Four Lessons for Church Revitalization

Revitalization & Replanting
Written By Eric Bancroft

Church revitalization is a hot topic today. Many want to know how to make it work and make it work fast. But much like any good endeavor, there’s far more that goes in to make it work than you might think. Here are some places to start in the work:

GETTING STARTED

1. DEMONSTRATE YOUR LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE FIRST.

  • Don’t first think about the organization (systems, history, future plans).

  • Get to know them as individuals. Testimonies. Jobs. Relationships.

  • Galatians 4:19 – “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”

2. CLARIFY AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.

  • Your role

  • Their role

  • History of working together.

3. LOOK FOR HUMILITY.

  • What do they think is needed?

  • Are they teachable?

  • Illustrations: Elders – “We don’t know if we’re qualified.”

4. BE HONEST IN YOUR CANDIDATING.

  • Tell them why you are interested and why they might not be interested

  • Be wise in what you share:

    • Learn to triage hills to die on.

    • Learn to triage goals.

5. CULTIVATE GODLINESS IN YOUR LIFE.

  • Humility: You will not be the Savior of this church. They already have one.

  • Patience: Change takes time. Often it’s because of tradition. Other times because of previously compelling leadership.

  • Forgiveness: You will need to practice this a lot. Make sure your pastoral interaction is seasoned with: (1) Humility (how you see them and yourself), and (2) Grace. You are right in your perspective; now be right in your response.

Revitalization is driven by a love for the Savior and his reputation in a community and a love for the sheep for whom he died.

FOUR LESSONS FOR CHURCH REVITALIZATION

1. ESTABLISH THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.

  • Tradition vs. Truth – The Word of God is God’s gift to us and his expression of authority in our life.

  • Preach truly expositional sermons. They need to see the points in the text.

  • Speak honorably of the past regarding their intention

2. ESTABLISH A PASTORAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SHEEP.

  • Avoid the temptation of leading your church first by policy, program, or personality, the common ways “church revitalization” is attempted. This is just 2.0 version of the same thing.

  • Preacher/Teacher, Leader and Shepherd are the three legs of the stool you sit on in your role as a pastor. Establishing your leadership will come easily because it will come to you. Work hard at prioritizing good sermons and good pastoring.

3. ESTABLISH A DISCIPLESHIP CULTURE IN YOUR CHURCH.

  • Invest in your leaders (elders, deacons, committee leaders, etc.) and groups of others.

  • Tell your leaders you want to disciple them so that they will disciple others. Tell them while that is already happening through the preaching on Sunday mornings, you want to do it specific to them.

  • Disciple with a goal of transformation, not education. Desire humility and holiness.

  • Teach your leaders what discipleship is and set expectations of them to practice it, but make those expectations low, i.e. attainable in order for you to encourage them.

  • Tie your practice of hospitality into discipleship by asking a group of people to come over for a set amount of months with the intention for you to read and discuss truth together. Halfway through those months, tell them you want them to begin praying about who they can do the same thing with when you are done with them.

4. ESTABLISH THE GOSPEL AS A JEWEL TO BE TREASURED FOR ALL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

  • Like a new bride who shows off her ring to everyone but eventually doesn’t look at it anymore, so do many Christians in how they look at the gospel once they become Christians.

  • Preach the gospel to Christians and non-Christians.

  • Teach your people that worship is the logical response to an understanding of the gospel.

  • Teach your people that evangelism is just taking their worship public.

J.C. Ryle, in his introduction to his work titled, “Old Paths,” talking about the doctrines of the sinfulness of man, the work of Christ for us, forgiveness, justification, faith, repentance, Christ’s intercession, and essential doctrine, writes the following:

If truths like these are not absolutely necessary to salvation, it is difficult to understand how any truths whatever can be called necessary. If people may be saved without knowing anything about these truths, it appears to me that we may throw away our Bibles altogether, and proclaim that the Christian religion is of no use ... I willingly admit the zeal, earnestness, and devotedness of many religious teachers who are not Evangelical. But I firmly maintain that the way of the school to which I belong is the “more excellent way.” The longer I live the more I am convinced that the world needs no new Gospel, as some profess to think. I am thoroughly persuaded that the world needs nothing but a bold, full, unflinching teaching of the “old paths.” The heart of man is the same in every age. The spiritual medicine which it requires is always the same.... No doubt other schools of thought produce great outward effects on mankind, gather large congregations, attain great popularity, and by means of music, ornaments, gestures, postures, and a generally histrionic ceremonial, make a great show of religion. I see it all, and I am not surprised…. But for real inward effects on hearts, and outward effects on lives, I see no teaching so powerful as thorough, genuine Evangelical teaching…. If those who hold Evangelical views were only more faithful to their own principles, and more bold, and uncompromising, and decided, both in their preaching and their lives, they would soon find, whatever infidels and Romanists may please to say, that they hold the only lever which can shake the world.

APPENDIX

Recommended Resources

  • “From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church” by Harry Reeder

  • “Biblical Church Revitalization: Solutions for Dying & Divided Churches” by Brian Croft

  • “Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again” by Andrew Davis

Additional areas to consider for church revitalization

  • Understanding the context (people and place)

  • Learn about the history of the church (especially recent)

  • Facing the reality (what timeline should you expect...add more time to that)

  • Audit their documents (bylaws, doctrinal statement, covenant, policies, position papers)

  • Audit their systems (committees, elders, deacons, trustees, etc.)

    • How are decisions made and who makes them?

  • Budget: What is it, what are it’s percentages being allocated to, and are they making it?

  • Building: Debt? Condition? Deferred maintenance? History? Future plans?

  • Preaching: Who? How long? What has it been?

  • Church Discipline: Do they know what it is? Have they done it? If so, how long ago?

  • Evangelism: How many adults were baptized this past year due to being converted this past year?

  • Missions: How many partners? How much money? What is the relationship like?

Eric Bancroft
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Pastoring and Renovating