Church Revitalization. I Haven't Been Optimistic But This Might Work.

Revitalization Assessment Center May Be First of Its Kind - Evangelical Covenant Church Here's a new approach to church revitalization: Churches who are at a critical survival moment in their life come into an agreement with the denomination with a revitalization plan and then receive a pastor who has gone through an assessment, gauging their readiness to do the hard work necessary to bring an established church to new life. “Revitalization is two to three times harder than planting,” says Dave Olson, director of church planting. “It’s harder to remodel a home than it is to build one.” Someone could have warned me before I tried! Perhaps I should have gone right on to church planting and skipped the revitalization lessons. I have to admit to being very skeptical of church revitalization efforts. Not just because of my own personal experience of failure at it. In so many cases of churches falling into unhealth and numerical decline I see power brokers sinning against the church and pastor. And in Covenant churches where they are congregational with, in many cases, poorly written constitutions, there is no leadership given the task of disciplining belligerent members and very rarely do their leaders have enough courage to do so. However, the linked article is suggesting the Covenant has signed agreements with the church. Which might mean the churches have relinquished some control. That could be promising. To get out of the dysfunction churches need to break out of the same old decision making patterns with the same old power brokers influencing the decisions. Let's hope. It's funny, I honestly believe most of the churches that have reached the point of needing revitalization need to be closed or allowed to die in peace. I just don't think very many will really turn around. On the other hand, I would love to be a successful revitalization pastor — emphasis on successful.