There is a misconception in church revitalization that I don\u2019t think we talk enough about. See, we\u2019ll often discuss the life cycle of a church \u2013 birth, growth, plateau\/stagnation, decline, and death. We\u2019ve talked a lot about how churches need to consider revitalizing when they hit the plateau\/stagnation stage. And that\u2019s true, they do.<\/p>\n
But what would it look like if churches began asking what revitalization will look like when they\u2019re still in the growth stage? The reality is, no church is going to grow indefinitely without making changes. Structures and systems that were once vibrant can become stale and routine over time. And the fact that none of us is without sin means we are all susceptible to blind spots in our leadership.<\/p>\n
Revitalization is an ongoing process in the life of a church. Your church will never reach the point where there is no more change to be done. You\u2019ll never \u201carrive.\u201d There always will be ways your church must realign with the gospel.<\/p>\n
Now, I know this can seem overwhelming \u2013 \u201cYou mean we\u2019ll never be done with change?!?\u201d Well, not completely. Now, there will be seasons when less<\/em> change will be needed, but there always will be more work to do.<\/p>\n Here are four areas that ongoing revitalization is a reality in your church.<\/p>\n Buildings and facilities<\/strong><\/p>\n I begin here not because buildings are the most important thing; they most certainly are not. But buildings are also easily neglected until they become a burden. Take a look around your facilities and consider ways \u2013 maybe even small ways \u2013 that you could revitalize them. Perhaps the fellowship hall needs a new coat of paint. Maybe the children\u2019s area needs new carpet. If you\u2019re a new pastor in a revitalization or replant, you\u2019ve probably inherited a building that needs quite a bit of work. Don\u2019t feel overwhelmed; rather, look and see some small things you can do to help renew the building you\u2019ve been given.<\/p>\n Evangelism<\/strong><\/p>\n As long as there are folks in your community who don\u2019t know Christ, your work of evangelism isn\u2019t done. Most churches I know struggle in this area. Our evangelism efforts don\u2019t have to be flashy or complicated, but they do need to be ongoing. And, if we\u2019re honest, most of our churches probably could handle an evangelism emphasis very soon. This is one thing that can easily grow stagnant over time. Even the best evangelism strategy can lose its effectiveness if it\u2019s not re-emphasized and renewed on a regular basis.<\/p>\n Discipleship<\/strong><\/p>\n This does go hand-in-hand with evangelism, but discipleship strategies also can grow stagnant over time. Like evangelism strategies, I\u2019m not sold on having to do the \u201clatest and greatest\u201d or \u201cmost-innovative\u201d discipleship strategies available, but we do need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of what we\u2019re doing from time to time. Re-evaluate how your strategy is working, how it needs to be revamped and how you can continue to bring new people in and launch them out as disciples of Christ.<\/p>\n