalization process and we want to share their knowledge.

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It Is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile

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Do you know who Ransom Eli Olds is? Have you ever been to Lansing, Michigan? There is a lesson to be learned for every church revitalizer seeking to address the structural issues and the changes necessary to revitalize their church. Mr. Olds was the founder of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in August 21, 1897. The company later became part of General Motors in 1908. Originally, these vehicles were called “Olds automobiles,” but most buyers colloquially referred to them as Oldsmobiles. It was this moniker, as applied especially to the Curved Dash Olds, that was popularized in the lyrics and title of the 1905 hit song “In My Merry Oldsmobile”. Oldsmobile was the first brand to be manufactured with fully automatic transmissions. The modern assembly line and its basic concept is credited to Olds, who used it to build the first mass-produced automobile, beginning in 1901. Competitive with both Chevrolet and Ford Oldsmobile’s Cutlass series, became the best-selling car in the United States in 1976.

Olds Motor Vehicle Company produced over 35 million vehicles. Yet, in 2004 General Motors shut down Oldsmobile in 2004 because of its unprofitability. Times change and if your church does not change with the times, like the automobile industry, you will face decline and eventual closure. If your church is still living with a one-hundred-year-old model for how you are doing church, you might need to be reminded that it is not your father’s Oldsmobile.

Churches need to adapt and adjust to the changing environment around them if they are going to avoid the decline and eventual closure of Oldsmobile churches. Church structures need to be changed and often this one single issue is a large piece of a church’s decline. Dealing with structural changes is part of the revitalization of a church. In the past, there were some models which worked everywhere. These models were: • Expecting People to Return Just Because You are There • Leveling a High Degree of Guilt on those Who Don’t Attend • We Do the “Do” Better Than You • Promotions, Ploys, and Stunts to Draw an Audience • Plastic Veneer Ministers • The All About Me Vision • Counter Productive Programing • Jump Right in and Figure it Out as You Go • If You Do What You Always Have Done, You Get Nothing Times have changed and past outdated structures often bring about decline in the church. According to Thom Rainer, all across America churches are closing. Between 6,000 and 10,000 churches in the U.S. are dying each year. That means around 100-200 churches will close this week.1 The 1 https://factsandtrends.net/2018/01/16/hope-for-dyingchurches/

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pace will accelerate unless our congregations make some dramatic changes. The Renovate Group has discovered that most declining or dying churches will have to step up and embrace change if they are going to survive. Change is their only hope for survival.

Time of the Weekly Worship Services Another structure design that has found its custom is the weekly service time. I have seen so many churches which have the time for worship anchored in a place that makes it impossible for additional Sunday school hours or additional worship services to be added. Many churches in the area in which I live have a 9:30 worship hour followed by a weekly Bible Study. Many memberships are not willing to change this time because they have been doing it for so long. At the cost of advancement, the church anchors to the time frame that keep it from adding either a worship before or after the present lifelong schedule.

“The fact is, the Bible doesn’t define the best ministry model. The Bible helps us understand what the model should accomplish...”

Structures Which Might Need to Be Amended Many of our norms and structures in declining churches are traditions which have been around since the early 1950’s. Granted when these were first utilized in the church they were fresh and created a degree of help for churches and clergy. Then through the years these helps have often become road blocks for the work of the Lord in the church.

These customs often were things which happened in churches and became more tightly held than the biblical traditions found in scripture. Here are a few structures which should be examined, reconsidered, and analyzed in light of doing ministry in our changing culture:

The Church Parlor Which Has Become the Church Museum Many churches had parlors seventy years ago to provide a place for visiting clergy to utilize when visiting the church.

Many were places with a desk and a couch so that traveling ministers could greet members who wished to speak with the minister. As time went on these parlors were switched over to places where memorabilia of former crusades, revivals, and significant events were stored for future members viewing. Eventually, they became places where members could look in but not use for feat of destroying the collectables from days past.

The Senior Adult Area It is interesting to me that usually the best rooms in the church are utilized by the smallest number of congregants.

This is because in the past they filled these meeting areas and even though they no long are able to do so, they refuse to relinquish the space for another group which might better utilize the space. Churches all over allow the senior adults to manipulate an area as their individual property refusing to allow other groups to meet in their sacred areas.

How often have you seen either the children’s area or youth area busting at the seams only to discover that the biggest space in the church is reserved for the few seniors who remain in the church.

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Sunday Night Bible Study Have you been to an evening worship service on a Sunday Night lately? The numbers of participants are decreasing greatly in these services and yet the elderly refuse to allow the pastor and staff to create something new in its place. I have seen thousands of churches that have less than a dozen parishioner’s present for these services but will not try something new. Many growing churches are taking that time and utilizing it for a new mission, an age group targeted worship service, or a youth blow out and have had tremendous results. I know one church in my area which had eight members attending the Sunday evening service and three of them were staff which had to be there. Finally, they broke with the dead tradition and began a Sunday Night Singles Service which now has over three hundred present every weekend.

Regularity of Lord’s Supper Another church custom or structure often found is the regularity of the Lord’s Supper. Some churches are still doing it every week because a pastor from fifty years ago liked doing it to that degree of regularity. Others do it monthly because somewhere back in their history they thought that was a good idea. Overdoing the observance can become a ritual that loses its desired effect after a while.

Frequency of Church Business Meetings Many churches are locked into far too many business meetings annually because when they were initially a church plant they had them monthly in order to make the decisions by the membership of the budding church. Yet as they became a fully functioning church, they kept this formula and it has become cumbersome for doing the work of ministry.

I have had many pastors say something to the effect that their church needs to hold a business meeting just to go buy stamps. Many dying churches are locked in to this custom which actually keeps the church from moving swiftly when the opportunities come their way for advancing the cause of Christ.

Sacred Programs or Committees Which are Dying or Already Dead In one church that I was consulting with trying to reduce their budget, they had a lot of committees which were no longer required, but the membership refused to let them fade into the sunset. One case in point was a church flower committee which was spending eight thousand dollars annually on flowers. I declared, “You probably have the best-looking floral arrangements on Sunday in the county.” In which they replied, “That money is not for flowers it is for food.” I was shocked to discover that the fund went to a lady’s group bi-weekly meeting where they catered in food for eight ladies to discuss flowers but were not actually providing flowers for the church. It was a dying church with many dying committees just like that one. Needless, we cut that committee. Similarly, there are outdated ministry programs which are the same way.

Staff Positions Which are Outdated Think about your staff hires in the last fifteen years. Are you still hiring staff titles which you no longer need? One church I worked with was still hiring an education minister because they had always done so, even though the program was run by volunteers. What they needed was a minister of assimilation who could bring order to the outreach and inreach ministries of the church.

Church Council Operating as the Decision Makers for the Church Tiny churches often are operated through a church council that meets monthly to make decisions about ministries, and opportunities of the church. Seventy years ago, that worked well, but today it becomes a hinderance because it keeps the church staff from leading the church. Today’s ministers are not looking to be mere church errand people, but leaders of the church. If pastors have to run to a church council all the time for approval they will often relax into maintenance ministers and fail to lead the church forward.

The church gets what they want until they begin to die and then they blame the ministers, when in fact, they should look in the mirror.

Let’s Just Say Worship and Incorporate Everything Together The worship service is often the first place where customs can become outdated. Churches often desire to reach

young families but fail to see that their Southern Gospel music is repelling families, not attracting them. Their style is a turnoff to those who live in the community now as compared to fifty years ago. Another area is the design of the worship service. Many worship service orders of service are infected with an array of items which have no connectivity or defeat the flow of worship. Things such as lengthy greetings in the middle of the service, a children’s sermon once the congregation has been prepared for the minister’s message, birthday/anniversary songs, and long drawn out announcements defeat the flow of worship which is to point people to Jesus. These are customs and traditions which actually hurt the church rather than help the church advance.

Wrapping it up!

Ministry prototypes and traditions are changing and church structures must change along with them. For a long time, in many denominational tribes, it’s been long unwritten that once your church grows to the point of hiring a second pastor that a youth pastor is of top priority. In turn, a Children’s pastor, Education pastor, Assistant pastor and the list goes on. What fuels that? Our idea that our ministry model works the same everywhere. What if there are no youth in the community, does that still make sense? What if the community is full of youth? When youth are longing to belong, maybe smaller youth cell groups will work best.

The fact is, the Bible doesn’t define the best ministry model.

The Bible helps us understand what the model should accomplish (i.e., helping those in need), but the actual model isn’t shared with us. Why not? I think it’s because every ministry situation is a little unique. Yes, we have resemblances, but larger church models will work in some settings, while smaller intimate models will work in other settings. Adopting to the subtle differences in cultures is vital to a church’s success. The Bible does not define a ministry model, so we must allow mission, not our tradition, to drive it.

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

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

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Form Follows Function: The Mission-Focused Structure

By Bill Tenny-Brittian In this article, I’m going to walk you through an organizational structure that is simple, effective, and scalable from the smallest church to the largest. But before I do, let me start off with a word of warning: Revitalizers who tackle the church organization issue too early will almost always find themselves drowning in distraction and conflict. Your church’s constitution and bylaws may be antiquated and ineffective, but the last thing you want to do is make structural changes … and I do mean the “last” thing you want to do.

We get pushback on this recommendation almost every time we make it. There is a general belief out there that if the organizational structures and decision-making procedures are in place, then the revitalization plans will naturally fall into place. The truth is, nothing is further from the truth … for two reasons. First, in most congregations, the constitution and bylaws are almost as holy as the Bible. They were good enough for their great-great grandparents (or whomever they hold in esteem), so why do they need to be changed?

If you try and change them before it’s absolutely necessary, you’ll have a war on your hands. But second, even if you can convince the powers-that-be to tackle the job, you’ll find your church so distracted by the protracted process that any thought of doing what might actually grow the church will not just be on a back burner, it will be at risk of being taken off the stove completely. Worse, though, if you do get the permission to make changes and you do get the changes made, you’ll almost certainly discover in six months to a year that the structure you created is already obsolete – that all you’ve really done is created a straightjacket that has bound up the whole works.

You see, form follows function.

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I know … huh? What’s that mean?

It means that you can’t effectively create a workable organizational structure (form) until you have what it takes for the organization to accomplish its mission in the most effective manner (function). If you do it the other way around, your form (structure) will stifle your function (mission) because the form wasn’t created to serve your function, but to limit it.

In other words, before you design your organization chart and create new procedures, take the time to live into a revitalized church and then create the constitution, bylaws, policies, and hierarchy to support what’s already successful.

Step One Yeah, yeah. I know. You want to know what a simple, effective, and scalable structure looks like, but before I pull the rabbit out of the hat, let’s talk about how to get from where you are (stifled by bylaws that were created by Moses … or someone like Moses in the 1950s) to where you need to be.

In other words, “How to Revitalize Your Church Without Monkeying with the Sacred Bylaws.”

There are two ways to get there, depending on your leadership level. If you’re a Level 10 leader and you carry the absolute trust of your administrative leaders, then the easiest way to get from here to there is to simply ignore the bylaws completely. Like Nike say, “Just Do It.” The fact is, the only time anyone pulls the “It says in our bylaws” card is when there’s a conflict about change. If you have built a strong enough foundation of trust, then you might well be able to get by without having to deal with the bylaws at all … at least not until it’s the “right time” to do so, that is, after the church has been revitalized.

However, though you might be a Level 10 leader, most revitalizers don’t have the luxury of spending the seven-plus years it takes to develop the kind of trust necessary to simply ignore the bylaws. When that’s the case, as it generally is, then you’re left with option two: convince the leaders to “suspend” the bylaws, or at least, to suspend the portions of the bylaws that are most likely to stifle the revitalization process. We’ve found that process easiest when we ask to suspend the bylaws, or portions thereof, for a limited time such as one year. In fact, we’ve found that if the revitalizer is an accomplished leader, they can couch the temporary suspension as a limited-time experiment that will give the church a fighting chance to get the revitalization process going. We’ve rarely found a church board that wasn’t willing to give that leeway (and those few who wouldn’t, frankly, weren’t good candidates for a successful revitalization anyway).

Step Two Okay, here we go. Presuming you can get your board to go along with suspending your church’s organizational structure, policies, and procedures, then it’s time to begin putting a structure into place that will serve your congregation’s mission pretty much forever.

It all starts with what we’ve come to call the Four Core Processes.

In every church, there are only four processes that will effectively grow a church.

1. You’ve got to get people “in the doors.” (Sometimes called getting butts in seats.)

2. You’ve got to get those people to come back … again and again.

3. You’ve got to apprentice (disciple) those who return.

4. And you’ve got to send those new disciples back out into the world to start the process all over again.

We abbreviate those four processes as (1) Invite; (2) Connect; (3) Disciple; and (4) Send. Everything a church does … everything … should fall into one of those processes. If something doesn’t, then it should be tossed. But, we’ve found, most churches are able to fit most of what they do into those four processes. With those four processes, we can develop an organizational model based on what’s called the “Fractal Model.”

A fractal is a repeating pattern seen in nature that is discernable at both the macro and micro level. It was first adapted for church organization by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Christian Fellowship Church in Oahu, Hawaii. Cordeiro developed the fractal model of organization as he led the congregation from two (he and his administrative pastor Dan Shima) to over 3,000 in less than three years. Because of the

phenomenal growth, an organizational model was needed that could support rapid growth without having to endure a reorganizational process every year or two. Because the fractal model he developed is stable, replicable, and scalable it continues to be used as the effective administrative and ministry organizational structure for churches like New Hope, even though there were regularly worshipping over 14,000 in worship.

As I wrote earlier, in every effective church there are four core processes necessary for the mission and ministry of the church.

1. The Inviting Process. This process is all about getting people to the church, whether that’s to a worship service, networking, marketing, etc.

2. The Connecting Process. This process is developed specifically to retain people long enough to apprentice them as disciples of Jesus Christ. Connecting deals with helping people make a connection with the church through networking, mixers, and friend-making events.

3. The Apprenticing Process. This process is focused on helping people become fully invested disciples of Jesus Christ. It includes Christian education, mentoring, encouraging one-another, and small groups.

4. The Sending Process. This process helps people identify their spiritual callings and passions and then either connects them to a compatible existing mission/ministry or else helps them give birth to a new mission/ministry. Ultimately, this process is about sending people out of the church and into the community and beyond to be neighborhood missionaries.

The Fractal Model Using the four organic and missional processes, a fractal organization can be pictured like this. In this illustration, the “fractal” has been broken out to show the relationship between the Lead Pastor and four Key Leaders who have responsibility for the mission-critical processes. As will become apparent in the next few paragraphs, these four processes encompass 100 percent of the congregation’s ministry needs including worship, Sunday School, pastoral care, leadership development, outreach ministries, maintaining the building and grounds, and everything in between.

First, notice that the larger circle encompasses 100 percent of the congregation’s mission and ministry. Everything that goes on in the church neatly fits within the circle.

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Second, notice that the circle has been divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant represents one of the mission-critical processes of the church.

• Invite: Getting People in the Door • Connect: Retaining People Long Enough to Disciple Them • Apprentice: Training People to Become Fully Effective Disciples • Send: Sending People Into the Community and Beyond to Be Neighborhood Missionaries Third, notice that the Lead Pastor’s “circle” encompasses a “mini-quadrant” from each of the four key quadrants. This is a graphical representation of the ultimate leadership responsibilities of the pastor. When it comes to the mission and ministry of the church, the “buck stops” with the pastor.

As John Maxwell has correctly said, “It all rises and falls on leadership” and the pastor is responsible for the whole of the local church’s work. However, a pastor cannot do it all, even if they are responsible for it all. In the organic fractal model of leadership, a committed, passionate Key Leader is raised up for each of the key quadrants. Each Key Leader is responsible for the effective implementation of all the processes and programs that fall within their purview.

The Key Leader for each of these fractals would be responsible for raising up a leader for each of their quartiles. Let’s take the Apprentice Key Leader for instance. The Apprentice Key Leader would be responsible for the totality of the congregation’s discipleship process, from pre-believer (of any age) through senior adults. In the example shown, the Key Leader would raise up a leader for Mentoring, Small Groups, Leadership Development, and an Encouragement Champion.

Organizationally, using the larger Connect fractal example, the Connect Key Leader would raise up a leader for Worship; for Hospitality; Small Groups; and Events. It should be noted that the actual division for each fractal should be developed based on the church’s actual needs.

Remember that fractals are repeating patterns. As such, just as each of the Key Leaders are ultimately responsible for designing their fractals, each of the quadrant leaders would develop their own fractal quadrants under the mentoring and coaching of their supervising leaders. An example of how this might look for the Apprentice fractal is shown in the Illustration below.

In keeping with the organic fractal model, you may recall that a fractal is a repeating pattern; therefore, each of the Key Leader’s responsibilities would be broken down into fractal quadrants. The following image illustrates the core responsibilities for each of the Key Leaders. Note, that the specific responsibilities in each of the quadrants may or may not reflect the core processes of your local church.

For this example let’s put a couple of possible names to the positions. Let’s suppose Alvin is the Apprentice Key Leader and he breaks down his responsibilities into four quadrants: Mentoring, Small Groups, the Encouraging Champion, and Leadership Development. Once he’s determined his fractal quadrants, he would be responsible for first ensuring that all the responsibilities of apprenticing are covered. Because he is a Key Leader, he is expected to be a supervisor rather than a doer, and so he would be tasked with recruiting, training, mentoring, coaching, and supervising a leader for each of the quadrants. To that end, in consultation with the Lead Pastor he might decide to have Evelyn Encourager step into

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by servants of the Most High God, not by volunteers, who give from their abundance). Each of the quadrant leaders, from the Lead Pastor throughout each fractal thread, is responsible for developing their own fractal and raising up new servant leaders. This creates a system of redundancy that is absolutely necessary in a large church. Because each quadrant leader is responsible for recruiting and training and coaching additional leaders, no task has less than two people responsible for it. For instance, whoever is responsible for the soundboard in a worship service would be expected to have at least one apprentice, which is to say that there shouldn’t be any tasks in the church that is being done by a “Lone Ranger.”

Everyone in every level of leadership is mentoring someone – not just in the technical tasks of their responsibilities, but also in the faith.

You can read more about the Fractal Model and how to apply it in your church by referencing our book Effective Staffing for Vital Churches (Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian). the Encouraging Champion quadrant. Alvin would work with Evelyn to develop a job description so she fully understood the scope of her new position. In our example, the job includes creating a culture of encouragement for one another in the church.

Once Evelyn understood her responsibilities, with Alvin’s help she would develop her own fractal. As shown in Illustration 6, she developed her fractal with (1) A Phone Team who will make regular phone calls to church leaders, members, and returning guests to ask about their “faith walk” and to ask how they could be prayed for; (2) A Success Finders Team whose task is to discover successes in the church ministries and missions in order to keep success before the congregation; (3) A Needs Finder Team whose task is to discover needs in the church and coordinate with the Send ministries to ensure the needs are met; and (4) A Tracking Team whose job is to ensure no one – members or guests – fall through the cracks in receiving regular encouragement. Evelyn would take seriously her responsibilities and would ensure every task was accomplished with a level of excellence befitting the Kingdom of God and the church. In so doing, and with the mentoring, coaching, and supervision of the Apprentice Key Leader (Alvin), she would recruit leaders for each of her fractal quadrants. And so it goes. In the illustration, the Success Finders Team fractal has been developed and leaders would be recruited for each quadrant.

The key to this organizational model is that once it’s in place, you will never have to re-do your bylaws again because no matter how small or how big the church grows, there will still be only four processes and four key leaders. (One last note … in the most effective churches, the official board would comprise the pastor and those four key leaders. A board of five members means that the church would be able to respond to ministry needs much more effectively and efficiently than a board of even twelve people, let alone twenty-four or more that we often see in declining churches.)

Bill Tenny-Brittian is the managing partner of The Effective Church Group. For over thirty years, The Effective Church Group has been equipping churches and church leaders so they can be successful in reaching their mission. He is the co-author of The Role of the Senior Pastor and also teaches Pastoral Leadership for Phillips Seminary with an emphasis on leadership.

The fractal organization can be used to involve a high number of servants (note that effective ministry is always done

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Centrifugal Buzz:

Community Culture and Structural Changes

By Ken Priddy Every local church is at the epicenter of a domestic mission field and must be dialed in to the residential make-up of its surrounding neighborhood and communities. In my work with pastors and leaders, one element that I press is the identification of whom in the community a given church is called to reach as its mission priority. That identification typically prompts changes in the structures of the church and one of the primary changes involves leadership personnel.

Often, someone objects to such an identification and argues that the Gospel is for everyone, so his or her church should seek to reach everyone. The Apostle Paul is used as an example since he is quoted in Scripture as saying that he had become “all things to all people so that he might win some.”

OK – I’m not going to argue against Scripture, but note that Paul was only one thing at a time. To the Jew he was as a Jew; to the Greek he was as a Greek. His message to the Athenians was presented quite differently than his message to the Bereans. In other words, he was very aware of the community culture in which he was ministering.

To be candid, if I ever come across a church that is reaching everyone, I’ll suggest that they send me away before I ruin their impact. However, I’ve yet to meet such a church. Rather, many (perhaps most) of the churches that engage my ministry are closer to reaching no one. I want to encourage them to reach at least someone and that begins with understanding who the someones are in a given church’s community. I refer to this mission priority population as the Ministry Context. In brief, the Ministry Context is determined by an examination of the Geographic Context and then the Demographic Context of that church. In other words, what local geographic footprint is a church’s primary ministry landscape and who lives inside of that footprint?

So far, so good, but here’s where it gets tricky. Over time, communities tend to shift demographically at a faster pace than a congregation’s demographic shift, resulting in a Cultural Gap between the congregation and the community. This was the case in the church I was called to pastor in Phoenix, AZ. Over time, the community had shifted to being almost 100% Hispanic while the church remained predominantly Anglo. By the time I arrived, this church had declined to thirteen members and there was a very wide cultural gap between church and community. The church was irrelevant to that community and had been in steep decline for years.

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Here’s a rule of thumb: For a church to be effective in reaching its community, it must close the cultural gap between the congregation and the demographic context that lives inside the church’s geographic context. The ultimate objective is for the demographics of the congregation to be a strong cultural match with the demographics of the community. When that gap is extremely wide, it might take years to transition, but that is the trajectory the church should proactively pursue. This is where structural changes in personnel are likely to be needed.

In light of the current racial tension in the U.S. and the call for diversity in the church, a question that often comes my way is whether or not a church should make sure that its leadership reflects ethnic diversity. A simple “yes” or “no” will not suffice. The answer is tied to the demographic makeup of the community. For example: In the early 2000s, I worked with an evangelical church in Silver Spring, MD. Silver Spring is a suburb of Washington, D.C. In following my revitalization process, leaders formed a Vision Team to spearhead the process and I presented training to the Vision Team and provided ongoing consultation. When addressing this issue of Context, the team identified the Geographic Context and turned to the task of identifying the Demographic Context. The D.C. area is a multi-national, multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-everything area, as was this suburb. At one point the pastor

My challenge was met with lots of questions, one of which was, “What’s the difference?” The difference was in the trajectory that the church would choose to follow. I explained that to be truly multi-cultural, that would impact who they hired next to be on staff, who would become elders in the future, how worship would be presented, etc., etc., etc.

The church chose to go multi-cultural and a quick look at their website gives that indication. Here’s their mission statement: Our mission is to help people Know God, Love Life and Serve Others. We are a diverse gathering from around the world and from every walk of life, all together practicing for heaven while on earth.

Here’s a quote from their home page: Our people come from many different places around the world.

Currently, we represent more than 25 nations. We also speak many different languages. In fact, in a recent worship service we read God’s word in 13 languages.

called me to say that the Vision Team was bogged down and frustrated. He said that there were twenty-two nationalities already represented in their congregation and they couldn’t decide which one of the twenty-two to make their Demographic Context.

I apologized for apparently having not made this concept clear to them and informed him that the goal was not to narrow the focus to one nationality and that there was much more to demographics than nationality, ethnicity, race and the like. I explained that a congregation that exists inside of a multi-cultural context should be a multi-cultural congregation. Rather than simply looking at nationality, I challenged them to consider all that this multi-cultural, multi-national population had in common. The next time we talked he supplied me with a long list of commonalities, such as they came from other countries and English was not their first (sometimes second, third or fourth) language. They were well-educated and most had someone in the home who worked in a government job. The list went on and on and they began to “see” their demographic context in a much clearer light.

The next place I took them was a huge challenge. I said that they needed to decide whether they would continue to be an Anglo church that was open to multi-cultural attendance OR whether they would truly become a multi-cultural church.

Many churches that are declining today have lost touch with their communities and there are cultural gaps between those churches and the people who live around them. In order to close those cultural gaps, churches will need to identify their Ministry Contexts geographically and demographically. If the cultural gap is to be closed, such that the congregation begins to reflect the community, that will likely include the need for structural changes among leadership so that the leaders of the church and the congregation of the church truly reflect the community around the church that is that church’s domestic mission field. So, the structural question is not about diversity among leaders per se, but is centered on cultural resonance with the community.

Ken Priddy (D.Min., Ph.D.) is Founder and Executive Director of the GO Center, a training and consulting ministry committed to church vitalization and revitalization. Ken also directs LEADERTOWN: A Laboratory for Organization & Leadership Development. His thirty-plus year journey in church planting and revitalization has grown into a national presence among evangelical leaders. He’s an effective trainer and consultant, but perhaps his most significant contribution is his extensive development of training curricula.

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The 7 Windows in the Church Leader’s House (Part 2, Windows 4-7)

By Bob Whitesel They are looking at you. Who? Everyone!

In Part 1, we saw that people are scrutinizing and criticizing leaders’ lives and perhaps because of social media, never more so. But we also learned that the Bible warns us that criticism will be part and parcel of Christian leaders’ lives.

We also learned that the metaphor of a house with seven windows, each window looking into a different aspect of the leader’s life, can be a helpful metaphor to remind us of the seven areas in which we must mature in Christ and bear fruit.

In Part 2, we will discover four more windows through which people peer and evaluate the church leader’s life.

The basement window: what is God changing in you and others?

Typically, in basements are housed the systems that make a home habitable and stable, including utilities and a solid foundation built upon bedrock. In our metaphor we imagine a window through which the world sees the foundation and powerhouse that energizes a leader’s life.

This foundation and powerhouse are the knowledge that people are being changed by God (Rom. 12:2, Phil. 1:6). We call this regeneration, because Christ is daily creating something new from people’s old lives.

Leaders should embrace both the principle that God is changing seemingly unchangeable people and that God is continuing to change the leader as well. Therefore, the regenerative leader is honest and open about how God is changing them.

And, he or she is accepting of those who are being changed but aren’t yet perfect. The Message Bible translates Paul’s admonition about this with special clarity:

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“The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins.” (2 Cor. 5:17-19).

And so, the regenerative leader doesn’t shame, criticize, backbite or lambast struggling Christians. Rather they feel for them, celebrating their accomplishments and mourning their hurts (Rom. 12:15).

The kitchen window: how are people getting involved?

Through this window the community sees a hub of action: the feeding and nurture of the faith. This scene increases their desire for involvement.

But typically, instead of taking the time to get to know them, their past hurts and their hesitations, we start listing the church’s “volunteer needs.” In their view, they are red meat, to be ground up into the meatloaf of our volunteer system.

But successful involvement begins with discovering the potential volunteer’s needs. We see a unique individual, crafted

by God with experiences and expertise. We take the time to understand them deeply before we try to plug them in. The means the church leader is like a chef, pulling together a wonderful mix of natural ingredients to create something the world will find enticing.

First, you discover the gifts that God has given each volunteer (1 Cor. 12:7, 1 Peter 4:10). Your purpose is to help maximize each person’s involvement by better understanding each person’s abilities and strengths.

Second, you get more people giving input into your strategies.

Too often church leaders feel they have most of the expertise because of education or experience. And, they may. But plans are more likely to succeed when you get diverse input from across the congregation, according to research (Dyke and Starke, John Kotter). Kotter calls this “a guiding coalition” because it creates a plan that takes into consideration concerns of different church constituencies.

Therefore, while you are mixing together your culinary masterpiece, people are watching you. And, they have experience themselves in different facets of cooking.

The effective leader recognizes this and seeks input from others.

weekend hobby of fishing, he began a ministry to families. He invited parents and children to learn to fish with him on Sunday afternoons. And on Sunday mornings, he invited them to join him at church.

“...the church leader is like a chef, pulling together a wonderful mix of natural ingredients to create something the world will find enticing.”

The dining room window: how united is your family?

Here the community looks into the leader’s life and sees both a church family and personal family in fellowship. Is the fellowship tense and factioned or is it united in purpose?

Jesus said unity would be one of the windows through which the world would evaluate our message. He stated in John 17:20-22: I’m praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

We see that Jesus is praying specifically for Christians down through the ages, that, “…they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me” (v. 21). And so, sharing the good news requires making unity a priority. The leader does not let conflict derail or doom plans. But rather, the leader who fulfills Jesus’ will is the one who learns conflict resolution skills and practices them as a routine part of their leadership.

The window into your hobby room: what do you do well?

The final window in the leader’s life is the room where you will find them delighting in their interests and hobbies. What the church leader enjoys doing should be reflected in their ministry.

One volunteer said, “I get one day off every week: Sunday. And pastor, it’s hard to come to church on Sunday mornings, when the fish are biting.” A typical leader’s response might be to scold him about his priorities. But his decision had to do with what he enjoyed: fishing. When it was suggested he find a way of ministry to others, to attend the church and to also enjoy his

Whether the above story is true or a folklore, it illustrates a point. The community should observe a leader who is not afraid to focus on what they do well, and delegate the remainder. This requires leaders to not continue to do things they are not skilled at, despite expectations.

When church leaders spend a lot of time doing things they don’t enjoy, they often look grumpy, dissatisfied and cynical, if not overwhelmed. And the community sees a leader not enjoying life but sulking or stewing over ministry challenges. Instead, let the community see what God has blessed you to do and the joy that you receive in doing it.

Ask people what they see through these windows to the soul.

It’s important to remember these are not manufactured, not artificial window scenes, like department store windows once staged at Christmas time.

Rather, the church leader recognizes that she or he has windows into their life through which people are looking. And the church leader seeks to authentically and genuinely reflect Christ to a watching world. Therefore, the conscientious leader will candidly and openly ask people what they observe through theses seven portals to the leader’s soul.

This metaphor came out of my review of The American Congregations survey by Harford Seminary’s Institute for Religion Research. Within this exhaustive research of 32,000 churches, I found seven systems or “fruit” of healthy and growing congregations. And I noticed these seven systems were reflected in a healthy leader’s life. If these seven areas aren’t healthy in the church leader’s life, I doubt the leader will be able to lead a church to revitalization, turnaround or growth. The seven windows can also be thought of as “7 Systems,” which when operating in a healthy manner, grow the church. Find out more at www.7Systems.church.

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

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Lessons from the Living Room Ceiling

By Terry Rials A couple of years ago, my wife and I decided (she did) to paint the living room of our home. No big deal, right? I mean, who hasn’t done that several times in their lives. I had too, but this living room had not been painted since we built our home and this living room was different; we have a cathedral ceiling and the ceiling was the problem!

What I believed would take a few hours, ended up taking all day and I mean al day. Through that painting nightmare, I discovered an illustration that helps to describe some of the structural changes that must be made to accomplish the task of revitalization. Revitalization doesn’t have to be a nightmare, if you will follow a little common sense. In the interest of full disclosure, I understand the homiletical mistake that occurs when you try to preach a sermon around a great illustration, so I will not preach to you, but if you will allow me a little latitude, I think this illustration will help to encapsulate the structural changes that are necessary for this monumental task.

The Worst Part of Painting Is Getting Started.

When it comes to painting, I hate the preparation that is required. The decisions about paint colors, deciding when to paint, moving furniture, taping off the woodwork, removing fixtures and electrical covers, masking the floor, mixing the paint, and the mess that I am about to make - are things I just despise. I wish I could “paint” (pardon the pun) this part of revitalization better for you, but the “getting started” part is the most difficult aspect of revitalization. You have a plethora of decisions to make before you even get started formally with your people.

Before you can lead a revitalization project, you have to get your head around what you are going to do. Steel yourself, grit your teeth, roll up your sleeves, and go to work. Revitalization is dependent on your work ethic, your determination, and attitude. If you will just block out everything else, except the task of revitalizing your church, then you can get it done. You will never get it done until you are 100% committed to it!

Don’t Try to Paint Around Things.

Instead of moving all the furniture out of the living room prior to painting, I decided that I would just move half of the living room to the other side, cover that side with plastic and paint the empty half of the room. That

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sure seemed like the right plan for me, less work. I tried that. Didn’t work. We ended up moving everything multiple times, tripping over things during the whole process. If you keep trying to do everything you have been doing in the program of your church and add revitalization to it, you are painting around the furniture! Move it. Get rid of it. Get it out and reevaluate if you should even keep it for later. The one thing that the Coronavirus shutdown should have taught us was that we don’t have to keep doing everything we’ve been doing. Why not empty your church’s calendar, dump your failing program, gather your people together to pray, evaluate, and chart a new course? My painting failure is not an excuse to keep doing the same things over and over, especially now that you have the perfect opportunity to start afresh. Can I tell you that there are few things more refreshing than the smell of a freshly painted room?

Redo Is Better Than Touch Up We saved the leftover paint from that project, just in case we needed to touch up something later, which we did just recently. We discovered something terrible, the paint we used to touch up a few spots was a different color than the paint on the walls because those walls had faded over time, but the paint in the can had not. Oh no, now everything we touched up stood out dramatically! Guess what we get to do?

If you think the task of revitalization is merely touching up a few things, getting a little momentum going, finding a new program that better fits, and getting a few new families to come into your church will fix your problems, it won’t. Now is the time to redo. It’s amazing to me how little text there is in the New Testament about how to do church, as if the Lord Jesus left that part up to His people to decide under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing about style of worship, format of the service, or even having buildings, for that matter. The New Testament does contain the beautiful words of Jesus, “Go ye therefore and make disciples…” If the church you lead is not going and making disciples, it is time to redo. Structure everything you do in the life of your church around that concept of going and making disciples.”

Structural changes to the life and ministry of your church should come from the renewed heart of the revitalizer. I understand that changes are difficult and not without criticism, but we are losing the battle for people’s souls. We are losing them to the louder voice of culture. Aside from a miraculous revival that draws the masses back to their knees in repentance and faith, it will take a concerted effort to reach this generation. Do what ever you must with your church to get it on what R. G. Lee called “the warm trail for souls.”

“I understand that changes are difficult and not without criticism, but we are losing the battle for people’s souls. We are losing them to the louder voice of culture..”

You Can’t Reach Everything from the Ground You would think that a guy who spent twenty-six years of his life in school would be fairly smart; you would be wrong. I thought that I could do everything that I needed to do from the ground. I would just add an extension pole to the end of my paint roller and get after it. Seemed like a good strategy. The problem is – it didn’t work. There are some places you can’t reach with a roller on the end of an extension pole and I am smart enough to know you can’t paint that way with a brush. I was going to have to get up there to the ceiling! I borrowed a twelve-foot step ladder for the task. Remember me telling you the furniture in the other half of the living room was in the way? This is when I discovered that. In hindsight, I needed a scaffold, which is the right tool for the job. When you begin the task of revitalization, you cannot stay at a distance from your work, you have to be close to the task. Let me encourage you to get off your computer, get out of your office, start making time to be with the people you need to lead, coach, and supervise. You need to be seen and your physical presence needs to be felt. The cool social media graphics you post are not as meaningful as getting amongst your people. Look at Nehemiah’s example. He worked daily alongside the laborers, encouraging them, instructing them, protecting them. They did not follow him because of his construction expertise, they followed him because the hand of the Lord was upon him and he told them so. Tell your people when you’ve been with the Lord and what He’s showing you about the life and health of your church!

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Dr. Terry Rials has been in Christian Ministry for thirty-two years. He serves as the Director of Missions for the Western Oklahoma Baptist Association. He earned his doctorate (D.Min.) from Midwestern Baptist Theological in Church Revitalization.

His dissertation project involved training associational pastors in the principles of revival and revitalization by equipping them to begin a revitalization project in their churches. You may contact Dr. Rials through his website at terry@churchrevitalizer.com.

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Setting the Table for Church Revitalization

By George A. Thomasson One summer Sandra and I were blessed to have our grade school granddaughters in our home for several weeks. They noticed that the table was set in an orderly manner and asked their grandmother to teach them how to do it properly. She was honored to teach them and began the process.

It included proper folding of the napkin, placement of silverware, plates, glasses, etc. She also showed them how to place the napkins in their laps, how to use the napkins, how to cut up their meat and how to chew with their mouths closed!

Sandra was amazed when the girls asked her to give them a test to show what they had learned. She was a little nervous not wanting their mother and other grandmother to think badly of her, but she complied. Both girls made an “A.” Sandra was teaching the girls structural changes necessary for proper table etiquette. One of them is married now and the other will finish college soon. To this day, they both practice what they learned from their grandmother that summer.

To be successful in church revitalization, important structural changes must be learned and implemented. We must “set the table” as we trust the Lord to breathe new life into our churches.

Steps in Setting the Table 1. Invite a consultant Until the church realizes the need for church revitalization, it will continue to limp lifelessly toward its eventual demise.

This is where an experienced consultant comes in. You may have an associational leader or a state convention person who can help, usually at no cost to the church. In some cases, you may want to engage a consulting firm at a negotiated fee. There are at least 2 reasons to employ a consultant:

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a. Fresh eyes and experience – A consultant will see things we don’t and his experience in multiple churches will be invaluable. b. Shields the pastor – A revitalization process in a church can only be successful when you “upset the applecart.” People usually recoil against change that directly affects them.

Any criticism and potential division can be directed to the consultant who knows how to deal with it and is temporary.

In this way the pastor is shielded.

The Work of the Consultant

The consultant will usually perform the following work to lead toward revitalization: • A 10-year profile of the church that quantifies its present reality.

• A demographic and psychographic study of the ministry area to better define how to reach the people in the context.

• Careful review of the church by-laws with suggested adjustments.

• Presentation of his findings to the key leaders and ultimately the church to show the critical need for revitalization.

• Guiding the church in a season of prayer for the Lord’s direction and an official vote to proceed with the plan.

2. Implement a revisioning process My guess is that any church in need of serious revitalization either has never defined its mission and vision or has forgotten it long ago. The consultant may be able to guide the church in articulating its foundational statements as follows: • Mission – Why does our church exist?

• Values – What does our church “bleed” when you cut us?

• Strategy – How will we organize to accomplish our mission?

• Measures – How will we measure success?

• Vision – What does God want our church to do to reach our mission?

This step is imperative to achieve buy-in, clarity and alignment.

3. Investigate all present ministries of the church Each ministry of the church must be looked at with one question in mind. “Can we draw a straight line from our mission/vision to this ministry?” This will take courage, because many of our leaders who want to protect their ministries will be able to skillfully rationalize to retain them at all costs. The best way to investigate ministries is to place them beside your newly determined measures. Some ministries can become viable when critical adjustments are made, but many should just be given an honorable burial.

4. Interview pastor and staff for compatibility and commitment Perhaps the most emotional and difficult step toward revitalization is changes in pastor and/or staff members. If it is determined that a pastor and/or staff member will not be effective in revitalization, one of the following things may take place: • They may be encouraged to pursue a professional training experience. This can take many forms. They could enroll in an appropriate seminar; submit to mentoring with another leader to develop the needed skills; visit other churches with a similar ministry context and mission/ vision to observe and collaborate. Whatever approach is chosen, some system of accountability for what the leader has learned and how he will apply it in your church must be carefully implemented.

• They may not choose to stay at the church. Once the demands of revitalizing the church are defined, a pastor and/ or staff member may not feel led or even desire to participate. They may be nearing the end of full-time active ministry involvement and elect to step away.

• They may be assisted in finding another place of ministry. Every effort should be taken to ensure that the pastor and/or staff member is honored for service to the church. If possible, a generous package should be provided and the necessary time given to allow for transition to a new ministry position.

5. Initiate a facilities audit and renovation process.

It may be that general maintenance of the buildings and grounds has been neglected or put off due to budget shortfalls. But it also may be true that even well-kept facilities may not be conducive to reaching the church’s community.

Once the consultant helps the church to better understand the people who live in their context, it will probably clari-

fy some needed changes in facilities. In any event there are some important considerations. Does the church provide: an inviting lobby for fellowship; a connection room to engage guests each Sunday; inviting, age-appropriate children and student spaces; an updated playground; ample, well-marked parking; excellent lighting, sound and projection in the worship center; etc.

6. Invest in the revitalization by reallocating budget resources An aggressive revitalization process will usually require a targeted, creative funding approach. There may be costs for the consultant, if only paying expenses for travel, meals, and lodging. New ministries could possibly be funded from reallocated dollars from discontinued ministries. If you determine that the church will address community needs, however, additional funding will be needed. Also, if the need for a facility “face lift” surfaces in your study, a study should be performed along with a cost projection. Much of the work may be done by church members to save money, but even then, the cost of materials must be considered.

Some concluding thoughts: All of this may seem overwhelming but please consider the long-term benefits of “setting the table” for revitalization.

Do you remember how our granddaughters developed table etiquette that has followed them into adulthood? They will never look at mealtimes the same. They now prepare their tables for themselves and their guests with thoughtfulness and excellence.

Your revitalized church will also never look at ministry the same. You will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of your work with a view to your mission/vision. As you do, precious families will fill your facilities; men, women, boys and girls will be saved and baptized; the joy of the Lord will fill your hearts and one day you will hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into your reward.” Go ahead and accept the challenge to “set the table” and see what God can do in your church!

Dr. George Thomasson is a native of Arkansas but spent most of his ministry in Florida and Texas. He holds degrees from Palm Beach Atlantic University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He presently serves as Campus & Community Development Pastor for Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

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WHY SMALL GROUPS?

From the Old Testament to the New Testament small groups are used in very significant ways.

Small Groups have always been part of God’s plan to develop and grow believers. In modern times from Sunday School to the contemporary Small Group movement the churches that embraced small groups in a significant way experienced the most growth in evangelism and discipleship. Small Groups should be a fundamental strategy for every church that seeks to be a Biblically complete church.

OUR VISION – Why We Exist

To see every church develop significant small groups that are healthy and growing.

OUR MISSION – What We Do We come to the church and partner with the pastor and staff to evaluate the current condition of their Small Group Ministry and then develop a custom plan to renovate and reinvigorate their groups. Our plan includes developing comprehensive goals and strategies.

We also provide training and custom resources for the churches we serve.

www.DynamicSmallGroups.org

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Facing Institutionalized Survival

By Pete Tackett Throughout this edition, you will see very capable practitioners of Church Revitalization tell you how to make structural changes to dying churches in an attempt to breathe new life back into them. Our assigned topic for this magazine is “Dealing with Structural Changes in Church Revitalization,” and these writers have a long history of helping churches evaluate and massage the inner structures of the church.

Let me bring to the table a different idea. To be sure, it has to do with structural change for revitalization, but before we can make changes, we have to understand why that structure exists in the first place. All of us who consult and lead revitalization strategies have at one time or another looked at some part of a church’s skeletal system and shaken our heads in amazement! After all, who would have deliberately put a system like “this” in place. It often looks like it was created for the express purpose of HINDERING the work of the Kingdom and the health of that local body.

Let me offer to you this simple explanation and then flesh it out with specifics and examples because if you don’t understand the “why” of some of these structures, you will underestimate the passion and even venom with which they come back to you when you try to make changes to that specific structure.

Over the last fifteen years, I have come to describe it as Institutionalized Survival. Let’s begin with the most common structure of all, the local church constitution and bylaws. I

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have told dozens of churches that if they will let me read their operating documents, I can tell them most of the bad things that have happened in the church in the past. When something happens that hurts, causes division, or leads to upheaval, churches often pass a bylaw or amend their constitution to prohibit it from happening again. An unfortunate byproduct of that is the revitalizing pastor often has his hands tied by archaic rules that are designed to stop something from happening after the fact and would likely never happen again even without that bylaw.

A prime example would be a young revitalizer I know who attempted to lead his church to stop doing a Sunday evening service in favor of going all in on community outreach and children’s ministry. Their Sunday night AWANA program was the one thing that was not on life support when he arrived but, because the church had been in decline for many years, staffing a growing children’s ministry, which is always hard, was made doubly difficult by needing some of the best workers to staff a Sunday night service.

When he began to float a trial balloon about doing away with that service, he was stunned at how even the AWANA leadership clapped back at him. It turns out that many years earlier, a young pastor had tried to change the time of some services very quickly after he became their pastor.

It turned into an uproar, the pastor was forced to resign, and the current leadership informed this revitalizer that they had passed a bylaw shortly afterward requiring them to have an 11 AM and 6 PM service each week to make sure it never happened again. It took him months, but he got

it changed. It was a case of institutionalized survival that stopped them from doing what needed to be done if the church was to survive. Ironic!

Another place where institutionalized survival rears its ugly head is in the framework of a dying church’s small group strategy. I know that sounds like a weird place, but hear me out. As a church begins to die, people leave. At some point, the small groups made up of the “winners” or those who got their way remain strong and others struggle to survive. At some point, a well-meaning Minister of Education or Sunday School Director can no longer staff the groups, so he starts to combine groups, even if temporarily just to survive, and these new groups consolidate influence under the people who won the big argument, whatever it was about.

windmill all you want, but until you can talk to your leadership team about the “why” of some of those unhealthy structures in their church, you will not be able to accomplish much. Sure, you may ride roughshod over some of them with the “new pastor” capital you have to expend, but at some point, the church is going to say no to you and yes to someone in the church who they have known and loved for much longer. Most churches, without being educated as to why things are the way they are and why they should change, will defend their structures.

“The crazy thing about institutionalized survival in the small group structure is that after a while, it becomes the very enemy of what it wants and the ally of what it hates..”

By the time a revitalizer gets to that church, he is faced with an institutionalized infrastructure that was meant to build community but now has two major problems. The first is simple. When you are combining small groups into wider age spans and more affinities, the sense of community is lost and it just becomes another lecture from the Bible. The second, harder to recognize and more insidious, is that the leaders of these now larger small groups, in an environment where there are fewer small groups to choose from, wield greater influence. Add to that their love for the church and a feeling they have that God appointed them to defend the church from any more bad things happening, and you have someone fighting the revitalizer’s suggested structural changes out of fear.

The crazy thing about institutionalized survival in the small group structure is that after a while, it becomes the very enemy of what it wants and the ally of what it hates. Fewer and larger community groups mean that new people find it increasingly difficult to find a niche. As a result, the church continues to be plateaued or declining and the influential small group leader can’t figure out why, so it must be the revitalizer’s fault.

There are other examples of institutionalized survival, and probably each one reading this could point out some. The problem is that when it is entrenched, there is no amount of force that can dismantle it. You can charge the proverbial

The key to a church revitalizer overcoming institutionalized survival is two-fold - focus and follow up. A church revitalizer has to choose his battles carefully and he cannot be fighting too many battles at one time. He has to choose his top two or three issues and work on them relentlessly until he understands why it is so important to some of his leaders. It will often require a conversation about something that happened earlier in the life of the church and listening to the fear it created and the pain that ensued.

Focusing on the why allows you to help them face the fears associated with the what. It is time well spent.

Follow up means convincing those involved that you are not “that” guy and articulating clearly the need, the trends, and the fact that you are on their team. Reassure them you have no plans to add to their previous pain.

Although it is a term I have coined, revitalizers need to understand the institutionalized survival structures in their environment and work on dismantling them by focus and follow up.

Pete Tackett is Lead Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, and a Pastor Connector for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. He regularly partners with churches and pastors engaging in revitalization. He is the author of re.Vital.ize: Lessons Learned in a Recovering Church.

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How to Change the Culture of Your Church

By Ron Smith Culture is the predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the function of a group or organization. An easy definition is, “It’s how things work ‘round here.”

Yes, your church might need systems and strategies. Sure, you might need to discover your mission or clarify your vision but casting vision without creating a supporting culture is disastrous.

Cultural Boundaries #1 – From Us To Them You must learn to create a tourist culture over a country club culture. Let’s be clear about this. We do have a responsibility to develop the body, but our development is never to the detriment of our mission. If we are not careful, we will slip over to the other side of the mission and craft all of our sermons, programs, events, and spending toward us.

Your church will naturally drift toward this black hole, the black hole of self-preservation. As a pastor you must be ever vigilant to guard this and keep the church body actively engaged in ministry.

I believe this is why church revitalization is so difficult and it is why I believe that every church will perform some amount of revitalization. The average church that is in decline and in need of revitalization has blurred the lines between mission and vision.

The mission has drifted inside and any vision that is presented is interpreted through the lens of “us.” #2 – Ownership over Membership Members have rights and they are designed to consume. Owners have responsibilities and they are wired to contribute. The “Us to Them” boundary is one that defines your missional mindset. The “Owner over Member” boundary defines your attitude toward serving.

As the church drifts inward the mindset becomes – they owe me, serve me, play songs for me, etc. This cultural mindset says, “We shall not be moved.” Owners feel the weight of serving others.

Owners operate as if no one else is going to get it done. Ownership says, “it’s my job.”

Us = Me – minister to me.

Owners = Others – I have a ministry.

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In our first two boundaries we must define our missional mindset and ministry mindset. Our third boundary steps out and declares who is the minister. #3 – From Hired Guns “staff” to Equipped Leaders Have you ever given thought to how the early church “staffed” the growth we read about in the Book of Acts? I can see a few “pastors” leading the charge for 120, but what about 3,120 or 5,000, or when the church multiplied, or when the whole city was reached? The early church empowered leaders to serve just as Jesus empowered the 12. #4 – Thinks Steps Not Programs I can remember the night I arrived at the entrance of Parris Island. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and the day arrived when my training started. The first thing we did when we got off the bus was step into the infamous yellow footprints.

Steps set direction and fit our movement. Programs box us in and lock opportunities out.

Programs in and of themselves are not bad. Don’t misread me or misinterpret what I’m saying. Steps do lead us to “programs.”

When all we offer are programs at the request of members, or the needs of a few, then we are busy not effective. Thinking steps allows the flexibility to ask this question, “Is this a good idea or something that will be effective?”

How To Change The Culture of Your Church #1 – Preach about the culture needed Each church already has its own culture. You may have inherited it, or you may have helped create it, regardless, it exists. Before you can ever preach on it you must know the cultural fingerprint. Anything you preach, teach, blog, post, or tweet will only be interpreted through that lens. You may think you are preaching for change, but if it’s not addressing the cultural heartbeat, you’re just talking.

# 3 – Train them for what needs to be done.

Culture is changed when we give them the training necessary to accomplish the mission.

If I’m afraid to take on a new task, I feel less fearful if I have received some form of advanced training. Before every missions trip we, as a team, have always received some form of training.

The location, people, and work of the mission might be new, but I at least know I have been prepared for the work. When I arrive on the field, success is realized when my training matches the mission.

Train them to greet others. Train them to serve. Train them to show up on time. Train them to think of others first. Train them how to share their faith. Train them how.

Every sermon you preach must be intentional to equip and reach. This is the hardest thing about preaching as you must equip and reach at the same time. You are not a professor simply educating willing minds, you are also an evangelist reaching the lost. I call this style of preaching the shotgun method. You’re preaching must be sprinkled with multiple pellets of teaching, encouraging, calling, convicting, and reaching. Here’s the good news, this is why “study.” We cannot do this – we need the filling of the Holy Spirit. Our preaching is what separates us from motivational speakers, salesman, and professors. “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” I Corinthians 2:4 As a pastor, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the culture of the church.

When He does, preach on it with passion. #2 – Explain the Culture You See Use plain language and to the point describe the culture you see, the culture you know the church should have. If your church has a culture of “Us and Tradition” then paint a picture of what that church looks like in ten years of in-reach. You then begin to ask, “What is the mission of the church and how much of what we do fulfills the great commission?”

You must call them to action by showing them the next steps.

You must instruct them on how a church operates, the mechanics of a spiritual body, the mission of the church, the ministry of each member, and the role of pastors.

Repetition is your best friend. Changing culture is all about changing habits. Habits change as language changes. Language changes as we learn a new system of thought. The culture that is present is ingrained in the minds of the people.

#4 – Show them the goal Every culture has a goal. For the plateaued/declining church the goal is self-preservation. In any culture there are boundaries. These boundaries are only removed as a new worthy goal is realized.

Many of our churches have forgotten how to go after the goal.

The lines have been blurred between mission and existence. Far too many churches operate as if all the lost people have been saved. All of our churches need a constant reminder of what our mission is and how we obtain it.

Keeping the goal in front of the church is a visual way of keeping the steps in mind. As the church catches sight of the steps they will see the path and seeing the path will lead them to remember the destination.

Change as a follower of Christ is naturally unnatural. It is part of the process of being a follower of Christ. Here’s the point: As you change the culture, the people will know the change that needs to happen. This doesn’t mean they will change, but they will instinctively know that change must happen.

And then guess what? The Culture has changed!

Ron Smith is the Lead Pastor of WaterStone Church in Longwood and serves as Co-Leader of Renovate One Day Training as well as serving on staff of the Renovate Coaching Network. Follow Ron at RonBSmithJr.com for leadership material and sporadic blogs.

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New Wineskins

By Steve Smith “You cannot put new wine into old wineskins.” Jesus explained. I know that believers like to think the way they ‘do church’ is just a continuation of the past, but every fresh movement of the Spirit ushers in the need for change. Structures that were new to us, or to a previous generation, may have served their purpose and have to be replaced with new wineskins.

This is not about ditching the essence of what we are. What makes up a healthy church culture cannot be lost. This includes what I call the Five Focuses: 1) A deep love for God which causes us to worship Him; 2) Being changed into Jesus’ likeness by the transformational Gospel; 3) Fulfilling the ‘One Another’s,’ especially loving each other; 4) Seeing the lost so we will sow the gospel among them; and 5) Developing ourselves into an army for the Lord through discipleship. Any church who does these five things consistently will make a gospel impact on their community.

So why pursue new wineskins? Frankly, your church may not be doing these Five Focuses as well as you wish you were.

And the old structures, the old ways, are not helping you move forward in refocusing your congregation on the reason God has you in your community at this time. Perhaps your evangelizing system has devolved down to a handful of

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faithful believers, with few people actually crossing the line of faith. Maybe your discipling system is not raising up new coworkers for Jesus’ kingdom. Possibly your small group system attracts just a fraction of your congregation and when new people show up, they’re either not welcomed or not interested.

Keep in mind that your church’s culture is the result of 18 interacting ministry systems.* Change how you do just one of these systems and the whole culture is affected. Revitalization usually requires changes in multiple systems. You can imagine how much this will make people uncomfortable.

Change is an emotional issue, not just a revitalizing one. And discomfort is one of the main reasons people will push back against this new wineskin you are being led to fill with new wine.

So, you know you are now on a quest to build something new which will involve change. And you can already hear that famous criticism rumbling in the background. “Why do we need to change this? We have always done it this way.”

You may be wondering how you can lead change in your congregation and have them on board with you. I suggest you follow the following three steps to help your congregation manage the internal structural changes that must come.

Lead with Vision, Not Change One pastor I coached asked about how to get people in his congregation to serve. He needed more people for his First Impressions and Follow-up teams. I explained that recruiting follows vision. If you are going to bring about change in your church, you have to lead with the vision, not the change.

I made this kind of mistake in my second church. I had initiated a series of changes over a short period of time, feeling my way along because I did not actually know for sure what was going to work for us. I just knew we needed to structure ourselves differently to become more effective as a church.

But I had failed to discuss with my leaders how what I was changing was connected with our Vision. One of them finally confronted me and asked the reasons for the change. Granted, they trusted me and were trying their best to follow my lead. But they could not get inside my head, so they believed I was making changes for change sake. That honest conversation woke me up. After that, I started sharing the Vision strategy. It was then that the changes made sense to them.

One of the important steps you will take in the revitalization process is refocusing your church’s Vision on its harvest field.

But having such a vision will not serve you well if you merely put it on your website or carry it around in your head. You have to continually share the Vision to remind your church what it is about. Every weekend service, in some fashion, you need to connect the changes that are taking place, as well as the positive results, to the Vision. If you do this consistently, you will find over time that even if people are uncomfortable initially, they will trust that God will use these changes to accomplish His purpose through them.

Give Leadership of New Structures to Others Do not fall into the trap of trying to carry your church’s structure on your back. In order to help your congregation navigate the change, you need leaders from among them to carry out specific roles. Avoid being the pastor that leads too many ministry systems because it is easier to do it yourself.

I see this far too often. I give pastors a card listing the 18 ministry systems and ask them to circle all the ones that they or their spouse lead. The average is 8-9 circles before the pastor looks up and sheepishly admits to being unbalanced. In my book, Church Gamechanger, I explain that the pastor is biblically responsible for only three things—being the doctrinal anchor of the church, leading the vision strategy to reach the community with the gospel, and raising up new leaders. The rest of the systems should be led by someone else, especially when your church is changing how it does certain systems.

You have to recruit personally. Go to the right person you need and explain the ‘why’ of the change. Ask them to help—not you, but the church—gain new ground for Jesus’ kingdom. Ask them to work with you as this change takes root. By doing this before you start developing new struc-

tures, you let that leader ‘buy into’ the process. This gives them a sense of being on the team God will use to bring revitalization to their church family.

Say Thank You God may use you to lead your church in revitalization, but remember that He is also using those who follow your lead.

They may be just as challenged by the change as the rest of the congregation. The learning curve of the change may be steep for them and they probably will make mistakes, or perhaps become discouraged, before the new wineskin becomes comfortable.

This is the moment that one aspect of your leadership will either make or break the change process. That aspect is saying, “Thank you.” to all those who are taking faith steps with you. When you express true gratitude to all of those who are learning the ways of this renewed purpose God has for your church, it can often renew their resolve to see the change through.

Develop habits of expressing gratitude. Send out texts or emails regularly when you see your co-leaders hitting homeruns. Or when they are struggling with an error. Call them and say thanks. Take them out to coffee and tell them how much you appreciate that God has brought you together for this common purpose. Mail them a personal note. And pray for them when you are with them.

Change is not a bad word, but you have to manage changes well. And managing them well is not about pushing them through. It is about people, about relationships. * To see the 18 Ministry Systems, go to: https://churchequippers.com/systems/ Steve Smith Dr. Steve Smith is the Founder of Church Equippers Ministries, equipping churches to make and retain more disciples. He trains pastors by coaching them in Church GameChangers, which includes training in transformational discipleship and the step-by-step building of church ministry systems. For more information, go to: www.churchequippers.com.

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The Leadership Link:

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Initiating Structural Changes to Achieve Revitalization

By Michael Atherton You are likely reading this magazine because one of the following two statements are true. First, you serve and/ or attend a church that is in desperate need of revitalization. Second, you are a leader and you are wanting to consider leadership characteristics, particularly as they are applied to the discipline of Church revitalization. Though you may be tempted to think that puts you in a small group of church leaders in America, the fact of the matter is, you would be wrong in such an assumption.

Today, nearly 85% of American churches are in desperate need of revitalization. If you are to lead revitalization, there are some structural changes you are going to have to make within your church. Though this may not be an exhaustive list, let me offer a few items for you to consider.

straint (Proverbs 29:18). Think about that for a moment, where there is no vision, people are without restraint. Another way of thinking about this is that everyone is doing their own thing; there is chaos amongst the people. The church that is vital, that is healthy, that is growing, is going to be a church where the vision is clear and compelling.

“The need for revitalization is clearly documented.

The call for revitalization is evident. Now we need more and more leaders who are willing to take on the challenge of revitalization.”

Prayer is essential in revitalization Prayer is one of the most important revitalization tools that we have available to us, yet it is often the most neglected tool in our toolbox.

At the end of the day, as a leader you may have all kinds of good ideas and thoughts, but revitalization is really less about your good ideas and more about God’s ideas. We learn God’s ideas when we spend concentrated and focused time with Him, in prayer.

The degree you are willing to employ prayer in your revitalization ministry will be directly corollary to the degree you will experience revitalization in your ministry.

Vision directs revitalization With so much having been written about vision statements and the value of vision, it is appropriate to consider the impact of vision on a revitalization project. The Bible suggest that where there is no vision, people cast off re-

A Revitalizer must feel a sense of calling What is the calling of a revitalizer?

Can anyone revitalize a ministry?

Should anyone revitalize a ministry? These are interesting questions that should be asked, though admittedly finding the answers may be a bit difficult. Nevertheless, we want to challenge to consider the calling of the revitalizer and what that role looks like, both prior to, and in the middle of, the revitalizing process. Beware, if you are not called to and accept the responsibility for revitalization of a ministry, you will become awfully discouraged by the long and difficult road that awaits you.

Revitalization requires risk taking Revitalization is a risky business. Why? Because there is no one single formula that will universally work, regardless of the context. Every church has a unique history, DNA, context, people, and polity. What works well in one place may completely fail in another place. Therefore, leadership has to be willing to take risks and make decisions that may never have considered before. Revitalization is clearly an exercise in water-walking faith. An unwillingness for risk taking likely means that your revitalization results will be anemic, at best.

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Revitalizers value people God’s Word has quite a bit to be said for how church leaders are to treat and value the people of the Church. In this particular section, we will examine the life and ministry of Paul and gain an appreciation for how he valued people. By following his example, we can strengthen the church and see revitalization, because the effort becomes a shared responsibility and not simply hierarchical edict.

Revitalization acknowledges a clear sense of mission.

Might we be so bold today to affirm church revitalization is a missional work. Why? Because the church is a missional organization. The church being referred to as the body of Christ is found in the clear sense of mission which is conveyed because of this designation. When God called the church unto himself, through Christ, the church became on mission with God that a world dead in sin might become alive in Christ. Extrapolating from the life of Paul, it is obvious that Paul’s calling in Christ changed Paul’s priorities in life. Prior to his Damascus Road experience, Paul persecuted Christ and His people. After the experience, Paul began to live his life by a new mission aimed at strengthening God’s church.

Understanding that through sin, man has made a calamitous mess of this world, God by virtue of His grace has offered mankind a road back to perfect fellowship with himself. Having been delivered by Christ from the corruption of this world, the church is now positioned to make an impact on the Kingdom of God, by carrying out God’s mission for her. Though the chief aim of this study is not to exegete the mission of the church, suffice it at this point to say that the kind of service God desires is for the redeemed community to live according to the principles and precepts of His Word. As such, the body of Christ adapts the mission of God. Its missional quality exists regardless of how well we do at expressing it.

Revitalizers understand how to lead change It has been suggested that nobody likes change. The antithesis to that notion is: everybody likes change, they just want it on their terms. I am not entirely sure that everybody likes change, but it does seem that everybody likes change on their own terms. The challenge you have as a revitalizer is to try and create a culture that allows people to see change from a perspective which they want to embrace, not resist. Clearly, that is easier said than done.

Nevertheless, it is largely not the responsibility of the followers to embrace the leader’s agenda, it is the respon-

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sibility to help convince the followers that the agenda is what is best for the organization and by inference, the followers as well.

God’s Word has become our greatest revitalization tool The author of Hebrews reminds us that the Word of God is alive and active and that it is sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). For this to be the case, we must come to acknowledge that we must rely on Scripture more than the teachings of the last conference.

We must recognize the value of Scripture, more than the experiences of others. We must learn from the examples of Scripture, more than the antidotes of revitalization theorists. Scripture must remain our plumb line and theories, teachings, and thoughts of others must remain secondary.

A concluding thought…

Finally, church revitalization has as its aim, growth, and health. Please take note, it is not an either/or proposition, it is a both/and proposition. Biblical revitalization happens when growth and health are achieved. You will not achieve growth, if you are unwilling to do the hard work of developing a healthy church environment, which usually comes when the revitalizer is willing to consider the structural changes necessary to move the church forward. The need for revitalization is clearly documented.

The call for revitalization is evident. Now we need more and more leaders who are willing to take on the challenge of revitalization.

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

Let’s Cover the Land in

Thank You Jesus Signs!

How it all started...

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

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

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

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

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

t r a p e Becofmthe o !

T N E M E MOV

www.thankyoujesussigns.com

Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Renewal

By Mark Weible

I was recently in a Zoom call with several national movement leaders discussing the future of church ministry after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. There was a sentiment in the group that, in the not-so-distant future, everything will return to “normal.” While I agree that there will be a return to some semblance of normalcy, I felt the need to express that, “We can’t unlearn what we’ve learned.” In 2020, we’ve all navigated several changes that have been thrust upon us. As church leaders, we have changed. The people that we lead have changed and the people that they lead have changed. Our communities have changed, our cultures have changed, and our world has experienced rapid change. For example, a report produced by IBM indicates that the pandemic has accelerated the adaptation of e-commerce by five years and no one is expecting that trend to reverse itself after the pandemic.1 Responding to changes in human behavior has required us to accelerate the pace of learning and adapting to new means and methods of communicating with our people, marketing our churches, and gathering together virtually.

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ic world. Research conducted by the Barna organization shows that 36% of practicing Christians will prefer a hybrid of both digital and physical gatherings post-pandemic.2 If your church was not live-streaming before the pandemic, should you stop live-streaming post-COVID? If you started offering virtual small groups during the lock-down, will you take away that option in the post-pandemic period? If you retract your digital gathering options when it becomes safe to gather in person, you may risk alienating people who’ve discovered that they like gathering virtually. It is possible and highly likely that your church has connected with some people online that you had not previously reached in the physical realm. It would be nice if you could get them to attend your physical events, but will you cut them off if they don’t? Instead of planning for a post-pandemic reversal, why not plan for a post-pandemic revival?

Everyone wants to get back to “normal” but not everyone will. That is the reality that we have to deal with as we prepare our churches to do ministry in the post-pandem-

Instead of trying to snap back to the past, why don’t we clear a new path to the future? Let’s face it, the digital tools that we have available to us today have made it much easier for us to navigate a pandemic than it was for previous generations. Other natural and man-made disasters will likely happen in the future, so let’s not unlearn what we’ve

1 https://www.ibm.com/industries/retail-consumer-products

2 https://www.barna.com/research/watching-online-church/

learned and keep pushing ahead. Also, is it possible that God allowed all of us to go through this trying time in order to prepare us for better days ahead? It is possible that we are standing at the threshold of a period of renewal for the Church that could result in a new great awakening.

According to Pew Research, one-quarter of Americans say that their faith has been strengthened due to the Coronavirus pandemic.3 Churches in need of revitalization could restructure for greater growth opportunities during and after the pandemic. One of the greatest challenges to revitalization is the resistance to change that can be found within the church. However, 2020 has been a year of change for everyone.

While we are in the midst of change, and while we have somewhat of a consensus that change within the church is inevitable, let’s restructure in order to be more effective at reaching people during a time when many are facing their greatest life challenges. A message on the Saddleback Church website sums it up this way:

There are hurting people all around your church who have lost loved ones, lost their jobs, lost their sense of self-sufficiency, and are crying out for help. This is the time for your church to develop ways to respond to these needs.

The positive effect of looking outward will better prepare your church for revitalization and renewal. You can nurture compassion on the part of your people through your preaching, your blog and social media posts, and your personal ministry as you help them to navigate this crisis. You can help them to discover what the Apostle Paul learned from the comfort that he received from God during his travels through the province of Asia:

“Instead of trying to snap back to the past, why don’t we clear a new path to the future?”

Every need in the world is an OPEN DOOR to share God’s love. That’s why, as a church family, we’re responding to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, not by panicking or hiding out of fear, but by serving the people who are most vulnerable.4 One of the healthiest things that you can do for your church is to help them to turn their focus away from themselves toward God so that they can see the needs of hurting people all around them. This pandemic could be the greatest outreach opportunity that you have as a church, if you learn to see people the way that Jesus sees them: When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9: 36) 3 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/30/fewamericans-say-their-house-of-worship-is-open-but-a-quartersay-their-religious-faith-has-grown-amid-pandemic/ 4 https://saddleback.com/coronaresponse

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

(II Corinthians 1: 6-7)

Why would we want to go back to doing things the way we did before the pandemic when we can use this time of change to be better prepared to reach more people while they are searching for answers during their greatest life challenges? We can’t unlearn what we’ve learned, and we’ve learned a lot in 2020. Let’s use it for the glory of God.

Mark Weible serves as the Church Planting Director of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association and the strategic Director of the Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference. Mark has a wealth of experience as a church planter and local church coach. Mark is passionate about church multiplication, renewal, planting, and coaching.

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

Where Should We Start?

By Tracy Jaggers I have discovered when a person is starting to build or rebuild, they first take a look at the foundation and determine whether the entire structure must be bulldozed or if it simply needs to be reinforced or stabilized. So where should we start when considering a revitalization process? Start where you are, with what you have and what you know; relying on the Great Architect of the Universe to lead and guide. This is the power for a renovation or rebuilding process.

We normally utilize documentation, observations, and evaluations to give a clear picture on the past and present of the church. We also dig into the community and the membership to hear the heart and soul of those surrounding the church, to gain insight into what the community needs and their receptivity to gospel ministry. Order a demographic study package from your association or state convention so you have a clear understanding of those who live around the church property.

There are other considerations: permits to pull and soil samples Consult the Church Documents to make certain you are hanto be analyzed. These ensure a level of security and safety of- dling the business of this process in a manner that is in comfered by the earthly sphere. pliance with the Constitution and Bylaws. Review the Mission Statement and Values to determine if they rightly disclose who We had a church in our association that was sinking (literally). the members say they are. Give a truthful disclosure to the My first Sunday visiting, I noticed the sanctuary was leaning community about who you are and what you are about. downhill from the entrance to the stage. As I walked toward the stage, I felt the floor giving way, similar to a trampoline. It was Here is a list of resources to ponder as you prepare to start: built on an underground spring! The floor joists were rotting, and the sanctuary was sinking into the spring. The church soon 1. A congregational survey: followed by face-to-face member closed and gave the problem to the city. The members joined interviews and Staff/Leadership assessments. another sister church and the building was condemned.

2. Observations and evaluations: These are not for the purIf appropriate structural protocols had been sought out, and pose of being picky, critical or negative. They help the church adhered to, this church building may have been saved and the make a great first impression and correct things that may be a gospel ministry would have continued in this small river-side distraction or “turn off” to new guests. Observing the worship hamlet. service can be arduous and invasive. Pastors and staff rarely view their ministry as needing work, but let’s face it, we all need The questions are: Where should we start and how can we de- adjustments and repair. The entire worship event is inspected, velop a beginning that is firmly founded on the Rock of Jesus and adjustments are offered from the prelude to the closing Christ? Mark Twain said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting prayer. Sound, lighting, music, announcements, offering, serstarted.” So, let’s start! mon, technology, invitation, etc. are all examined. No stone is left unturned. Nothing is sacred or untouchable.

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3. Facilities: clear, smooth sidewalks; parking lots free of potholes; bathrooms, cleaned, sanitized and odor-free; appropriate and culturally-sensitive wall decorations; ample room sizes for safe-distancing; clean and safe floor coverings; clean and safe children’s areas and security protocols are all placed under the microscope. They must enhance, attract, and assist the health and growth of the church. I have observed walls that a fresh coat of paint would have fixed, and base boards that could use a dusting or a wet wipe. People, even guests, expect God’s house to be clean and safe. It takes little extra effort to respect people and honor our Lord. Everyone should be drawn to the beauty of His Bride and her surroundings. Facilities can easily turn people off. Let’s not let the building turn their eyes away from Him.

that promise a high-energy, innovative worship experience and don’t deliver on Sunday are deceptive. Every social media system has its good side, but be careful and monitor your site often. Determine the purpose and the target audience of each media site. Will it speak genuinely about who you are and why you exist? Help users gain clear information about your congregation. Above all, use it to honor the Lord and draw others to Him?

I consulted with a church that had specific church service times in their Constitution. They couldn’t adjust their service time without a two-week, notified meeting and a seventy-five percent affirmative vote. That’s crazy! With the COVID-19 pandemic, churches have had to stretch the principles and practices of their Constitution and Bylaws just to keep the Word 4. Parking: Statistics verify, once spaces are filled to 80%, going forth and stay connected with their congregants and guests and irregular attendees feel they are intruding and will their community. turn around and exit the lot. We should provide adequate and safe parking. Guest parking should be easily located, and Hand- The church is a family and as family we have times when the icap spaces should lead safely to the main entrance. Give clear boundaries are tested and crossed. Revitalization has become directions to these special parking areas. They should be near a term that strikes fear in the heart of many a church leader! the “Welcome Center”.

It is hard, it is long, and it is risky! It has been my observation though, that everything worth fighting for or striving after Offer plenty of time for the exchange of cars between multiple is worth the risk. What about the souls of lost men, women, services. What you don’t see outdoors is inviting frustration and and children? Do we really care enough to tear down the old anger before entering the sanctuary. Remember, there is indoor structures of the past to open the floodgates of possibilities traffic to contend with as well! Crowds are exciting, but they can for a healthy, hopeful, and thriving future? also cause fear (especially in these days of safe distancing and face masks).

So, I end as I began – Where do we start? I believe we must start right here and right now. The battle is raging for the lost 5. Signage: Have easily visible, easily followed signs. Make cer- souls of humanity. We must abandon “church as usual,” and tain they are bright and inviting. Use wording everyone will begin a new surge of evangelism and discipleship that adrecognize (Worship Center; Youth Center; Children’s Building; heres to the final words of our Lord. Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go Preschoolers, etc.). Keep road signs free of weeds, vines, and and make disciples of all the peoples of the world, baptizing obstructions. If they need new lettering or paint, do something them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy about it immediately. Guests often judge a church by its social Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands media footprint and signage.

I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Acts 1:8 - “You shall receive power How understandable are your interior signs? Can everyone lo- when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be cate the necessary areas of interest (worship venue; nursery; witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, children’s area; restrooms)? and to the end of the earth.” Start now!

6. Technology: Churches, large and small, have been forced into the world of audio and video technology. Some are using Facebook, others have incorporated YouTube or live streaming through their web page. Meetings are now held by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Facetime. Let me give a simple word of knowledge – if you choose to present your church online, be genuine and honest about who you are and what you can fulfill. Do not oversell yourself! If you use Facebook instead of a web page, remember to provide vital information that must be a part of any social media site (service times, location, email addresses and phone numbers to which you will really respond, etc.). Utilize your Website and Facebook to spread the Gospel and draw the unchurched to a point of salvation or conversation. Churches

Tracy Jaggers is the Associational Director of Missions of Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, Illinois.

Tracy earned his D.Min. in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. He writes for state and national revitalization organizations and speaks for state and national revitalization conferences and webinars.

He is contributing author for the book entitled, Practical Tools for Reinventing the Dying Church. He and his wife, Lorna, have 5 children and 5 grandsons.

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WHERE IS YOUR CHURCH? FIND OUT FOR FREE! Go to: BONUS:

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Your Church Lifecycle Assessment Report will reveal your church’s Lifecycle Macro-Stage and will guide you through a deeper self-assessment to reveal your church’s Lifecycle Micro-Stage. Also, the report will include the opportunity for you to go even further in your selfdiscovery through a contextual S.W.O.T. Analysis and a GO Center original, the G.R.A.C.E. Analysis. It’s all FREE as our gift to you from the GO Center, your revitalization resource.

Ken Priddy, PhD Executive Director kenpriddy.com@gmail.com 804-306-7942 www.gocenterinfo.com

The Winds of Change

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Leading Through Challenging Times

By Desmond Barrett In early March, it became apparent that the church would have to change. Covid-19 was sweeping across the nation and had come to my corner of the world. With the threat of an unknown, and unseen virus lurking at the church’s door, the church board decided to close its doors for four months.

During those four months, the church would still serve our people but in a hybrid model with services held via the internet, communication taking place through social media, and weekly post cards using old mediums to connect with my people. Throughout the Christian church’s history, there have been challenges, but a tiny remnant of believers has always been used by God to do extraordinary things. For the first time outside of the traditional difficulties in a revitalization effort, the winds of change had blown in a pandemic that no one of my generation had ever encountered.

As my local church was coming off the second-best year in the past fourteen years, the pandemic’s timing would grind to a halt all the momentum built up.

Over the next six months, the church would lose 50% of its in-person worship attendance, its Youth Pastor, Children’s Director, Worship Leader, and a Board Member. Each of these losses, born together, created a massive loss while trying to navigate through a pandemic. 2020 will go down in my ministry and that of the local church as one of the most challenging years in the local church’s history. Church revitalization has taught me not to get too emotionally down when falling back after moving forward in a church year. In life, a revitalizer experiences a lot of starts and stops along the way. Instead of being discouraged by all the negative changes, I have taken on the view to see it as positive, believing that God is moving the right pieces in place for the next season of acceleration in the church’s life. I paused with each loss and celebrated those who served in this last season and then began to look forward to who God would bring to help build the church in the next season of her life.

During this change period, as I sought God in prayer, he spoke four-reminders while leading through challenging times that could become your markers for sustaining yourself during a changing season.

Hold to the promise of the call Stressful times in ministry can cause one to question their call. I am hearing that more and more pastors are walking away from their calling to the local church because of the high-stress moments and unrealistic expectations placed upon them by their people, and themselves, during a change year. The revitalizer must ask themself: who called me? Who do I serve? If the answer is the local church, they are already putting themselves at a disadvantage to their true calling. The call that has been placed on a pastor’s life is from God. It is spirit-filled and divinely given. During this

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season, the tools that are needed are already inside of the called; the called in turn, must realize that the desires, or the lack thereof, regarding fulfillment is not from God but from doubt sowed by the evil one. God believes in the revitalizer. God has called the revitalizer. God wants the revitalizer to hold firm to his call and not doubt the challenges that lay before him, but the revitalizer must obey and stick it out.

Be patience with the pace of change Do you remember the very first time you walked into what would become your church? The sense of expectation, the calling to a new place and people. There was a newness of it all. Like most pastors, you had a significant honeymoon period where you could do no wrong. But over time, there started to be pushback.

More and more, the pioneers of the church tried to reassert their control. With that, the conflict appeared between the pastor and the pioneers. Forcing the pastor to decide does he stay or move on. The revitalizer should remember that they are in a marathon, not a sprint. The downturn in the church did not happen overnight and will not be reversed quickly.

The pace of change must be localized, understanding the needs on the ground at that local church and not seen through the church’s eyes down the street.

Patience becomes the long-term guide in a significant turnaround. Any structural change should be done to build upon each step as building blocks of future effectiveness, becoming permanent over time. Change is never easy, and for a change agent like a revitalizer, it can be frustrating. However, patience becomes the key to enduring a seasonal change and coming out the other side healthy and robust.

important one. Sadly, I have heard of too many pastors during this season, pushing through their vision and missing what the people want and need. In turn, they are being run out of town. God reminded me as I prayed for direction, slow down, do not rush through this challenging season, but instead embrace it and glean lessons for the future.

Be willing to change The church I had last spring is not the same church I have today. I bet if you look around your church, you could say the same thing. Instead of praying that God would bring you back to the ‘glory days’ of last spring, begin to pray that God would change your heart to see the change as useful. I can already hear someone saying, “No way!” I get it; change is hard. Yet we ask our churches to change so they can become healthy again. Can’t we take our own medicine? Throughout scripture, we read how God changed destinies through an obedient heart. What is God calling you to die too? Numbers? The lack of control? Whatever pains you when you think of your church during this season, that is the thing that must die. Give it to God and allow him to carry that burden. Be a willing vessel that God can shape and reshape to meet the challenges of the moment. Do not be like one of your pioneers that holds tightly to the past. Be adaptable and allow God to use you in a new way in this exciting season.

“Whatever pains you when you think of your church during this season, that is the thing that must die. Give it to God and allow him to carry that burden.”

Embrace the season you are in Change is an inevitable part of life and ministry. As the church adapts to changes instituted by the pastor, the revitalizer must embrace the change that this pandemic has forced upon the church. As a change agent, the revitalizer must assume what he can change in front of him while keeping an eye on what is up ahead. At times revitalizers get caught in the ‘horizon effect’ where they are looking too far forward; they get tripped up on the small things in front of them and slow down the progress. When the winds of change are pushing against a revitalizer’s momentum, he needs to redouble his efforts in paying attention to what is happening in the current season before he gets too far ahead acting on the next season. This is a delicate balancing act for sure, but an

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I know for sure that as I close out the most challenging year in my ministry, God is still on the throne, and he still cares about the local church. As a pastor, I have had to adapt to the new norms, while always helping my church progress forward, while pastoring a church that does not look like the one I started with at the beginning of the year. God has reminded me to hold fast to his call, have patience with myself and others, embrace this season of change, and be willing to change to meet the challenges of this new season. With God, we all will get through this and come out better for it.

Desmond Barrett is lead pastor at Summit Church of the Nazarene in Ashland, Kentucky, and has done extensive research in the area of church revitalization. He is a church revitalizer, consultant, coach, and mentor to revitalizing pastors and churches.

Back to the Basics in Church Structure

By Steve Sells How important is church structure in the church? Most would say it is very important but would further admit that the church that has been living in a specific operational structure is very difficult to turn around. Consequently this is the structural battle any church revitalizer and revitalization effort will face.

Any organization, especially the church, should have a structure that is rooted in its purpose. Likewise, the kind of structure that the church develops should be a way to organize its activities in order to accomplish its mission.

The New Testament structural model is the only true avenue to successful church revitalization.

When structure stops the church from growing and moving forward with its New Testament mission, the church needs to reimagine “WHY” it exists, “WHAT” its purpose really is, and “HOW” it can, in a New Testament way, once again accomplish its mission and purpose. Often, structure is the last thing to get addressed during a revitalization process but it is critical to the church’s growth. There needs to be a Biblical reordering of a church’s structure.

What are some of the structural changes necessary for church revitalization that are evident in the early New Testament Church? In other words…what is the Biblical way of structuring the church for success in revitalization?

First, there must be a shift from Attractional to Missional evangelism. The attractional church model attempts to evangelize the community by attracting people to special events and programs. This approach assumes that if you offer people some type of entertainment or event they enjoy they will come to church when these special programs cease. It assumes that somehow these special events and programs will cause the attendees to want to find Christ and become Christians. However, this assumption is flawed in several ways:

1. This approach, at least in part, causes the church to become “consumer” driven rather than driven by the spiritual needs of those around the church. The consumer approach to church structure does not make disciples, on the contrary, all it does is attract consumers.

2. It becomes very difficult to replicate. An old preacher friend of mine once said to me as we discussed the concept of Attractional church, “if you get people to church by giving them a hot dog, in order to keep them coming back you will probably, sooner or later, have to give them

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a steak.” It has been said “what you win them BY is what you win them TO.” Many churches expect people just simply to show up on Sunday as a result of some event or program, but the fact is very few very seldom remain constant.

The church must begin to give the much needed “bread of life” to those in the community that God has entrusted to the church…that “bread of life” is the Word of God and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

3. This approach denigrates the entirety of the Great Commission. It destroys the Missional model that teaches and produces a sense of being sent. The attractional model of doing church is the least productive method of evangelism. Furthermore, it tends to destroy any personal responsibility that the Christian should have to be a witness for Christ. The Bible states that we are Ambassadors for Christ.

A great supportive verse to the Great Commission is 2 Corinthians 5:20 where it says “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

In the Missional model there is always a sense of going.

John 20:21 says “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

This simply means taking the good news to them rather than asking them to come to us as a church. Its emphasis is “go” not “come.”

Second, the Church must enact discipleship training.

The total message of the “Great Commission” is “go, teach and make disciples” and the church has utterly failed at this task. The Matthew 28:19-20 passage clearly shows the teaching of Jesus that discipleship is the task of the local church. It further implies that growing in Christ is the key to growing a healthy church. Simply stated, healthy and growing churches are discipling churches. However, the church seems to be reaping the harvest of years of ignoring this very important task. This is seen clearly in the fact that 90% of evangelical churches are in plateau and or decline.

It seems that the church has made its mind up that discipleship is no longer important and does not deserve our attention. However, it should be noted that when a church fails to develop disciples the church becomes filled with spiritual babies who have little or no understanding of how to live with clarity the Christian life.

There is no doubt that Jesus entrusted the work of discipleship to the twelve who followed Him closely. He focused on training the twelve so they in turn would train others. Jesus intended for this to be an ongoing process that had potential to change the world. Discipleship was foundational to the ministry of Jesus and He intended it to be foundational for the church as well.

Third, the troops must be activated. The church must have a plan. Very few churches have a plan to reach their “Jerusalem.” In fact many Christians don’t have a clue as to how to share their faith with anyone. Acts 1:8 says “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” What is the plan?

1. “But you shall receive power”…the power of the Holy Spirit. No real effort at evangelism should ever be pursued without first having the power to accomplish it. That power can only be found in the presence of the Holy Spirit of God.

2. “And you shall be witnesses”…to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the greatest message ever given…a message of life, forgiveness, love, hope, and salvation.

That message given by a witness will change the church community and the world.

3. Where? Beginning right where the church is…where you are. Then in the state, then the nation and then the world. The end goal of the Great Commission as given to the church is to reach the world with the Gospel, beginning at home.

Fourth, the Church must get beyond its four walls. The first step in activating the troops is getting outside ones comfort zone. The church must stop depending on things that will draw people to it and begin to take the message to the world. Many churches have turned so inward that they don’t even realize the needs that are next door to their church. Many churches have succumbed to a “Me, Mine, and Ours” attitude that seems to be crushing the life out of the church. The church must get outside its walls in order to succeed in revitalization.

When we make these clear New Testament changes in structure to the church...the church will become a life changing agent and stop being a commodity that consumers can and will often take for granted.

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

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Blessed Are the Flexible

By Matt Henslee The Beatitudes. We all know them and have probably preached a few times, even if they are a bit difficult to live.

Found in Matthew 5 and part of the “Sermon on the Mount,” they include: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

In church revitalization, you will inevitably deal with some structural changes. Add in a worldwide pandemic, and you may be calling more audibles than Peyton Manning! One thing is sure, however, and that is how every change is an opportunity to seize.

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Take, for example, online sermons.

I do not know about you, but I think preaching to an empty room is about as fun as doing my taxes. I feed off of our congregation, so I always feel “flat” when staring at an iPhone-turned-sideways on top of a stool with a percussion toy keeping the phone steady. Confused? You should preach at it! All I see is my ugly mug staring back at me, all the while hoping this makeshift video production won’t fall when the heater turns on.

But, it was a change we seized. As we transitioned from drive-in services to two services to one service, we still had several people unable or uncomfortable coming inside to worship. Some already struggled with comorbidities––adding a virus would almost assuredly be a death sentence. So, online sermons. I might hate them, but they are a Godsend.

What’s more, God has used these sermons to reach people If Jesus said them in 2020, I am convinced he would add in almost all 50 states. Suddenly, a change that started as a an 11th: stop-gap for our home-bound folks became an evangelistic opportunity to seize. I began to ask myself, “How can I “Blessed are the flexible, give every viewer a chance to respond?” for they will not be bent out of shape.”

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I started by simply asking people in the description to share where they were from, what they learned, and if they needed prayer or some assistance. Crickets. Then we started assigning a few members to rotate “attending” our online service to engage those tuning in. Most attending were doing so passively, so again––crickets. That is when I got the idea to make my conclusion as normal as possible and add an invitation—home run.

play the long-game, and keep temporal change in perspective against eternal matters.

2. Start small.

I mean this in two ways: in the change itself and in how you go about changing it. First, start small in the change itself. Your first change should not be moving from deacons to elders or redesigning the sanctuary, for example. That takes time. Instead, several small changes will build trust A Change Seized. and buy-in from folks that learn to believe in the changes Now, as I conclude my sermons, I extend an invitation to you enact over time. email me for follow-up. To date, three people have trusted in Jesus through this change––to God be the glory! All Speaking of buy-in, the second way I mean this: start three were from different states, and I connected each one small––share the change with staff (if you have them), to a church near them. In fact, we have had as many profes- share it with a small group of people in your corner you can sions of faith over the past three months in person as we trust, and steadily increase that number over a few weeks. have had “online.”

As more people “buy-in,” begin to share it with a few influential folks in the church. Gauge their reaction to anticipate Nothing is as awkward as feeling like that guy that says, (and answer) potential push-back.

“But wait, there’s more! If you email me right now, I’ll send you on a first-class trip to glory!” But at the same time, with Dropping a change on unsuspecting members is a recipe hundreds of folks we may never see in our tiny town tuning for a “no” vote. However, if you build a little support behind in, I want to make sure each one has an opportunity to talk the scenes, the change is not only unsurprising to folks, you to someone and be able to connect with a local church. It’s will also have some folks in your corner to support it. weird, but it is worth it.

3. Carefully use the pulpit.

Change Ain’t Always This Easy.

One change we made was welcoming children in the serAll I did was add an email to the end of my sermon. That vice. When applicable in the text I was preaching, I iterated is an easy change, for sure. It was far easier than taking the change by way of application. Do not turn your pulpit 150 people from pews to the parking lot, staying within into a bully pulpit, but use it when able to apply the text’s ever-changing restrictions and public health orders, and truths to the way you need to do things. likely whatever you need to change. But the lesson is the same: Change happens, it isn’t always easy, but it is always For example, maybe your deacons are more of a board of worth it. directors than servants. If you are doing a sermon series in Acts, highlight their actual role as you study chapter six.

In church revitalization, you might have to change just about everything from the carpet and logo to organiza- Now you are ready to remember the 11th Beatitude I addtional structures that have the church stuck in a death spi- ed, “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out ral. In some churches, I have had an easier time changing of shape.” With your heart where it belongs, you can enact structures than decor! You just never know how change is change small and slowly, using the pulpit when biblically received. Until you change it––then you will undoubtedly faithful to the text. Over time, these smaller changes build know! support and buy-in, leaving the chance bigger changes succeed in the future.

If you need to change something (and you do, or at least Matt Henslee is the pastor of Mayhill will), allow me to suggest a few steps along the way: Baptist Church, a church in the middle of nowhere in southern New Mexico.

1. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve.

Unless it’s an “I Heart Mom” tattoo, don’t wear your heart on He is a D.Min student of expository your sleeve. You see the need for change, you know what it preaching at Southwestern Baptist will accomplish, and you believe it is time. You share it, and Theological Seminary, co-host of Not BAM! Immediate push-back. If your heart is on your sleeve, Another Baptist Podcast, and managthat push-back will be a gut-punch, leaving you defeated. ing editor of LifeWay Pastors, 2nd Vice Unless the change is to affirm something vital like justifica- President of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico, and tion by faith, it is not the end of the world. Take a breath, co-author of Replanting Rural Churches.

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GETTING RID OF THE CLUTTER 68 60

By David Jackson Have you ever watched the cable television show “Hoarders?”

On the program, the viewers are introduced to extreme cases where individuals and families have accumulated obsessive amounts of clutter over the years. This clutter comes to dominate their living space and their lives in obvious ways, at least to everyone beyond the person or family actually hoarding the “stuff.” The issue comes down to control for most of the participants: an attempt to control the past gives them the illusion of control for the future. On the show, the only way to deal with these extreme situations is through what we’ve come to know as an “intervention” from outsiders who care enough to help the person or family reclaim freedom from this clutter that is life-giving, unencumbered by the complexity and accumulation of all this stuff.

Churches in need of revitalization are typically “hoarders” too.

What I mean by that is essentially this: over the years, they have added to their corporate life together. They add events, traditions, programs, facilities, policies, etc., but resist any efforts to subtract or prune away the accumulation of all these things.

In and of itself, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But it presents the church with a series of challenges that need to be addressed. These challenges include the following: • It creates a level of complexity that outpaces the ability or desire of most of its people • It gives the church members an illusion of control in their current situation • It promotes idolatry, a trust and dependence in things or routines, not in God • It paralyzes the church from making the changes needed to help it be effective again Why does this happen? Over time, the church as it grows needs to create patterns of corporate behavior that bring structure out of the chaos of its early (and often, very effective) years. As more people join the church and as it enlarges its footprint in the community, there is a need to move beyond dependence solely on word-of-mouth transmission of strategy and opportunities for participation. Churches codify their processes and programs for communication. The problem is organizations typically replaces effectiveness with efficiency, simplicity with complexity, and chaos with order.

This breeds conformity, and conformity breeds complacency.

As a result, the structural changes promoted to bring clarity and progress typically result in curtailing movement and growth.

Why? In my opinion, it is because of two things that must be recovered by the church: passion and simplicity. Let me explain.

In these churches, passion for Christ is replaced by a motivation for the tried and true ways the church does things around here.

No longer does the motivation have to be internal, from the heart. The church has a system or a pathway that “motivates” the participant, advising him or her on what needs to be done next. The subtle shift from dependence on the Spirit’s lead-

ership to the promoted “duty” ways of the church replace the messenger with the method. Allegiance over time moves to the known from the unknown.

Jesus reminded the church in Ephesus it had lost its first love (Revelation 2:5), and clearly commanded the church to return to this for its future effectiveness. Today, churches need to be reminded that anything it does, not just traditions and events, but routines, policies, and programs, that moves people to action for any motivation short of love for Christ needs to be reevaluated or at least “recast” with clarity and focus on the person and mission of Christ. Otherwise, the program or routine becomes sacrosanct to some, rather than the Savior. In fact, less doing and its resultant busyness and fatigue may enable the church to regain this needed first love once again.

Second, simplicity is the key to keeping the church on mission.

Complexity, if it doesn’t create confusion, certainly lends itself to it. The result is people have a blurred understand of what God has placed the church there to do for His glory. Programs and policies that benefit “us” and bring church members comfort steal their hearts and replace their loyalty to Christ with idolatrous substitutes. Churches need to ask again “why” they are doing what they are doing, and even “how” they are doing it, to make sure everything is in alignment with the mission of Christ.

This is critical to reclaiming the effectiveness the church experienced in earlier years.

Let me close with this suggestion. COVID-19 has been a challenge for all our churches, to say the least. It has turned over the carts of everything done before and left us unsure of what will come next. This is difficult for each of us in our own way, to be sure. But I would recommend you see it in an altogether different way: during this season, and because of the restrictions COVID-19 has imposed on all of our lives, many churches should seize the opportunity to clarify and simplify what it is doing, for the sake of the Gospel. The virus has already broken down many of the forms, structures, and methods used previously in our churches. This can enable a new clarity, a refocus on the essentials, and a renewed passion for our Lord, that transcends the processes and programs we’ve relied on previously. Why not use this time to get rid of the “clutter,” to refuse to hoard even more, and to get back to the basics that enabled your church in previous times to grow and serve effectively? Leverage this time for His glory, and for our own good.

J. David Jackson serves with the North American Mission Board as a Replant specialist for the Northeastern region of the United States. He is the author of the book “ReNEW: Traveling the Forgotten Path,” which addresses the elements necessary for addressing structural changes, among other things, in revitalizing a church. The book can be found at amazon.com. Jackson can be reached at drjdavidjackson@ gmail.com.

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What Structure Can and Cannot Do

By Brian Thorstad I have to admit it. I’m a structure guy. Even during periods when evangelicals seemed intent on denigrating the importance of Biblical, workable, church structures, I’ve stuck to my guns: good structure can help a church to function well, but it certainly can’t do everything.

Biblical, workable, understandable, simple: • constitutions, • by-laws, • governance systems, • job descriptions, • chain of command structures and • policies, all have their place, but they also have their limits.

Specifically, here are some things which structure can and cannot do: 1. Good structure can support life, but it cannot produce life.

Colin Marshall and Tony Payne nailed it with the illustration which was the starting point for their book, The Trellis and the Vine.

A good trellis (structure) gives the vine (a living church body in the Marshall and Payne book) something to grow on. A good trellis supports the vine and helps it to look beautiful. But the trellis is never the focus. Nobody wants their neighbors to admire their trellis; they want their neighbors to admire the vine.

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In the allegory of Jesus in John fifteen, the Vine is Jesus Christ Himself. There is no substitute for the living Christ filling, empowering and leading our churches. We want the world to look at our churches and see Him, not our great structures. Having a great church structure is nice, but having Jesus, in the words of Oliver Price (Pray with Christ), “obviously present and actively in charge” is rare and priceless.

2. Good structure can provide strength, but it cannot provide flexibility. Strength is added to an organization when its simple, understandable structure provides something for people to fall back on. But structure can’t provide the flexibility which will be needed to change the structure when it outlives its usefulness.

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape” applies to churches, just as it applies to individuals. Flexibility in a church is the product of having leaders and followers who have a strong faith in the living God and His unchanging Word.

These real, grown-up disciples are able to distinguish between unchangeable Biblical absolutes and areas where timely adaptation is acceptable and helpful.

• We must have evangelism, but it doesn’t necessarily involve going door to door.

• We must have venues in which we can obey the “one another” commands of the New Testament and use our spiritual gifts, but we do not have to have small groups that meet in homes or classes that meet in classrooms.

• We must have leaders who meet the qualifications of Scripture, but we do not necessarily need a certain number of them.

• We must have congregational input into our leader’s decisions, but it doesn’t necessarily involve monthly congregational meetings.

• We must disciple our children, but that doesn’t mean putting a Sunday morning Sunday School, a Sunday School Superintendent, or worse yet, an annual Sunday School picnic into our church’s by-laws (yes, I’ve seen this).

As great as a particular structure might be in 2020, it will probably need changing by 2023. If I had to choose between the “perfect” structure for today and the flexibility in the church culture which will enable us to change the structure tomorrow, I’ll take the flexibility any day.

3. Good structure can prevent some people problems but it cannot fix problem people. Many of us know how helpful it can be to have great written covenants which clarify how church leaders and members will treat and support each other. Among other benefits, these documents are great teaching tools – if we choose to use them – that can help everyone understand “how we treat each other around here.”

The limitation here is that somebody still has to make good decisions. Decisions can only be made by people and they are only made with excellence with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit in answer to desperate prayer. If those decisions are not good, the people who made them will be replaced by others.

5. Good structure can make conformity to God’s ways easier, but it cannot produce godliness. Good structure makes conformity to God’s ways easier when it is based solidly on Scripture. However much we disagree about church government models (congregational, episcopal, elder leadership), every church leadership team should be totally convinced that its leadership model is as Biblical as they know how to make it. We should be able to tell our congregations that “We’ve done the best we can with this; if you see some way to make our system more closely adhere to Scripture, please show us.”

“But in the last analysis, of course, no governance system can make Christians godly, and no church system is going to be better than the people who use it.”

But concocting such documents, or seeking any other structural solution, to try to cure ongoing people problems, is a fool’s errand. It will only increase the anger level of the already volatile individual who will quickly realize that the new document was created to fix him.

I’m sorry to say that I can remember a time or two as a young (or youngish) and introverted pastor when I tried to fix ongoing problems with problem people by putting one more policy into writing. (Writing was always a good way to hide from real people and real problems).

It didn’t work. It has always taken skillful, gracious, courageous, Spirit-filled “people-work” to fix people problems. The policy-dependent young pastor is better off getting help from older and wiser lay leaders than writing another policy.

4. Good structure can make decision making easier, but it cannot make good decisions. Excellent by-laws are excellent because they are simple and clear. I don’t know how I can say that strongly enough: simple and clear. Could a fifth grader attend your membership class and understand how decisions are made at your church?

But in the last analysis, of course, no governance system can make Christians godly, and no church system is going to be better than the people who use it.

Did you catch that? No church system is going to be better than the people who use it.

As much as I like good structure, at sixty-seven years of age, I would rather lead a church with a poor written structure and godly lay leaders than a congregation with the best written structure and immature lay leaders. Wouldn’t you?

Solution? Let’s make our church structures as Biblical, practical, understandable and simple as possible, but let’s focus even more attention on growing the kind of life-filled, godly people whom our structures exist to serve.

After thirty-five years of pastoral ministry, Brian A Thorstad is now serving as a Church Health Consultant with Church Assistance Ministry.

He lives with his wife Donna in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. He is the author of three books: Heaven Help Our Church!, Redevelopment: Transitional Pastoring That Transforms Churches, and the newly released A Really Great Church! Find him at Churchwhisperers.org or churchwhisperer@gmail.com.

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Leadership is Hard

By Rob Hurtgen Leadership is hard. Leading change sometimes feels impossible. Yet at the heart of any revitalization effort is regularly making changes. Any successful navigation of change will include what is getting done and how. The revitalizer will introduce new priorities and processes and stop others. John Kotter writes, “Leadership builds systems or transforms old ones.”1 Systems range from accounting processes to how you approach evangelism. Systems are more than the way things get done; they are the patterns for reproducible success. There are four critical elements necessary for building or transforming systems in your church.

You must clearly define why. Nothing will kill change faster than the leader who has not clearly defined why the change is necessary. Why do you need a new way of doing “x?” Why must the existing way of doing “y” be changed? If the change leader is not one-hundred percent convinced of the need for change or cannot articulate clearly why the change is needed, any attempted changes will be disastrous. Do not try to build a new system without clearly defining and articulating why.

In his TED Talk viewed 52 million times, Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”2 Sinek observed that when what is stressed, and absent of a 1 John Kotter, Leading Change, (Boston; Harvard Business School, 1996) https://www.goodreads.com/work/ quotes/50134-leading-change.

2 Simon Sinek, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” TED; Ideas Worth Spreading, September 2009, https://www.ted. com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en.

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clearly defined why, support, traction, and impact is lost. As a revitalization change agent evaluating your church’s systems, longing to implement some new processes, be sure that what is overshadowed by a why. The reason for why pews should be replaced with chairs must outweigh the what of removing them. Why drives everything.

Jeremiah knew why. He was mocked, ridiculed, out of step with his nation, and told to stop preaching. His why burned within him. His why made him weary holding it within. Jeremiah had to preach no matter the opposition he faced. Jeremiah was clear on his why. Be clear on yours.

You need to develop the skill of critiquing without being critical. Every system, or lack thereof, must be evaluated. Critique objectively analysis what is happening or should be. Criticism is often comes in the form of ridicule and blame. “So and so should not have done that.” “It’s their fault. If they did things differently, we would not be in this situation.” Criticism offers blame without a solution.

To guard against your critique drifting to criticism, adopt a practice of being contagiously optimistic. Honor what was attempted. Celebrate past successes while critiquing what is working and is not.

You need to create consensus. A change leader does not impact an organization in isolation. A church revitalizer cannot bring about change into a congregation absent the flock. When you build consensus, you bring together the stakeholders in the church. Consensus gathers the influencers who impact the demeanor of others.

Building consensus with the influencers creates an avenue of communication for the why. Second, influencers have a network. When you engage the influencers with one conversation, you are also speaking to their circle. The one conversation becomes five, ten, perhaps twenty or more because they speak to those they influence. The change agent has the potential of having multiple conversations by only speaking with the influencers.

Building consensus also becomes a critical process in thinking through the impact of what you are introducing or ceasing. There may be a detail that you did not see. The story behind the process you are trying to change emerges. You may discover, as the old illustration tells us, that the reason the end of the roast is cut off is because great, great, great grandma who taught every generation to prepare the meal did not have a big enough pan. Building consensus is a way to know the condition of your flock (Pr. 27:23) and communicate with them.

Every change that I have introduced to my church without first building a consensus has failed. If the change did not fail immediately, it created a wake of unwelcomed secondary events that demanded more attention than the change being implemented. Ultimately leading to a failed effort.

People often ignore purpose and mission if a change is introduced in isolation.

Lastly, you must communicate frequently and in multiple ways. Communication is critical to implementing change. Typical change agents are so enthusiastic about the new direction they are initiating. They believe in the core of their being that they are taking the right steps. They often sabotage their efforts by not communicating enough and often.

Think of communication in a line graph. The x-axis represents the layers of communication. Newsletters, emails, phone calls, social media, etc. The y-axis represents the potential change impact. The line graph itself possesses a diagonal arrow. The rising arrow illustrates that the more potential impact the change has must correspond to the ways and frequency it is communicated.

For example, a bulletin announcement may be enough to share a ministry is moving from one room to another. However, changing the venue for where the congregation is meeting for worship from one address to another requires more than a one-sentence announcement. Revitalizers need to remember that the methods and frequency of communication must increase in correlation to the change’s potential impact.

Changing the way ministry happens in the life of your church revitalization effort is hard but not impossible. Every church revitalization effort has structures that need to change while others need to be strengthened. Clearly defining why, critiquing without criticizing, building a consensus, and communicating are some of the critical components necessary to bring about change in the life of your church.

Rob Hurtgen is the Pastor of First Baptist Church Chillicothe, Missouri.

He holds an M.Div from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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7 Traits of a Revitalized Pivoting Church

By Gary Moritz It seems that this season and 2020 has brought about accelerated change, adjustments, and continual pivots. It also appears that people are growing more and more tired of the unrest and inconsistency that is swirling around us. Moments and times like these can lead us to forget why we are here and what God has called us to do.

Think about a time when you got so caught up in the moment that you completely forgot about the original reason why you were there or why you were doing something. Men do this all the time. Their wife sends them to the grocery store for milk and bread, and they come home with new tools from Lowes. They get caught up in the moment and forget their main purpose for the errand.

When we, as followers of Christ, get so caught up in the day-today moments and stressors of this season, we can miss our original purpose. It is at this point that we need to pivot.

We know that ministry is not going to get any easier. As the day of Christ’s second coming approaches, we know that the times and culture will continue to get worse and doing ministry will get even more challenging.

In 2020 it was COVID. Next year, it could be something else. Now the point is not to discourage you but rather to encourage you. No matter what you and your ministry face, you must be willing to pivot to keep the mission and God’s call in focus. In fact, it should be our laser focus. One thing holds true for all of us, we can’t trade the mission for the moment.

The most significant pivot we can make back to the mission happens through revitalized prayer. This always leads to structural changes. We move towards what we pray towards.

Revitalized prayer means we are talking to Jesus in the moments to pivot back to the mission. Leaders are tired, discouraged, worn out, zoomed out, screened out, and stressed out!

This has been a challenging time to lead for everyone. We have never faced a disruption like this in our lifetime. But the Lord’s goodness, protection, and provision are still shining through.

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The first church living in the minority under Roman pressures and laws faced many challenges. They were resilient. They pivoted and changed based on the cultural trends and laws of the time. They were humble, teachable, and willing to do whatever it took to follow Christ. The challenges we have faced in 2020 may be unique, but suffering and trials are not new to the faith.

The church has been dealing with trials since it was formed, and the only way we are going to make it through suffering and trials is through pivoting and prayer.

This season is a great time to realign, readjust, renew, and revitalize ourselves and our prayer life. Imagine if every leader during this season captured this moment to embrace the mission and what the Lord has called them to do. Imagine if every community was looking to their local church for hope.

Imagine if every family in your church came to you and said, “Pastor, whatever it takes to reach our community, we will do it!”

In Acts 4:23-37, we see seven traits of a revitalized church that pivoted to make structural changes to their prayer life during a tough season, and out of it flowed everything else. In a revitalized church …

1. Prayer is a priority.

In a praying church, there is a recognition of the supreme importance of revitalized prayer. Therefore, there is a spontaneous desire for prayer (vs 23-24a).

“After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God.” — Acts 4:23-24 (CSB) I have heard that if you want to guarantee a small crowd at church, announce a prayer meeting. I am here to tell you - if you wish to have a revived church, have a prayer meeting. We need to repent of our lack of communication with our Lord. This must be a structural change we pivot to. We need to stand together and raise our voices to Almighty God and ask Him to move.

2. Faith is essential.

In a praying church, the eyes of faith and expectancy are revitalized towards the Lord (vs 24b-28).

As a pastor and leader, remember your call. Remember who has called you to lead at this time, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This passage states, “After they were threatened...” Threats should not stop you. Do what the first church did. In verse 24, they raised their voices together to God. Start praying and then believe that Jesus can do it! It’s not about, “Let me check with the deacons, let’s wait for our next business meeting.” You go to God first.

they “… began to speak the word of God boldly.” In an auditory culture with no social media and technology, shouting to get a message across to a group of people was needed. Preach means to proclaim, and when one proclaims, it should be bold. Then the people notice.

If people are not preaching and proclaiming the Word of God, something is wrong. The gospel needs to move from the seats to the streets and into the homes of our communities. It is time to rethink, realign, and beg God to revitalize our hearts towards a gospel mission so that people can hear, follow, and believe Jesus.

3. Obedience is natural.

In a praying church, there is a revitalized desire to obey the Lord’s commission to evangelize the world (v 29). The first church desired to speak the Word with all boldness. The church right now needs to speak with boldness and stand in the gap for a spiritual structural change for our nation.

7. Grace is embraced.

In a praying church, there is revitalized and prioritized grace in the lives of God’s people (vs 32-37). The story in Acts closes with great power as the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It says that great grace was on all of them.

Tough seasons will produce two types of leaders, “Pioneers” and “Settlers.” The Pioneer craves to check out the new territory, the original dream. The Settler desires to just hunker down. I thank God for both, but the bold pioneering leader will be the one that breaks future ground for the gospel. It’s not time to give up and quit. Remember 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.” Now is the time to ask the Lord to grant you the ability to speak His Word with boldness.

As followers of Christ, we must be One. We must think of ourselves as one kingdom team with one kingdom dream to see people come to Christ by the thousands. There is beauty in the statement, “And great grace was upon all of them … they were giving testimony to the resurrected Lord.”

4. Miracles are expected.

In a praying church, there is a revitalized faith that begs Jesus to work (v 30). What are the miracles you are praying for through the name of Jesus in your life, church, and community? Let’s face it, we cannot have the attitude that God cannot work in our church and community. We need to pray that Jesus will save our neighbors and our neighborhood. What miracles are you praying for today?

5. Power is evident.

In a praying church, the Holy Spirit manifests His presence and power, which revitalizes us (vs 31a, c). The Bible says in verse 31, “When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” The Spirit of God brings dead things back to life. Without life, all you have is death.

Can God work in your church, or is He just something on the schedule? When the early Christians prayed, the place was shaken. Imagine if you prayed and God shook your area and the whole community pivoted towards something greater. Remember, if you have too much of the Spirit, you blow up. If you have too little of the Spirit, you dry up. But if you stay balanced and dependent on Jesus, you grow up in Him.

We are not Christians because the Bible said so. We are Christians because something happened over 2,000 years ago that changed the world. Jesus Christ came to this earth and died for our selfishness and disobedience. This is called sin. He went to the grave, and on the third day, He rose again. Don’t forget that He is coming back for those who trust and obey Him. Obedience is God’s love language, and He is waiting for us to trust and obey Him. Don’t focus on the season you are going through; focus on the Savior you are running to. He has called you to more extraordinary things. Dream again because God will do it.

Remember, do not trade the moment for the mission!

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

6. The gospel is primary.

In a praying church, there is a mighty power in the preaching of the gospel which revitalizes the mission. Verse 31 says that

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Six Structures Needed for Church Growth

By Gary Westra 2. Training in Apologetics and Evangelism Churches need to have ongoing, systemic training in apologetics and evangelism. Gary Rohrmayer suggests a four-hour seminar format and equipping one third of the church per year. Gary McIntosh suggests equipping ten percent of the church per year. McIntosh’s “Growing God’s Church” or Rohrmayer’s “Spiritual Conversations” are excellent books, either of A fine summary of prayer – ending with prayer for sharing the which could be used as a part of this process. gospel – comes to us from Ephesians 6:18-20.

In thinking about relational evangelism, it is important to know 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and that members of growing and non-growing churches have the requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for same number of contacts with non-Christians: 8.5. The issue is all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me,that whenever I speak, words what we do with the contacts we already have. Are you equipmay be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of ping believers to reach out across their relational network? the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

3. Percentage of budget for local outreach Gary Rohrmayer contends that, “If you are going to consistentHow can you structure into your church increased prayer for the ly break barriers, you have to spend ten percent or more on gospel? evangelism.” In my experience, line items for local outreach (not foreign mission) are notoriously small. Often times I’ve 1. Prayer noted just several hundred dollars for mailings. Ten percent There are several ways. First, in your board meetings and small could indeed break barriers if spent wisely. groups have people pray, “Who are you praying for to come to Christ within your sphere of influence?” There is nothing like These monies should go toward evangelism training, evanpraying by name for those you want to come to Christ. It brings gelism projects or events, community service initiatives, and a great deal of accountability for outreach amongst your lead- marketing and promotion. Expenses in training may include ership. books, CDs, and guest speakers. For projects and service initiatives it could include food and items for mercy ministry, like Second, consider all-church prayer events. This could be a Con- water bottles. Lastly, marketing includes money spent on a cert of Prayer; personal prayer for 5 neighbors, for 5 minutes a first-rate website, as well as mailings. Mailings are not dead, day, for 5 weeks straight; finally, consider an all-church small as some assume. As they become more rare, they can be more group emphasis on Forty Days of Prayer. All-church prayer events notable. A series minimum of five mailings is necessary for any for outreach and evangelism gives them maximum visibility. results.

Church revitalization is a spiritual work done in spiritual ways.

It begins with the spiritual work of prayer because we are asking God to do things we cannot do. We cannot save people or change their hearts. We even have to pray to God to change our own heart! “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” said King David in Psalm 51:10.

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4. Pastoral Networking Pastors need to model networking among their extended relationships and in the community. They need to go beyond “hanging out” at the local coffee shop and join something. Be it a sports group, a school committee, or something like Kiwanis, they should join so they can build relationships. Other non-profits look for dependable volunteers just like churches do. This is a great networking opportunity.

How much time should a pastor spend in networking? It is axiomatic that church planters spend seventy percent. I’ve heard an advantageous number for pastors is ten percent. A moment of honesty: I did not spend this much time when I was a Lead Pastor. But I think I would today because of our changing missional context.

The U.S. is clearly now post-Christian, requiring us to act like missionaries.

5. Members in Ministry When people share in service, they grow in Christian maturity. “…equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12-13) Should we be surprised that these churches grow numerically as well? Churches that have forty percent of their members in ministry are growing churches.

Another way to express the gospel is in the prayer after the sermon. Rick Warren does not write out his message, but he does write out his prayer. This allows you to intentionally express the gospel clearly in different ways in the prayer. And it can be expressed in many ways! Just consider these various words, all of which have to do with salvation and the gospel: repentance, reconciliation, covenant, forgiveness, redemption, atonement, grace, and faith. There are some themes that perhaps should always be used, repentance, faith, forgiveness of sin and commitment. Contemplate and write out this prayer to clearly express the manifold grace of God in all its beauty.

“Faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17), and we have a chance to share the message clearly on a weekly basis.”

Earlier in verse 7, Ephesians 4 says that Christ has given grace to each believer, meaning he has given spiritual gifts. Only when all body serves are all the gifts active. The more serving, the more gifts. The more gifts, the more growth. Every church should build into their system the discovery and equipping of gifts in their members.

6. Expressing the Gospel in Worship This may seem self-evident, but it is not and needs to be a structural part of worship. Of course the gospel is implied in many ways, but it needs to be explicit.

The gospel should be an integral part of every message. No one does this better than Tim Keller. No matter what the message, the gospel is integrated into his sermon. It is not tacked on as an after-thought. His wife Kathy was asked if this becomes boring.

Her answer was no, that each week she is curious how he will do it again.

Have one individual each month share their spiritual story during worship. There is a power in personal stories. They make connections and touch emotions in deep ways. These stories don’t always have to be “salvation testimonies.” They can be about health, relationship, addictions, etc. Yet in every instance they can include what Christ did to bring change. It is an easy segue to the gospel.

One of the huge benefits of structuring the gospel into worship is that it costs next to nothing. It costs no money, no additional programming, and very little of the pastor’s time. Faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17), and we have a chance to share the message clearly on a weekly basis. Structure it into your worship!

Everything mentioned here are things that can be systemic to your ministry so that it is structured for growth. Whatever your church’s size, you can structure these six things into your church starting today.

Gary Westra has served churches of under 100 to over 1000, primarily serving as Senior Pastor in multi-staff churches. Gary now serves as Vice President of Turnaround Pastor Inc, training church revitalization leaders.

He led a study of the statistically significant characteristics of turnaround pastors. He is co-author of “Pastor Unique: Becoming a Turnaround Leader.

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For It’s One, Two, Three Strikes, You’re…

By Joel Breidenbaugh “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will If all that was not enough, three of Job’s friends came to “comstand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25) fort” him by accusing him of every sin under the sun. Job’s replies are a mixture of disbelief, discouragement and cries to As the Advent season is upon us, I thought you might like to God. In these pleas we find Job’s great desire: an umpire to meditate on the greatness of Christ—He is the greatest hope represent both God and man. of our lives and the only One who can bring lasting change and revitalization to our churches. The following article is tak- In the first set of speeches between Job and his friends, Job en from December 8 in my Advent devotional, The Joy of Jesus admitted, “If one wished to contend with him, one could not at Christmas: A 31-Day Devotional for December. answer him once in a thousand times” (9:3). In ancient days, there were two basic ways to win court cases. One way was to No matter how much pain you’ve experienced, let’s face it: out-argue your opponent. The other way was to wrestle your aside from Jesus on the cross, no one has suffered more than adversary. Job knew he didn’t stand a chance against God eiJob. Living in the time of the patriarchs, Job “was blameless ther way! Job exclaimed, “He is not a man, as I am, that I might and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no (1:1; cf. 1:8; 2:3). God had blessed him with a good wife, ten arbiter between us, that might lay his hand on us both” (9:32wonderful children, good health and an enormous estate. 33). You get the sense Job desperately wanted such an arbiter Then, without any clear explanation, God took it all away at or heavenly umpire to bring reconciliation between God and the request of Satan. Job lost his animals, his children and his him. health, and to top it all off, his wife advised him to “Curse God and die” (2:9)! Yet Job did not sin in his response to credit God By the second series of conversations, Job apparently grew in with giving and taking away (1:20-22; 2:10). his understanding of a heavenly advocate. Because his earth-

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ly loyalists had failed, Job cried, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high… that he would argue the case of a man with God, as a son of man does with his neighbor” (16:19, 21). Job believed the witness and defender he needed resided only in heaven. Such an arbiter is like an interpreter between two parties who don’t speak the same language.

When you consider these texts together, it seems clear Job was looking to God to defend him, much like the prologue reveals God arguing in Job’s favor against Satan. While God’s actions against Job made him appear guilty of great sin (as argued by Job’s friends), Job trusted God’s character to defend him.

Along these same lines, Job became deeply convinced the Lord would come to his aid. In light of all his troubles, he announced his belief in Yahweh as Redeemer (19:25). The term redeemer occurs 44 times in the Old Testament. It was a protector or legal preserver for a close relative. The redeemer could redeem a relative’s property (cf. Leviticus 25:23-25; Ruth 4:4-15), avenge a slain relative (Numbers 35:19-27), marry a brother’s childless widow (Ruth 4:10), purchase a relative out of slavery (Leviticus 25:47-55) or defend a relative’s cause in a lawsuit (Psalm 119:154; Proverbs 23:11). The word also serves as one of Yahweh’s titles (Exodus 6:6; Psalms 74:2; Isaiah 41:14).

Was Job experiencing progressive theology, learning more about God through his trials? Is Job’s call for a judge/umpire, witness, advocate and arbiter the same as this Redeemer? It appears to be, and the Redeemer taking His “stand upon the earth” is a technical, legal term meaning to “stand up” as a witness in court. By the end of the story, God “stands up” for Job against his friends (42:7-9).

Job’s final plea for such a defense attorney occurs at the end of the third and final cycle of speeches. Desperately wanting to be heard, he cried, “Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!” (31:35). Job had grown frustrated by his friends’ constant, unfounded rebukes. He wanted a judge to answer him, even God. A short while later, God spoke to Job but He didn’t explain why Job had suffered. The Lord, however, demonstrated His greatness and Job responded with repentance and silence.

When you take time to add up the parts of Job’s request for a heavenly Defender who could represent both God and him, it seems obvious Job needed a God-Man to serve as Judge. God had such an Advocate in mind, ready to be revealed at a later time. Christ is the Redeemer we all need, heaven’s Umpire. And He’s worth trusting, because He never misses a call.

Have you ever felt like you were wrongly accused?

Have you watched the guilty go free and be excused?

And how will God judge you—immoral, thief and liar?

You best flee to your Advocate, heaven’s Umpire.

Application Idea Go to a ball game or watch one on TV. Why is it important to have officials at the game? What if you removed the officials?

How do officials help mediate a game? How is Christ a Mediator between God and man? How does He represent both sides?

“How Great Our Joy” Origin: Traditional German Carol, Late 19th century While by the sheep we watched at night, Glad tidings brought an angel bright.

Refrain: How great our joy! (Great our joy!)

Joy, joy, joy! (Joy, joy, joy!)

Praise we the Lord in heav’n on high!

(Praise we the Lord in heav’n on high!)

There shall be born, so He did say, In Bethlehem a Child today.

There shall the Child lie in a stall, This Child who shall redeem us all.

This gift of God we’ll cherish well, That ever joy our hearts shall fill.

Prayer We exalt you, O God, for providing us a Redeemer in Jesus Christ.

He is our Advocate and Helper, the perfect Mediator and Umpire between God and us. We offer up this praise in His name, Amen.

Joel Breidenbaugh PhD, is the Lead Pastor of Gospel Centered Church in Apopka, Florida and an Associate Professor of Preaching of the John Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University. You can follow him on Twitter @DrJoelB, by his name on Facebook, or email him at pastor.DrJoelB@gmail.com

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The

Revitalizer LIBRARY

For this edition of the Revitalizers Library, I would like to highlight two resources. The first is a book by Elisabeth Elliot entitled Suffering is Never for Nothing.1 The second resource is the Humanitarian Disaster Institute based out of Wheaton College.

Suffering is Never for Nothing, by Elizabeth Elliot, is a short but incredibly timely work. Elliot’s premise is that through the times of suffering in her life, she has come to know God apart from the hardships she endured she would not. She writes, “… suffering is an irreplaceable medium through which I learned an indispensable truth.”2 (15.) The book is a short but impactful work of encouragement for those enduring difficult days.

Elisabeth Elliot was a contributor to the New International Version of the Bible, authored twenty-four books, and was a highly sought after speaker. She, however, is most known for the suffering and hardship she faced throughout her life. She was twice widowed, passing away in 2015 after a decade’s long battle with dementia. She is perhaps most known for being the wife of Jim Elliot. Jim, along with 1 Elisabeth Elliot, Suffering is Never for Nothing, (Nashville; B&H Publishing, 2019).

2 Ibid., 15.

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four others, were killed by the Aucas people in the jungle of Ecuador. At the time, the Elliot’s had been married for twenty-seven months after a five-and-a-half-year long courtship.

She now found herself a widowed, single mother.

Elisabeth, her young daughter, and another woman would return to the same people who killed the five. They would remain there for two years, ministering, presenting Christ, and seeing several come to faith. Events in the jungle of Ecuador was perhaps the most defining moments in her life. They were not the last period of suffering. Through her experiences, Elliot shames enduring truths of God’s faithfulness.

Elliot’s work is good work for revitalizers of every age but especially in 2020. Pastors and church leaders around the world face unprecedented challenges to the work of the ministry. The pandemic has sped the closure of some churches. Most churches will struggle to return to a thriving status. All church leaders must now be revitalizers. Elliot’s work is encouraging for all Christians, especially church leaders, as an example of God’s work through periods of suffering and hardship.

You, like many pastors, have been discouraged. You, like many pastors, have been overwhelmed. You, like many pastors, have thought about stepping away from ministry. You, like many pastors, have been making lose-lose decisions since March 2020. You, like many pastors, are weary from the pandemic. You, like many pastors, need to be reminded that even pandemics are never for nothing. Elliot’s work accomplishes just that.

While not a book, the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, directed by Dr. Jamie Aten, author of A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me About Faith and Resilience, is a useful resource for unsettling events and times. The institute website states, “The Humanitarian Disaster Institute is the first faith-based academic disaster research center in the country. Our mission is to help the church prepare and care for a disaster-filled world. We use our research to create resources and events geared toward students, survivors, helpers, and researchers.” 3 This pastor has found the resources to be extremely helpful. In particular, the twenty-eight-page manual, a free download, entitled Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19): A 3 https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/academic-centers/ humanitarian-disaster-institute/

Step-by-Step, Research-Informed and Faith-Based Planning Manual.4 One of the most overwhelming components to serving, leading, and caring for the church during the past year has been uncertainty. Uncertainty of what is really happening. Uncertain as to what is going to happen. Unsure as to what should or should not be done. The resources, especially the manual, have helped create clarity and calm personally and in the church.

The resources for this edition of the revitalizer’s library reflect a darker tone. Suffering, disaster, issues that none of us want to invite into our lives, but most of us are wrestling with. Thankfully both of these resources in practical and faith-building ways can enable you to look beyond the disaster to entrust your soul to your faithful Creator while doing good (1 Pet. 4:19).

4 Jamie Aten and Kent Annan, Preparing Your Church for Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Step-by-Step, Research-Informed and Faith-Based Planning Manual, accessed October 26, 2020, https://www.wheaton. edu/media/humanitarian-disaster-institute/Preparing-Your-Church-for-Coronavirus.pdf.

Rob Hurtgen is the Pastor of First Baptist Church Chillicothe, Missouri. He holds an M.Div from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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