Part 4: A strategy for local church renewal
Fourth in a four-part series on renewal in pastors and local churches.
Can you think of a pastor or church leader you know, or have known, that overflows with the love and joy of Jesus?
Sure, they might be a great preacher or gifted leader, but what stands out is their deep and genuine love for the Lord. It’s simply undeniable. It overflows into every part of their life.
This is what happens when the Lord brings Spirit-empowered renewal to your heart, mind, and soul. Your love and joy in Jesus becomes the focus and passion of your life, to the point that you can’t contain it! It overflows into how you love people. It overflows into how you preach and teach and communicate. It overflows into how you lead your ministry and inspire hope in your congregation. This is the power of spiritual renewal.
Of course, spiritual renewal in pastors and leaders is the key to leading a struggling congregation to experience renewal. Typically, here’s how it works: A renewed passion for Jesus in the leaders of a church overflows into a renewed commitment to see their entire congregation experience spiritual renewal, which then overflows into a renewed vision to develop and implement a clear and effective ministry strategy that leads to congregational renewal.
Now, when I say “ministry strategy,” I’m talking very simply about helping a church think through and apply the biblical nuts and bolts of what it takes to actually turn their congregation around. I’m talking about devising and implementing a strategy for renewal. This is, after all, our ultimate goal. We want to see dying and declining churches actually experience true revitalization for the glory of God! We want to see churches turn around to become healthy and grow once again! And this takes a plan. It requires strategic leadership and intentional strategy. It takes a strategy that the Lord will give you from His Word, by His Spirit!
As I said, renewal in your church begins with your own renewed love for Jesus. But when the Lord strikes fresh fire in your heart, this will overflow into a renewed strategy. That’s true simply because fire for Jesus and heartbreak for the lost and for your struggling church will not allow you to sit there and do nothing.
You will find yourself praying, “I’ve got to do something! Lord, help me think strategically. Help me think with wisdom. Give me courage to lead in the way you’ve called me to lead.”
It is no accident that God has planted in your heart a desire for renewal. And because He has done that, you’re now part of a team of replanters and revitalizers across the U.S. that you didn’t even know you were part of. Just like you, there are thousands upon thousands of pastors praying and working hard to lead dying and declining churches back to life. Every one of them would love more than anything to see their congregation experience fresh passion for Christ and to see His gospel spread throughout their communities.
Through NAMB Replant, you are not alone. You are part of a team of pastors and leaders who have each other’s backs. We want to help each other get “wins” for God’s kingdom. We are with and for one another. We are in this together to see every church in the Southern Baptist Convention renewed for the glory of God.
Every church renewed!
This is our vision. This is our prayer. This is what God has called us to. What a joy and privilege that we get to do it together!
I pray this for you:
“Lord, you called us to yourself and saved us. And then you called us to serve you in a very challenging work. We are humbled by that. Lord, this is a weighty task, but a joyful one. And so I pray you would give my friends renewed hope and joy and encouragement and fire. And as they pray and dream about what you want to do in their churches, I ask you to reveal to them your strategy for a movement of renewal in their churches. Father, we pray that you go before us, that we might receive all you have for us. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Now, friends, let’s lean in and see what the Lord’s going to do in and through us over the months and years to come! Let’s do this – together.
For His glory alone.
Published May 6, 2025