The Church Revitalizer

THE

CHURCH

Nov/Dec 2018 Vol 5 Issue 6

Revitalizer A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue

Developing Significant

Benchmarks IN Church Revitalization

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.�

From The Editor Developing Strategic Benchmarks for Revitalization Church Revitalization Benchmarks are the result of actions. A benchmark is a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed. For the local church working in revitalization and renewal they identify completed actions of projects, activities, or tasks. Most revitalization strategies develop these actions in the past tense when writing them. That is so they are easily marked off when they are completed. Benchmarking is a way to anticipate near future performance against an external desired criterion. As we explore the creation of critical benchmarks for the renewing church in this edition of the magazine, remember that if crucial benchmarks are not achieved, the church revitalization project will probably not be successful. If it does survive the beginning stages without achieving the benchmarks, it will usually be stunted in its growth far into the future. Reviewing your action steps towards achieving a benchmark allows you to see the progress you and your church are making. When all actions connected with a benchmark are completed, the benchmark can be checked off as having been accomplished.

Achieving benchmarks along the journey of revitalization allows the church an occasion for celebration.

Effective benchmarks will demonstrate the following characteristics: They will be consistent with the renewing church’s vision, values, mission statement, and church structure plan.

-They will be realistic in terms of time projections, prerequisites and sequence.

-They will demonstrate a steady flow of relationship between benchmarks with no breaks.

Developing benchmarks is not fixed in concrete but can be adapted to any size church revitalization project. Every writer in this edition has had to develop benchmarks for revitalization. Within this edition we want to look at Developing Strategic Benchmarks for Revitalization. Stay connected, more is coming!

ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

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

Contents

Benchmarking a Strategic Planning Process Tom Cheyney

p. 10

Benchmarking Your Ministry Terry Rials

p. 12

When I Was Murdered Don’t Become a Blockbuster Church Lee Kricher

Joel Breidenbaugh

p. 22

THE LEADERSHIP LINK… Evaluating Revitalization Michael Atherton

p. 30

GARDENING Model for Mentoring Young Leaders George Thomasson

p. 34

p. 16 The Revitalizer

Book Review Rob Hurtgen

p. 62 4

•ReClaimed Church: How Churches Grow, Decline, and Experience Revitalization •Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in America’s Hearthland

Nov/Dec | Vol 5, No 6

Seven Benchmarks of Church Health Markers on the Road to Revitalization

Bob Whitesel

p. 46

You Don’t Lost Weight by Stepping on the Scale Bud Brown

Steve Smith

p. 38

Are Your Developing and Overcomer Culture in Your Church?

Darwin Meighan

p. 52

p. 50

A God-Called, Sold-Out, Risk-Taking Model is Imperative for Revitalization

Dealing with Baggage

Tracy Jaggers

David Jackson

p. 68

p. 72

Also in this issue:

How Are We Doing? p. 58

Milemarkers for a Vibrant Children’s Ministry p. 18

Pain, Problems, and Possibilities: Catalysts for Positive Change p. 62

Bill Hegedus

Tell the Story p. 28 Ron Smith

Small Group Benchmarks p. 40

Mark Weible

Ken Priddy

Benchmarks of Revitalization p. 66 Kenneth Priest

Fred Boone

Facing Reality p. 78

Superiority of Lead Measures Over Lag Measures p. 44

Steve Sells

Chad McCarthy

Pete Tackett

I know it When I see It p. 80 5

THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 5, 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 Tom King

The Church Revitalizer Q&A: What is The Church Revitalizers purpose?

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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Contact us at Goba@goba.org How do I get help with subscription issues?

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Benchmarking a Strategic Planning Process

By Tom Cheyney Do you not know that those who run in a race all run? And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air (1 Cor. 9:24-26).

A common mistake made in declining churches is to be driven by their calendar and not compelled by critical benchmarks. Benchmark planning is one of the most important aspects of the renewal planning process, because project benchmarks are the most visible indicators of project progress. Benchmarks typically mark critical decision points, the completion of major project tasks and the ends of various project phases. Benchmarks are tools used in project management to mark specific points along a revitalization project timeline. Essentially, you want to make the most important events of your revitalization project as benchmarks so that they are easily viewed and mapped by the church revitalization team. Benchmarks are given additional significance over tasks in a plan so that the revitalization team can track the tasks while the congregation can focus on forward progress.

What are Benchmarks?

Benchmarks are the results of actions. They identify completed components of your projects. (These need to be written in past tense as they show completed actions.)

Benchmarks measure progress in your project. In our Church Revitalization Boot Camps one exercise we experience is when church leaders along with their pastor identify where they are as a church presently. Then they also define where the church needs to go in moving forward toward

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renewed health and vitality. Benchmarks are important because: they can tell you if your church is falling behind the needs of the community, and allow you to refocus and catch up on your revitalization strategy. They also help your revitalization team to intercede at a moment’s notice, and allow you to diagnose reoccurring issues that have yet to be resolved in the declining church. When Benchmarks are arranged in logical sequence, and relationships between the benchmarks are established, a strategic plan has been outlined. Completed tasks are actions required to accomplish the benchmarks. A benchmark may be “four new Home Groups launched.� What actions need to take place for that to happen? The actions might include, potential members identified, leaders enlisted and trained, meeting space secured, and materials ordered. Critical benchmarks must be achieved or the objective will not be attained and the church most likely will not move to the next desired level of growth. There may one hundred benchmarks to accomplish in the next twelve months, but only half a dozen would be critical benchmarks.

Characteristics of Effective Benchmarks What are the characteristics of effective benchmarks? They are consistent with vision, values, mission statement and church system design, and they are realistic in terms of time projections and sequence to enable a steady flow of relationships between benchmarks. In revitalization the development of benchmarks may be many but there will only be about twelve significant ones. Not everything is critical.

There may be only ten to twelve critical benchmarks in a church revitalization process.

Seven

Here are Benchmarks Towards Success in Your Revitalization Project.

Ask yourself the following: Is There a Clear Vision for Renewal?

Every church member knows the objective in revitalization is to bring back renewed health and vitality to the congregation. Whatever the vision is it needs to be clearly and succinctly communicated in a memorable, easy to embrace way. This vision comes from God’s leading, not man’s invention, but “without a vision the people perish.”

Is There a Clear Strategy with Distinct Goals in Place?

There is a plan to achieve the vision for revitalization.

Church leaders are operating with reasonable, attainable, measurable and worthy goals. They have the resources in place to complete them.

Has There Been a Great Team Recruited?

You will spin your wheels and never have good traction if you fail to recruit a great team in your church. You simply can’t do it alone. Consider this, because someone was a good fit yesterday doesn’t mean they always will be.

Church members are always the greatest assets, but they can also be the greatest hindrance to achieving success if they are the wrong people. Continually assessing whether the right players are in place is critical to the revitalization progress.

Is There a Resolve to Persevere and Endure?

I never knew how big this one was until I was in a church that was already in decline and I had come to restart it.

Some of the people that I thought were the most dedicated actually were not. That hurt the congregation. If a declining church wants to be successful in renewal, there must be a strong, committed core of people who are in it for the long haul, regardless of the setbacks and disappointments, which will naturally come.

Is There a Communal, Celebratory, and Fun Atmosphere?

People in revitalization need to have fun! There should be a joy in the revitalization journey. Team members need to know that they are valued, that they are part of something bigger than today, and that they can laugh, cry, and do life together as a family. Revitalization team’s loose commitment and get bored quickly when renewal is not mixed with fun and celebration.

Have the Tasks Been Divided Equitably?

I was naive early in my leadership as a pastor to believe everyone shared my work ethic. They don’t.

If a declining church is going to succeed, everyone must pull his or her weight. There can be no dawdlers. There is much hard work to be done.

Is Communication Fluent and Frequent?

This is a tough one, because as the church begins to grow again, people will naturally know less and less about everything. There’s a danger of silos developing if people aren’t continually engaged as a team. A huge challenge for any successful revitalization effort is effectively communicating with the entire congregation.

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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Benchmarking Your Ministry

By Terry Rials

C

ounting nickels and noses used to be sufficient for most of us in church ministry, but this simplistic approach got many-a-church into trouble. I admit that measuring a church’s ministry by an examination of its numbers alone tells only part of the story. We all know what Mark Twain said about statistics… In fact, one can make statistics say just about anything we want them to say if one works at it. Maybe we need to have some benchmarks instead. Benchmarking is a way of looking at church performance, like looking at your actual internet speed against what was promised by your internet service provider, speaking of lies! In the church setting, benchmarking is comparing your church’s statistical data and performance metrics to data and performance of previous years or even to the best practices of other churches. Basically, it is a look at certain numbers that point to progress or decline, such as in Bible Study attendance, worship attendance, baptisms, additions to the church, church starts, etc. Churches could simply ask themselves, “How are we doing this year compared to last year or to other churches?” That sounds rights, but I have a few benchmark concerns that I would like to share with you.

First, I am concerned about ministerial honesty. Honesty counts if we are to get a clear picture of how our churches are doing. What do I mean by honesty here? I mean looking at the data without bias or adjusting the numbers in any way. Let me introduce the halo effect – the phenomenon that takes place when someone is asked about something spiritual. For instance, a pastor will report a greater number about the attendance of his church than his actual number. Is this intentional? I worked with one church that led a brief service in the local nursing home on one Sunday per month. They counted the residents in the home as people actually involved in their Sunday School ministry to bolster

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By Terry Rials their numbers. Another pastor boasted to me (I don’t know if he was serious or not) that he counted the ears of those in attendance and divided by 1.5 - I’ll let that sink in for a moment. Still another pastor, who sadly used to serve on my staff, said that he added three to each week’s attendance because he was sure that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were there each week. I’m sure there is some Trinitarian problem with that kind of accounting! These tweaks in our reporting of the numbers reflect less than a complete honesty. Would these deliberate tweaks endure the scrutiny of the One who impartially judges (1 Peter 1:17)? I think not. This kind of work is wood, hay, and stubble and will be burned up in the heat of judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).

A second concern has been that some important statistical data to us in the Southern Baptist Convention are not collected on a consistent basis – specifically, local mission projects. Without consistent, year-after-year tracking of these projects, it is impossible to track progress over time and to see developing trends in our church’s ministry or trends in our Convention. This important benchmark involves looking at what the church is doing outside the four walls of its building, out in the community where true gospel ministry happens. I would like to report some amazing findings about the number of churches in our convention that reported no mission project involvement in the last few years, but without the data, I have nothing to report.

Numerous opinions exist about what to make of incomplete or missing data in statistical analysis. Generally, statisticians fall into two camps. Some suggest that since the picture is incomplete because so many of the puzzle pieces are missing, all we can do is guess at what is really going on, which may or may not be accurate. Second, there are those who suggest the only thing to do with missing data is to delete it and not consider these churches at all in our analyses. I’m no statistician, but I can tell that neither of these approaches paint a beautiful picture. We cannot expect what we do not inspect!

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My third concern has to do with two of the aforementioned statistics. What has happened to the number of baptisms in the evangelical church? We do know a little about the baptism numbers of the Southern Baptist Convention, if the data is to be believed, and the numbers are not good.

Let me give you an example of the baptism numbers in my home state. Last year, we baptized roughly the same number of people that we did in 1977 with 40% more churches now. Put into perspective the general population of Oklahoma grew by more than a million people in that period of time, but the church baptized the same number. In the interest of complete transparency, we do not know what the baptismal numbers are in other evangelical churches with any precision because so many of them are independent and report to no ecclesiastical authority or entity. Basically, when these churches report their numbers to us verbally, they are guessing. One can usually tell because the numbers they report are round numbers.

My other concern has to do with the numbers reported under the category of church additions. The number of people joining Southern Baptist Churches, and presumably other evangelical churches, is in a precipitous decline, the sharpest decline of any statistic that we track. Put simply, people are not joining churches. I have heard so many explanations for this phenomenon that I don’t know what to believe about it. I have heard that it is because millennials do not join when they can just attend, but the numbers don’t add up. I have heard the sky-is-falling cry of those who predict the demise of our denomination; I’m not ready to believe that either. I have heard that the mega churches are siphoning off members of existing churches, which I do believe is happening. In fact, I believe all these explanations in part.

My fourth benchmarking concern is a little more difficult to measure, if it can be measured at all – measuring the effectiveness of church staff. A better, more accurate way to say this is to evaluate the effectiveness of the church staff. This is a subjective process to be sure, and no two evaluators would necessarily have the same opinion about this. Don Cousins, the author of Experiencing Leadershift, suggests four really important questions as we evaluate: •Is the staff members faithful? If the search team found it useful to ask important questions about calling, character, view of scripture, family, service, values, philosophy of ministry, and morality, why are they not evaluated now?

•Is the staff member fruitful? Are the nine fruit of the Spirit found in the life and ministry of the staff member now?

•Is the staff member fulfilled? Does the staff member have the peace of mind and the safety to share openly about their ministry fulfillment? Why can’t we provide an on-going ministry feedback, apart from the staff ministry evaluation time on the calendar?

•Is the staff member making God famous? If a staff member seeks his own glory rather than the glory of God, the church owes it to him to help him see how he is doing this before people begin to leave the church.

My fifth benchmark for measuring a church’s progress would be difficult, maybe even impossible to measure accurately, but it is important nonetheless. I am talking about measuring the activity of church members in sharing the gospel. While it may be impossible to quantify this practice with any real degree of accuracy, you as the pastor may be able to assess this practice among your church members using your super ninja, Jedi, superhero pastor skills. I suggest this with a poor attempt at humor, but I confess that no one, I mean no one, knows your church like you do. If you want to know this kind of data, it is possible to ascertain, but it involves a particular kind of activity – work. Asking the questions to your church in non-threatening ways can produce a treasure trove of information. Catch people in the halls, in the worship center, in their places of business, at the school or the store, and ask important ministry questions. Give them a questionnaire or shoot them an email.

Create time in your weekly worship schedule to talk about your church members’ experiences with sharing the gospel. Create a safe and comfortable environment for them to share the thrills of victory and the agony of defeat. We have to get this uncomfortable subject out of the shadows and into the light. When others in the church hear these reports, they will be encouraged to share their faith with others and bring back that report to the church. Thinking back, I believe that the early church must have had this as a major topic of discussion as we read the early chapters of the book of Acts.

At best, benchmarking is a test procedure. Don’t be afraid to fail or you’ll never achieve your goal. Look at your church honestly and critically. Ask the hard questions. Don’t be afraid of being unpopular or making others uncomfortable because if you are the leader you think you are, you have earned enough trust to ask the difficult questions and engage in uncomfortable conversations. If it gets your church moving in the right direction, mission accomplished!

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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By Lee Kricher Did you watch at least one movie in the last month? If so, did you rent that movie at a Blockbuster outlet? Chances are, the answer is no. In 2004, there were over 9,000 Blockbuster outlets. Today there is only one in the entire United States. There was a time when I used to go to Blockbuster at least once a week. It was convenient because it was next to Fotomat where I got my pictures developed.

Blockbuster outlets didn’t close their doors because people stopped watching movies. Blockbuster closed their doors because their approach to renting movies stopped working for a new generation. In the same way, your church will not close its doors because people no longer need the hope and purpose found in Jesus Christ. However, your church may close its doors because your approach to introducing people to the hope and purpose in Jesus Christ does not work for a new generation.

One wise leader said – “When the changes on the outside of your organization are taking place more quickly than the changes inside, the end is in sight.” That proved to be true for Blockbuster. It could easily be true for your church and for mine.

The Path to Extinction

The other day I was talking to a guy in his late 60s who said that he was just waiting for the doors of his church to close since he was one of the youngest people in the church. I told him about some of the changes we made at our church that created an environment that led to young people starting to come again. I mentioned that one of the many changes we made was to institute a more relaxed dress code. He said, “I wear a suit and tie to church and that is not going to change - no matter what.” I asked him, “How about if something as simple as a relaxed dress code could make your church more appealing to your children and grandchildren?” He paused for a moment and said, “I wear a suit and tie to church and that is not going to change - no matter what.” What he was actually saying is that he was OK with being part of a Blockbuster church.

Our church was ready to close its doors in 2003 because we were an aging, dying church with almost no children, almost no young adults and just a few token young couples. One of the changes we made in our church was to convert some

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of our adult multi-purpose rooms into kids-friendly rooms that were dedicated to children’s ministry. At the time, one of our biggest givers said, “Why would we invest in dedicated children’s environments when we have no children? And just so you know, the kids you are trying to reach don’t have checkbooks. If you go in this direction I am leaving and my checkbook is going with me.” What he was actually saying is that he was OK with being part of a Blockbuster church.

After spending several decades studying local churches that had ceased to exist, Thom S. Rainer in Autopsy of a Deceased Church wrote, The most pervasive and common thread of our autopsies was that the deceased churches lived for a long time with the past as hero. They held on more tightly with each progressive year. They often clung to things of the past with desperation and fear. And when any internal or external force tried to change the past, they responded with anger and resolution: ‘We will die before we change.’ And they did.

The people that Tom Rainer studied are not heroes who refused to compromise the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. They were people in love with the past who refused to change their approach to church in a rapidly changing world.

These people were okay with being part of a Blockbuster church.

The Antidote

So what does it take to avoid a similar fate? The most important thing is for the people of a church to adopt a new mindset.

Paul wrote to Christians in and around Rome, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) We often apply this truth only to individuals, but it also applies to churches.

I knew that there is always hope. I knew that with God all things are possible. But I also knew that nothing would change in our church without a change of mindset. Here are some examples of the ways that the thinking of the people of our church needed to change: • Our mindset of “We will just pray and wait for things to come back around” had to change to “We will pray AND make the changes needed in this rapidly changing world.”

• Our internally focused mindset of “God doesn’t care about numbers” had to change to “Every ‘number’ represents a person Jesus died for.”

• After visiting churches that were reaching the next generation, our mindset had to change from “That would never work for us” to “God, give us open hearts and minds to see the changes we need to make.”

• The most important change of mindset was related to this statement: “If it was good enough for me, it is good enough for our children.” We had to turn that statement into a question - “What will it take to reach the next generation?”

A number of things led to a change of thinking in our church that paved the way for our revitalization. Leaders in the church took “vision” trips (field trips) to churches that were reaching the next generation. We read books and articles about church revitalization. My weekend messages regularly touched on the importance of reaching people – not just keeping people. We did church-wide small group studies that opened people’s hearts to think about God’s will for the future of our church. And, of course, I had many personal conversations with people about stepping into the future without compromising our core beliefs.

I sincerely wish that everyone at Amplify Church had adopted a new way of thinking. In the first two years, about a third of

the people attending our church left to attend other churches. Fortunately, most people caught on to the vision. They embraced the hope that we could become healthy again with all generations well represented. The definitive change in mindset that we needed as a church did not take several years to kick in. We saw a tangible shift within a few months. We still had much work to do, but we were on our way.

Worth the Fight

I received a letter recently that was one of many confirmations that it was worth the fight.

Dear Pastor, I took my daughters (15 and 13) and their very close friend (17) to church this past Sunday. My daughter invited her friend because her friend kept asking why she “liked” church. She told her friend to come and find out.

I am writing this to you three days after the service because they are STILL talking about it! My daughter’s friend wants to come back. And my girls keep going on and on about how they learned so much from the weekend message. My older daughter said, “Mom, I understood everything he said and how to make it part of my life.”

Grateful over and over again, Danielle More and more church leaders are saying, “We may not be able to change our approach to church quickly enough to keep our doors open – but we will not go down without a fight.” They refuse to be a part of a Blockbuster church.

Questions for your consideration: As a church leader, does your level of urgency for change in your church match the pace of change happening around you? In what ways does your mindset and the mindset of the people of your church need to change?

Lee Kricher is the Senior Pastor of Amplify Church in Pittsburgh, PA, a church that experienced a dramatic turnaround from an aging, dying church of under 200 people to a church of over 2,000 people with every generation well represented. Lee is the author of For a New Generation: A Practical Guide For Revitalizing Your Church and founder of Future Forward Churches. You can contact him at lee@futureforwardchurches.com

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M

ost people love a good road trip. I know I do. I can remember being a young child when our family would go on vacation. All nine of us would pile in the car and drive for hours, which I am sure was not as much fun for my parents as it was for me. This was back in the day before GPS and Google maps. We only had the gigantic road atlas. It had every highway and town in America. I loved to look at that as we drove along. It was fun to follow our progress from state to state and to try and figure out how long it would take us to get there. To this day I prefer a road map display over written out directions when it comes to using my GPS. When it comes to creating a great and vibrant children’s ministry, I like to think of it as a journey. Like any trip you need to first plan out your destination. In the case of children’s ministry ask, ”What do I want the children in my ministry to look like when they graduate? What should they know?” Now this can be different for every church, because you are the one who sets the pace and direction for your ministry.

For example, we want kids at our church to graduate with three things: to understand their faith, to own their faith, and to live out their faith. These are in this order for a reason. The first thing, when it comes to teaching children about God and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, is that it must be understandable. It needs to be taught in such a way that they can easily grasp the truth of what they are being taught. Whenever we present the Gospel, we do it in a way that kids easily understand. We purposely avoid using terms or phrases they would have a hard

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time understanding. Phrases like “Asking Jesus into your heart” or “being washed in Jesus’ blood” can confuse and flat out petrify a first grader. We use phrases like “Asking Jesus to forgive your sins and to be the leader you follow and obey.” This communicates to their level of understanding, because when they understand their faith, they can more easily take the next step of owning it.

Owning their faith means that they have accepted it as truth and it becomes part of who they are. There is a big difference between understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making the choice to put your faith and trust in Him. This involves the child’s personal choice. This is where life change starts to happen. Once they own it, they can move to the last step of living out their faith.

This step puts action to their commitment to follow Christ. This step requires the most encouragement and equipping. We all want the children in our ministries to know Christ and to live their live as an example of His love for all the world. To do this we need to equip them with practical ways they can live out their faith in everyday life. We use things like real life situations in our classes to give kids the opportunity to discuss what they should do in that situation. This allows us to help direct them to the Godly choice.

As kids grow and progress in school, they begin to realize there can be multiple correct ways to handle a situation or problem, but we want to help them make the choice that honors God. By discussing this it also allows the student to be part of the process, which only increases their ownership and commitment.

Just like a planning a road trip and figuring out your stops along the way, the same can be done when it comes to discipleship of children. It just needs to be done in the right order. There is a proper progression to the process or journey. That is also why you can’t take short cuts. They may work on a road trip but not in discipleship. When you take a short cut on a road trip you will miss things along the way. It takes away from the trip itself. In discipleship, especially of children, short cuts will keep them from having deeply rooted faith.

This next part may sting a little, but please read to the end before getting upset with me. I believe often when it comes to ministering to kids and students, we often take short cuts. I know this because I used to buy into the short cut mindset. When we focus on getting a child to make the decision to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, when our goal is to get as many kids as possible to say the sinner’s prayer and stop there, that is a short cut. They must understand it before they can own it, once they own it, we must equip them to live it. It’s not about a prayer, it’s about life change. Don’t get me wrong, the prayer is very important. Leading people to Christ is absolutely at the heart of what we do. I am simply saying that it shouldn’t mark the end of the road. I know we all agree that discipleship is important, but it is also the more difficult and time consuming part. I believe that is why it can be the most neglected when it comes to children’s ministry. I often attend conferences and I hear leaders talking about the same two things:

•How many kids accepted Christ •How many kids they baptized Again, these things are great, but this comes across as number-based instead of life-focused. I am sure that you are not just focused on numbers, but just ask the questions: •What am I doing to help kids understand their faith?

•How am I leading them to own their faith?

•How am I equipping them to live out their faith?

One of my favorite quotes is from the book “The Principle of the Path” by Andy Stanley. It states, “Direction not intention determines your destination.” What a great statement. You can have the best intentions in the world, but it is the direction you are headed that determines your destination. I may intend to travel to Florida, but if I get on interstate 95 heading north, I am going to end up in New York. So, make sure you plan out the spiritual journey you want to take the kids in your ministry on and make sure you are headed in the right direction.

My prayer for you and your ministry is that God would bless it. I also want to thank you for taking the time to pour into the lives of kids and families each week.

Bill Hegedus is the Family Pastor at Bethlehem Church in Atlanta. Bill has over 15 years experience ministering to kids and families. His heart and passion is to help kids understand and live out a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Often described as a big kid himself, Bill uses laughter and innovation to do ministry in an exciting and memorable way kids enjoy.

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When I Was Murdered...

and Lived to Tell about It 22

By Joel R. Breidenbaugh

I

remember the day like it was yesterday. I was twenty-two years old. Though I was called to preach (and pastor), no church in the area would hire someone my age, because preachers were “a dime a dozen” in a sizable seminary area.

Thus, I had accepted an offer to be a youth pastor to gain some ministry experience. I had been serving in that role for about twelve months and was holding a Youth Council meeting with the Senior Pastor, a high school student, and a few parents. An issue was raised about fund-raisers and I simply replied I was not comfortable doing fundraisers because of the Gospel accounts about Jesus cleansing the temple over religious leaders profiteering.* That’s when it happened. I never saw it coming. In the twinkling of an eye, I was murdered. A dagger had been thrust into my innermost being and I had no time to defend myself. The parent who murdered me felt justified.

But I lived to tell about it. As a matter of fact, it’s happened in more than one church where I served. One time it was by a church treasurer. Another time was by an elder in the church.

Each time I was murdered before a few other onlookers. But I survived each one.

Of course, I’m not talking about literal murder. I am speaking of hatred. Our Lord Jesus equated hatred with murder (see Matthew 5:21-22). I have been the object of intense hatred on a few occasions. While we might expect that in a non-Christian culture, we certainly don’t expect that within the church from some of God’s own people!

My guess is you have experienced this type of murder, too. A church in need of revitalization usually has at least one lay person who is staunchly against everything the pastor is trying to do. In many instances, such a lay person will spew hatred—either in words or in deeds—at the senior pastor. If you are a pastor, then this person wants to kill you, at least in his heart.

So, what are we to do? We are mere humans attempting to lead other humans closer to the Lord and into our communities. Let me offer a few suggestions:

First, pray for the person who has shown hatred and opposition to you. He may be going through marital problems or financial problems. He may have family or job stress mounting up. There may be other mental or psychological factors at play.

But your fight isn’t against him. Your struggle isn’t flesh and blood, but it is a form of spiritual warfare (see Ephesians 6:1018). So pray for the Lord to work on his heart and in his life.

Second, love the person. Jesus calls all Christians to “love one another” (John 13:34-35). Yes, it is easier said than done, but you can do it. By the grace of God, you can love the un-loveable and the hateful. You can learn to love them as you pray for them. You can demonstrate your love for them by doing something for

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32, NIV

them. Take them out to eat and talk about their family.

Stop by for a visit or send them a card. You don’t have to bring up the moment of hatred. Just let them know you are praying for them and you are available.

Third, prepare yourself to forgive the person. As you pray for him and seek to love him, you will need to forgive him for the attempt on your life. It’s normally easier for a man to forgive someone who has tried to hurt you, but it’s harder if they tried to hurt your family. No matter the case, you are called to be quick to forgive.

While you can prepare yourself for forgiveness, biblical forgiveness is rooted in repentance. Jesus taught the disciples to forgive as many times as someone needed it, so long as the offender listens to you about the offense, i.e. seeks forgiveness via repentance (see Matthew 18:15-35). Even the command to forgive “each other, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32) is grounded in repentance, for the Lord doesn’t forgive us unless we repent.

That’s why I say you must prepare yourself for forgiveness. There may come a day when the offender apologizes for the way he treated you. If you have not been preparing yourself, you will find it harder to forgive him.

If you have been preparing your heart, however, you can be quick to forgive him.

Finally, teach others these lessons from the Bible.

Just because you experience someone’s hatred doesn’t mean you’ll be alone. Chances are the bitterness, anger, and malice will rear its ugly head again in the future.

The more your people are taught to pray for their antagonists, love them and plan for forgiveness, the better prepared they will be when Satan seeks to murder some more in the church through hatred.

Now for the rest of the story: I had been quickly murdered in that Youth Council meeting by words of hatred and criticism. “Why do you have to bring the Bible into everything you do?!” shouted the angry parent.

He then proceeded to tear me apart for using the Bible in my ministry and not just doing fun things, which is what the kids want. I was speechless. In many ways,

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what he yelled at me was one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received in my ministry. I seek to show how God’s Word speaks to every area of our lives. But I didn’t expect to hear it as criticism and I didn’t expect the hate-filled diatribe to follow.

That’s when the Senior Pastor came to my aid, just like a Good Samaritan. He calmed the man down and affirmed what a positive thing it is to bring the Bible to bear in all of life. As I continued to serve at that church for another year and a half, that man came around to be a supporter of mine and hated to see me leave for my first pastorate, because I had made a difference in the lives of his boys and their pursuit of God. So, take courage in your work. I know it’s hard. I know you often want to throw in the towel. You, too, may have been murdered recently. But by God’s grace He can strengthen you to pray for the murderer, love him, plan to forgive him and teach others to do the same in life. After all, church ministry is not about you. That’s not why you’re in it. You’re in it for the glory of God and the good of His people. So be faithful in it. He who raised Jesus from the dead can do the same for every murdered servant. Praise God! *Since that time, I have had my views adjusted a bit on fundraisers, but I still don’t want it to get out of hand where a particular church ministry raises most of its funds that way. I favor a general budgeting process with funds set aside for each ministry. I also favor youth doing projects “free of charge” out of gratitude to God for their church and community.

Joel Breidenbaugh is the Lead Pastor of Gospel Centered Church in Apopka, FL. He also teaches about preaching 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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TELL THE STORY

By Ron Smith

N

ow is the time to tell the story. Our world is longing to hear the story of the hope for a better future. The people that live around our churches are searching for purpose, hope and significance. Now is the time for the preacher to stand and proclaim these truths. The pulpits of today need to come alive with passion, the passion to tell the story, the Gospel story.

“If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9 Take a moment and let me tell you a story….

Imagine a family, broken, but aspirational. The father is diligent and hard-working, but his focus is misdirected toward his industry. The mother desires to build enduring relation-

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ships with her kids but builds opportunity for connection solely through busy activities. Their college-age son wants to thrive in the business industry but struggles to build confidence in himself. Their teenage daughter wrestles with anxiety and finds comfort in toxic friendships. Their youngest is enthusiastic about elementary school but feels the need to mimic his siblings more than discover his own unique bent.

They know in part that there is more to life. But what’s keeping them from accessing and activating their better, more intentional, purpose-filled lives?

What place could lead each and every member into this life – together? What space would allow them to face their failures, bring their burdens, refine their realities, and grow in the way God shaped them for?

Our Church believes in families, in community, and in the

hope of a better future.

We believe in equipping families, aiding communities and reaching the unreached.

The hope of the world is the transformative power of the gospel.

Our Church is that place where we move families, communities and churches to a better place. That place is into a growing relationship with Christ, discovering His purpose for our lives.

How can we say we desire for all the world to experience the life God has for us, but not align our word with our deed in creating a space for this desire to be made manifest?

Do you want to see…

Lives reached with the gospel message of Christ. Lives forever changed with truth of God’s love, forgiveness and purpose.

Your family united and thriving and living life with purpose.

Your community finding hope in the message of Christ through the medium of the church.

Your church gathered and scattered, sharing the hope of Christ, spreading Joy in living, sending out the message of love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.

Your church around the world. No matter if the sun is up or the sun is down, we are living missionally around the globe, deploying the people and resources of the church to fulfill the Commission of Christ.

answers to questions that used to end in uncertainty? Can you see the comfort lower her tense shoulders as our space says, “We exist to help you”?

Can you see their youngest son growing through an educational framework that practically and spiritually prepares him for a life in the marketplace, a life with family, a life with the future in mind?

We believe in the power of Christ to change lives and we believe we were created for more than just a job, and education, or a social status. We believe there is more.

There is more. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20,21.

Tell the Story!

Why? Why is this so important? Every week at my church we always have guests that comment, ‘they have been looking for over a year for a church that proclaims the Word.”

Now I am not talking about church people looking to go to another church. I am talking about churched and unchurched who are looking for a church where the people and the pastor act like they really believe their faith.

Each week we hear from people from all walks of life and stages of searching and hoping to find a church that proclaims the hope of Christ.

People are ready to hear the story. Tell the story. Preach the Word.

Can You See?

Jesus told stories. He shared the hope of salvation. We should do the same.

Can you see that diligent and hard-working father walking into this space, where we can clearly communicate, “We can help you in this space. We see your needs and we can meet your needs”?

Prepare yourself to herald the story of Christ each and every week and I guarantee you will draw a crowd and change a church. Tell the story.

Can you see his teenage daughter trading anxiety for anticipation of what God can do with her life? Filled with God-given wonder, hope and excitement, we can meet her with the environment that says, “God loves; Jesus wants to have a relationship with you; and you are fearfully and wonderfully made for a greater purpose.”

Can you see the mother hoping for more than “business as usual”? Can you see her not just longing, but encountering,

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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The Leadership Link:

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Evaluating Revitalization

By Michael Atherton I can scarcely think of a discipline in which evaluation is not helpful. Evaluation helps to strengthen a project’s results or better a discipline’s outcome. Evaluation helps to direct course corrections. Evaluation helps to eliminate unnecessary hardships. Evaluation helps to ensure we make it to our desired destination. Just as evaluation is important in the life of an athlete, businessman, school teacher, or professional cook; evaluation is important as one leads a congregation through revitalization.

If evaluation is important, then it is reasonable to ask: How can one who is leading revitalization know if revitalization is happening? Who wants to give 1000 to 1500 days to discipline only to find out that at the end of a 3 to 5-year journey, their outcome is far from their desire? Let me offer you a few principles that will help you critically evaluate your revitalization journey; to see if you are heading in the right direction. When do we know that we are finding success in our revitalization efforts?

We begin to see an inward focus turn to an outward focus.

The fact of the matter is that many churches today are spending entirely too much time focusing on the needs of people, who when they die, will enter into eternity in heaven. Please don’t misunderstand. I am a tremendous believer at shepherding the flock of God well (I Peter 5:2). However, the fact remains, that many leaders spend far more time being forced to address internal needs at the expense of the “lostness” that is overwhelming so many communities today.

I serve in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. In the next 365 days, an estimated 29,410 Missourians will die, 2.4 million Americans will die, and 24 million people worldwide will die. Those numbers should not surprise us.

There is a 100% chance that all of us are going to die

at some point. What should break our hearts, however, is that the overwhelming majority of those people who will die in the next 365 days will likely enter into a Christ-less eternity. This reality cannot be okay with us.

Churches today, must get beyond themselves and give careful consideration to our need to be great commission churches. How do you know when you are making strides as a revitalization church? You are shifting from being program-driven to being gospel-driven.

We begin to turn from personal preferences to biblical obedience.

Akin to the first principle, the second breakthrough marker for revitalizing churches is a shift, taking people from personal preferences to biblical obedience.

Reality says that a person will act upon that which they believe. Let me give you an example. If you believe in education, you vote for tax increases for education purposes. If you believe in helping the less fortunate, then you give time, money, or resources for meeting their needs. If you believe in good health, then you take care of your body by exercising and dieting. The reverse is true too. If you are against abortion, you will support the sanctity of life activities, or you will support foster care and adoption efforts. The point: you will support those things in which you believe.

In the church, the same rule applies. If the congregation understands the biblical precepts of evangelism, then it will be evident in how the church sets its calendars, gives, and speaks. If the church believes in the importance of prayer, the church’s calendar and practice will reflect it. Too often, we give lip service to biblical disciplines while living according to personal preferences. A church that is experiencing revitalization will renounce and repent of the sin of selfishness; particularly the brand of selfishness which prohibits biblical obedience in our daily living.

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We begin turning from crisis praying to proactive praying.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus comes out of the inner grove to find his disciples sleeping rather than praying. He wakes them and says to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38). That is an interesting statement. Jesus is reminding Peter that the temptation is around the corner, and he needs to be “prayed up” before ever encountering the temptation.

Too many times, we wait until we get into a troubling situation to begin praying. Jesus was teaching Peter the principle of proactive praying. A church that has gone through difficult valleys and come out on the back end will appreciate the power of prayer. Further, after you have experienced revitalization, you realize it is easier to sustain revitalization than it is to have to experience it all over again. So, we stop praying about our crises and we begin praying that God would protect us from and in our crises.

are unwilling to rise to the occasion. That will be the case in every church. But, a great sign of a church that is moving through the tenets of revitalization is when people begin to work together. Such is the picture that Paul offers in 1 Corinthians 12-14. He contends that the church is a body, made up of many parts. For the body to function properly, every part must do its job. If every part is not doing its job, the body will be handicapped.

As leaders, we must be vigilant to not inadvertently handicap the body by simply withholding the opportunity of teamwork from the people at large.

In Conclusion…

Is this an exhaustive list of revitalization breakthroughs?

Certainly not! Recently I was reminded of a quote offered by William Carey, which reads: “I am not afraid of failure, I am afraid of being successful at things that don’t matter.” My friend, revitalization is hard work, and at times we will find we are losing ground faster than we are making ground. But, the discipline of revitalization is worth it! So, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. Keep working hard and trust that in God’s timing, your revitalization breakthrough will eventually come.

We begin moving from a lone ranger mentality to a spirit of teamwork.

Far too many pastors and church leaders are operating under the principle that if you want something done right, you should do it yourself. As a result, there are a good number of churches who are having the ministry of the church hijacked by their leaders. The pastor and staff are the only ones who can do anything. I don’t care how bad your situation is; there is always someone who is willing to come alongside and join you in the ministry. But, are you willing to let them come? Are you willing to cut them loose to do ministry? Will you invest the necessary time to help them understand how something is to be done?

When you do, you are helping develop leaders. Teamwork allows us to accomplish what we could never accomplish by ourselves. Too many churches are experiencing pitiful results because a church of 100 people is seeing what 3 people can accomplish. No wonder people are worn out, exhausted, and beleaguered.

Sure enough, there are times when church members

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Dr. 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.

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GARDENING Model

By George Thomasson

for Mentoring Young Leaders

By George Thomasson

M

entoring young leaders is very much like gardening.

The skillful gardener has a picture of his healthy and fruitful garden in his mind. He knows the necessary steps in developing the garden and is willing to work hard to see it take shape. In some ways, every garden is different. The type of soil, the amount of anticipated rain, the drainage, and access to sunlight will likely be different in each case. In a way, the gardener has a special relationship with his garden. With God’s help, he has “birthed” a living thing that is bearing vegetables and fruit. Some gardeners actually talk to their plants! Even though the gardener is skillful and has a vision for what the garden can become, he will have to adjust the steps depending on the above variables.

Mentoring young leaders is very much the same. The “mentor” represents the “gardener” and the “mentee” is the “garden.” Mentors may be experienced and skillful at developing mentees, but they will all be different. The one common mark of all mentoring is relationship-building. The mentor must answer several assessment questions to determine how to proceed. Some of these are: •How long has my mentee been a follower of Christ?

•Has he been taken through an effective disciple-making process?

•If not, where should they begin in the process to form a solid foundation?

•How old is my mentee and has he been exposed to mature life experiences? (work, marriage, parenthood, etc.)

•What is my mentee’s educational background and what are his plans for future schooling?

•Does my mentee have practical experience in hands-on ministry?

•How about his church life?

•How does my mentee best learn? (oral, visual, on-the-job, etc.)

•Does my mentee have a clear sense of call to a specific type of ministry?

•What are my mentee’s expectations of our relationship and when will he be available to meet?

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•Does my mentee have an intentional commitment to become a mentor himself?

Once a mentor has assessed his mentee, he should think through possible adjustments to the mentoring process to make it a good “fit” for his mentee. Once this is begun, he may begin his “gardening.”

Suggest Steps in the GARDENING Model 1. Capture a vision for the garden After assessing your mentee and his specific calling, prayerfully determine his probable direction in ministry. You may want him to complete a spiritual gifts inventory and some type of personality test. This, along with his interests and skills, should help you determine how he is “wired” for ministry. This will allow you to help your mentee envision his future direction in ministry and begin praying for God’s clarity in next steps. Your mentee will find this to be very motivating and he should be energized for the journey.

2. Mark off the boundaries Now you can mark off the boundaries for your mentoring relationship. Depending on the area of ministry envisioned, you and the mentee can agree on time, place and frequency of meetings. You may also lay out a preliminary course of study. Regardless of the direction you decide to take, there should always be a “Learn to Do by Doing” element running through the heart of the mentoring relationship.

3. Begin working the soil Your assessment of the mentee will have revealed a lot about him. You should know how he thinks; how he prefers to learn and relate to others; his passions; his personality traits; etc. This will help you know how to relate to him. For example, if your mentee is highly relational and very outgoing, he will likely respond best to brief times of teaching mixed with personal illustrations/examples. He will enjoy dialoguing with you and asking probing questions. On the other hand, if your mentee is gifted bent toward adminis-

tration and execution, you will relate differently. He will like you to be more to the point and will want to problem-solve and design systems to make ministry more effective and efficient.

4. Set the garden up in rows Just like you decide where you will plant each vegetable or plant in what rows to organize your garden, you will need to organize your mentoring plan. This will give both you and your mentee a direction to follow. So, DO plan the subjects you want to address. However, do NOT put dates on the calendar for each subject. You want your times together to be built in the “flow” of your growing relationship. Be flexible.

Don’t hesitate to deviate from the subject at hand to address something currently capturing his attention. Seize the “teachable moments” and pour into your mentee.

5. Sow the seeds Implant into the mind and heart of your mentee truths from God’s Word; other resources, and your ministry experience.

Always remember and share with your mentee the vital principle taught by Jesus in John 12:24-26. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me let him follow me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” Above all lead your mentee to understand the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He must die to self daily and submit to His Lordship moment-by-moment.

6. Water the garden regularly No matter how fertile the soil or how good the seed, without the refreshment of water, the garden will die. Water to the garden is like fellowship to the mentoring relationship.

Plan fun times together. Go golfing, fishing or have a nice dinner out or in one of your homes. If your mentee is married, get together as couples. Have a cook-out. Play some table games and laugh. This will keep the relationship refreshed.

7. Spread fertilizer In most cases periodic applications of fertilizer feeds the garden and enhances healthy growth. Fertilizer can be compared to practical application of the mentorship teaching. For example, if you have taught your mentee how to conduct a wedding ceremony, ask him to attend a wedding rehearsal and ceremony that you perform. He should take copious notes; bring them to your next session and debrief with you. The next assignment could likely be for him to write his own wedding ceremony. Then you can go over it and suggest some improvements. This “fertilizer”—learning to do by doing—will result in healthy growth of your mentee. He will develop practical competencies.

8. Pull the weeds No gardener likes to pull weeds! However, he knows that

if weeds are allowed to get out of control, the plants in the garden will be starved for nourishment and moisture.

Weeds in a garden can be compared to poor time management in the mentee’s life. Regardless of the ministry direction the mentee pursues, he will always be pressed for time.

Teach him how to manage his time effectively and efficiently. He should have a master “to do” list, a weekly calendar reflecting personal and professional priorities, and a daily calendar. He should learn how to delegate and focus on what only he can do.

9. Prune when necessary Jesus shared the value of pruning in John 15:2, 5. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” You will have to do some “pruning” in the life of your mentee along the way. Do not allow him to develop bad habits in ministry practices. He will tend to skip important steps to save time. Lop off those habits and redirect him. Explain why you are pruning them. The primary reason—pruning concentrates the sap and multiplies the fruit.

Keep him accountable and lovingly guide him in the right direction. Take him around the “box.” (See Disciple-making Process graphic) 10. Provide support as needed When you come to the conclusion of your formal mentoring relationship, it will be bittersweet for both of you. By now you have become family. In fact, you may feel closer than your blood family. Spiritually speaking you really are blood family in Christ. Your mentee probably wants to get heavily involved in ministry activity, so support him in prayer and let him know that you are there for him. Help him develop a good resume and recommend him as you feel led. You could also write him a letter of recommendation. Also encourage him to establish a lifestyle of mentoring, because “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Luke 12:48. Just as you have poured your life into him, so should he do in other promising young leaders.

Underlying principle: Work hard and spend time on your knees!

You will get your hands dirty, but it is definitely worth it. You are being used of God to reach and raise the next generation.

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 is married to his high school sweetheart, Sandra. They have two grown children, Angie Gould and Greg Thomasson, who blessed them with two grandchildren each. He presently serves as Mobilization Pastor for Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

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Markers on the Road to Revitalization

By Steve Smith I love the Blue Ridge Parkway and have driven it many times. This 469 mile road ribbons its way through some of the most beautiful scenery that you will ever see. All along the way are mile markers. They are not, as one might think, to help speed you on your way to the end, as in “How many miles can I knock out today?” Instead, they help you discover where to find the hidden treasures of waterfalls, museums, mountain craft shops and vistas. I have a book that tells me where to go for what I want to see. All I have to do is look for mile marker #__.

Church revitalization also has markers you need to look for. Revitalization involves many different things for pastors, from inward spiritual life to the outward testimony of the church to the community. It can include the care and concern of the church’s building as well as building healthy ministry systems. The personal involvement of people who have sat on their hands for years. The generosity of people in giving to the Lord. The upward spike in attendance during Sunday gatherings.

Lost people coming to faith.

With so many markers to look for, what are the significant ones to tell if you are on the right track? After all, some of the markers we look forward to seeing are farther down the road. The first five markers you find here represent the foundational changes, the ones that nurture and pour fuel on the revitalization fire as you progress. You’ll find them in the Book.

Marker #1 – More people are pursuing intimacy with God. Matthew 22:37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

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No church is revitalized unless the people want God more than the secrets of their hearts. I teach a discipling process called The Key to Deep Change.

This transformational training shows people how to surrender the unfinished business they continue to carry long after putting their faith in Jesus. It emphasizes that only God can heal and free them, so they need to pursue intimacy with Him. Then they will trust Him when He tells them to take up their bed and walk!

This is the first marker because many churches are looking for the fruit of spiritual life instead of the cause of it. Pastors urge people to pray more, to get under the hearing of the Word or get people into reading through the Scriptures together—all good ideas—but they never help people to discover why they may be indifferent to God. Pursuing intimacy with God is incredibly important because it is the foundation that revitalization is built on. If you are missing this marker, all your efforts to bring renewal will be undone by opponents in the church whose unfinished business blinds them to the good God is doing in the congregation.

Marker #2 – We clearly see the people that God wants us to sow the gospel to.

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Biblical vision is about seeing who, not what, God wants you to see. Wherever Jesus went, he saw people who needed grace and truth. Zacchaeus in a tree. A woman by a well. The crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd.

It isn’t a revelation from God for your vision to state, “We want to be a biblical church.” You need to hear from God who your congregation is here to reach with the gospel.

To know the people in your neighborhood who are lost and see them with compassion like Jesus. To pray for them by name. When this comes to pass, your biggest obstacle to revitalization will have been removed.

Marker #3 – We are engaged in knowing and inviting the lost to come and hear the gospel.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Many churches are dying because no one in the church has a real friendship with a lost person. They only hang out with their Christian buddies at church. They pray for the lost in a generic way—“God, please allow us to reach the lost.” Who are these lost?

They are the people who prefer Starbucks to church.

The gym to a Bible study. People you run into at your kids’ sports events whose name you know, but know nothing about their life.

When your congregation sees these people who Jesus sees, their next step is to go out and build a relationships with them. To go to their parties. To have them out for coffee. To get to know them and pray for their needs.

In doing so, God will give your people opportunities to invite them to hear the gospel. This is when revitalization begins to really make the church live.

Marker #4 – The people we are discipling in increasing numbers are growing in maturity.

Matthew 28:20 And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

The second part of Jesus’ marching orders to the church was to make disciples. For countless churches, it is challenging task. There is no discipling process, partly because there have been so few new people coming to faith.

Discipling is not just about learning to do things for God—reading the Scripture, praying, witnessing, serving. It is also about the character of Christ being formed in each person—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. This marker is about seeing people deeply

changed into the person they were created to be.

Be intentional. Discover how, and then set up a robust discipling pathway where people grow from the acorn to the oak. Teach people how to do it. Then assign them someone to disciple. When you see disciples growing from a trickle to a flood, the church is getting healthy again.

Marker #5 – We are raising up the next generation of leaders.

Ephesians 4:11-12 Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

If you want to know how healthy your church is, look at the age of your leaders. Your leaders may be great, godly and generous with their time. But when a leadership team is not raising up the next generation of leaders, they are missing a critical point about leadership. Jesus gave the church leaders to raise up all the others to serve his church, so that the body will be built up.

When you raise up new leaders, stuff happens that could not happen before. New ministries get started.

New connection points into the congregation are made (it first takes more leaders to grow a church, not more people). The next generation is retained in the congregation because they are empowered to lead significantly.

Revitalization is a journey—sometimes a long one. It takes time and patience to guide your church to the place where people hunger and thirst for righteousness again. So don’t give up. And don’t be in such a rush to get to the results that you miss the significant markers that show you are going in the right direction.

Steve Smith is the founder of ChurchEquippers Ministries, serving churches by training them in transformational discipleship and church systems.

He is the author of several books including The Key to Deep Change and The Increasing Capacity Guidebook. He is a strategic thinker, a relational networker, a mentor and coach to pastors and young leaders. For more information, go to: www.ChurchEquippers.com

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Dynamic Small Groups:

Small Group Benchmarks

By Fred Boone Whether you are using a Small Group Model or your church has Sunday School you should set a “Standard of Excellence” for His Glory. Every thriving organization has benchmarks to measure success and monitor improvement. What are the key benchmarks for the Small Group Ministry? I have discovered that the growing, effective churches have five key benchmarks in common. Some people call them core values and others call them goals.

No matter what you call them if you’re going to have a vibrant small group ministry, your leaders need benchmarks in order to determine if they are moving toward true success.

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pects for their group. The benchmark or goal should be that the number of prospects should equal the number of members enrolled in your group.

I must begin by stating that you must have a clear understanding of the purpose of your small group ministry.

Without a clear purpose and a concise purpose statement it is impossible to lead and rally your leaders to the work necessary to build strong small groups. When the key leadership is not certain why you have small groups, they can’t and won’t promote small groups in their teaching and preaching. This causes small groups to become lost in the endless activities of the church and not a priority ministry for the growth and health of the church.

This is not a benchmark but benchmarks would have no meaning without first establishing and having a clear purpose statement.

Benchmark 2: TEACHING – Content counts! One of the keys to growing groups is the quality of the content being taught in the group. Many groups struggle with what they will teach and what is the best method of teaching. Successful small group leaders have discovered two proven principles that teaching the word of God systematically and involving the members through active discussion increase interest and continued attendance to the group. We must recognize that the greatest need in the world today is knowledge of the Word of God. The goal of Christian education is LIFE CHANGE and that can’t take place without the Word of God. If the group leader will make the commitment to teaching the Bible systematically he will he will never lack for something to teach and the group will always know where the study is going.

This encourages members to study outside the group, which builds excitement for the material being taught and anticipation for the next group meeting. Involving the members in the teaching causes them to be more engaged in the study and builds relationships in the group.

As the relationships grow closer the group dynamic grows stronger resulting in a strong and resilient group.

Benchmark 1: PEOPLE – Reaching people must be the priority of any group. Of the five benchmarks this has to be the most important. Why? Because you don’t teach people you don’t reach; you won’t develop new leaders if you don’t reach people; you can’t start new groups without reaching more people and of course you can’t minister and teach people to minister if you don’t reach people. The measurable benchmarks for reaching people are enrollment or the members you enlist and the prospects you discover. Every group should set enrollment goals and challenge members to enroll new members. A basic goal would be to enroll one new member per month. The visionary group that accepts this goal could double in size every two years. Prospects represent future growth and every group should maintain an active and growing prospect list. Prospect discovery should be encouraged as a duty for every member of the group. Group members will know people in their sphere of influence and they should be encouraged to list their names as pros-

Benchmark 3: LEADERSHIP – Making and growing disciples is the natural result of the properly functioning small group. I am always amazed at the group that states that their purpose is discipleship to the exclusion of all other purposes. If we understand the Great Commission there are at least three commands given. Teaching the Word of God, baptize those we win to Christ and develop those we baptize. Making a disciple is a process that will result in a leader. Not all disciples become leaders, but no one became a Christian leader without growing as a disciple.

The benchmark for the effective group is not how many they have in attendance, but how many leaders they develop and release. Leadership development should be a clear goal for any small group. A group is like a family, you have parents and they produce offspring, which they nurture and feed until they are grown, and then those children leave the family and form a new family and the cycle is repeated. The healthy group is producing leaders on a regular bases.

Benchmark 4: NEW GROUPS – The greatest challenge for the leader of a small group ministry in the local church is producing new groups. New groups are the life-blood of an effective small group ministry. If you don’t add new groups annually the ministry will become stagnant and in time will begin to decline. Adding new groups should be the clear strategy for any small group ministry. A good and challenging goal would be to increase your groups by twenty percent annually. But for this to happen there has to be a plan that is executed incrementally during the year leading up to the start of the new groups. You begin by determining what new groups that need to be started. Then you decide the number of leaders that will be needed to staff the new groups. Then the leaders are recruited and trained. The best training field is the adult small group. Every adult small group leader should prayerfully consider who out of the group could become an apprentice teacher. The apprentice teacher would teach at least once a month with the lead teacher in attendance so they can observe and instruct the apprentice. Then a start date is set for the beginning of the new group. This is the simple basics of starting a new group. The point is that starting new groups is necessary but you must be intentional in the process.

Benchmark 5: MINISTRY – I think everyone would agree that the need to minister to each other in the church and to the needy outside the church must be foundational to all churches. But for ministry to happen there must be an organized plan to make it happen. The best plan I have discovered to ensure that ministry takes place is the Care Group Ministry within the small group. By subdividing the group into smaller groups called Care Groups you can ensure that every member and prospect is ministered to and encouraged in their walk. With the many needs of people this plan involves more members and helps the small group leader from being overwhelmed with trying to minister to everyone alone.

In my years of leading Sunday Schools and Small Group Ministries, the ministries that have grown and thrived were the ones that knew these benchmarks and used them for setting a standard for their ministry.

Fred Boone is the Executive Pastor and LIFE Groups Pastor of First Baptist Church of Mount Dora, Florida

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Superiority of Lead Measures Over Lag Measures

By Chad McCarthy

We Become What We Celebrate Celebrate Sunday morning attendance and you can expect success to be measured by the number that gather every week. Celebrate the number of baptisms performed and you can expect success to be measured by the number of people making this commitment. Celebrate budgets and buildings and you can expect success to be measured by the state of your buildings and the heft of the church’s operating budget. While healthy budgets, adequate buildings, and regular baptisms tend to be good things, these benchmarks largely measure the response of others (lag measures) rather than our own acts of obedience (lead measures). We have little control over whether a person visits our local church. We do have control over whether we invite that person to join us in worshiping our Creator. We have little control over whether a person follows Christ in baptism.

We do have control over how we teach on baptism.

The same can be said for giving. We have little control over whether people give or how generously they give. We do however have control over how we teach on this subject and if we teach on the subject.

What benchmarks are you celebrating? This author believes a subtle shift in what the local church celebrates will radically change a church for the better.

This shift involves celebrating lead measures over lag measures.

Lag Measures in the Church What do we mean by lag measures? Covey, Huling, and McChesney describe lag measures as goals that measure future action.1 Churches celebrating attendance, baptism, and budgets celebrate lag measures.

The problem with celebrating these benchmarks is they measure the obedience of other people, they don’t measure our obedience. While we can share the gospel with an unbeliever, we cannot believe the gospel for that person. While we can teach Jesus’ commands regarding baptism and giving, we cannot follow Christ for another person. Each person must 1 Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, The Four Disciplines of Execution (New York: Free Press, 2012), 1-64.

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decide for themselves whether or not they themselves will follow the Creator. Lag measures largely track the response of others to the gospel.

Lead Measures in the Church Covey, Huling, and McChesney contrast lead measures with lag measures. They describe lead measures as those actions leading up to a final end goal.2 Lead measures tend to be smaller process-driven steps. Where lag measures focus on how others respond to gospel, lead measures focus on the individual believer or church’s obedience to Christ’s commands. Where lag measures track how many attend Sunday morning, lead measures track gospel conversations. Where lag measures track the number of baptisms, lead measures track what percentage of church members are engaging others in discipleship.

Celebrating lead measures over lag measures moves churches towards health by moving the focus from how others are obeying Christ back to how we are obeying Christ.

Superiority of Lead Measures Over Lag Measures Measuring attendance answers the question of how others respond to the gospel (lag measure)— they don’t tell us anything about the congregation’s obedience. What if unbelievers are not visiting our churches or coming to Christ because we have not been engaging them with the gospel? Whether another person repents of his or her sin and follows Jesus is beyond our responsibility and authority.

Whether another person repents of sin and follows Jesus is between that person and the Holy Spirit. We are not responsible for whether other people repent and follow Jesus. We are responsible for loving others and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with unbelievers. We are responsible for making disciples. Jesus commands us to do these things. Lead measure are superior to lag measures in that they celebrate our obedience to the gospel (something we do have control over), rather than lag measures (benchmarks that largely measure the response of others).

2 Ibid.

What Are Their Names Healthy church lead measures prioritize gospel engagement. Who are the unbelievers with whom you are developing a relationship for the purpose of sharing the gospel? Are you sharing the gospel? Are you in accountable relationship with other believers where you are asking one another the hard questions? What percentage of your church members are regularly serving in some type of ministry? What percentage of your church members are actively participating in a small group that has multiplication hard-wired into its DNA? Celebrating lead measures prioritizes gos-

•each church leader commits to leading a discipleship group with the goal of multiplying that group within a year to eighteen months •each church leader commits to apprenticing/mentoring at least one future leader each year •each church leader commits to communicating five notes of encouragement every week, whether through text, email, phone, or even a handwritten note •each church leader commits to posting something about the church on social media each week •every church leader is regularly accountable to share

“We are responsible for loving others and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with unbelievers. We are responsible for making disciples. pel engagement over passive consumerism. It gets people asking, “How am I doing loving the people God has brought into my life?” What kind of benchmarks are you celebrating in your local church? How are the benchmarks your local church celebrates driving your people to gospel engagement? How are the benchmarks you celebrate in your context moving people to become more like Jesus? What are you celebrating?

Lead Measure: More Than a “To Do” List According to Jesus, every believer has been called to make disciples that make disciples (Mathew 28:1620). As believers, disciple-making is our mandate. As church leaders, our commission is to equip the local church to “do the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Jesus helps us to understand what he meant by disciple-making in Mathew 28:20 where he unpacks making disciples as helping followers of Jesus obey all his (Jesus’) commands. Tracking and emphasizing lag measures (attendance, baptism, and budgets) falls short of Jesus’ disciple-making mandate. Celebrating lead measures as superior benchmarks to lag measures rightly prioritizes those things we can control (our own obedience) rather than what we cannot control (the obedience of others). What kind of benchmarks are you celebrating in your context?

Lead Measure Examples Celebrating lead measures celebrates measurable acts of obedience. It takes the focus off how others are responding to the gospel back to how you and I are responding to the gospel. Examples of lead measures in a local church might include the following actions:

the names of three to four unbelievers they are engaging in relationship for the sake of the gospel with an accountability partner •increase the percentage of church members that are engaging at least one person in gospel conversations each month •Increase the percentage of church members that are inviting at least one unbeliever or non-church attender to the Sunday morning service each month •increase the number of discipleship groups meeting regularly by ten percent every six months •increase the percentage of church members that regularly read the Bible three or more times per week

What Are You Celebrating What benchmarks are you celebrating? Are you celebrating lead measures or lag measures? How might a subtle culture shift from celebrating lag measures to lead measures change your church’s culture? How might it change your church if engagement over attendance were celebrated? Commit to celebrating lead measures and watch this shift transform your local church.

Chad McCarthy has spent a decade and a half church planting in Iowa and Arkansas.

He has served as lead pastor in Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

He currently leads Heritage Church in Shawnee, OK while finishing his Ph.D. through Midwestern in Kansas City. He is particularly interested in helping churches better understand how to more effectively obey Jesus’ Great Commission command to multiply disciple-makers.

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Seven Benchmarks of Church Health

By Bob Whitesel In a quest to understand the systems and benchmarks of a healthy church, over the past 30 years I’ve written 13 books, earned two doctorates, coached hundreds of churches and co-founded a seminary. I studied theology and church history at Fuller Theological Seminary to add a solid Biblical understanding to my practical experience. As a result, I’ve discovered seven systems that must be healthy for the church to grow.

1. Visibility (communication system)

The communication system should increase the visibility of the good deeds and good actions of those who bring Good News (Acts 13:32).

Visibility was historically created by a church’s physical building. A spire would stand out against the sky in London or a small town in Ohio. Building in conspicuous locations such as main thoroughfares and city crossroads became a reminder of a church and its message. Today visibility is much more electronically mediated. Websites, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media channels allow churches to be visible even when their physical location is hidden.

The benchmark is an increasing visibility among the non-churchgoing community of the spiritual growth of the faith community and the positiveness of their message.

2. Embracing a growing culture (reconciling system)

A study of 32,000 churches (The American Congregations Survey) found that growing churches reach out to growing

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cultures. A growing culture might be an influx of younger families to which an aging church might adjust its traditions.

A growing culture could be an African American community that together with a dwindling Anglo church works to overcome historical differences in order to experience racial reconciliation and health.

But there is another important aspect to reconciliation. Paul stated, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know… Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17 MSG).

Paul continues, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

Healthy churches don’t stop at cultural reconciliation (any more than Paul did when reconciling differences between the Greek/Roman and Christian/Jewish cultures). Like Paul, a healthy reconciling system says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

How well does your church reconcile people to one another and to God?

3. Supernatural worship (numinous system)

“Numinous” is a theologian’s term for coming close to God. “Worship” in Hebrew carries the idea of reverence, such as bowing to kiss the king’s feet, that results from a close encounter (Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament). When people use the word “worship” they are describing an environment where they feel face-to-foot with God. Striving to create a perfect experience, usually only creates an attraction to an event. But seeking to foster a supernatural encounter creates an attraction to God.

4. People & places are changed (regeneration system)

Regeneration most notably happens at conversion (2 Corinthians 5:17). And though spiritual transformation may sometimes be downplayed as it is unfashionable, people still want to be changed (the self-help industry is a testimony to this).

Furthermore, the Bible makes clear that spiritual transformation lies at the center of Jesus’ message (John 3:16) and humankind’s destiny (Romans 6:23).

When people are spiritually transformed, so too will be their neighborhoods. Not by politics nor coercion, this happens by transformed people daily living out their changed lives (Acts 2:43-47). Healthy churches embrace a system that equally emphasizes spiritual and neighborhood transformation.

5. Involved volunteers (leadership system)

This results from 3 Strand leadership (Ecclesiastes 4:12) i.e. a balance between three types of leaders.

Strategic leaders are visionaries who see future goals, but don’t see as clearly the steps to get there. A biblical example is the apostle John, who sketches the grand scenario of Jesus’ ministry, but leaves out many of the contributing details.

Tactical leaders enjoy watching how analysis and numbers lead up to a goal (Gr. taktike, meaning: to set in order). Found in professions like medicine, accounting, etc. a biblical example would be the physician Luke (Colossians 4:14) who fills in many of the details that lead up to the actions that John describes. Tactical leaders take ideas generated by visionaries and enjoy putting together steps to accomplish them.

The relational leader leads through deep personal relationships with others. Functioning well in a small group/team environment, they watch out for one another’s spiritual progress.

Leaders are a mixture of all three, but most have a propensity for one over the others. The strategic leader sees the longterm direction of the church, the tactical leader sees the steps necessary to get there and the relational leader gauges how people are feeling about the direction. A healthy leadership system ensures that major decisions involve input from all three types.

6. Lack of serious conflict (unity system)

The healthy church anticipates disunity and utilizes two tools to it from escalating into serious conflict. a) They slow down the introduction of new ideas, building broader consensus before they implement new ideas. b) When disunity arises, they get the two sides talking together and finding common ground.

This ability to build consensus for new ideas before implementation and to discuss differences of opinion before they fester, are two benchmarks behind an effective unity system.

7. Signature ministry (competency system)

A healthy church knows what it does well and focuses on it. Such a core competency is noticeable in the community where it is viewed as a signature ministry, e.g. children’s ministry, music ministry, missionary churches, a food shelf, grief recovery ministry, divorce recovery ministry, etc. The church is not trying to do many things poorly, but a few things well. a) A signature ministry is not something that meets the needs of the congregation or congregants, but rather meets non-churchgoers’ needs (and they are glad the church does so). b) It is an underlying, church-wide competency that the church does well in many different ministries throughout the organization, hence it is called a “core” competency. c) The church is so competent in this area that people outside the church may recognize this in various signature ministries. People are attracted to your church because these are things you are good at and they resonate with that. It also means that new ministries in the church (and the longevity of older ministries) will be evaluated based upon how well they dovetail with this greater church-wide competency.

Discover more at www.7systems.church.

Bob Whitesel 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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Does God really set people free?

Or are we just talking?

Transformational Discipleship was developed to train leaders how to guide both brand-new and longtime believers towards deep spiritual change.

This training is foundational for every believer. It guides people who are stuck on their faith journey due to unresolved, often hidden issues in their lives towards true spiritual, emotional and mental freedom through intimacy with God.

“It’s not like anything I have been through before.”

Pastor John Wright, Titusville, FL “This is life transforming. I’m going to teach the socks off this thing.”

Dr. Phil Phillips, Ft. Myers, FL

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.

You Don’t Lose Weight by Stepping on the Scale

By Bud Brown And you don’t revitalize a church by measuring attendance, conversions, or income.

• Exercise 2x / week, and jog three 5Ks / week • Journal every day

I’ve been on a weight loss program since last December. Am I frustrated that just stepping on the scale doesn’t move the needle in a favorable direction? Of course not. It would be foolish to think I could shed excess pounds by just weighing myself. If I tried that approach, after a few weeks the lack of progress would send me scurrying to the freezer for ice cream just to soothe the anguish.

Church revitalization requires numerical goals. “We will increase attendance by 3% this year.” But counting weekly attendance won’t get you that 3% increase. Wouldn’t it be great if it did? To achieve your goals, you need know what to do tomorrow, next month, and next quarter. Lead metrics gives your to do list.

That’s why church revitalizers shouldn’t rely on attendance and conversions to measure how the revitalization effort is progressing. These are lag measures. They are retrospective, measuring the results of what you did in the past. They can’t project future success or tell you when to make midcourse corrections.

Suppose a 3% attendance increase is your goal. Once you’ve set the goal, the all-important question becomes, ‘’How?”

You need a metric that is predictive rather than retrospective.

Lead measures fill the bill.

I track daily lead measures as part of my weight loss program. Developed with help from a dietician and a strength coach, they will — if I work on them — move the needle on the bathroom scale.

They guide what I eat and how much, how often I exercise, and how I think about health. My lead metrics tell me to: • Record weight daily • Log food intake • Control portions • Avoid certain foods • Limit carbs and protein

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Illustration: increased guest retention

Your team brainstorms ways to reach this goal. When the brainstorm subsides, they evaluate. They study the data. They consider the state of the church. They seek wisdom. They pray.

Someone notices that improving the guest retention rate by 6% would increase attendance by 2% at the end of the year. The team gets excited. This initiative would leverage several of the church’s strengths. It directs missional intent on that huge new subdivision being built a few miles away.

You’ve settled on a major goal: increase attendance 3% this year.

You’ve settled on an intermediate objective: increase visitor retention by 6%.

Now it’s time to ask, “How?” Lead measures tell you how. You end the meeting by handing out assignments to the staff. One will research books and journals. Another will scour the Internet. You

will phone two colleagues in other churches. You schedule the follow-up meeting.

When the team regathers, they pool their findings. They discuss how the data applies to this church. A plan starts to form. The team develops the lead metrics. You assign responsibility for each lead measure. They are: • Every Sunday for six weeks the congregation receives instruction on how to greet guests.

• Repeat the instruction once every three months.

• Mention of hospitality at the beginning of every service.

• Close every service with, “Greet several people you haven’t met before. Show them Christ’s love.”

• Invite guests to a monthly reception after the service to meet staff and ask questions.

• On Sunday greet guests and escort them to the sanctuary. Introduce them to several others.

• Collect guest response cards and deposit them in the church office.

• A staff member records the data and sends follow-up assignments.

• On Monday guests receive an invitation — by phone or by email — to a small group meeting near their home.

• On Tuesday guests receive a phone call from a staff member.

• On Thursday guests receive a letter from the pastor.

• The following Monday guests receive an invitation to the next after service reception.

• Two months later, invite return guests to a membership class.

This list is a workflow. Each bullet point is a task and a lead metric.

Your team knows this process will increase the assimilation rate.

That will move you toward the lag measure (increased attendance) you seek.

Weekly reports reveal whether they achieve the metrics. They also provide an objective evaluation of staff performance. Quarterly reviews of the assimilation rate tell you whether to make midcourse corrections. Morale improves because everyone sees real progress.

Lead Metrics for Revitalizers

Pastor Unique identifies the distinctive practices of turnaround pastors. Let’s focus on four: (1) asserting ideas and opinions and giving clear directions; (2) managing competing priorities rather than “one thing at a time;” (3) initiating new ideas and insisting on freedom to act; and (4) deciding thoughtfully and cautiously.

These practices come naturally to about 20% of vocational ministers. Most need to enhance several of these skills to lead revitalization. So, what should your lead metrics look like? The specifics will vary from pastor to pastor, but a few suggestions should get you started. Break them down into action steps; those are your lead metrics.

Assertiveness

Enroll in assertiveness training. Write out your core principles and convictions. State your opinions with conviction. Give direction leading by consensus. Hold others accountable. Expect results.

Refuse to accept passive aggressive behavior. Exercise church discipline.

Change Vary your daily routine. Create reminders to address the many variables of church operations. Welcome interruptions as “divine appointments.” Limit your daily task list to two or three items. Reframe your ministry from a focus on tasks to a focus on people.

Brainstorm three new ways of accomplishing recurring tasks.

Freedom

Assume you have permission to lead. Move beyond the tried-andtrue for new ways to accomplish ministry tasks. Question conventional wisdom. Read outside your theological tradition. Exchange ideas with other pastors.

Decisions

Insist on time to make important decisions. Identify why the decision makes you uncomfortable. Consult wise people outside your church. State the principles that should govern the decision.

Identify the pressure from stakeholders. Stare out the window and ponder. Pray.

Dodge doubt and discouragement

Lead metrics offer another benefit. They’re a great antidote to discouragement. Revitalization is slow. It may take years for the lag measure to move. You stave off discouragement and stay on task by focusing on lead measures.

Pastor Heath was having doubts. The church had grown by almost 50% in two years. They baptized 60 people in 18 months.

Then it hit a plateau in the mid-300s. He phoned to ask if I thought they had plateaued. “No, the numbers only tell us that it’s summer. Keep working the lead measures and things will move again.”

He did, and they did. By refocusing on the lead measures, he dismissed the doubt. The church has begun to move once again.

I hit a plateau when I achieved 75% of my weight-loss goal. I didn’t realize it, but my focus had shifted. Instead of keeping an eye on the lead metrics, I was zeroed in on the scale. I was discouraged.

Every day began with passionate imprecations hurled at the bathroom scale! I realized my mistake and returned to managing the lead metrics. I’m happy to say that progress resumed. I’m almost there.

Pastor, isn’t it time to stop obsessing over what you see on the scale?

Bud Brown has ministered in a wide variety of settings, from small rural to mid-sized suburban, to rapidly growing megachurches. He has trained and mentored international students, intentional interim pastors, doctoral students, and now serves as president of Turnaround Pastors (www.turnaroundpastor.com). His particular interest is bringing the best academic research to bear on the challenges pastors face every day.

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Are You Developing an Overcomer Culture in Your Church?

By Darwin Meighan It is common in most churches, especially those who have been stuck, declining or dying for quite some time, to see themselves defeated and deflated, as if they’re on the losing team, having lost the hope of anything positive happening in the foreseeable future.

One of the spiritual benchmark questions for every revitalizing pastor and church’s journey toward renewal is to prayerfully and honestly ask, “Are we developing an overcomer (more than conquerors) culture in our church?” Is your church breaking out of a spiritual rut which may have prevailed for many years - a defeated, hopeless mindset while together making very little Kingdom impact?

God’s Word says, he saves and calls each of us individually, and corporately within the body of Christ to live our daily lives as overcomers. Jesus once said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Without question, the number one key to developing an overcoming, renewed and revitalized church culture is all about a person. His name is Jesus. Pastor, if you desire to see the culture of your church transformed, then regularly teach and communicate these three overcomer principles and truths: In Christ Jesus, you have been spiritually positioned as a victorious overcomer.

The very instant someone becomes a Christian, their new, spiritual identity is “in Christ.” This means for every person in your church who is “in Christ,” they are overcomers.

Overcomer - to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; to conquer; to defeat an opponent; to gain the victory; to win.

Every single day this side of heaven, your people are in a spiritual battle against Satan, the enemy. However, at the same time, the good news is: In Christ Jesus the victory has already been won! God has given you and your church everything you need to be conquerors, overcomers and to live godly lives. Paul writes in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And the obvious answer to this question is, no one, since God is in control, he is sovereign, he is all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere present.

Next, Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

(Romans 8:35) In other words, “Is there anything—any person or any circumstance, is there anything that can separate you from the love of Jesus Christ? The answer: Nothing can. Those God loves, he loves forever. Those he saves, he saves forever.

Since we have this promise from God, that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love, Paul next assures us in Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through

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him who loved us.” We are more than conquerors. Interestingly, this phrase, “more than conquerors,” is the Greek word, “hupernikao,” which means to gain a decisive victory. It means in Christ, pastor your church is made up of people who are exceedingly more than conquerors. In this spiritual journey (which includes many spiritual battles and challenges, including the journey of seeing God revitalize our churches), we are not going to just eek by, barely getting a victory. Paul is saying, “In Christ you are going to demolish the opposition.” We’re talking about a God kind of victory! A sweeping victory!

An overwhelming victory! We are conquerors. In Christ, we can face and overcome anything the world, anything life throws at us.

As an overcomer, you must daily win the spiritual battle in your mind.

Pastor and church leader, there are far too many people in churches today who do not daily experience the life of an overcomer in Christ, all because they are losing the battle spiritually in their minds. Too many people in our churches are living every day as if they are a victim of their life circumstances. Christians are not victims. Rather, in Christ Jesus, every believer is a victor. In Christ, your church is hupernikao.

You are more than conquerors. In Christ, you are overcomers. How do you develop a conquering culture in your church when it comes to winning the battle in your minds? Here’s what you do whenever those negative thoughts come into your mind: 2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5, says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Every thought not consistent with the truth of God’s Word, you take it captive and make it obedient to Christ. This is a continual action, not a one-time event. (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2; Romans 12:2)

The supernatural weapons we have been given contain the divine power of God himself to demolish strongholds. Pastor, do you have any strongholds in your church you need God to take down and demolish? I don’t know what circumstance, difficulty, struggle or fear you or your church needs to overcome, right now.

However, I do know this: God has graciously given us his Word, and it is filled with his principles and promises, so that we might appropriate them into our lives. God greatly desires for us to experience the victorious life as overcomers in Christ Jesus.

The apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Pastor, if you’re serious about reaching new spiritual benchmarks in your church culture, then teach your people regularly these powerful, transforming, principles and promises from God’s Word: You are victors through Christ. You are overcomers in Christ. You are hupernikao - more than conquerors. Some of you have something you’re about ready to give up on—a battle or a challenge which has left you exhausted, perhaps you’re at the end of your rope. All of us are facing battles in our lives and in our churches. But some of you have allowed Satan to convince you, you’ve allowed him to put it in your head, that your battle is unique, and it cannot be won. It’s impossible. You’re dead wrong. Because the truth is, when Christ is in the equation, every battle can be won. Nothing is too difficult for God. In Christ Jesus, you are an overcomer. You are more than a conqueror. In the book of Revelation, we are greatly encouraged by these words of victory from Father God: “Conquerors inherit all this. I’ll be God to them, they’ll be sons and daughters to me.” (Revelation 21:7).

“Too many people in our churches are living every day as if they are a victim of their life circumstances.

Christians are not victims.

Rather, in Christ Jesus, every believer is a victor.”

As an overcomer, we have been freely given an arsenal of supernatural weapons.

The Bible speaks to the spiritual warfare we encounter in our daily lives and also within the culture of our churches. Paul writes, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

(2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

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Darwin Meighan is currently serving as the Senior Pastor at First Southern Baptist Church of Buckeye, Arizona. The past five years, he has also been serving in the role of revitalization specialist and speaker at the local, state and national level.

As a coach and practitioner, he encourages pastors and churches toward a biblical process of renewal and hope.

You may reach him by email: darwinmeighan@gmail.com

How Are We Doing?

By Mark Weible Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10: 23-25) “How is your church doing? Are you growing, plateaued or declining? Are you meeting budget? Are your members working together in harmony, are they following your leadership?” Questions like these are often used when we meet with fellow pastors. They are often used as informal diagnostic questions by friends and even church revitalizers. They are asked as a means of gauging church health or progress. These questions and others like them can be helpful in knowing how to encourage a pastor or to get him the help that he needs. But, are we asking the right questions?

When it comes to church revitalization, it is easy to make some basic assumptions that are not always accurate indicators of church health or vitality. For example, we may assume that a church this is increasing in worship attendance by more than 10% per year is doing very well. However, that metric does not give us any insight into how well the church is doing in evangelism, discipleship and spiritual growth. We can go further and measure attendance and participation at other events as well, but what are the outcomes?

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Conventional wisdom says that church attendance is good for people and the more that we expose them to church activities, the more spiritually mature they become. But, what if the church is unhealthy? Do unhealthy churches have a positive impact on people?

New research released last month by the Institute for Natural Church Development seems to indicate that, on average, the longer that a person has been a Christian and a church member the weaker they become spiritually and the less likely they are to grow. Take a look at this chart, which contains some startling insights pertaining to three spiritual indicators as they relate the number of years that a person claims to be a Christian.

This data was collected world-wide over a twenty-year period from 2.3 million people in 86 countries. In a Facebook post, Christian Schwartz, the founder of Natural Church Development stated, “In order to fully grasp the explosive character of these findings, it may be helpful to translate them into plain English: The longer people are Christians (and church members), the weaker their spirituality, commitment, and eagerness to grow.”1 Since this data is collected from active church members, we know that it is not coming from unchurched or dechurched nominal Christians.

The data begs the questions: If simply being a church 1 https://www.facebook.com/ChristianA.Schwarz

member doesn’t make a person a better Christian, what does? And, if church attendance is not an accurate measurement of church health, what do we measure? Let’s start by using our Bible knowledge and our common sense. While we may tout our church success measurements to our peers and denominational leaders, we are ultimately accountable to Jesus, himself. Do you really think that Jesus is going to say, “Well done my good and faithful servant, you grew your church by more than 10% year over year?” How does Jesus measure our success? Perhaps Jesus is more interested in the quality of our disciples, their capacity for love, their servant-like attitudes and actions towards each other and their obedience to his commands of making more disciples and loving their neighbors.

After twenty years of global research, Christian Schwartz and Christoph Schalk keep coming up with the same results. First, by focusing on church health, we can increase church capacity and therefore, church attendance. Second, healthy, growing, multiplying churches have the following Biblical qualities in common: 1. Empowering Leadership – Church leaders focus on equipping the God’s people for the ministry instead of doing all of the ministry themselves.

2. Gift-based Ministry – Church members know their spiritual gifts and serve according to their giftedness.

3. Passionate Spirituality – Church members are learning, growing, and becoming more passionate about their love for God as the years go by.

4. Effective Structures – Church organizational structures support the mission of the church, not the other way around.

5. Inspiring Worship Service – Church members view the corporate worship services as inspiring times that lead them into deeper devotion to Christ.

6. Holistic Small Groups – Church members are involved in small groups where the truths of the Bible

are shared, they care for each other and they reach new people for Christ.

7. Need-Based Evangelism – Church members are involved in sharing their faith while ministering to the needs of outsiders.

8. Loving Relationships – Church members are in growing and deepening relationships with others where the love of Christ is shared in very tangible ways.2 No one could argue that any of the above characteristics is not Biblical nor that Jesus would not be pleased with the outcomes of the actions based on these characteristics.

So, backed up with Bible knowledge, common sense and sound research. How would you answer or even ask the question, “How are we doing as a church?”

If you would like to know more about how to apply the principles of Natural Church Development or to request a survey of your church, visit www.renovateconference.org/natural-church-development or email Mark@ncdOrlando. com.

2 Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development: How Your Congregation Can Develop the Eight Essential Qualities of a Healthy Church. South Winfield, B.C.: International Centre for Leadership Development and Evangelism, 1998.

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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Reclaiming Inactive Church Members Utilizing the R.E.C.L.A.I.M. Strategy!

January 31, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM Cost 25.00 per person Central Parkway Baptist Church Orlando, FL www.Reclaim.Training With Dr. Tom Cheyney & Rev. Mark Weible

Pain, Problems, and Possibilities:

Catalysts for Positive Change

By Ken Priddy Pain, Problems and Possibilities can be leveraged to jumpstart revitalization in sagging or declining churches. The joke, or sad reality, though, might read, “How many church members does it take to change a light bulb? . . . Change!?!?”

By nature, congregations are change-averse, change-phobic – repelled by change, resistant to change, reluctant to change – so, more often than not, they fail or even refuse to change. Rather than risk changing, they continue on the well-worn path to plateau and decline with closure a more present reality than revitalization. This is the road most traveled.

Many comments and perspectives regarding change are floating across the church landscape these days. A favorite of mine, if it didn’t cut so close to the quick, is this, “We want to change without changing,” meaning that church leaders want to see different and better results in their ministries but are not willing to make the sacrificial changes necessary to get there. We stick with the familiar, the comfortable, and the favored ways of doing church and hope for better, almost blaming God for a lack of fruit as He “is not blessing” or He “has us in a season.”

We as the church have a challenge before us. We must find ways to stem the tide of plateau and decline and we

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must recover the will and the skill of reaching people living and working in the increasingly secularized communities around us. The question, of course, is, “How?” How do we stem that tide? How do we fulfill the Great Commission in the domestic mission fields that surround our churches?

Consider three catalysts for positive change: PAIN, PROBLEMS and POSSIBILITIES. These three, spiritually and strategically navigated, overturn the negative and jumpstart the positive, fostering Great Commission effectiveness and leveraging change as a strategic tool rather than running from it.

Embrace the PAIN

Pain is good for us because it can motivate us to make changes. A principle widely held in the field of change management recognizes the tendency within human nature to avoid the pain of change as long as the pain of the current reality hurts less than the projected pain of changing. In other words, people tend to avoid or delay change until it hurts too much to stay the same.

What kinds of pain might be prevalent in a declining church? The obvious sources of pain include significant decreases in attendance and giving, a loss of young adults in

an aging congregation, a shortage of leaders in trying to keep programs and structure operational, deteriorating or difficult-to-maintain facilities, or all of the above. There are times when these kinds of pain motivate a congregation to change, but often congregations simply buckle down and endure, resigned to the belief that they cannot make the future happen but can only wait for the future to come and see what it brings. Theirs is a victim mentality and the objective is to survive.

There is a different kind of pain, however, that proves to be truly motivating. It’s the pain of falling short on the realization that God expects His church to reach people with the Gospel and, in cooperation with His Holy Spirit, to grow the kingdom. It’s the pain of coming to grips with the fact that the witness their church is bearing in the community is a negative witness, doing more harm than good when it comes to representing the faith. It’s the pain of sensing God’s displeasure and letting Him down. Embracing this pain serves as a catalyst for making the changes that are necessary to reverse the downward and negative trends in favor of becoming salt and light and fulfilling God’s vision of a gathered harvest.

Name Your PROBLEMS

Effecting significant change in a church is easier said than done. Embracing your pain is a good start, but then what?

Undoubtedly, churches in long-term plateau or decline have problems and these problems loom as obstacles or barriers that prevent positive change and the setting of a new, healthy trajectory. Problem solving begins with specifically identifying or naming them. The tendency among church leaders in such situations is to generalize problems with vague and sweeping statements such as, “We’re ready to move forward but our people won’t get on board.”

The subtext that we are not the problem but they are is one issue, but let’s stick with the statement itself. In consulting with such church leaders, I press to quantify what’s being said so I launch into my version of the old game, 20 Questions. It might go like this: You say, “We’re ready to move forward.” Who is the “we?” In what ways are you ready to move forward? What do you mean by moving forward? How was that determination made? What is the outcome that you expect from moving forward in this way? Based on what?

Who do you mean by “our people?” Who are these people?

Are they leaders? Are they members? In what ways are they not getting on board? How does this lack of buy-in or cooperation manifest? What would their getting on board look like?

Naming our problems and quantifying their component parts curbs denial, limits excuses and positions us as church leaders to fix what’s broken. Once the identities of our problems are made clear, our thoughts can turn away from alibis and turn toward solutions. Accordingly, naming our prob-

lems serves as a catalyst for change, the positive change that results when problems are squarely faced and solutions are brought to bear.

Seize Your POSSIBILITIES

Skirting pain and avoiding facing problems head on keeps us from discovering positive possibilities that are before us.

We feel the hurt of pain and fail to confront that pain proactively, leaving us restricted by a pain paralysis that inhibits positive action. Unspecified problems swell to gigantic proportions in our minds, putting our moving forward out of reach. However, by embracing the pain and naming the problems, pain becomes a positive motivator and problems are reduced to a manageable size. We are positioned to recognize possibilities for positive change and are free to act.

Seizing these possibilities becomes a catalyst for change.

The previously unseen become seen and the previously unreachable become reachable. No longer passive, powerless victims who fear change, we become empowered change champions, riding change into a future that will emerge by design instead of by default.

The Cost of Change

Change comes at a cost. Certain conventions are set aside and certain relationships are altered. But, if change is needed or if change is the optimum strategic choice, failing to change can be even more costly. The flip side is that properly navigated change yields rewards. Embracing pain, naming problems and seizing possibilities position change as a friend rather than a foe. Church leaders tend to change only when they have to change because circumstances have pushed them to the point that avoiding change is impossible. This is the worst possible climate in which to effect positive change. The objective is to change as a strategic choice and not as a response to crisis. Change can be for the better by leveraging pain, problems and possibilities.

Ken Priddy is the Founder and Executive Director of the GO Center, a training and consulting ministry committed to church vitalization and revitalization. Ken’s thirty-plus year journey in church planting and revitalization has grown into a national, and occasionally international, presence among evangelical churches from numerous denominations. He’s an effective trainer and consultant, but perhaps his most significant contribution is his extensive development of training curricula that address multiple levels of revitalization stretching from pastors to leaders to entire congregations.

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The

Revitalizer LIBRARY

Bill Henard, ReClaimed Church: How Churches Grow, Decline, and Experience Revitalization, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman) 2018.

In ReClaimed Church: How Churches Grow, Decline, and Experience Revitalization Bill Henard accomplishes a couple of things. First, he examines in a fresh way Robert Dale’s Church Life Cycle. Second, he proposes factors that influence a church’s capacity for growth or decline. And third, Henard details a strategy towards revitalization.

Henard’s approach is not from the towers of academia, though is work is well written and researched. His writing flows from the heart and hand of a pastor – from one who longs to see churches experience revitalization.

Henard’s approach to Dales’ classic church life cycle model is fresh. If the reader is not familiar with Dales’ model, you can still follow Henard’s lead. Refreshingly, in sections one and two of the work, Henard spends the majority of his time focusing on the growth cycles of a church and less time on the “death spiral” that declining churches experience. Henard writes, “The intention of ReClaimed Church with a new

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Life Stage process is to equip churches to discover their individual nuances, characteristics, and history that not only make them unique but also give insight into why they are at this precise stage in their existence” (3). Like a roadmap, utilizing the Life Stage tool helps not only to identify where you are but where you would like to go.

The tone of section four shifts from objectively identifying the Life Stage of the church to emphasize pastoral leadership towards revitalization. The content is rich but distinct from the previous. The processes reflect a pastor’s heart. The appendices, illustrations and procedures are thorough and valuable, but chapter four almost seems like a separate book connected to the previous section by marketing terms.

The content may have stood on its own.

Henard’s ReClaimed Church is an excellent addition to the Revitalizer’s Library. One particular reason this reviewer values the work is the pastoral heart from which the pages flow. From the introduction through the chapters, Henard’s heart for the church and more importantly for God’s glory to be reclaimed in His church resonates throughout each page.

Secondly, I would like to recommend a book for which I have had the privilege of being personally involved. Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in American’s Heartland is the latest book from Renovate Publishing Group. The contributing authors to this book include Tom Cheyney, John Kimball, Chris Irving, Jim Grant, and myself. Church Revitalization in Rural America tells the stories and the needs of many churches and regions that, quite frankly, often feel overlooked.

Many in rural America feel they are the forgotten America. Much attention, ministry models, and training is directed towards both the urban and the suburban church. All across the prairie, in mining communities, and in the “fly-over states”, you will find towns where churches, much like the businesses, are boarding up their windows and chaining shut their doors. Church buildings are being transformed into homes, wineries, and even – as in my own town - storage facilities.

But people still live in rural America. People who do not know the Lord. People who need to be discipled. People who face high unemployment, few opportunities, low-wage jobs, high crime, increasing substance abuse, and a growing suicide rate.

These same people, with each church closure, can add the loss of an evangelical witness that they never knew they needed.

How will they call on him if they have never heard about him? (Rom 10:14).

The church in rural America needs revitalization.

If you serve in a rural community or need a better understanding of the rural people who are migrating to your suburban church, you need to pick up a copy of Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in American’s Heartland. You will be glad you did. It will be an excellent addition to your library.

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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Benchmarks of Revitalization

By Kenneth Priest Benchmarks in ministry can at times be a difficult conversation. The typical evaluation is focused on the two areas of nickels and noses. This focus often times leads to criticism, in that, all leadership cares about is growing numbers and growing finances. On the outset, I will acknowledge, there actually is nothing wrong with these two benchmarks. Various mentors have always taught me the same principles, congregations vote with their attendance and with their giving. This concept can disturb pastors. Our auto-response is, the congregation should remain faithful in attendance and in giving no matter what. However, if people are not happy with the decisions being made they will not attend and not give. These simple benchmarks of nickels and noses should be a first warning sign when there are problems.

When warning signs related to nickels and noses are obvious, there needs to be a wise yet aggressive response. In revitalization, however, I believe there are other benchmarks we should evaluate. Let’s face it, the nickels and noses have already declined. The question for us now is, how do we determine if what we are doing is helping turn the church around. What are these benchmarks? We might expect numbers to be an indicator as the turnaround church should be growing. However, the early benchmark signs are more likely to be in the area of sowing and serving.

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When a healthy path of revitalization is occurring in the life of a church, then we begin to see volunteers stepping up to serve and we see church members sharing their faith in the community. According to Paul in Corinthians, some plant, others water, but God causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3). Therefore before the numbers begin to rise, the congregation will be sowing in the community.

How do we get to this evaluation mark though? I believe the revitalization path leads us in a specific path.

Think for a moment about the existence of the church and the three types of people who might engage with the church. Our three categories of people are: • The lost • New Christians • Maturing Christians The church must engage all three of these people types. Our desire is to move them through community. Therefore, we must create a path for each of these types to join in community. Here I believe we have the model, not just of Jesus, but of the Old Testament as well. Think about the ministry of Christ. He would preach to the crowd, and then we see times, as indicated in Mark 4:34, where Jesus explained to His disciples the meaning of His teachings. This shows us a

community of twelve. Then we see specific instances where the core of three: Peter, James, and John would go with Jesus to experience life with Him in a significant way, Matthew 17:1ff. Did you catch the model?

Crowd, community, and core. This same model can be found somewhat in Nehemiah 8. As the people stood to hear the Word of God read (crowd), but then they were explained the meaning by the Levites, so that all understood (community). Later in the chapter we see the Feast of Booths celebrated, this was moving the people into their Core (family units).

The issue of benchmarks flows directly out of the middle section, that of community. We must move our three types of people into community. Through community we get our benchmarks of sowing and serving. It is through community that we move our three types of people in evangelism (to receive the gospel, or to begin sharing their faith with others), discipleship (the teaching ministry of the Great Commission), worship (the lifestyle of praise to God), and ministry (engaging in serving the church and others). The outcome of a community engaged in these four elements is a healthy Christianity. This health is displayed by transformed, contagious Christians. We know we have these types of Christians if sowing and serving is occurring.

The benchmark of serving insures the church has the volunteers needed in order to accomplish mission and ministry. As a church is being revitalized, there is an ever increasing need for more volunteers. If this benchmark is not fulfilled, the volunteers are not there to assist the growth of the church, and you thereby return to a decline as mission and ministry cannot be accomplished.

The benchmark of sowing insures the gospel is being presented in the community. Continued gospel presentations means more people are coming to faith.

This translates into more attendance at the church. If the members of the church are not sowing seeds of the gospel in the community, then attendance does not increase as people are not coming to faith. This benchmark starts with the pastor. The people will prioritize what the pastor turns his focus on. The pastor must be a sower of the gospel himself. If the pastor does not sow, it’s over. One way to get the 95% of church members who do not share the gospel is with the use of pre-evangelistic opportunities. Encourage the use of invite cards and tracts. These allow for easy sowing without the requirement of a conversation or presentation. Then, pre-evangelism opportunities must include training. People must be equipped to practically share the gospel. A church must give opportunities to learn to share the gospel at least twice a year. Sowing for staff members, elders, deacons and primary spiritual leaders show be an expectation.

When this happens a non-legalistic yet accountable environment for sowing is created.

These benchmarks lead us back to the healthy church benchmarks of nickels and noses.

Kenneth Priest serves as the Director of Convention Strategies for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Grapevine, TX. Kenneth has been leading revitalization endeavors since 2008 with the SBTC. He holds a Doctor of Educational Ministry degree with an emphasis in Church Revitalization from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS), Kansas City, MO. He serves as an adjunct professor of church revitalization in the doctoral program with MBTS and an adjunct professor of evangelism and church growth with The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. Please contact Kenneth at kpriest@sbtexas. com.

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A God-Called, Sold-Out, Risk-Taking Model

is Imperative for Revitalization

By Tracy Jaggers

O

ne of my greatest desires in ministry is to be a leader with the passion and guts of Nehemiah. He prayed, cared, strategized, and led the people of Jerusalem in such effectiveness and productivity that they rebuilt the wall, rehung the gates and reinvigorated the downtrodden inhabitants of the city, and they completed the entire renovation in only 52 days! In most churches today, during that same time frame, the project would still be in committee, debating what building materials would be most conducive and arguing who would be the chairperson for the project.

We need Nehemiah-type leaders for revitalization. I’m sure there may be someone who has all the leadership attributes of a Nehemiah, but even having a few would give one a legup over most of us!

That being the foundation for the rest of this article, there has been a consistent weakness in EVERY church I have engaged with the revitalization process. Without fail, the two glaring weaknesses have been in the areas of discipleship and evangelism. Jesus’ two parting commands to his followers were “Go, disciple and baptize” – Matthew 28:18-20 and “be faithful witnesses, even unto death” – Acts 1:8. We must be students leading others to Christ and discipling them to become passionate gospel sharers, but this appears to be our greatest weakness.

Yes, we must reach out to our communities. Yes, we must intimately relate to our Lord in spiritual worship. Yes, we must

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impact our world in missional fervor. Yes, we must spend quality time with our Father, listening and speaking, but we should not be guilty of ignoring His final words to us before bodily leaving planet earth.

So, how can we know if revitalization is being successful?

I believe there will be some very defined markers if we are leading congregations to be strong followers of our Savior’s great commission and great commands, immediately and unswervingly. I am also absolutely convinced it takes a strong leader and godly example to help the body of Christ live out our Lord’s commands in this post-Christian world.

So here are three markers: 1. Leading others to repent – Acts 20:20,21 “I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the requirement of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”

2. Passing on the faith to others – Discipling faithful learners to pass it on as well - 2 Timothy 2:2 “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

3. Being a Persistent Witness – Prov. 11:30 – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

If we are wise and faithful followers, our easiest message is

to blabber incessantly about our love for the One Who gave His all for us!

A wet baptistry, worn prayer altars and weekly praise testimonies of new converts and transformed lives are signs of successful renewal, personal revival and corporate revitalization.

So what tools can a leader offer that will position the church body to be poised for a successful revitalization process?

•Teach them to share their testimony in 90 seconds or less – naturally and confidently!

•Preach on the reality of hell and grieve with them over the thought of friends, family, neighbors or co-workers ending up in that horrific place.

•Train them to boldly and lovingly share their faith and the love of Christ with those they engage in their community.

•Equip them to be faithful stewards, willingly giving quality time to teach new believers what God has instilled in them.

We have forgotten the basics. We need to return to the blocking and tackling of the Christian life. We spend way too much time and energy on events and programs. Yes, they are necessary, and can be a bridge to lost people being willing to listen to the gospel message, but we wear out the body of Christ with a myriad of good things while often running past the best things. These next few paragraphs may make you angry, but I pray you will hear the heart with which I present them.

In our generation, the Sunday morning worship service has become the defining event of Christianity. Yes, we should go to church because Jesus did, and He is our example - Luke 4:16 “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was (emphasis mine), He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”

I’m concerned that what happens in most churches on any given Sunday across America has become a liturgical ritual and routine. The worship hour has become our religious idol.

The book of Acts unpacks the lifestyles of a follower of Christ over ten times, yet it never once describes a worship service.

If we were composing a book about the twenty-first century church, we would likely spend 90% of the pages describing the Sunday morning services and church events, rather than the life-changing power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church was designed to be God’s people joyfully displaying the journey to transformation He performed in us!

As a leader of the family of God, how do we change our church’s present mindset to impact the future?

• Encourage your people to choose the center seat in the service and leave the end seats for guests. An initial comfort in the worship venue is vital!

• Present the gospel in the common language of the people.

Don’t be vulgar, just be relevant and understandable. Avoid seminary terminology and scholarly phrases. Remember, there are young ears in many worship centers who need to hear and understand.

• Teach your congregation that ministry is the result of proper equipping and spiritual maturity.

• Offer regular opportunities for mission action within your service area. Your community needs your service; that is why He placed you where you are! Don’t take a trip across the country or on the other side of the planet just to entice your people to do what they should be doing at home.

• Live out a lifestyle of constant and consistent mission activity. Avoid missions being a vacation to a place you would like to visit or have never been!

• Equip the people to give quality time to digging spiritual wells instead of repainting marred walls. He church is about transformation, not reparation. We are to mentor and coach new believers how to live productively for the Kingdom of God. It is for spiritual oneness that we were reborn.

• Lead with the banner that declares, “Every Member is a Minister.” We are the team, the pastor is the coach, and Jesus is the Owner Who bought us with His blood. We are to run His plays and make touchdowns for Him! • Develop patterns, not programs. Believers reproducing themselves in new converts, to be examples of the Christlife.

• Expect the laborers to go into the fields that are white unto harvest. If a member does not want to labor, recommend they find a place where they can be satisfied watching people be forever separated from Jesus Christ. The church is not the place to recline! We are saints, not sloths.

• Do something new and outlandish for the glory of God! Jesus was a trendsetter not a pew sitter.

• Our calling has eternal significance. It is a matter of life and death for eternity. Revitalizing leaders must be concerned with scriptural obedience, rather than social solace or religious rewards.

It is high-time for the church to be the church once again!

March, Army of God. Head for the frontlines! That is where we will find our Commander.

Tracy Jaggers is the Associational Director of Missions of Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, Illinois. He has held the Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor, Minister of Music, Youth Pastor and Minister of Education roles. He is a contributing author for the book entitled, Practical Tools for Reinventing the Dying Church. His website is: www. churchoverhauler.com

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Dealing with

Baggage

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By J. David Jackson

Remembering

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Revelation 2:5 (ESV)

Our Lord recognizes the power of memory, and the hold the past can have over a congregation. In His statement, He acknowledges the church has seen better days (“from where you have fallen”). In His challenge for them to reclaim their place, He implies several things:

I’m currently sitting on a 737 airplane as I head to Nashville on a two-day business trip. For those of us who fly regularly, we are aware immediately that all around us are two things: people and luggage. The people occupy the seats, but the luggage is “hidden away” in a variety of places appropriately for the flight. It’s in the cargo hold, the overhead compartments, and under the seats in front of the passengers. You don’t see it, but it’s there, and it affects the flight in many ways, including the speed, drag, and fuel used.

Struggling churches have baggage, too. It has been brought on board in a variety of ways, some evident and obvious, others in subtle and nefarious ways. This baggage is also usually hidden away, certainly from sight, but often also from memory, yet its presence affects the journey of those attempting to revitalize a declining church in many ways. If a church is going to “right the ship,” it will require that the people deal with this baggage.

As a leader in the transition, you have a duty and obligation to see beneath the surface and beyond the present to recognize this. Not all that happens is obvious and visible. There is a spiritual, supernatural side to the work of the church that cannot be managed simply by formulas or policies. It must be dealt with by prayer and repentance. Without this, the church functions no differently than a business organization.

In the passage mentioned above, Jesus indicates the revitalization needed in Ephesus dealt with three things: remembering, repenting, and re-doing what they did at first. No mention of attendance numbers or offering amounts. Revitalization is a spiritual process, and these were the benchmarks Jesus gave the church. Perhaps today, we should be concerned more about the spiritual tenor of God’s people than the organizational dynamics needed to facilitate future growth. If so, Jesus provides a pathway here to renewed effectiveness.

The reason for their previous effectiveness. The Source of their success was Christ, not a human leader, a building, a slogan, or a program. God has given life to the church, and has the power to take it away. The reminder is not to think this is our own doing, but God’s work in our midst, a work we are privileged to join Him in doing.

The seduction of the precipice. Present success always has within it the seeds of future failure. This is especially true when the work is spiritual and supernatural. Success should cause us to fall into greater love with the Giver not the success itself.

The power of memory. When things were going right, what made it so? Forgetfulness leads to unfruitfulness in God’s kingdom work. Over and over in the Scriptures, God challenges His people to remember.

There are significant reasons for this. It reminds them of God’s faithfulness and His promises. It helps them not to confuse their role in the process with His role.

And it gives them hope for the future as they reflect upon the past. Sometimes, like in this passage, it also convicts them of how far they have drifted from what really matters. This is a necessary step in revitalization of any church.

Remembering is not about reclaiming past avenues of effectiveness, or programs that produced success.

Remembering is about recognizing our drift from the all-providing Savior and our shift from dependence on Him to other things. It is about the loss of our first love. It’s about acknowledging the baggage we’ve hidden away.

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Repenting The work of remembering spiritually of necessity leads to this, the work of changing our mind and heart—our corporate life from the shadow of security we find in a pale substitute for God Himself. Whether it be our routine of church, our assets, our practitioners and their leaders, it really doesn’t matter: repenting means turning away from anything that has taken the place and priority of God in our ministry and decision-making to God Himself, the Head of the church. After all, the church belongs to Him: He paid for it with His blood.

Practically speaking, in the churches where I have been involved in revitalization, we have led the people to a time of Solemn Assembly. This corporate experience of worship comes from the biblical experiences of God’s people over and over in the Old Testament (Joel 1:14; 2:15, and other passages including Nehemiah 8:18, Isaiah 1:13, 2 Chronicles 7:9, etc.), where they are called to a time of consecration before the Lord.

We have set aside the day, down the road from the beginning of our revitalization effort (so that we can “remember”), so the people can prepare their hearts for this time. Fasting is always a part of it, as it was in the Bible, not as a formula for success, but as it was intended, to remind us of our total dependence upon God. The worship experience for us follows the flow and suggestion of others, like Henry Blackaby in Fresh Encounter [Fresh Encounter: God’s Pattern for Spiritual Awakening by Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2009), and includes Scripture reading, identifying and confessing corporate sins, individual repentance and requests for forgiveness before the Body of Christ, and times of prayer for forgiveness from God. Often it includes tangible, symbolic acts of forgiveness, restoration, and “a new chapter” in the congregation’s life.

This can include experiences like the Lord’s Supper; literally writing out our sins and nailing them to a wooden cross in the room then later in the service “destroying” them; or creating a memorial stone, like an “Ebenezer” (1 Samuel 7:12), to commemorate the moment and remind the people of the commitment as they journey into the future. I have been a part of churches that did all of these things. The goal is for the people to solidify their commitment, similar to a vow, through tangible ways that will remind them of the decision they are making.

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Do the works you did at first. The command of the Lord is to get back to the basics, the foundational work of the church, that they were actively engaged in during the early days of ministry. Since I deal with church planters all the time, I can tell you that ultimately this means evangelism and disciplemaking.

This is the mandate given to the church in the Great Commission and everything else is “extra.” When we forget this or confuse it (some of you are even mentally arguing with me about it right now!), we will inevitable drift from our first love. We may love our programs more than Jesus, or our leaders, or the church, or something else. God’s heart is on reaching the lost and getting them to follow Him. This is where our heart should be, too.

Practically speaking, this means sizing up our programs and priorities so that we can remove the clutter and return to the mandate. Everything else offers the opportunity for blurred vision, fuzzy priorities, and divided allegiance. Trimming the fat is crucial for revitalization.

Getting rid of the baggage our church is carrying is absolutely necessary for true revitalization to take place.

Without it, we are simply putting a bandage on deep wounds. We must remember what has happened, repent of these mistakes, and return to the foundational work of the Gospel. If we don’t, we are prisoners of our past, and destined to decline in the future. But if we do, Christ affords us the blessing or a clean heart, a renewed love, and a fresh start. Who would not want that?

Ultimately, revitalization is a spiritual work. Don’t forget to deal with what is unseen, yet so very, very real in the life of God’s people. Go deep; get clean; be renewed!

J. David Jackson serves in New England and is author of the book ReNEW: Traveling the Forgotten Path, which elaborates many of these principles in greater detail. It can be found at amazon.com.

Jackson can be reached at drjdavidjackson@gmail.com.

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FACING REALITY Reality is the somewhat painful truth in which a church lives. It is often hard to face because it always demands action. Reality is the truth about where a church is with no regard to where it has been in the past. One writer said it this way, “it is the status quo we live in.” Reality and its truth call for the church to be honest about the present condition of the church and its future if nothing changes. Thomas Jefferson said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” It is true that the church must be honest with itself and face the truth, because sooner or later the truth will confront the church! As a Church Revitalizer, the most difficult task in the process of revitalization is to help the church look realistically at its spiritual condition. If the church accepts the truth about itself, then that acceptance of truth becomes a benchmark for the future health of the church. Helping churches see the urgency of their condition is one of the most important tasks of the church revitalizer. Change will only come as the church and pastor see the urgency that current reality reveals.

The Presence of a Problem

A problem arises when, instead of facing reality, the church tries to explain away the negatives of the past whether it be disunity, lack of leadership, laziness or simply an apathetic attitude. Sometimes pastors and church leaders focus only on their successes and the good things they hear about their church and never face the negatives and the failures of the past.

Often it is easier to help the congregation understand the reality and urgency of their situation than it is to convince the pastor of the need. The average pastor seems to have a problem with admitting that help is needed to fix the problems his church faces. It’s like the proverbial “head in the sand” and so they do not face the truth. It is assuredly a benchmark of progress when the pastor leads the congregation to face the truth and, hence, solutions to the church’s dilemma. When the truth is faced with a sense of urgency it becomes much easier to structure a constructive plan of action that is redemptive in nature.

A Question to be Answered

The question arises, “why will the church and pastor not face the truth about their church?” From my experience as a church revitalizer it seems that some feel they will lose the control they have in their church. It becomes a question of power. Some also fear that the church will not be same if changes are made to address the existing problems. Still others may simply refuse to face the problems because they really don’t care. They are apathetic toward the future work for the Kingdom. Any church that faces the truth about itself is a church that has come to understand its shortcomings, failures and weaknesses. It will become a church that realizes the need to change and will make the necessary adjustments to bring a new sense of hope for the future. They realize that change is costly, but it is costlier not to change.

Furthermore, the church and pastor that refuses to face the existing truth and reality is living in a fantasy world, while at the same time hoping that everything will get better. American Philosopher Eugene T. Gendlin says, “What is true is already so. Owning up to it doesn’t make it worse. Not being open about it doesn’t make it go away. And because it’s true, it is what is there to be interacted with. Anything untrue isn’t there to be lived. People can stand what is true, for they are already enduring it.” When a church faces the truth about their condition, then it can make preparation to change its future.

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The Fear of Reality

Most ailing churches have a built-in fear of reality. Fear is powerful in the individual life and the life of the church because it usually charts the course for the future. Fear of reality will stop any progress that a church could make toward spiritual health. When all is said and done, as the church faces reality, it has a liberating effect. John 8:32 says “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Of course, that verse is speaking about specific Gospel truth, but I believe it can be applicable to any empirical truth because truth actually does foster freedom.

There are two probing questions every pastor and church must ask if they desire to turn the church around. These questions probe the congregation and pastor to attain revealing answers as to how they view the work of the church in the six major characteristics of a healthy church. Those traits are: evangelism, discipleship, worship, prayer, ministry and fellowship. If the church will get honest about their involvement in these six areas, truth will prevail and chart a new course for the ailing church. The first question is simply “What do you perceive the spiritual condition (present reality) of your church to be?” This question forces the church to face its “focus.” Has the church turned inward? This helps the church to discern its future with a God given, clear vision for ministry. Out of that vision the church will prioritize the need to impact lostness in its community and to reconnect with those who live in its sphere of influence. Because of a clear answer to this question and facing the truth, changes should be made that support the urgency of changing reality. People will become the most important commodity to the church as it seeks to share the Gospel with all people. For the church that refuses to face reality about itself, there is a second probing question; “If nothing changes, what will your church look like in 3-5 years?” Sometimes it takes this kind of question to motivate proper thinking in the hearts and minds of the pastor and his congregation. If the church continues to refuse to face reality, then it will die a slow death.

Dying churches don’t seem to know they’re dying until it is too late for a resolution. When the church can’t pay its bills and visitors quit visiting the remaining congregation is shocked. Factually, no church dies overnight. It is the result of a prolonged and terminal spiritual illness that, when left untreated, will be destructive to the life of the church. So many churches do very few things well, but it seems that many churches do things poorly and the result is spiritual death. Sad to say, many churches don’t have the fortitude to hear and face the truth even while they are living in the truth of failure. On the other hand, when a church truly decides enough is enough, they seek after the truth and decide to act on the truth, which brings real hope for a revitalized and renewed church.

The Pastor is the Key

The pastor is the key. It is his responsibility to help others see the urgency of the situation in the church and communicate what must change. It is his task to share the true state of the church with the hopes of helping others understand the reality of the present condition of the church and the dangers that lurk on the horizon if change doesn’t come. He must face the truth about present reality and he must lead the people, without fear that it will reflect poorly on his ministry, to do the same. When he accomplishes this task, the results will be an undeniable benchmark toward spiritual health. When this “benchmark” has been achieved the road to recovery will be much clearer and discovered sooner. It is also true that the spirit and fellowship of the church will be better, and the ministry of the pastor will be stronger.

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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I Know It When I See It

By Pete Tackett Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in a famous obscenity decision published in 1964 said “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.�

That seems like a strange place to start an article on church revitalization, but his point is valid. In a church world that likes to value hard-and-fast, black-andwhite evaluations to decide whether a church is healthy or not, a checklist that everyone can agree on is hard to find. There are churches of 500 that used to be 700 so clearly they are not healthy, and there are churches of 75 that a year ago were averaging just 40 so it appears they are moving the right direction.

Thus, attendance alone cannot be the benchmark. Likewise, I served in a church that was proud of how much it gave to missions. But they were doing nothing locally and had been declining in number for

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several years. Missions giving alone is not a stat that can measure health. So, while there are some benchmarks that can be clearly measured and evaluated, there are some intangible, uncountable traits evident in a church that is revitalized and restored to health. I may not be able to measure it, but I know it when I see it.

One of those intangibles that is hard to count but easy to see is the geniality and camaraderie of the church when they are gathered for worship. I have spoken in dozens of churches, both healthy and unhealthy and learned to tell a lot about a church based on what happens in the two minutes after the final amen in the corporate worship time. Some years ago, I became pastor of a larger church that was still large but in decline after a bruising season. When I became their pastor, the amen to benediction resembled an old Roadrunner cartoon. The minute I stepped off the stage, all that was left was dust. The people left in a hurry and there was very little hanging around and talking to each other. When I came to the church I serve now, I

saw the same dynamic. As each church got healthy, it took longer and longer to lock the building after the services because people loved each other and loved being around each other. It is hard to measure but easy to see when a church loves to be together.

Another intangible, but significant, indicator of church health is what the church celebrates. Unhealthy churches celebrate longevity, financial stability, and a sense of superiority to those who are doing it differently than us. To be sure, churches should celebrate the financial blessings of God, but the goal of a healthy church is not a growing bank account. If anything, the goal is to do more than we can afford and to live by faith. It is important to celebrate significant anniversaries of churches, but just holding on longer than anyone else is insignificant if you are not celebrating new life, new growth, and new direction. Healthy churches celebrate when someone in their community follows Christ and when children’s rooms that were once empty are now occupied on Sunday morning; when new partnerships are forged to evangelize and disciple those in our community and when the people step up to pray, give, and go on mission. Listen closely and you will find that healthy churches celebrate the right things!

Healthy churches are also moving toward regular engagement with the community around them. It is a combination of purposeful community involvement and the resulting community awareness. All of us have heard the question at some point, “If your church quit meeting, would those around you care or would they even notice?” Revitalized churches may not have arrived yet, but they are regularly and purposefully focused on engaging their community on their turf rather than just asking the community to come to them. As that happens, the area around them begins to see the church as an integral part of the community, offering both resources and spiritual leadership. A key sign of revitalization is the community would not only notice but be saddened if the church quit meeting. Even the unchurched around you will know revitalization when they see it.

Churches that are healthy and revitalized have clearly defined processes that lead to clearly thought-out decisions rather than confusion. This one is hard to measure, but oh so easy to see. Churches that are bound by tradition (We have never done it that way before.) or shadow governments (Pastor, I don’t think Uncle Ned would go along with that.), or layers of decision making (Once the deacons review that, we will inform the mission team whether they can move forward.) often engage in meaningless arguments and

conversations about the way to make the decision without ever actually making a tough decision. A key benchmark of church health is that they have a clearly defined process in place that allows the church to make decisions and move on. They are willing to have the tough conversations when people don’t necessarily agree with one another, but they have a process in place to allow them to make such a decision without getting bogged down in a quagmire of endless meetings that never lead to a decision.

Church insiders can identify church health when they see how their business is conducted.

Finally, a revitalized church can be identified when you routinely see “new-ness.” Healthy churches spend more time looking ahead than they do looking back. They get excited about new people coming and new people being saved and set on the road to meaningful discipleship. They eagerly anticipate new ministries that are happening organically as their church stretches and reaches to meet the needs of their community. They are open to new ideas about how to do some old ministries that are still viable.

From nature to humanity, we know that healthy means new growth. Churches that have been revitalized and nursed back to health love new things even when they are a little scary. That is where faith comes in.

Justice Stewart knew that some things that are necessary can’t always be quantified but they are still necessary. That is true in church revitalization as well.

Numbers are critically important, but spend some time evaluating past the numbers in your current situation. Are the people enjoying the fellowship and including others? Do they celebrate the right things?

Do they make decisions well? Do they like the “new” thing? These are all good indicators of a healthy revitalized church and you will know it when you see it.

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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