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The Beloved Disciple, Lesson #5
Revelation 3.1 - 6 / To the Church in Sardis

Good Questions Have Groups Talking
www.joshhunt.com

Email your people and ask them to do some googling and reading on the topic of church revitalization.

OPEN

What is your name and one thing you find is on your mind these days.

DIG

1.      Background. Anyone with a study Bible and a note on Sardis? What do we know about the city?

 Sardis was about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira. From the sixth century BC, it was the capital of the Lydian Empire and, under its last king, Croesus, was known for its tremendous wealth. It later fell under the control of the Pergamene kings and was also left to Rome in the will of Attalus III, in 133 BC.

Sardis was an interesting city. It was the site of a huge temple of Artemis (160 feet by 300 feet, with columns 58 feet high), who had been known as Cybele from Lydian times. Cybele was believed to have the power to bring the dead to life (cf. 3:1). It also possessed a seemingly impregnable acropolis that insured it against being taken by its foes. On two occasions, however, Sardis was captured because it failed to keep watch on a portion of its walls presumed to be unassailable (cf. 3:2). The first was by Cyrus in 549 BC, the second by Antiochus the Great in 218 BC (cf. Herodotus Histories 1.84). The besieging forces sent men up the steep cliffs at night to scale the wall at the vulnerable point and capture the city. When the people of Sardis arose in the morning, they were captives! — M. Robert Mulholland Jr., “Revelation,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 446.

2.      Verse 1. Seven sprits of God… what is that talking about?

As you read this section, you will notice that all of the references about Christ in chapter 1 are repeated again in chapters 2 and 3. We saw in verse 4 of chapter 1 that the “seven Spirits of God” refers to the seven-fold nature of the Holy Spirit as seen in Isaiah 11:2. Why would this description be repeated in conjunction with Sardis? Because, while most traditional mainline Protestants like Lutherans, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Methodists, and Congregationalists champion everything from homosexuality to environmental issues—they are wary of the ministry of the Spirit. — Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1680.

3.      What had this church done right?

Once again, as with the previous churches, Jesus indicated his knowledge of the church. But this time there was no general praise for the church. Instead, there was condemnation for the church’s condition. With the exception of a few faithful souls, the church at Sardis was in dire straits. They were so spiritually dead that they were on the verge of having their name erased from the Book of Life (3:5). Unlike the previous “problem” churches, repentance was not enough. They needed to return to the essentials of their experience of redemption, and once again begin to live out that reality in their life. — M. Robert Mulholland Jr., “Revelation,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 446.

4.      What does God have against this church?

The crucial problem with the church in Sardis was that they had a reputation for being alive but were actually spiritually dead (3:1). — M. Robert Mulholland Jr., “Revelation,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 446.

5.      What kind of church would you compare the church at Sardis do? Perhaps you have been in a church like this.

The message to Sardis is a warning to all “great churches” that are living on past glory. Dr. Vance Havner has frequently reminded us that spiritual ministries often go through four stages: a man, a movement, a machine, and then a monument. Sardis was at the “monument” stage, but there was still hope! — Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 576.

6.      What was the solution?

Thus Jesus exhorts them to “come alive” (see note on 3:2). There are many such Sardis-type churches in the world today. They might be alive with “exciting” worship that appeals to the tastes of the culture but dead to the genuine awe and humility of true worship. They might be alive with “entertaining” programs for children, youth, and adults but dead to the transforming grace of God. They might be alive with “socially aware” attitudes and activities but dead to the liberating power of God. They might be “alive” with the world’s perspectives, values, and behaviors but “dead” to those of the kingdom. — M. Robert Mulholland Jr., “Revelation,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 446–447.

7.      What exactly does it mean to be spiritually dead?

Two words that best characterize those who are spiritually dead are unbelief and rebellion. They might shake their fist at God or be angry at some hurt or injustice that they blame on Him. Perhaps they refuse to have anyone (including God) tell them what to do. Some may say that they are not against God, but their lifestyle reveals a heart of rebellion. Ignoring Him always results in spiritual death.

We should not be surprised when spiritually dead people act in unbelief, rebellion, and rejection of God’s will. They are acting according to their human nature and cannot change until they have been made alive in Christ. Spiritually dead people are deceived (see John 8:44), and though they might threaten and ridicule the Christian faith, they are blind to the truth. They may not even realize it, but they are in desperate need of a Savior. The only Savior that can help them is Jesus Christ. Becoming His disciple is their only hope. — Jim Putman et al., Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2010), 43–44.

8.      Are there any churches today that are spiritually dead? How common is it for a church to be spiritually dead?

The bad news is clear. Nine out of ten churches in North America are losing ground in the communities in which they are located. They are declining or growing more slowly than their respective communities. — Who Moved My Pulpit?: Leading Change in the Church by Thom S. Rainer

9.      What are the symptoms of a spiritually dead church?

So what are some of the indicators that a church is very sick? Again, terminology and definitions are imprecise, but here are some of the more notable signs:

•        Significant numerical decline over the past ten to twenty years. Most of the time we measure worship attendance for this metric.

•        Prolonged times of apathy. Occasional times of intense conflict. The church seems more apathetic than anything else, but conflict can arise with surprising intensity.

•        The church is not known in the community. Ask a clerk at a store in the community. You may be surprised how few even know the church exists.

•        New members are rare. The exodus clearly exceeds the inflow.

•        Revolving door of pastors. Frustration and conflict limit the years of pastoral tenure.

•        The “good old days” are typically twenty or more years in the past. There has been a long season since anyone felt really good about the church.

Very sick churches do not have to manifest all of these symptoms, but they typically have at least three of them. — Thom Rainer, Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive (Nashville: B&H, 2014).

10.  What is the application for us?

WARNING TO A dead church. The Sardian Christians were different from the other churches discussed so far. Satan did not have to pressure them with persecution or temptation; their church was already dead. They had become comfortable with the world, had no price to pay for their faith in Jesus Christ, and would therefore be taken by surprise (3:3). Such a warning should generate introspection for modern Western Christians: As a church, the believers in Sardis undoubtedly dreamed that they were awake. Jesus may not be satisfied with the status quo in our lives or our churches.

Staying awake is difficult when the world around us remains asleep (cf. 16:15). In Nazi Germany some 7,000 of 18,000 pastors in the state church opposed the Aryan clause that excluded Christians of Jewish descent from working in the church. In time, the Confessing Church formed to protest the state church’s compromises with Hitler, but gradually Hitler began to woo this very church. He allowed some of their distinctives and provided legitimacy for them if they would simply acquiesce to his expansionist plans. Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought this compromise, but became an increasingly isolated minority voice in view of the “practical realities” of the church’s situation.19 He claimed “that the failure of German Christians to resist the Nazi rise to power stemmed from their lack of moral clarity”; the only people who can stand firm in such situations are those whose standard is not reason or conscience but God and his Word. Whether we are seeking to win resistant converts or fighting for justice for the poor or unborn, it is always easy to grow weary in well-doing and follow the crowd—especially when the church around us has become part of it.

Further, like both the city of Sardis and the Sardian Christians, it is too easy for us to depend on past achievements instead of looking to God’s call for us in the future (cf. Phil. 3:12–14). We may recall the example of Gideon, who made a golden ephod to commemorate his victory, yet failed to destroy this ephod even when his people began worshiping it (Judg. 8:27). By lowering the standards, he set the stage for the return to Baal worship after his death and the disintegration of his spiritual legacy in Israel, and he effectively undercut the good he had achieved earlier in his life (8:33). Gideon looked back to his past victory, but should have made better plans for the future. — Craig S. Keener, Revelation, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 146–147.

11.  There is a lot of talk these days about church revitalization. A recent Google searched returned 116,000 results. What does this passage teach us about revitalization?

Our Lord’s counsel to the church began with, “Be watchful! Wake up!” (see Rom. 13:11ff) The “sentries” were asleep! The first step toward renewal in a dying church is honest awareness that something is wrong. When an organism is alive, there is growth, repair, reproduction, and power; if these elements are lacking in a church, then that church is either dying or already dead.

The Lord warned the Ephesian saints that He would come and remove their lampstand if they did not repent (Rev. 2:5). He warned the church at Pergamos that He would come and make war with the sword of the Spirit (Rev. 2:16). If the believers at Sardis did not follow His orders, He would come as a thief, when they least expected Him; and this would mean judgment. — Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 577.

12.  There is a principle of biblical interpretation that says that every time a topic comes up in Scripture, the writer is not obligated to say everything that is true about that topic. When the Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you…” it teaches us that we are to ask. But, there are other things taught in other passages that are true of prayer as well. For example, the Bible says in another place that if we pray according to God’s will He hears us. This passage teaches that if we are spiritual dead, we need to repent. What are some other principles of spiritual revitalization? How is a dying church revitalized?

1. Leadership is the most important factor in making a comeback. Leadership is rated as the factor having the highest impact by comeback leaders. Leadership is about influence. Churches that are in a pattern of plateau or decline need strong leaders who will point the way to revitalization. Comeback leaders illustrated the truth that church renewal, in many ways, does occur based on strong, effective leadership.

But what kind of leadership does the church need? Comeback leaders identified several important components of leadership in their responses—the development of an attitude of growth, intentionality and proactivity, shared ministry, and the activation of a shared vision. Comeback leaders are not willing to settle for a slow or no-growth mentality; maintaining a small-church mind-set is not an option. They are willing to identify and make necessary changes and set growth goals. Survey respondents describe an environment where the ministry is shared with the people based upon a common vision.

2. Vibrant faith is a significant factor in revitalization, particularly in three faith factors: renewed belief in Jesus Christ and the mission of the church, servanthood, and strategic prayer. If the percentages hold true in the larger picture of North American churches, then what churches believe about the person and power of Jesus and about God's mission for the church, how you follow Him as a servant leader, and your prayer relationship really matter. Creating a renewed focus and emphasis on Jesus is vital to making a comeback. Believers need to experience the reality of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. Then, in order to create an atmosphere of renewed belief, comeback leaders will want to find ways to translate that belief into practical activity.

3. Laypeople becoming actively involved in meaningful ministry is a significant factor in church renewal. Creating an atmosphere of lay mobilization is very important in the revitalization process. Increased expectations, equipped people, and empowered people are key components of developing an atmosphere of lay ministry involvement.

4. Churches will want to be more intentional about their evangelistic efforts. Those churches that make plans to reach out to the people in and around their communities, and then, prepare people to engage in those outreach efforts will be more likely to experience renewal. In addition, churches should not necessarily expect to discover only one effective evangelistic strategy. These 324 comeback churches used many different strategies and methods of outreach. Thus, the discovery of evangelistic methods or strategies that work best for a given church may take awhile to discover. Those churches that have the desire to be revitalized will want to engage in intentional outreach efforts, become active agents of community service, and pray for the Spirit of God to draw people to Jesus.

5. A “celebrative” and “orderly” mood of worship is a huge factor in revitalization. If worship in a church cannot be described as “celebrative” and “orderly,” then that church might want to consider exploring some ways to gradually introduce some new energy, enthusiasm, and contemporary flavor into its worship experience.

In some cases, churches and pastors might want to consider making changes in regard to other factors such as small groups, facilities, and marketing, but these factors are not as important or influential as leadership, vibrant faith, lay ministry, evangelistic efforts, and worship, according to the findings of this study. Overall, the most significant aspect of this study is that it proves revitalization can occur; 324 churches are comeback congregations. Revitalization can happen, and this study reveals some insights that will help churches that want to get on the comeback pathway. — Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned around and Yours Can, Too (Nashville: B&H, 2007).

13.  Do you think Sardis was surprised to hear it was a dying church? Do dying churches know that they are dying?

I love beaches. I am particularly fond of beaches in Florida on the panhandle and in southwest Florida. There is just something about the sugar-white sand, the emerald water, the bright sun, and the blue sky. I simply love the beaches. It had been many years since I had visited one particular beach. In fact the gap in time had been from my pre-teen years to my early thirties. But I wanted to go back. I wanted to see the beach of my childhood.

So Nellie Jo and I made the journey. Let me take a brief moment to describe the beach of my childhood. It was huge. I confirmed with others that its vastness was not just the perspective of a child. It really was big. I guess I remember the big sand dunes the most.

They were massive mountains of white sand with light vegetation. They were absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t wait to return. So, twenty years later, I arrived at the beach with anticipation and excitement. But what I saw was like a kick in the gut. The sand dunes were gone, completely gone. The beach was half its size of twenty years earlier. Even the sun seemed less bright since it did not have as much white sand to reflect. I was totally bummed.

As I was walking on the beach, I saw a man come out of one of the older homes. I asked him if he had been a resident for a while. He smiled and responded, “Thirty-four years.” I then asked him the obvious question: What happened to the beach? His response was shocking: “What do you mean? It’s pretty much the same as it has always been.” I would later learn that overdevelopment and beach erosion had taken its toll on the beach. But to those who see the beach every day, the change had been incremental. They didn’t see the “before and after” of two decades like I did.

They really didn’t see reality. So it is in many churches. The members don’t see the need to make changes because they don’t see reality. They don’t see the decline. They don’t see the worn facilities. They don’t notice that the church is not reaching unbelievers as it once did. And, because they don’t see the decline and deterioration, they see no need to change. Such is one of the main reasons leaders have difficulty leading churches to change. Why should we change if there is really no need for change? — Who Moved My Pulpit?: Leading Change in the Church by Thom S. Rainer

14.  How does a revitalized church look, when compared to a dead church?

He has led a revitalization effort that has spanned his ministry of 34 years at Mud Creek. By every measurable category, the church has grown exponentially. Currently we have around 4,000 members with an average Sunday morning attendance around 2,400 people. We continue to expand numerically, grow in depth within the congregation, and have advanced our missions and outreach partnerships significantly over the last 15 years. Mud Creek is not a perfect church, nor are we healthy by every rubric that could be used. But we do represent almost 2% of the population of our county in Sunday morning attendance and continue to reach people with the gospel. Following are my observations about church revitalization that can be replicated.

1.      Commitment to evangelism and discipleship. For a church to move out of stagnation, she must see her mission with clarity and apply it with consistency. Greg Mathis led Mud Creek in the 1980s and early 90s to adopt D. James Kennedy’s Evangelism Explosion. This commitment to evangelism and gospel preaching has continued through 2014 and must be a priority for any church advancing in their context.

2.      Leading with people not over them. Mud Creek has its share of strong personalities. Instead of demanding that people follow a vision, our pastor has perfected the art of communicating with key leaders ahead of sharing the vision publicly. I realize some key leaders in some churches will make this a fascinatingly difficult challenge for a pastor with a burning vision for a church and city. But if a vision is to succeed, key congregational leaders must share it and support it.

3.      Longevity in leadership. Our pastor, pastoral staff, and key lay leaders have been at Mud Creek for a long time. Longevity in leadership creates relational trust, builds consistency, and offers a framework of stability. This stability has grounded the consistent growth we’ve experienced over the years.

4.      Willingness to adapt. Mud Creek is not the same church it was in 1980, or 1990, or 2000 or even 2010. We have been and are willing to adapt, change, and redirect in order to reach new people. A vitalized church is one on the move, not static.

5.      Consistent vision casting and outward emphasis. We look for new ways to show and share how the gospel can and does influence the world. Celebrating mission success, building on mission partnerships in numerous contexts, and highlighting evangelistic and mission efforts require constant evaluation and effort. But it is well worth it. When your congregation feels the same mission tension concerning the lost and unreached that the pastor and staff does, mission and evangelistic advance follow.

6.      Positive, worshipful atmosphere. Unfortunately, many churches ooze negativity, criticism and gossip. The redeemed church of Jesus Christ ought not be this way. We believe entering church should be a joyful, worshipful and generally positive experience. People tend to be attracted (and I don’t mean creating a seeker friendly church) to the positive and reject the negative. Tone, content, and demeanor within corporate worship should be positive, uplifting, and focused on God.

7.      Regard for heritage without being tied down by tradition. Our heritage informs our vision, but we don’t let our past, our traditions, or our sacred cows predetermine our vision for the future. For a church to experience revitalization, some traditions must be allowed to die in order for more effective visions to take place.

8.      Dependence on God but not pharisaical super spirituality. There is no doubt that churches seeking revitalization need to depend on God completely. That dependence should be evident in worship, vision, and ministry. Leadership that depends on God is revealed by manner, power in communication, discernment, wisdom, and is evidenced by God’s favor. The Pharisees were quick to point out their spirituality, but lacked a relationship with God. Leadership in a revitalization effort should reveal their relationship with God, not by speaking in flowery language of spirituality, but rather their character should display godliness.

I’m sure there are more general observations that could be made about church revitalization. But these eight I’ve witnessed having an indelible effect on a growing church. http://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2014/10/09/8-observations-about-a-revitalized-church/

15.  One of the marks of a church in need of revitalization is that the people tend to argue over petty things. What arguments over petty things have you seen in churches? The person with the most ridiculous story wins.

Some time ago, I did a survey to find out what type of petty arguments church leaders had experienced. The responses were quite revealing, definitely discouraging, but a bit humorous. Here are fifteen of my “favorites”:

1.      Argument over the appropriate length of the worship pastor’s beard.

2.      Fight over whether or not to build a children’s playground or to use the land for a cemetery.

3.      A deacon accusing another deacon of sending an anonymous letter, and deciding to settle the matter in the parking lot.

4.      A church dispute of whether or not to install restroom stall dividers in the women’s restroom.

5.      A church argument and vote to decide if a clock in the worship center should be removed.

6.      A forty-five-minute heated argument over the type of filing cabinet to purchase: black or brown; two, three, or four drawers.

7.      A fight over which picture of Jesus to put in the foyer.

8.      A petition to have all church staff clean-shaven.

9.      A dispute over whether the worship leader should have his shoes on during the service.

10.  A big church argument over the discovery that the church budget was off $0.10. Someone finally gave a dime to settle the issue.

11.  A dispute in the church because the Lord’s Supper had cranberry/grape juice instead of grape juice.

12.  Business meeting arguments about whether the church should purchase a weed eater or not. It took two business meetings to resolve it.

13.  Arguments over what type of green beans the church should serve.

14.  Two different churches reported fights over the type of coffee they served. In one of the churches, they moved from Folgers to a stronger Starbucks brand. In the other church, they simply moved to a stronger blend. Members left the church in the latter example.

15.  Major conflict when the youth borrowed a Crockpot that had not been used for years. — Who Moved My Pulpit?: Leading Change in the Church by Thom S. Rainer

16.  Should every dying church be revitalized, or do you think some just need to die?

A reality that we face today is how to know when a local church is a good candidate for revitalization or for closing. In determining best practices for a church to carry out its mission, leaders must answer the following question: will more people be reached for Christ by keeping this church open and leading it through a revitalization process or by closing it and investing those resources in another ministry that is bearing Kingdom fruit?

Seeking objectivity for this discussion, I conducted several months of research to discover what criteria would help church leaders make this decision in a Godly and objective manner. It is important to note that all of this presupposes seeking the Lord, praying for the leading of the Holy Spirit, and submitting personal agendas to the Lord for His greater Kingdom purposes.

1. Leadership

One hundred percent of the people interviewed in this research identified leadership (pastoral and lay) as the most critical element in making this decision. John Maxwell has long affirmed that “everything rises and falls on leadership." It is critically important that both pastoral and lay leadership are strong in order to move a church that is “stuck” into a revitalized life of effectiveness. It takes leadership, commitment to the mission, and strong ability to lead people to change patterns that have been established over many years, and perseverance to lead through resistance that will come.

2. Geographical Location

Several people interviewed made statements like, “If we didn’t already have a congregation in this location, does the surrounding community have enough potential that we would plant a new church here in the future? If not, what does that lack of potential say about the likelihood that this congregation can be revitalized?”

One church that I recently consulted with was in a community that had less than 500 people within 3 miles of the church, and that population was declining. It would be difficult to think that this church could be revitalized and led into an effective ministry.

3. Community Demographics

What is the makeup of the community? It is helpful to interview organizational leaders in the local community to help you better understand where the community is headed. Another resource for learning about your community can be found at http://www.perceptgroup.com. This organization makes available studies of your community, providing solid data to better understand who lives in your community, the challenges they are facing, and the religious practices of the people.

4. Conflict: History, Quantity, and Depth

A history of church conflict may continue to impact churches long after the initial disagreement(s) took place. If the church is to move ahead in effective ministry, the conflict must be addressed in a healthy and Godly way to rid itself of the roots of this conflict. It is not easy to navigate conflict and bring healing for the future of the church. Outside leadership may be needed to navigate this journey.

The intensity and duration of the conflict become important factors in this decision-making process. The more intense the conflict and the more long-term the conflict, the greater the chance the leadership will not invest in resources for revitalization.

As you evaluate this area of conflict some questions to consider are: have there been any church splits in our history? Are there various “camps” within the congregation? Is there a genuine spirit of acceptance of people who are not like you and/or are not from the families of the church?

5. Condition of the Facility

Costly repairs can greatly affect churches, such as mold removal or structural repairs. Other times the facility is fantastic but the church has lost a sense of mission. In the latter situation the facility may be an asset to help the church, with new leadership, to develop a new and preferred future. It may be worth asking an outside inspector to do a facility evaluation to help you get objective data about the facility condition and what it would take to bring it up to an appropriate condition.

6. Financial Viability

Financial viability is defined by four categories. One, is the church paying a reasonable salary to a pastor? Two, is the church able to pay its operational bills? Three, is the church able to pay its denominational assessments? Four, is the church able to maintain its facility appropriately? One additional item to consider is whether the church is sending any of its money to a missional cause outside of itself. If these questions were answered in the negative, it increases the possibility that leadership would consider closing the church.

7. Health of the Core

Is there a core group of people who are able to articulate what it means to be on mission for the church? If you have a renewed pastor and a group of leaders who have experienced personal renewal, then you can handle the pain necessary to revitalize. However, what if there are not good strong leaders in the church? Is there a guiding coalition for redevelopment? Is there a ‘we’re exhausted’ spirit? If there is a major fatigue factor, it may be time to close the church. This may also require outside help.

One final note, it is also important to consider how all of the factors work together and if the combination of factors leads in one direction or another. http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/november/to-close-or-revitalize-that-is-question-7-steps-to-know.html

17.  Imagine your son were a minister. He has just been called to a church that is in bad need of revitalization. He asks you for advice. What would you tell him?

I fell in love with church revitalization early in my ministry when I served a church of senior adults during a brief stint teaching at a seminary.

The median age of the people was 68. It seemed like there was an oxygen tank or a walker at the end of most pews.

They came to me and said, “Dr. Stetzer, help us reach the young people.”

Leading a church in revitalization has taught me some invaluable lessons. While the process is often difficult and slow moving, if approached correctly it can reinvigorate and empower God’s people to produce lasting fruit.

You Will Meet Resistance

Leadership, especially with church revitalization, is a long and slow labor of love in the face of resistance. Not every member will be on your side during revitalization.

If you want everyone to love you, go sell ice cream, don't revitalize churches.

No matter how difficult, look past the resistance remembering that revitalization is like basic physics.

Momentum results from movement against the inertia.

Love Your People

In revitalization, you need to love, not drive people. Talk to them. Listen to them. Get them excited about God’s mission for their life and their church. Love your people, and not just as a means of getting them to do what you want.

I've led a few churches through revitalization and found that, in each case, when we took the time to love one another, people became excited and were more ready to go on mission.

They wanted to love their neighbors and engage the community around them.

Messy Happens

Any disconnected church that seeks to reengage with their community will find the experience to be messy.

There may be physical messes like mud on the carpet, smudges on the walls, dirty bathrooms, or broken vases. The way of church life to which your people had grown accustomed will suddenly change.

But, there are also relational messes—things changing that some do not want to change.

In revitalization, it’s hard to transition to a missional mindset. Kids will break things. Life will change.

But in the end, it’s worth it all.

Changed Churches

Church revitalization is an opportunity to lead God’s people to a renewed focus on God’s mission. Such an endeavor will undoubtedly change lives, communities, and have a gospel impact on generations to come.

In that first experience, I fell in love with church revitalization. The church recalibrated its sense of mission and reengaged in the growingly diverse community.

I also learned that strong leadership was not driving but loving and empowering my people to make the necessary decisions to live on mission in their community.

The fact is we need a mass movement of revitalization across our context. When we do, the mission force will engage the mission field and churches will be refocused on their mission. http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/april/leadership-challenges-in-church-revitalization.html

18.  To what degree would you say our church is dead and is in need of revitalization?

19.  What do you want to recall from today’s conversation?

20.  How can we support one another in prayer this week?