An Association Mission Strategist (DOM) of any Baptist association must address church revitalization/renewal as part of his role. We are all well aware of the statistics regarding plateaued, declining, and closing churches across our denomination. No association or region is immune to that reality.
There can be many signs and reasons why a church is in need of renewal. Obviously, we cannot be blind to demographic shifts, transitioning communities, cultural change, increasing diversity, denominational aversion, and generational erosion, among others, as contributing factors to congregational decline. However, chief among the factors causing a need for renewal is a lack of church health. In fact, it is often the lack of church health that inhibits a church from responding effectively to the above challenges.
Our temptation when facing church decline is to look for a quick fix—a canned program or a magical church-growth strategy that is going to turn the church around. However, this is usually a huge mistake. It is putting a Band-Aid on a festering wound and will eventually cause more harm than good. New programs or strategies are not necessarily wrong, but they become problematic when they are prioritized at the expense of health. In fact, churches that focus on church health will achieve the right kind of growth. Churches experiencing renewal have renewed vision, healthy congregational morale, and a sustainable strategy for accomplishing mission and ministry. All of this arises from a foundation of health.
So what are some healthy factors that need to be rooted in churches if they want to experience renewal?
First, healthy churches have a more complete scorecard. The typical metrics by which we have assessed effectiveness in our churches have been the four “B’s”—budget, buildings, baptisms, and butts in the pews! These still have an important place, but they are incomplete measures of effectiveness in our current cultural environment. A revitalized church will develop a broader scorecard for evaluating mission and ministry. For example, it will measure how its people are moving toward deeper levels of discipleship, as well as how many are connecting with those outside the church who are far from Christ.
Second, a healthy church embraces a missional rather than a consumer mentality. Unhealthy churches become very inward-focused and fixated on their own needs. Healthy churches stress serving rather than being served—mission rather than maintenance. Healthy churches will even sacrifice numerical growth if it comes at the expense of their missional philosophy of ministry. They realize that not all growth is healthy growth. Quantity is important, but it does not supersede the value of quality. However, this is not a reason to excuse a lack of growth. Many churches justify their lack of Great Commission effectiveness by claiming they are focused on “quality, not quantity.” That itself can be a sign of unhealth.
Third, healthy churches embrace a worship environment of congregational engagement rather than platform entertainment. We are transformed into the people God created us to be as we actively participate in the worship of God. If worship becomes only passive observation, our emotions may be stirred, but we will not be transformed. Healthy churches cultivate active participants engaged in spiritual worship rather than passive observers.
Fourth, healthy churches streamline decision-making. Whatever their governing structure, churches that experience renewal typically have an empowered leadership structure with the flexibility and authority to make timely decisions. In addition, they empower ministry teams (committees) to carry out ministry responsibilities on behalf of the church.
Fifth, healthy churches, while affirming male eldership in their understanding of the biblical role of pastor/elder, still promote the full utilization of both men's and women's gifts in service and leadership.
Sixth, generally speaking, healthy churches are more kingdom-focused than denominationally driven. This is not to say they are non-denominational or anti-denominational. Rather, their focus is on kingdom advancement rather than denominational preservation. They are not sectarian or tribal, but seek to cooperate within their own denominational structure, but also, wherever possible with other Great Commission churches.
Seventh, healthy churches have developed a theology of change. As we know from sound Christian theology, God does not change—He is immutable. However, that does not mean He is static. God is transcendent and eternal, but He is also immanent—that is, He is present and actively involved in His creation. He acts to change things, to write history, and to bring about His kingdom. Change is also built into creation: the seasons of the year—winter, spring, summer, and fall; and the seasons of life—birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and death. Change is part of the human condition; life is fluid and dynamic. Of course, as followers of Christ, we are continually being transformed into His image. Beyond this, the history of the church itself is a history of change. The point is that developing a high tolerance for healthy change is essential to church renewal. Healthy churches preserve their core message while continually looking for ways to improve their methods.
Eighth, a strategic aim of a healthy church is to be multi-generational. Rather than focusing on a single demographic, a renewed church values the perspectives and contributions of every age group.
Ninth, healthy churches are intentional about discipleship. More specifically, churches experiencing renewal have made the development and mentoring of leaders a strategic priority. Unhealthy churches often fail to pass leadership on to the next generation. Healthy churches and perceptive pastors intentionally disciple and develop the next generation of leaders.
Tenth, a healthy twenty-first-century church values diversity centered on an unchanging gospel. A mark of a kingdom-focused church is not only a commitment to being multi-generational, but also a comfort with a wide variety of diversity—ethnic, political, socioeconomic, and more. Diversity is respected, political differences are tolerated without fear of rejection, and people from all socioeconomic backgrounds are embraced and encouraged to use their gifts fully in service to Christ.
Eleventh, healthy churches value and experience the spiritual richness of community. Unhealthy churches often place a high premium on the church as an institution while experiencing very little true koinonia.
Lastly, healthy churches value a God-glorifying past, but they do not try to live in it, compete with it, or replicate it. They live fully in the present while maintaining a biblical vision for the future.
There are obviously other healthy factors that contribute to church renewal. These are simply some of the more prevalent trends we are observing among churches experiencing renewal today. We must aim at health and address areas of disease. Nothing good proceeds from sickness. What Jesus said of the individual also applies to a collection of individuals called the church: “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit” (Matt. 7:18).
As CBA churches, let us focus on the things that make for healthy, gospel-centered, biblically strong, culturally engaged, kingdom-focused, reproducing churches that cooperate together to transform Rutherford County and beyond for the glory of Christ!
In His Service,
Dr. Wes Rankin
Association Mission Strategist