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By Terry Rials

20 24

Avoiding Danger for the Revitalization Pastor

Timeless Principles for the Church Revitalizer

Letting Your Light Shine Before Others

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh

38 44 The

We Either Advance or Retreat

By Chad McCarthy

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Sept/Oct| Vol 5, No 5

CONTENTS 12

Things I’ve Learned on the Way to Church Revitalization

By Bill Tenny-Brittian

Church Revitalization: It’s Every Pastors Calling

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By Ron Smith

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THE LEADERSHIP LINK…

Commanded to Shepherd the People

By Michael Atherton

The Secret Power of Enrollment

By Fred Boone

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Breaking Up the Logjam

By Bud Brown

The Revitalizer Book Review

By Rob Hurtgen

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Daman, Glen. The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America.

Chicago: Moody, 2018.

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Reaching Outward Instead of Gazing Inward

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Successful Habits In Children Leadership

By Bill Hegedus

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Fifteen Reasons Why Pastors Cant Lead

By Brian Thorstad

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Two Non-Negotiables for the Revitalization Pastor

By John Kimball

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Courage Is His Middle Name

By David Jackson

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Helpful vs. Hurting: How to Thrive

by Choosing the Best Spiritual Practices

By Bob Whitesel

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Revitalization Disciplines for the Dog Days of Summer

By Darwin Meighan

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Staying Focused in Church Revitalization

By Mark Weible

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Always a Student

By Jim Grant

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Discipline Impact on Revitalization

By Kenneth Priest

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Perseverance: Staying the Course When the Road Seems Full of Potholes

By Tracy Jaggers The Disciplines of Fervent Prayer and Faith

By Steve Sells

By Lee Kricher

5

Timeless Principles for the Church Revitalizer

By Terry Rials In the process of becoming a successful church revitalizer, and it is indeed a process, certain disciplines need to be established in one’s life. The word “discipline” comes to us from old Latin actually, from the word discipulus, meaning “pupil.” The same Latin word, with a slightly later nuance, shifts its focus to the pupil in the act of following, being a “disciple.” In other words, we in church leadership cannot claim to be followers of Christ if we are not incorporating the personal disciplines required to follow the Lord. These things you already know and prescribe to others, however, I find it refreshing to hear words of encouragement as a part of living the disciplined life.

I find it also necessary to remind those who serve the Lord vocationally that there are key disciplines in ministry that need cultivating. Now, I will not bore you with lists, which I often find tedious and fruitless. Instead, I want to categorize the personal disciplines of a revitalizer. I think you may find some benefit from a look at these categories of behavior.

Speaking about Revitalization The first category I will call speaking, which can be categorized further into preaching and teaching. I know that most people in ministry have no difficulty with speaking. Many in ministry have a spiritual gift from God to do so. Public preaching and teaching are fairly natural and easy for many of us.

The act of preaching is important, but the content of preaching is even more so. For example, Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher of the First Great Awakening, is widely reported to have preached arduously long and meticulous sermons in a monotone voice, the stuff that puts many modern listeners to sleep. So why was Jonathan Edwards so incredibly successful in his proclamation? The Spirit certainly used him to call a nation back to the Lord, and God can use the most unlikely servants to do that very thing, but perhaps we have overlooked something very important. Circuit preaching was customary due to the shortage of qualified proclaimers. Perhaps the people were just really hungry to hear the word. Perhaps it was

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something entirely different – perhaps it was the content of his message that resonated with his audiences, who are reported to have cried out in shame, pleading for Rev. Edwards to stop his proclamation because they were ready to repent.

Too often modern preaching is thimble deep and designed more for the amusement of the listeners than to draw them to repentance.

Whereas sermons deliver a message in order to elicit a response from the hearers, teaching’s goal is to train, equip, and inform. Teach the disciples whom God gives you to follow the Lord and His ways fully. Teach with the same conviction with which you preach. Teach people often about what a church really is and what a church really does. The principles of revitalization are timeless and are not a fad. Teach about what repentance means, what forgiveness is about, what reconciliation is, what the mission of the church ought to be – making disciples, not just attenders.

Writing about Revitalization Dr. Mack Roark admonished us in class one day to write and to publish. He told us that people with bad doctrine and heretical ideas publish often, but those who have the truth rarely do. I have taken my professor’s words to heart. Writing about what God has used your efforts in revitalization encourages others in the endeavor.

Any revitalizer will tell you that they hear this often, “Does revitalization really work?” The fact is – revitalization does work and people need to hear about it. Share your story, tell it often, find opportunities to tell the world that God is still at work and that the work we do as revitalizers really does make a difference. We are truly seeing churches turn around and become vital, healthy, and on mission.

If the church you serve is like mine, you will have more members gone on Sunday than you will have in attendance, which

seems so wrong to me, but I know it is reality. How will the people for whom you are responsible hear what you need to say if that many are gone? The truth is they will not. The church I serve broadcasts its services, but looking at the analytics of our viewership, that improves the situation only slightly. Fortunately, with the advent of websites, email, and social media, we have the ability to communicate to incredible numbers of people, both members and non-members. Written communication has to be important to you in the world of revitalization! For example, if you could reach an additional 200-300 more people than the 100 you had in attendance Sunday, would that not be an incredible game changer? You can if you will write what is on your heart in the realm of revitalization.

Sharing about Revitalization By sharing, I mean communicating the message of church revitalization in ways other than in public proclamation and in writing. Communicate one-on-one and in small groups.

When you meet someone, tell them about Jesus and tell them about what He is doing in the church! The former mayor of Oklahoma City, Ron Norick, was leading a revitalization effort in our city to refurbish old buildings in a dilapidated part of town, riddled with crime and decay. Our city with divided in its support for this new initiative. The mayor and his staff campaigned hard and found ways to talk about this project everywhere they went. The mayor joked to me that everywhere they saw three people standing around, they would go over and try to elicit their support. They tried to get themselves invited to meetings and gatherings all over the city in order to give a positive word. It is a good thing they did; the revitalization measure passed by only a 0.5% margin. Today, our city has a new and revitalized section of town that is family-friendly and one that draws in lots of tourism dollars. The reason it passed was because individuals in the campaign shared the message everywhere they went.

One of the key activities associated with church revitalization is just keeping the process going, which we call the flywheel effect. A flywheel is used to help spinning objects continue in motion. One is attached to your car’s engine. Your car will run without one, but if your car backfires without one, your engine will be destroyed. Put another way, this effect tells us that it is easier to keep something going than it is to stop and started it again. Get the conversation about church revitalization going and keep it going in your ministry context.

Investing in Revitalization Martin Luther is credited with saying, “If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree.” His point is well taken. We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we are still stewards of it. We may not think this way often, but we are responsible, at least in some part, for the future harvest. In church revitalization we hear pastors say all the time that they do not know if they will be at their churches very much longer. Many pastors are looking for other ministry opportunities, many are going to leave ministry altogether, and many others will retire from ministry. However, all three groups have the exact same responsibility – to leave the church they present-

ly serve ready for what God will do next, after they are gone.

Perhaps those pastors are correct – maybe they will not be at their churches much longer; they still need to invest in those who will continue on with the ministry after they are gone.

It is pure arrogance to think or desire the church to crumble after we leave because the church could not function without us. The truth is – sometimes the church functions better (for a while) without its pastor because the membership has to step-up and do the ministry that the pastor used to do.

Investing in the lives of our successors is biblical. Moses invested in Joshua. Elijah invested in Elisha. Paul invested in Timothy. The best example is Jesus investing in His disciples, leaving His church in their hands. Pastors today need to invest in those who will succeed them in office. Who are you training?

Mentoring? Who will you equip to step into leadership when you are gone? There is an added benefit for doing this besides what it will do for the church. Ronnie Floyd calls this reverse mentoring. This occurs when those you are trying to mentor learn from you and you in turn learn from them, resulting in incredible joy for you.

One church I was helping in revitalization had an obstinate woman who resisted all my attempts to help them. When I warned their church only had twenty-four months to live, so spouted, “This church will be here long enough to bury me!”

I quickly and sharply responded, “Is that the goal? Is that all you care about – that the church will be here long enough for you? Don’t you want to leave a healthy, thriving church to your children and grandchildren?” You could have heard a pin drop but I think I made my point.

Conclusion These personal disciplines are essential in a successful revitalization project. I encourage you to speak about revitalization, both in the pulpit and in the classroom. Write about the need and the process of revitalization in your newsletter articles, your blogs, your social media posts, and in scholarly materials – people need to hear your heart and your story. Share with everyone in your church from the nursery to the senior adult department. Let them contribute to the conversation and listen to them closely. Invest in those who will take over the task of revitalization in the eventuality that God does change your life circumstances. Be sure that your successors know the job and have caught your passion for doing it. May God richly bless you for your personal disciplines.

Dr. Terry Rials is the founder of ChurchRevitalizer.com, serves as the Senior Pastor of the Crestview Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, and leads the Church Revitalization Team Leader for Capital Baptist Association. He earned his doctorate in Church Revitalization at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a frequent conference speaker. He is co-author of The Nuts & Bolts of Church Revitalization!

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Let Your Light

Letting Your Light Shine Before Others

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh

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hat can be swallowed, or can swallow a person?

It is something every pastor and leader faces at regular intervals. The answer is pride and the question is a type of conundrum in that “swallow” carries different meanings.

can wear a church shirt to show who you represent.

You may get to share a few words about what you do and pray for the teachers. Consistent service by a few people in your congregation can be a huge blessing to the school.

Christians face a certain conundrum—do we perform good works to let others see, only to rob us of any future praise from God? Or do we perform good deeds quietly, hoping we never get recognized, so we may be honored by our Lord in His presence? Of course, there are times we should do things quietly (like financial giving) and there are times we must serve publicly (a peaceful protest outside an abortion clinic, for instance).

Coach a Sport

One of the assignments Jesus has given to us is to be the light of the world and let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to God (see Matthew 5:14-16). I want to share with you some fairly inexpensive ways to serve others in your community and let your light shine so others will be drawn to praise the Lord.

Serve Your Local School Unless you are in a country setting, you have a public school in your community. In metro areas you may even be surrounded by public schools. Consider adopting one and communicating with the principal or designated employee about ways your church can help. Effective ways of serving the local school include the following: volunteer to assist teachers in the classroom, help kids read, after-school Bible clubs, providing school supplies to needy families and serving breakfast to the teachers and staff. While some of those settings don’t allow for a gospel witness, you

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Communities have numerous sports clubs and teams meet throughout the year. They are almost always in need of managers, coaches, team parents and the like. You can pick a sport you like and contact the league administration about volunteering. As a coach or team parent, you can encourage kids to do their best. You may be able to pray with the team. I have led team prayers before and after every game and practice for years coaching my sons and I live in a largely unchurched culture (86% unchurched). I encourage Christian coaches to have end-of-season parties where they brag on the kids and the families for their support. They can also take time to share the gospel in a few minutes. I always tie it back with something like “when I was around your age, I learned the most important truth which impacted the rest of my life… who Jesus is and what He came to do…”

While I know a few guys who have had success at witnessing to middle school and high school kids this way, I have found families of young kids to be most open to consider the claims of Christ and the importance of a church home. It’s almost like they think, “I need help as a parent of this little guy. I wonder if the church can help me. I went to church as a kid and had a good experience. Maybe we will give it a try.” I have seen more families of kids who are 4-6 years old follow up by attending church than any other age group I’ve ever worked with.

Throw a Neighborhood Block Party

Shine

Adopt Your Local First Responders People serving in police and fire and rescue face a great deal of stress. Depending on your community, they may not get many calls or they may be busy around the clock. Here’s where yo and your church can make a difference.

Stop by and introduce yourself sometime. Tell them you are thankful for their service to the community and your church wants to show their appreciation.

We want to bring you a home cooked meal each week (even if it’s leftovers from a Wednesday night dinner). Different people in the church can take turns fixing a meal for a few people. As a pastor, offer your services if they ever need someone to pray with them or offer to be a listening ear.

Provide Food to a Needy Community You probably have a needy community close by your church. Whether it’s a trailer park or a low-end neighborhood, you can meet a big need. You can show up weekly or bi-weekly with a food truck (like Second Harvest Food) and offer food to those who respond.

I have a friend who grills burgers and hot dogs for a trailer park every Wednesday evening for a couple of hours. By talking with the people, they learn about the Lord and their church and several families attend their church because of the connection made through food. They are getting their spiritual needs met once they had their physical needs met.

While I have known churches who throw some block parties on their campus, they tend to reach their own children (unless they have lots of people inviting others). Think about holding a block party in a neighborhood. You may want to use the street outside a member’s home and clear it with your insurance company.

Block parties are fun and low cost. They help you meet people in that neighborhood or community. You can have them register for prizes so you have a way to follow up with them.

Conclusion Let me give you another conundrum. It’s known as the “Trolley Problem.” Imagine you are standing on a train overpass and you observe an out-of-control train barreling toward a group of ten workers on the tracks. They are too far from you to yell out to them.

There is a lever next to you which you can use to divert the train onto another track with only one worker on it. Do you stand by and do nothing and watch ten people die? Do you take action and pull the lever and kill the one person in order to save the ten?

The theologians in us might ask, “Well, if I know the one person is saved, I’ll let him die so the others have more time to respond to the gospel.” But what if we don’t know? Or what if the ten are saved but not the one? Either outcome would be tragic.

Our response to that question may vary but seeking to try different opportunities to serve your community, and to let the light of Christ shine can make a difference in where they will spend an eternity. If you are able to reach them with the gospel as you let your light shine, then their death will not be tragic but a stepping stone to meet and bring glory to the Lord.

Joel Breidenbaugh, PhD, is the Lead Pastor of Gospel Centered Church in Apopka, FL. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Homiletics for Liberty University School of Divinity. You can follow him on Twitter @DrJoelB or view his teaching on Gospel Centered Church Apopka YouTube Channel.

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Church Revitalization:

It’s Every Pastors Calling

By Ron Smith

Leadership

“Set Things in Order” Titus makes it clear that our calling is to set things in order.

So, let’s examine this in light of our duties.

Every living thing needs attention. Everything naturally digresses. Attention must be given to ensure life. Even church plants need revitalization at some point.

The early church in Acts was constantly fighting against returning to Judaism.

For Nehemiah although the wall took only 52 days to complete, the people became discouraged at the halfway point: just 26 days into the project! Nehemiah had to renew their vision. It’s amazing how quickly human beings—and churches—lose their sense of purpose and vision. Refreshing, reminding and revitalizing are not tasks you do once and then forget. You must continually clarify and communicate the work of your church. This is the number one responsibility of leadership.

The reality is this, where there are people there is a need for a Savior. Where these people convert to Christ churches are needed. Where there are churches pastors are a must.

Where do we start?

The Revitalization Process (How to Set Things in Order):

Leadership

Structure

Mission

These three will be your continuous focus for movement.

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Appoint leaders: As a pastor you can raise the commitment of leadership by looking for qualified leaders. Textually and contextually Paul is authorizing Titus to select men qualified to meet the call of Elder, Bishop, Pastor. Titus is appointing qualified men to be called out to serve as Pastors of the new churches established in Crete.

As Pastors we are to pass on the truths of sound doctrine to trustworthy men (2 Timothy 2:2).

If everything rises and falls on leadership then the work of the church will be lifted and carried by selected leaders. It is our job as Pastors to seek out, appoint, train and employ leaders.

As Pastors we must hold firm to sound doctrine in order to give instruction in sound doctrine. Point: We need found, sound leaders who are grounded in the Word of God. I have learned that found sound grounded men have less opinion and more conviction. Conviction moves people toward God’s purpose and plan. Leaders filled with sound doctrine can rebuke opinions that contradict the truth.

Listen, revitalization is not a marketing campaign to polish the churches image. Revitalization is a continual process of remembering our first love, remaining faithful, repenting of sin, strengthening what remains, and keeping the fires hot so we can fulfill the mission.

Structure

As you read further in Titus you will find these nuggets: We are called to teach doctrine, train and develop men of char-

acter. Instructing them to submit to authority for the glory of God. Titus continues – We are called to wait or look, long and labor for the coming of Christ. Declare the truth. And remind believers to submit, obey, be ready and avoid foolishness.

Mission

Our mission is one of “good works,” Titus 2:7.

What are “good works?”

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (Colossians 1:9-12)

Good works are our edifying example to our fellow believers.

“In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility” (Titus 2:7).

Good works are the means by which we minister to the needs of our fellow believers. “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14) Good works are an integral part of God’s eternal plan, and therefore they are our highest responsibility. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

“When you clean up the heart, you clear up the mind.”

What constitutes “good works?” What is the definition of “good works ?“ As we look at Scripture we find that the word “good” is translated to mean that which is by its nature pleasing (that is, pleasing to God), that which is upright and honorable in His sight.

Good works are a believers’ love-offerings to God. Ephesians 5:2 tells us that our walk in Christ, our good works in Christ, are the sweet-smelling aroma of a sacrificial love offering to God. Good works are our witness to the unsaved. The fruit of which Paul speaks here in Colossians is not the saving of souls as such, but rather it is our witness to unsaved souls, which God the Holy Spirit uses as one of the means by which He brings lost souls to faith in Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles [that is, among the unsaved], that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” -- that is, when God brings any of them to faith in Christ because of your witness (1 Peter 2:11-12).

This is the proper nature of good works -- not to please us, but to please Christ. Salvation in Christ is the root, good works are the fruit, and our good works are part of God’s plan for Christians. We are to bear witness to the lost world, and to be an example and blessing to others, especially for the edification of our fellow believers.

Right doctrine leads to good works, and good works makes for healthy followers, healthy followers make for a healthy body. Healthy followers and a healthy body make the truth of God attractive to others. Boom! The Church is alive and constantly being revitalized.

The work of revitalization is the calling of all pastors. When you clean up the heart, you clear up the mind. A clean heart and a clear mind help control the tongue and channel the energy to accomplish the mission.

Our calling is to set things in order: - Appoint Leaders - Instruct people to be sensible – and Encourage good works.

Ron Smith is the Senior Pastor of WaterStone Church in Longwood and Lake Mary, Florida.

Ron is the author of Churches Gone Wild. Ron serves as the National Coach for Renovate and the Co-Leader of Renovate One Day with Tom Cheyney.

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2

Non-Negotiables for the Revitalization Pastor

By John Kimball

R

evitalizing any local church is the work of God’s Holy Spirit; however, it requires a very active partnership with the church’s pastor as well. Having revitalized several churches (and coached many pastors on the process), I can tell you from firsthand experience that there are at least two habits that are non-negotiable: Good Sabbath rhythms and persistent intercessory prayer.

Sabbath Rhythms Many pastors simply do not rest well – they do not “decompress” as they should. Some pastors proudly tell of how they limit their vacations or days off for the kingdom work. This is dangerous to their health, their families and their witness. Sabbath itself was the first thing God led man to do once he was created. God made it a command. God takes rest and personal time with Him very seriously.

Pastoring a healthy church is challenging enough – revitalizing a plateaued or declining one requires pastoral reserves that most do not realize until it is too late. Establishing good Sabbath rhythms before entering any revitalization process is mandatory.

Revitalization can lead to burnout for the unprepared pastor. And refocusing a congregation from a state of personal exhaustion is a recipe for personal disaster.

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Things to consider: 1. Do you take your regularly scheduled Sabbath day for real rest and renewing your walk with God? Or do you use it for anything else? Do you regularly skip it?

2. Do you plan intensive prayer and planning retreats (perhaps even with your leaders) at least annually? How much of that time is truly spent on your knees in intercession for your church and community?

3. Have you and your family planned out your vacation(s) for the next 12 months? Is it actually away from the church? And how long does it take you to unwind so that you can be fully present for your family?

Revitalization (along with the angst and conflict it breeds) is among the most stressful but exhilarating work a pastor can do. One can only live off the adrenaline for so long. Good Sabbath patterns are a non-negotiable.

Intercessory Prayer The second non-negotiable for a pastor leading local church revitalization is intercessory prayer. Sim-

ply defined, intercessory prayer is passionate and persistent prayer on behalf of others (sometimes for yourself ) for the will of God to come to fruition in their lives. It is the bedrock of revitalization work.

Keep in mind that all intercession is prayer, but not all prayer is intercession. Paul identifies at least four different kinds of prayer:

ambassadors, ushering in His dominion over soul after soul (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:1721). Real revitalization (that is, something significantly more than just organizational reformation) cannot happen without intercession – and it must be led by Christ’s under-shepherd for that flock (the pastor).

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone…” (1 Timothy 2:1)

Things to consider:

First Paul talks about “requests.” This kind of prayer is akin to making a plea before our heavenly Father – like those instantaneous crisis prayers we make when we hear bad news. Next he mentions “prayers,” or what we might call conversational prayer with our heavenly Father. This is the kind of prayer we do “without ceasing” all throughout our day. Third, Paul references “intercession,” which is the other-oriented “war on the floor” we are called to in order to expand Jesus’ rule and reign over our communities. Finally, “thanksgiving,” or simply expressions of gratitude we lift up all day long as we watch God work in our midst. All of these are critical, but it is often intercessory prayer that remains lacking from revitalization work.

Intercession is one of those tasks that the pastor cannot delegate to someone else. Many can and should be invited to join in the endeavor; however, the pastor must remain in the lead on this one and must demonstrate intercession as a priority for the whole congregation or revitalization will be minimal at best. Revitalization realigns the body with her God-given mission – reconnecting them all with the community. Intercessory prayer’s other-orientation is a foundational component in turning the hearts of the people back to the outside world, and back to the heart of God Himself.

Intercessory prayer fosters spiritual breakthroughs.

It is a primary tool God gives us to demolish strongholds, arguments and pretensions that set themselves up to enslave people and resist the rule and reign of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). It is one of the ways we experience everything God has bestowed upon us for life and ministry, and to literally become more like Christ as we participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). It is the way we exercise our authority as Christ’s commissioned

1. How much time do you personally set aside each day for concerted, uninterrupted intercession?

2. How are you leading intercession with your church’s leadership team? In what ways are you making intercessory prayer a priority for every gathering?

3. How are you fostering an intercessory prayer priority within your congregation? In Sunday school?

In small groups? At other gatherings?

4. How often does your church family gather for the singular purpose of intercessory prayer for your community? How are you gathering information so you know you’re praying strategically?

There are many other spiritual disciplines that undergird the work of local church revitalization, but these two -- good Sabbath rhythms and persistent intercessory prayer -- cannot be minimized. The work of turning a church around is hard enough with these in their proper place. Without them, the pastor can be rendered ineffective and exhausted.

John Kimball is the lead pastor/planter of Palmwood Church just outside of Orlando, Florida. He is director of Church Development for his denomination, the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, and is a trainer and coach with the Praxis Center for Church Development. John also runs The Beaumeadow Group, a small business helping churches, non-profits and businesses with communication tools and strategies.

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Helpful vs. Hurting Disciplines: How to Thrive by Choosing the Best Spiritual Practices

Having pastored in small, medium-size and mega-churches (as well as planting a church), I realized there were certain spiritual disciplines that when embraced my life and ministry flourished. I also realized that when I ignored them my ministry became difficult and unstable.

Having coached hundreds of churches in the past 20 years, I’ve come to believe these four areas of personal discipline are critical for not only having an impact in ministry, but for being happy as well.

Accountable vs. Being Independent Usually when a church needs to be revitalized, it gives the turnaround leader a great deal of control. And why not, if the church has been failing under its previous strategies and tactics, then shouldn’t the new shepherd be allowed to implement their own approach?

If the turnaround leader did not have much control in their previous ministry, this can exacerbate the situation. I’ve noticed that some leaders may undertake a turnaround because they look forward to having some independence. When congregations are desperate to survive, they may give inexperienced turnaround leaders carte blanche to do what is right the leader’s eyes.

This dual empowerment can be good if the leader is skilled, experienced and equipped to be a church revitalizer. And after all, equipping the church revitalizer with the skills necessary is the purpose of Church Re-

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vitalizer magazine. But if a leader is still learning about the dynamics of a turnaround church, the resultant independence that the congregation bestows upon the leader can be the/ leader’s undoing.

Recent news stories have pointed out that ethical failures in pastors often seem to be the result of too much independence and not enough accountability. The turnaround pastor and a struggling church’s desire for someone to lead the congregation out of its marginalization, can inadvertently give the leader so much independence that the leader does not have the accountability or professional oversight needed.

Solution: If you are a turnaround leader, then seek out accountability. Don’t just seek out like-minded peers who are going through the same professional and spiritual battles. And just don’t seek out one person, but rather seek out a group of individuals that can give you guidance.

One of the thorniest questions the early church had to battle was what to do with Paul’s new ministry to nonJews. This was a substantial and divisive issue. However, Paul submitted not to an individual, but to a council of godly leaders which we know today as the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). Having an accountability to a godly group not only sharpened Paul’s theological insights, but also gave him a platform of accountability that would help most of his detractors overlook his former life as a persecutor of the faith.

Mentee vs. Being a Mentor This means being a mentee, in addition to being accountable. But often turnaround leaders are tempted to be the mentor more than the mentee. In my personal life I found that as my ministry increased, others wanted me to mentor them. Not only was I honored, but I was told I had the gift of teaching and therefore I enjoyed mentoring others.

But the times when I suffered the most were when I was mentoring others but no one was mentoring me. In my town I sought out the lead pastor of a large nearby church. And though we were very theologically different, we became fast friends and he became my mentor. Later he went on to become the president of a nationally recognized theological seminary.

In the times we spent together in his kitchen, I realized the challenges I was facing he had already faced years before, and he had insights from the encounters. In much the way Paul mentored Timothy (1 and 2 Timothy), a more experienced leader can bring needed encouragement to a pastor who is encountering daily frustrations in turning around a church.

the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12-16). When turning around client churches I have found it most helpful to get people’s eyes off of the pastor as expert, and start seeing the pastor as their trainer and equipper. An important personal discipline for the turnaround pastor is to train and delegate to others important tasks rather than trying to do it all oneself. This means seeing the potential in people and even giving them the chance to flounder at times. It means having less perfection in our churches and more opportunity for participation.

Family Time vs. Church Time

“Recent news stories have pointed out that ethical failures in pastors often seem to be the result of too much independence and not enough accountability.”

Solution: Find a mentor and submit to being a mentee.

No matter how long you’ve been in ministry, there is probably someone who has encountered what you are encountering now, and can offer perspective and biblical insight. The New Testament precedent is a one-onone relationship with someone who has already countered the challenges which a turnaround pastor is daily encountering.

Equipper vs. Being an Expert As ministry impact increases, people often start to look to the leader as “the expert.” This can be exacerbated when a church is struggling and looking for any help.

The result is that the congregation and the leader may put too much of the burden upon the leader.

As a result, turnaround leaders tend to undertake the most important things themselves. They tend to do most of the preaching themselves, they tend to do most of the organization themselves, they tend to run the meetings themselves, they tend to do most of the evangelism themselves, etc. etc. An all too common result is a burned-out pastor and a church that feels even less likely to turn around.

Solution: As pastor your job is to equip the believers for

Finally, the fourth area is the important aspect of carving out time with your earthly family and your heavenly family (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). During some of my most successful years in ministry my children were young. And though they have great memories from their childhood, I wish I’d spent a bit more time with them. I could have had more deep dialogues with them. I could have known them even better. And this is good not only for our earthly family, but our heavenly family as well.

Solution: Later in my years as a turnaround pastor I found that I benefited greatly by taking two days off every week to be with my earthly family (recreation) and my heavenly family (in scriptural meditation and prayer). On those two days every week I did no church business. I viewed those days as a sabbatical. If God, the all powerful creator of the universe took off a seventh day to rest (commanding it upon his children as one of his 10 commands) then I need something more regular and restful than a couple of partial days off each week.

These four principles helped me not only survive ministry, but enjoy it and thrive in it.

Bob Whitesel (D.Min. and Ph.D., Fuller Seminary) has been called “the key spokesperson on change theory in the church today” by a national magazine and ranks as one of the nation’s most sought after church health and growth consultants. An award-winning author of 13 books, he founded an accredited seminary (Welsey Seminary at IWU) and created one of the nation’s most respected church health and growth consulting firms: ChurchHealth.net

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The

Revitalizer LIBRARY Daman, Glen. The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America.

Chicago: Moody, 2018.

Glen Daman loves the rural church. He wants his readers to love it too. In The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America Daman masterfully details a theological premise for rural ministry, gives a history of both rural America and rural church ministry, explores the struggles facing rural communities, and finally issues a challenge to his reader to value the rural church. The Forgotten Church is deeply researched, well written and a must-read for pastors and church leaders in rural settings.

Daman strongly argues that rural America, and subsequently the rural church, has been forgotten. Forgetting rural America and the rural church has propagated misunderstandings of both. Ignoring and misunderstanding the rural church leads to a dismissal of rural ministry and people. Daman writes, “When we fail to understand and value a culture and people, we will eventually devalue and probably ridicule them” (30).

Daman argues that those in urban and suburban communities have perceptions of those in the

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rural as idyllic at best and ignorant at worst. Daman writes, “the perception is perpetuated that rural communities are largely Christian and in little need of new strategies of outreach” (66). He makes the case that the idyllic perceptions of rural America have both blinded the influencers of America to the socioeconomic challenges that rural communities face. He further critiques seminaries, Bible colleges, and denominational leaders for neither preparing or encouraging rural pastorates.

“Many classes on church leadership assume that the student will be serving in a multi-staff church. Because few professors in seminaries or Bible colleges have extensive experience in rural ministry, the courses are taught from an urban perspective. Rural ministry is often not even on the radar.

Even when it is, it is typically viewed as a dead end for any up-and-coming pastor” (144).

The final chapter clarifies Daman’s desired outcome and therefore the focus of his book. He writes to the larger suburban church so they would value rural ministry and therefore help support a rural ministry both financially and through acts of service. Daman writes to professors at the seminary and the Bible college so they would understand the struggle of rural churches and rural America. Those pro-

fessors would then therefore both encourage students to pursue rural Rob Hurtgen is the Pastor of First ministry and adapt their training to Baptist Church Chillicothe, Missouri. include the rural perspective among He holds an M.Div from the Southern their instruction for ministry in subBaptist Theological Seminary and is urban and urban contexts. He writes currently pursuing a Doctor of Minto denominational leaders in hopes istry degree in Church Revitalization that they will no longer dismiss rufrom Midwestern Baptist Theological ral churches. Those denominational Seminary. leaders will then invest themselves and resources available to them in is dedicated at the end of chapter ten recognizing rural churches. Finally, he writes to rural churchthe weaknesses of the rural church. Balance was es that they might think biblically and creatively missed. in how ministry is accomplished. He suggests rural churches creating partnerships for outreach Chapter ten is troubling. Daman elevates the events. He recommends exploring the possibility small and rural church by demeaned the larger, of pulpit sharing between congregations. often more urban one. The chapter would have

been better by focusing on the strengths of a rural Daman’s work helped to articulate observations church versus a comparison as to why rural is betthat this reviewer had made of his rural commuter than everyone else. nity. The work has as well served as a launching point for further sociological research for rural Additionally, discussing the section entitled “Rural understanding and advocacy. Chapters three Church Movement,” pages 72 – 73, Daman cites inthrough six are critical to absorb. But not at the fluencers and authors dated to the early twentieth expense of the remaining chapters. Additionalcentury. These sources prompted the question of ly, chapter nine, “Developing a Theology of Rural the availability of more contemporary references Ministry,” counter-punches from the scriptures an to discuss the rural church movement. Either there urban and suburban centered ecclesiology. The were not historical moves towards strengthening work is not however faultless. the rural church in the latter portion of the twentieth century, or the challenges which the early Daman, while attempting to debunk rural stereoauthors addressed are still prevalent more than types, propagates urban and suburban ones. He one-hundred years later. writes, “They [people who attend urban and suburban churches] worship with a group of strangThis reviewer highly recommends The ers and then head home without any meaningful Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry connection with others in the congregation. In Matters for Every Church in America. contrast, the rural church is centered on commuDaman is calling for a greater nity” (170). Daman’s nostalgic presentation of the value to be placed on the rurural church in chapter ten even steps so far to imral church. It is evident that ply that those in the rural church have more faith he loves the rural commuthan those elsewhere (164). He proposes that the nity and rural churches. He simplicity of rural churches creates a far more auwants his reader to love thentic worship than “glitz, glamour and polished them too. Daman’s book performances” (165) of those churches who utilize should be added to the stage lighting, lasers, and smoke machines. rural revitalizer’s library.

Daman cried “foul” when urban and suburban church leaders elevated their context yet he has committed the same fallacy in propelling the value of the rural church above others. In what is assumed an effort to create balance one paragraph

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