Your First 120 Days In Church Revitalization And Renewal (Church Revitalization Leadership Library)

by Tom Cheyney

While the overall vision was overwhelming to Pastor Sam given the church’s current status, he knew it was birthed in the heart of God. He remembered the book, Experiencing God, and reading the following quote by Henry Blackaby, “I have come to the place in my life that, if the assignment I sense God is giving me is something I know I can handle, I know it probably is not from God. The kind of assignments God gives in the Bible are always God-sized. They are always beyond what people can do because He wants to demonstrate His nature, His strength, His provision, and His kindness to His people to a watching world. That is the only way the world will come to know Him.”[13] Blackaby’s words along with his own sense of calling to reach beyond the circle of his church family drove Pastor Sam to push forward with his message of change and community engagement. He asked the Father to give him the words and the passion to communicate the vision to the church family in a compelling way.

I believe that great revitalization teams have core competencies such as: ability to learn new skills; past perspective and future focused; willing to share ideas, concepts, and feelings; an unrelenting drive to achieve something significant; willingness to journey together; adaptable to the entire group; and a servant’s heart.

Desired abilities of the members of a Renewal Team

Great renewal teams think collectively not individually. They own the process of renewal and are all in for the journey. “Team first for the good of the church” is a good moto to follow in leading the church revitalization team in your church.

Some early questions should be considered when launching into any revitalization effort. How do you know if your church is ready to participate in Church Revitalization? Start with asking yourself these following ten questions. The more you and your church can answer these questions affirmatively, the more prepared you are to begin the church revitalization process. Here they are: 1) ​Do you and your people have a burden for lost people and a willingness to see your church revitalized and become healthy? 2) ​Has a leader surfaced to lead out the church revitalization effort? 3) ​Has your congregation shown a willingness to step out in faith and try new things? 4) ​Is the church open to the change required to see the church renewed? 5) ​Is your congregation spiritually mature and able to discern God’s movement? 6) ​Has your congregation demonstrated a generous spirit? 7) ​Are you willing to risk?​​ 8) ​Does your congregation have a genuine Kingdom mindset? 9) ​Are you willing to invest resources (people & finances) towards renewing your church? 10) ​Do you have a vision for your city and region?

Early questions to determine if church is ready to start renewal****** definitley use!!!

You must, as the pastor, select the right team and not become bogged down by those who either do not want the church to be revitalized and choose to be part of the team to disrupt the effort. Also, you must not allow some to serve on the team who are notorious in the church for not doing anything significant. These two types of individuals will destroy any real chance you have to revitalize one’s church. The church revitalization teams which often fail are made up of individuals who lack a consistency to stay the course through the effort of revitalization. You are about to invest a minimum of one thousand days towards turning around your church and there are individuals which just cannot stay connected for that long. Choose your team carefully and wisely or you will regret the effort in the final analysis. Problems that arise on the renewal team often stem from not reflecting upon who should and who should not serve on the team. Do not get handed a group of people selected by someone besides the leader of the revitalization effort. When little thought is given to the characteristics for a successful revitalization team you will often have individuals with few if any skills necessary for the successful serving on the team. Here are some key member characteristics of the church revitalization assistance team:

Choosing renewal team, should be dedicatdd, evangelistic, collaborative, optimism, faith chose people who want to work toward renewal and have shown in their past efforts such dedication

When you fill your team with cooperative individuals who are committed to the goal of revitalizing one’s church, you have a greater chance to see it come to fruition.

Team members must be sold on the idea of revitalizing a church and be fully committed to the task. Placing people on the team will not convince them of the need to renew a work. You must have individuals who are willing to persevere in the process of turning around one’s church. It is not a quick fix and it will take time.

If you have a group on the team that does not believe you must work to reach the lost for Christ Jesus, they will hurt every single effort to impact the culture you are trying to reach around the church. Evangelistic thinkers will have the passion needed to build the Kingdom by renewing churches into healthy bodies once again. Going after the lost ones of your community and reaching them for Christ is still a key to growing a church regardless if it is a plant, a healthy church, or a declining church which needs revitalization.

Must be going into the world to find the lost and show them Christ

These type of efforts leads to even more decline because some of those in the church wanting renewal eventually see the big picture and do not want anything to do with the church anymore and leave because of this negativity towards change and renewal. In a church becoming renewed, there will be negative people because they will look at the new effort as giving up something which they hold dear. Stagnation is the thing they love. Yet such people cannot be allowed to come into this group or you are sunk.

There will be negative people who want to maintain thhe status quo ******

The Church Revitalization Assistance Team must be people of faith! They must be willing to believe God for the impossible. They must be able to embrace a vision of what a revitalized church looks like. They must be willing to look beyond what is seen into the unseen. That takes great faith. The Bible says: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

There must be faith, conviction

The revitalization team must be made up of people who believe in God for the impossible. They must believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus.

Little faith is smothered by fear, while great faith is strengthened by boldness. Little faith pays attention on the material world, while great faith places one’s emphases on the spiritual world. Little faith makes choices based on what is doable for individuals, while great faith makes decisions based on what is possible for God.

Great faith is necessary

there are some specific gifts which should be displayed by various members. It goes without saying that members should enjoy working on teams. Not everyone needs all of gifts, but you should fill your team with individuals who possess these traits. It is wise to have at least one of each of these types of individuals on the team.

Specific gifts needed by at least one person on the team

you need the kind of strategic thinker who can: 1. ​Foresee the Needed Shifts the Church Must Make 2. ​Think Diagnostically of the Circumstances in the Church Which Must be Addressed 3. ​Translate the Changing Culture Around the Local Church 4. ​Do Something and Stop Being Paralyzed by No Activity 5. ​Align Others to the Cause of Revitalization 6. ​Become a Lifelong Learner if Not One Already

Need a strategic thinker ******

Institutional Memory This historian type individual helps the church avoid repeating mistakes. A long tenured pastor or staff member is such a likely person. An individual who has been a positive long-term member can help the revitalization not to repeat past mistakes by providing past historical information at the appropriate time which could help newbies understand the past failures and take necessary actions to not repeat the past again.

People who are active in the church’s current ministries will contribute greatly to the team’s effectiveness.

Having a large attendance is not your goal, revitalizing the church is the goal.

Creative thinkers are an asset to the Church Revitalization Assistance Team.

Creative thinker *****

The one who leads the church revitalization effort must be willing to spend the time listening to the creative in the group as they help bring the church out of its doldrums.

1. ​Read with pen and notebook in hand; jot down any idea that comes into your consciousness. 2. ​Keep a notebook in which you can keep track of ideas, by your bed and in your car. 3. ​Write one idea down on a piece of paper and brainstorm any thought that comes from it: how to accomplish the idea, what to do about the idea, where to use the idea, who can help you implement the idea, and any other thought that enters your mind. 4. ​Read a non-fiction book every week. Read magazines, journals, online articles, all-the-time. 5. ​Clip articles and place them in a folder of related articles or ideas. Periodically, glance through the folder. 6. ​Create “idea files” in most folders in your computer. Create an idea or to-do file in your email program. Add ideas as they come to you. 7. ​Take time to stare out your window (if your setting deserves attention), play with a desk toy, and take a quiet walk. 8. ​Do any rote activity that allows thoughts to swirl through your mind. 9. ​Encourage your church revitalization assistance team to do all of the above and share ideas with each other at “think” or brainstorm sessions. 10. ​Schedule annual retreats or off-site meetings to plan and generate ideas. 11. ​Develop a church member idea box. 12. ​Schedule think weeks, think days, or think hours for yourself or your work group. Thinking time and learning time are both critical to creativity and innovation. The old adage: “stop to smell the roses” is true for both your current ministry and...

Ways to exercise reative thinking

I suggest that five to seven individuals serve on the Church Revitalization Assistance Team in order to accompany the Revitalization Leader.

A Church Revitalization Assistance Teams will be responsible for at least the following actions: Identify and recruit intercessors who will pray for the revitalization project Communicate a biblical understanding of church revitalization to the congregation Develop a biblical understanding of the directive to become healthy again Create awareness of the process of change that awaits the congregation (A Missional Endeavor) Clarify relationships and mutual expectations with denominational leaders and with the church attempting revitalization Create a timeline for the project and identify critical milestones

when a local church begins to work on the renewal of the church with a concerted effort to see the ministry revitalized and the church become healthy.

Going to the Father with a humble plea for revelation of the right members for your team is important. We are at war with the devil so begin with the one who has overcome the evil one. Take three weeks to pray over your list every day before making initial contacts with prospective individuals.

Take 3 weeks to pray for guidance to cchose a renewal teaam

Spiritual people serve best because revitalization is a spiritual journey first and foremost.

Spirirual people are best

Be sure you have laid out the responsibilities ahead of time before you begin inviting others to join the team.

Remind the members of the team that you are there for them and you have their backs. That often means removal of the key obstacles that are causing decline in the church. Churches which have been successful in turning around declining churches in Church Revitalization and Renewal have revealed that it takes a singularly focused type of leader with unique revitalization skills to effectively construct great teams.

Boldness and courage are the necessary ingredients for revitalization leaders in today’s ever-shifting, church. If you respond to His leading your church members who love the local church will want to give their best to the cause of renewal in your church.

Boldness and courage are necessary for revitalization

has amazed me just how many pastors and laity believe that they can revitalize a church in one hundred and eighty days or less. It just does not happen and yet many church leaders are seeking a quick fix turnkey solution that they can plug and play resulting in a glorious renewal without any sacrifice or repentance. Many nearsighted leaders believe it can be wrapped into a six-month period. In fact, I hear ministers who are accustomed to living and leading on peak-to-peak programing who consider giving more than six months a waste of time. While we are looking at the first one hundred and twenty days as you initiate your church renewal process, please understand that for real revitalization to last you must be willing to invest a minimum of 1000 days and if you are not willing to do this, you should not get into the effort of revitalization and renewal.

Will take at least 3 years for renewal

Please spend the next ten minutes thinking about some simple things (nudges as it is) you and your church can do to begin to lead it back to becoming a healthy church once more. Here are some suggestions that I have just Jens OK every year used and others as well have used to begin the gentle nudge of their church towards renewal and revitalization: Pastoral Dreams for the Church Shared Facility Improvements Begun (a little paint, rearranging the mess, cleaning up, etc.) Nursery Renovated (and shared as a positive) Discipleship Emphasized (and shared as a positive) Music Team Revived (and shared as a positive) Quarterly Church Fellowships launched to connect members with prospects. A New Young Adult Ministry Launched Establishment of a Kids Ministry (and shared as a positive step) such as kids church or other ministries like Awana or Upward Systematic Visiting of Every Church Member and Prospect Hosted Musical Events New Member’s Class Initiated Church Signage Renovated Laity Challenged and Enlisted for Service Joining and Volunteering for Community Celebrations as a Means of Evangelism Developing Uniting Activities that Bring People Together Creating Evangelistic Projects and Events to Reach into Community New Things and New Plans Not Previously Tried that Demonstrate a New Day Home Groups and Discipleship Groups Emphasized Preaching a Family Message Series Your First 120 Days in Revitalization Drafted and Designed

Nudges to get a church to get back on courrse, begin renewal

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.

Ask yourself if the Communication is Fluent and Frequent?

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 throughout the entire congregation.

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. There are some of the people which 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.

There has to be a strong commited ore who will persevere thru the long haul

Ask yourself if there a Communal, Celebratory, and Fun Atmosphere? People in revitalization need to have fun! There should be joy in the revitalization journey. Team members need to know they are valued, a part of something bigger than today, and they can laugh, cry, and do life together as a family would. The Revitalization team can easily lose its enthusiasm for the project and get bored quickly when renewal is not mixed with fun and celebration.

Watkins sees four types of organizational “moments,” which I think we can apply to a church setting. The first is the “start-up” which could compare to a church plant; it involves getting the new project off the ground. The second is the “turnaround” in which the church has declined precipitously and needs to implement significant changes to survive and grow. The third is “realignment” in which a church that is drifting into trouble or losing its focus needs revitalization. The fourth is “sustaining success” when the church is healthy and needs a leader who can take the congregation to the next level.

top seven most critical issues facing declining churches. If you get these corrected you have the best chance for turning around a struggling church.

Yet our total church membership is down more than 22%[20], Sunday School attendance is down 24%[21], baptisms are down 28%[22], and the number of those joining the church by ways other than baptism is down 37%[23]

Kevin Ezell, President of the North American Mission Board declares, “We must keep our denominations focused on the ministry of rebirth and redemption, not on the business of enforcing rules and rituals.”

at a minimum, eighty percent or more of our churches need revitalization,

Less than five percent of these graduates will actually be going to healthy churches.

the seminarian needs to prepare for the eventual challenge of revitalizing a plateaued or declining church.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

speaking the truth in love,

For the purpose of your first 120 days in renewal, I want to draw your attention to the critical few. These critical seven are: Leadership Development Recruiting Volunteers Worship Evangelism Relationships Relevant Dynamic Structures Stewardship & Financial

Vision inspires, attracts, builds, and sustains. Leaders must own the vision, protect the vision, and pray faithfully for the fulfillment of the vision.

Vision is nessecary and must be owned

Why did Christ give these gifted ones to the church? A common reading of these verses from the King James Version would outline the responsibility of these gifted servants as the ones who do each of the following ministries: For the perfecting of the saints, For the work of the ministry, For the edifying of the body of Christ.

The building up of the church body is twofold: There are those within the body, they are continuing to become more mature and more stable in their faith—thus more Christ-like. Because of their growing character, the saints will do the works of service through ministry and witness, to those outside the church.

Building uo in the church leaders to be more mature and stavle and service for the church and Community

Many church revitalizers grieve the shortage of workers but at the same time fail to train new workers.

Havd to train new workers

trained. God reminded him that when He began to use this pastor, he was not trained or qualified. His training and qualification came in the doing.