5 Myths About Revitalization
Church Revitalization is a process of change from an inward to an outward focus that starts in the minds of church leaders and produces transformational change in the church.
When the leaders' minds are united in pursuing an outwardly focused ministry, the church can move forward in implementing new vision, ministries, staffing, and a host of other changes that support church revitalization.
These five myths will keep a church from the life God wants for it.
If you preach the word and/or pray faithfully, your church will be revitalized.
Biblical preaching and faithful prayer are absolutely essential in the process of revitalization, but obedience through strategic, biblical leadership is also needed.
Leadership strategy and planning are not spiritual/biblical.
Leadership strategy and planning are taught and modelled throughout Scripture. If you study the great leaders in the Bible, you find that they both prayed and planned. The classic example is Nehemiah, but you see the pattern throughout the Bible. Leaders must pray continually and plan wisely, depending on the Lord for guidance and results. When you read many of the best business leadership books, you will often find that they are espousing biblical leadership principles that they discovered through extensive research, when the principles are already available in the Bible.
As ministry leaders, we must follow the teachings and models of Scripture and embrace wise leadership strategies and plans, while at the same time holding them loosely and watching for God to intervene with a new plan.
If you find the right tool or system (“The Silver Bullet”), your church will be revitalized.
Revitalization specialists report that about 10% of pastors can lead revitalization intuitively, 70% can lead it with teaching and coaching, and 20% are not able to do it.
We have found that revitalization normally requires a good leader who leads the church in revitalization. Good leaders will find or create the right systems and tools for their unique church setting, and a denomination can assist them with leadership training, systems/tools, and coaching.
Church Revitalization is too difficult to accomplish in most situations.
Revitalization is challenging, but it can be accomplished, as we strive with the Lord’s energy that powerfully works in us (Col. 1:27). There are situations where the church may be too far in decline to recover, but in most settings, revitalization is still possible.
There is not much a denomination can do to help churches revitalize.
A denomination can have a transformational impact when it is led by apostolic, missional leaders, with both zeal and effective strategies to match.
Recommended church revitalization books:
There’s Hope for Your Church by Gary McIntosh
Re:Vision by Aubrey Malphurs and Gordon Penfold
Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer
Direct Hit by Paul Borden
Make or Break Your Church in 365 Days by Paul Borden
• Chapter 3 is especially helpful with a list of things to do when you start in a new church.
Tim Strickland works with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists in Ontario and will be a speaker at the 2025 Online Church Vitalization Summit on August 27- 28. Register here.
Tim Strickland is the Director of Church Vitality for the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists Central District.