For a church revitalizer, the prospect of serving in a church that has declined is not scary but sacred. Think about it this way: An established church has had a rich history of programs, people and pastors who led through some of the most exciting days. There were building campaigns, high attendance days, and lives radically transformed at the altar. While those days of excitement are far and few between today, the seeds planted decades ago can still germinate and come to life.
There is something sacred about finding a long-forgotten picture of Jesus or a hymnal no longer in use. Instead of tossing these artifacts aside, find creative ways to intertwine them into the new vision God is leading the church towards.
- Evaluate what can showcase the church’s history.
A church revitalizer loves walking into a church that is a time capsule of the past. They do not see the things that need to be changed, but the tools of ministry from the past. Old files, books and pictures are a treasure trove that the revitalizer can use to evaluate where the church has been.
The tools found help highlight the past, celebrate where the church has been, and remind new people who attend that they are walking on hallowed ground. The church’s history is part of the God story that has been told for decades. It is not yet a completed story and thus still has many chapters for God to write. Therefore, there is hope for church revitalization.
Even as they modernize, churches can highlight the rich history of a church by dedicating a “Continuing the Legacy” room or creating a display area in the lobby where church items are placed in clear floor standing, wall mounted, or countertop display cases, similar to objects seen at a museum. In these two ways, you celebrate the past and help the church not forget where it has been.
- Eliminate what cannot help the church move forward.
Revitalizers understand the value and sentimental attachment that church members have toward programs, position, and piles of collected items accumulated over a church’s rich history. Instead of seeing these things as a negative, the revitalizer helps members evaluate each item, room, etc., to see if God could use the tool to help bring about a resurgence of the church, or does it need to be celebrated for its past use and retired.
Let us be honest: Things take on an emotional attachment that causes church members to feel like they are being discarded or even their memories are being devalued if something is removed from its place. Like an archivist at a museum, the revitalizer has to help church members see that the value to some may not be value to all. If an item is to be discarded, ask members if they want it. Always remember, celebrate the tool God used to help the church during its season of usefulness.
- Elevate God above all.
There is a tendency as a church revitalizer to rely on your giftings and not on God. During a season of revitalization, there will be times of pushback from members, tough conversations and decisions that need to be made. Instead of taking it all personally, remember you are helping members as they go through the five stages of grief as outlined by Kubler-Ross Model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). What members say, while it might feel personal, is instead grieving what was for what could be in the life of the church. Prayer must be the facet that holds everything together. Prayer unifies the body and provides peace in the direction God leads the church.
Pray with your people. Pray privately, and always maintain a spirit of prayer as you move forward in helping the church move from death to life over time. Remember God did not call you as a church revitalizer to close the church’s doors or for you to be the hero of the turnaround but to honor God and allow God to get all the glory.