Revitalizing a Church, Part 4
JD Greear
Revitalizing a Church Series: Click | View Series
In Parts 1 and 2, I posed two questions that I recommend anyone considering church revitalization should ask. Revitalization is nothing short of a work of the Holy Spirit. Unless you believe that God is working in the group of people that currently make up the dying church (and not the institution itself), and that he has big plans for them in the future, I would not advise trying to revitalize. There are too many lost people to waste your time with stubborn, hard-hearted religious people who don't want to change.
That being said, I want to offer a couple of words of advice and encouragement to those who do feel God leading them to attempt church revitalization.
Somehow a wimpy heresy has infiltrated American pastors: when people rebel, verbally rip apart your ministry, or try to take over the church, you should obsequiously take it on the chin, humbly assume the fetal position, and hope for the best. Real Christians don't fight.
As we say in North Carolina: hogwash.
A Good Shepherd Fights
A good shepherd takes on the wolves that threaten his flock. He fights. It's never in self-defense, of course, but quite often, what is being threatened is not the reputation of the pastor but the health of the church—someone is trying to harm the flock that Jesus purchased with his blood! The church is Jesus' most expensive investment, so how can we not fight to protect it?
What's Best for the Flock?
Paul provides a great example for us. Paul's decision whether or not to fight is based on what is best for the flock, not for him personally. In certain places he does not defend himself because, as he sees it, defending his reputation will provide no immediate benefit to the local church (Phil 1:13). In others, however, he goes to great lengths to defend himself and his work because doing so helps the local church (2 Corinthians).
Protect the Body, Not Your Reputation
In other words, we should never fight to protect our reputation, but we should be willing to fight to protect the body. It may superficially appear "humble" and "Christ-like" to obsequiously walk away and surrender when you are being attacked, but you may be doing the church a great disservice in doing so. You may be turning your flock over to wolves. No shepherd worthy of Jesus' name should ever do that. You need to say "only over my dead body." The church is Jesus' most expensive investment. She is worth fighting, even dying, to protect.
These thoughts about revitalization are by no means complete, but I hope they get you started in the process. I am also filling this out a great deal on my own blog, www.jdgreear.com, because I get asked the question so much. You can read more about revitalization there.
