December 18th, 2024
by William Earp
by William Earp
Here are a few resources that I have read lately and will continue to update.
Books
Malphurs, Aubrey. Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2013.
Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs aids the church's leadership in planning mission, vision, and values. Before a church can be revitalized, it is important that the problem that caused the decline be studied and stopped or prevented from happening again in the future. As Malphurs quoted, “A problem well defined is a problem half solved,”[1] Through this book, Malphurs helps the leader create a strategic plan before launching into the revitalization process. Through the section, “Set the Course,” the reader will learn to develop a biblical mission and compelling vision, discover their core values, introduce the new strategy to the congregation, reach out to the community, develop a discipleship plan, build a team, assess the ministry setting and raise the necessary finances to carry out the mission.
Rainer, Thom S. Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2014.
As Malphurs emphasized the importance of discovering and remedying the problem, through Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer takes the leader through a series of tough conversations that address the reasons that many churches are in decline or at the point of closing. These are questions that many do not want to approach or deny that they are an issue, but are important to keep in mind as the church moves forward. This is a great resource that the leader can use to work through with the leadership team and have discussions about the health of the church.
Bolsinger, Tod. Canoeing the Mountains Expanded Edition: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2018.
Change is hard for many organizations. Once a plan is formed and started, it can be hard to get people to accept a change of course. Bolsinger uses the example of Lewis and Clark and their journey to reach the Pacific Coast through navigable waters to show that sometimes plans must make necessary changes. These examples are valuable to a leader who is trying to make a change within their church. There are times when churches must make drastic changes to survive. These changes may seem to create a whole new identity, but that new identity is what is needed, just as Lewis and Clark transitioned from paddlers to climbers.
Vaters, Karl. Desizing the Church: How Bigness Became an Obsession, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2024.
One of the greatest traps that a church leader can fall into is the belief that the size of their church indicates the health of their church. While it is true that all healthy things grow, not all things grow at the same pace. Through De-Sizing the Church, Vaters reminds the reader to focus on the health of their church and not the size of their church. A focus is made on discipleship, community engagement, and overall spiritual health. As a leader develops a strategic plan, following the guidance of Vaters will help to develop a plan that is strategic to their church and not one that tries to create or mimic the ministry of another. It is important that a church becomes the church that God created them to be and to be willing to be that church, regardless of size.
Garrison, Alton. A Spirit-Empowered Church: An Acts 2 Ministry Model. Springfield, Missouri: Influence Resources, 2015.
In A Spirit-Empowered Church, Garrison uses the church model that is seen in Acts chapter 2. This church model is focused on growing the church through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and not the abilities of the leader. He emphasizes that our giftings are important, but as leaders we must focus on what the Spirit will do for us and through us. He emphasizes that the church must connect, grow, serve, go and worship to meet the model of the Acts 2 church. As a church that is working towards revitalization, this model will help the leader focus on Spirit engagement, and also relieve the leader from the stress of carrying the load on their own. It is a reminder that the church is God’s, and we must include Him in every decision that we make and seek His guidance for the future.
Reeder, Harry L., and David Swavely. From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church. Revised and Expanded. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing, 2008.
In From Embers to a Flame, Reeder gives guidance on many of the same mission, vision and values that the other resources cover, but what makes this resource especially valuable is the guidance on how to handle the past when trying to move forward. While many books focus on what to do in the future, Reeder offers a strategy that many do not. His chapter, “A Call to Repentance: Cover up or Fess Up” Reeder states, “You must also emphasize personal responsibility by discouraging excuse-making.”[2] As a leader makes a plan, addresses the past, if acceptance and repentance for the past is not addressed, the repeating of those items becomes so much easier.
Greear, J. D. Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2015.
Greear’s church is an example of a church that is discipleship-focused. His example shows that as leaders strategically plan for the future of the church, they must do so with the mindset of releasing leaders into the kingdom of God. By incorporating this mindset into the plan, discipleship programs will be designed and operated with the purpose of creating new leaders who are prepared to replace the leadership that is in the current role. By doing this, the church will create a sustainable cycle of leadership creation. If there is a surplus of leaders for the available roles, these new leaders will be able to form new ministries.
Chand, Sam. How Leaders Create Chaos and Why They Should! United States: Avail, 2022.
Often times, leaders will not make the necessary changes to make full and lasting impacts on their ministries. In How Leaders Create Chaos and Why They Should, Sam Chand challenges the leader to make these changes in bold ways. Two chapters are specifically important to a strategic plan, “Stability Isn’t Your Friend” and “Planned Chaos or Surprising Disruption.” These two chapters remind the leader that just because things seem stable does not mean they are. In the instance of the model church for this paper, over the twelve-year decline, the church seemed stable because the decline was so slow. This chapter would encourage the leader to keep an eye on the church and not be afraid to shake things up, even when they look calm. The chapter that addresses planned chaos reminds the leader that just because the changes are chaotic does not mean that they cannot be planned.
Wegner, Rob, and Jack Magruder. Missional Moves: 15 Tectonic Shifts That Transform Churches, Communities, and the World. Exponential Series. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2012.
Many churches factor missions into their strategic plan. Wegner and Magruder write about missions and how a church should implement them into the culture of the church. The authors offer the advice that the church should be focused in their giving instead of using the broad approach. This relates to revitalization because the church becomes more connected to the ministries that they support and these ministries can then become part of the church. If this method is accepted and included in the strategic plan, the leader can be intentional in the missions that the church connects with and find opportunities that match the church in the best ways possible.
Morey, Tim. Planting a Church without Losing Your Soul: Nine Questions for the Spiritually Formed Pastor. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2020.
Any strategic plan for revitalizing a church should include a section on maintaining the mental, physical, and spiritual health of the pastor and his family. Morey reminds the leader of the causes and effects of poor health of the leader. Making the necessary changes that are required to keep a church alive can come with harsh conditions for the pastor and family to endure. If this is included in the strategic plan, the leader will be prepared for the repercussions of their decisions. Morey covers the importance of planning for spiritual formation throughout the process, handling difficulty, resiliency through defeat, and having the proper pace as the leader moves forward.
Reed, James, and Lori C. Reed. Reimagining the Great Commission: 21st-Century Digital Discipleship. United States: publisher not identified, 2019.
In Reimagining the Great Commission, the authors encourage the leader to think outside of the methods that they have always used. This is imperative to a strategic plan for church revitalization. The leader is not trying to recreate the church of the past, but be the church of the future. Many of the communities that churches are in have changed drastically since the church was founded, but the church is doing things the same way that they have always been doing. These new and fresh methods must be a part of the plan from the beginning.
Clifton, Mark. Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2016.
In Reclaiming Glory, Clifton gives the option of a replant verses a revitalization. As a leader considers a strategy of revitalizing a church, there needs to be a consideration of whether it is best for the church to close its doors while it reinvents or rebrands itself. This gives the leader the opportunity to re-open the church under a new leadership, new culture, and new vision. Old members may come to the church, but it is with the understanding that things are not the same. Not all strategies will incorporate this method, but considerations should be made to address the issues that Clifton addresses. The whole church may not be closed down, but specific ministries could be closed and restarted.
Fay, William, and Linda E. Shepherd. Share Jesus without Fear. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
Strategic plans for church revitalization must include a way to evangelize to their communities. Fay, William, and Shepherd write about the importance of evangelism and include “how to” sections that help the leader teach these methods. Evangelism must be part of the culture that the leader creates in the church. The author’s of this book create a “can’t fail” mentality of the readers, and a leader would do well to include this mentality in their strategic plan.
Bolsinger, Tod E. Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020.
Tempered resilience is an additional reference for the section of the strategic plan that is focused on the health of the pastor and his leadership team and also a resource for the development of new leaders. New disciples need opportunities to lead and a leader who is able to teach them when times get tough. The chapter “Leaders are Formed in Leading” is a good resource for discipleship and future leader development. There must be a strategy and plan in place for when and how new leaders will be given opportunities to lead for the first time and how they will be supervised.
Rainer, Thom S. The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges + Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2020.
Revitalization plans must be different in 2024 than they were just five years ago. Many churches are trying to recreate the success of the past when the church, and the world around it have changed drastically since the times when Covid 19 ravaged the world. People have become less apt to be in large crowds and many have adopted a digital preference for the ministry they want to be a part of. Thom Rainer gives advice for strategic planning in a post Covid 19 world that will welcome people back into the church and reach those in a digital format. The digital format of church needs to be a part of the strategic plan.
Cloud, Henry. Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. New York, NY: Worthy Publishers, 2023.
Trust needs to be considered in the strategic planning of church revitalization. In Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken, Dr. Henry Cloud gives leaders valuable advice on factoring trust into their decisions. Many churches that are in decline have lost trust in their leadership, and before a leader can make a change of any magnitude, they must build trust with the people that they hope to lead. This may mean that the leader starts small with projects that build trust with the people. The chapters about breaking through the trust barriers should be given specific attention.
Articles
Brew, Conner. “Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program to Cultivate Leaders of a Missional Church.” Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, July 15, 2024. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5791.
This article identifies a problem of a lack of intentional discipleship and spiritual growth opportunities at MVMNT Church then offers a solution, implementation and the expected outcomes that came from the decisions that were made. By seeing he real world applications of these decisions, the leader can factor that into the strategic plan and give examples of the results. Church Revitalization is not a mentioned goal of the MVMNT Church, but the way that they are trying to reinvigorate the missional focus and empower the members to live out their faith is a great example for the revitalization of a church.
Samra, James G. “A Biblical View of Discipleship.” Bibliotheca Sacra 160, no. April-June 2003 (n.d.): 219–34.
This article focuses on what a biblical view of discipleship is. For a leader to have a strategic plan to develop disciples, they must have a correct biblical view of what a disciple is and how it is created. This article covers the spiritual growth of individuals, leadership development, evangelism and outreach, and how to create a culture of discipleship within the church. The discussion about a culture of discipleship will help create a wholistic approach to development that includes recruiting, training, mentorship and releasing the new disciples into the ministry.
Sendjaya, Sen. “Building A Gospel Culture in the Contemporary Church: Ten Imperatives for Church Leaders.” Veritas: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pelayanan 21, no. 1 (May 13, 2022): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.36421/veritas.v21i1.551.
This article provides ten practical imperatives for church leaders to cultivate a gospel culture in their churches, which can help foster revitalization. The impertives are: preach the gospel to yourself everyday, befriend ambiguities and uncertainties in ministry, embrace new mindsets and new tools, encourage people to speak the truth, encourage participation, recognize and appreciate contrarians, encourage healthy debate, be a role model of the desired culture, harness the collective intelligence, and make the gospel the central organizing principle for church life. These imperatives are important steps that the leader needs to keep in mind during the planning process and will bolster points of their plan.
Appah, George Obeng, and Babu P. George. “Understanding Church Growth through Church Marketing: An Analysis on the Roman Catholic Church’s Marketing Efforts in Ghana.” Journal of Economics & Business Research 23, no. 1 (January 2017): 103–22.
It is important that spreading the news about what is going on inside the church to the world outside of the church is part of the strategic plan. The leader must consider how people will know what the church is doing. This will not only enable them to grow through possible visitors, but it will also allow the community to know about the services that the church is offering. This article aids in understanding the needs of the community, how to target the outreach programs, strategically target those communities with the advertisements, and how to create a welcoming environment that matches the advertisement.
Sidenvall, Erik. “Transforming Church Strategies in a Changing Social Landscape: Sunday School Statistics from a Swedish Diocese, 1920–1990.” The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 75, no. 1 (January 2024): 116–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046923000532.
This article is about how the Swedish Diocese adapted its strategies to adapt and adjust to the declining religious participation of the communities around it. It addresses the need for change, the way to develop alternative approaches, the need to empower the laity to aid in these changes, and how to navigate the financial and social shifts that many churches are undergoing. Revitalization strategies must consider the change in landscape that has caused the decline. This article gives statistics and examples of real world instances.
Books
Malphurs, Aubrey. Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2013.
Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders by Aubrey Malphurs aids the church's leadership in planning mission, vision, and values. Before a church can be revitalized, it is important that the problem that caused the decline be studied and stopped or prevented from happening again in the future. As Malphurs quoted, “A problem well defined is a problem half solved,”[1] Through this book, Malphurs helps the leader create a strategic plan before launching into the revitalization process. Through the section, “Set the Course,” the reader will learn to develop a biblical mission and compelling vision, discover their core values, introduce the new strategy to the congregation, reach out to the community, develop a discipleship plan, build a team, assess the ministry setting and raise the necessary finances to carry out the mission.
Rainer, Thom S. Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2014.
As Malphurs emphasized the importance of discovering and remedying the problem, through Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer takes the leader through a series of tough conversations that address the reasons that many churches are in decline or at the point of closing. These are questions that many do not want to approach or deny that they are an issue, but are important to keep in mind as the church moves forward. This is a great resource that the leader can use to work through with the leadership team and have discussions about the health of the church.
Bolsinger, Tod. Canoeing the Mountains Expanded Edition: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2018.
Change is hard for many organizations. Once a plan is formed and started, it can be hard to get people to accept a change of course. Bolsinger uses the example of Lewis and Clark and their journey to reach the Pacific Coast through navigable waters to show that sometimes plans must make necessary changes. These examples are valuable to a leader who is trying to make a change within their church. There are times when churches must make drastic changes to survive. These changes may seem to create a whole new identity, but that new identity is what is needed, just as Lewis and Clark transitioned from paddlers to climbers.
Vaters, Karl. Desizing the Church: How Bigness Became an Obsession, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2024.
One of the greatest traps that a church leader can fall into is the belief that the size of their church indicates the health of their church. While it is true that all healthy things grow, not all things grow at the same pace. Through De-Sizing the Church, Vaters reminds the reader to focus on the health of their church and not the size of their church. A focus is made on discipleship, community engagement, and overall spiritual health. As a leader develops a strategic plan, following the guidance of Vaters will help to develop a plan that is strategic to their church and not one that tries to create or mimic the ministry of another. It is important that a church becomes the church that God created them to be and to be willing to be that church, regardless of size.
Garrison, Alton. A Spirit-Empowered Church: An Acts 2 Ministry Model. Springfield, Missouri: Influence Resources, 2015.
In A Spirit-Empowered Church, Garrison uses the church model that is seen in Acts chapter 2. This church model is focused on growing the church through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and not the abilities of the leader. He emphasizes that our giftings are important, but as leaders we must focus on what the Spirit will do for us and through us. He emphasizes that the church must connect, grow, serve, go and worship to meet the model of the Acts 2 church. As a church that is working towards revitalization, this model will help the leader focus on Spirit engagement, and also relieve the leader from the stress of carrying the load on their own. It is a reminder that the church is God’s, and we must include Him in every decision that we make and seek His guidance for the future.
Reeder, Harry L., and David Swavely. From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church. Revised and Expanded. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing, 2008.
In From Embers to a Flame, Reeder gives guidance on many of the same mission, vision and values that the other resources cover, but what makes this resource especially valuable is the guidance on how to handle the past when trying to move forward. While many books focus on what to do in the future, Reeder offers a strategy that many do not. His chapter, “A Call to Repentance: Cover up or Fess Up” Reeder states, “You must also emphasize personal responsibility by discouraging excuse-making.”[2] As a leader makes a plan, addresses the past, if acceptance and repentance for the past is not addressed, the repeating of those items becomes so much easier.
Greear, J. D. Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2015.
Greear’s church is an example of a church that is discipleship-focused. His example shows that as leaders strategically plan for the future of the church, they must do so with the mindset of releasing leaders into the kingdom of God. By incorporating this mindset into the plan, discipleship programs will be designed and operated with the purpose of creating new leaders who are prepared to replace the leadership that is in the current role. By doing this, the church will create a sustainable cycle of leadership creation. If there is a surplus of leaders for the available roles, these new leaders will be able to form new ministries.
Chand, Sam. How Leaders Create Chaos and Why They Should! United States: Avail, 2022.
Often times, leaders will not make the necessary changes to make full and lasting impacts on their ministries. In How Leaders Create Chaos and Why They Should, Sam Chand challenges the leader to make these changes in bold ways. Two chapters are specifically important to a strategic plan, “Stability Isn’t Your Friend” and “Planned Chaos or Surprising Disruption.” These two chapters remind the leader that just because things seem stable does not mean they are. In the instance of the model church for this paper, over the twelve-year decline, the church seemed stable because the decline was so slow. This chapter would encourage the leader to keep an eye on the church and not be afraid to shake things up, even when they look calm. The chapter that addresses planned chaos reminds the leader that just because the changes are chaotic does not mean that they cannot be planned.
Wegner, Rob, and Jack Magruder. Missional Moves: 15 Tectonic Shifts That Transform Churches, Communities, and the World. Exponential Series. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2012.
Many churches factor missions into their strategic plan. Wegner and Magruder write about missions and how a church should implement them into the culture of the church. The authors offer the advice that the church should be focused in their giving instead of using the broad approach. This relates to revitalization because the church becomes more connected to the ministries that they support and these ministries can then become part of the church. If this method is accepted and included in the strategic plan, the leader can be intentional in the missions that the church connects with and find opportunities that match the church in the best ways possible.
Morey, Tim. Planting a Church without Losing Your Soul: Nine Questions for the Spiritually Formed Pastor. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2020.
Any strategic plan for revitalizing a church should include a section on maintaining the mental, physical, and spiritual health of the pastor and his family. Morey reminds the leader of the causes and effects of poor health of the leader. Making the necessary changes that are required to keep a church alive can come with harsh conditions for the pastor and family to endure. If this is included in the strategic plan, the leader will be prepared for the repercussions of their decisions. Morey covers the importance of planning for spiritual formation throughout the process, handling difficulty, resiliency through defeat, and having the proper pace as the leader moves forward.
Reed, James, and Lori C. Reed. Reimagining the Great Commission: 21st-Century Digital Discipleship. United States: publisher not identified, 2019.
In Reimagining the Great Commission, the authors encourage the leader to think outside of the methods that they have always used. This is imperative to a strategic plan for church revitalization. The leader is not trying to recreate the church of the past, but be the church of the future. Many of the communities that churches are in have changed drastically since the church was founded, but the church is doing things the same way that they have always been doing. These new and fresh methods must be a part of the plan from the beginning.
Clifton, Mark. Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2016.
In Reclaiming Glory, Clifton gives the option of a replant verses a revitalization. As a leader considers a strategy of revitalizing a church, there needs to be a consideration of whether it is best for the church to close its doors while it reinvents or rebrands itself. This gives the leader the opportunity to re-open the church under a new leadership, new culture, and new vision. Old members may come to the church, but it is with the understanding that things are not the same. Not all strategies will incorporate this method, but considerations should be made to address the issues that Clifton addresses. The whole church may not be closed down, but specific ministries could be closed and restarted.
Fay, William, and Linda E. Shepherd. Share Jesus without Fear. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
Strategic plans for church revitalization must include a way to evangelize to their communities. Fay, William, and Shepherd write about the importance of evangelism and include “how to” sections that help the leader teach these methods. Evangelism must be part of the culture that the leader creates in the church. The author’s of this book create a “can’t fail” mentality of the readers, and a leader would do well to include this mentality in their strategic plan.
Bolsinger, Tod E. Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020.
Tempered resilience is an additional reference for the section of the strategic plan that is focused on the health of the pastor and his leadership team and also a resource for the development of new leaders. New disciples need opportunities to lead and a leader who is able to teach them when times get tough. The chapter “Leaders are Formed in Leading” is a good resource for discipleship and future leader development. There must be a strategy and plan in place for when and how new leaders will be given opportunities to lead for the first time and how they will be supervised.
Rainer, Thom S. The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges + Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2020.
Revitalization plans must be different in 2024 than they were just five years ago. Many churches are trying to recreate the success of the past when the church, and the world around it have changed drastically since the times when Covid 19 ravaged the world. People have become less apt to be in large crowds and many have adopted a digital preference for the ministry they want to be a part of. Thom Rainer gives advice for strategic planning in a post Covid 19 world that will welcome people back into the church and reach those in a digital format. The digital format of church needs to be a part of the strategic plan.
Cloud, Henry. Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. New York, NY: Worthy Publishers, 2023.
Trust needs to be considered in the strategic planning of church revitalization. In Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken, Dr. Henry Cloud gives leaders valuable advice on factoring trust into their decisions. Many churches that are in decline have lost trust in their leadership, and before a leader can make a change of any magnitude, they must build trust with the people that they hope to lead. This may mean that the leader starts small with projects that build trust with the people. The chapters about breaking through the trust barriers should be given specific attention.
Articles
Brew, Conner. “Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program to Cultivate Leaders of a Missional Church.” Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, July 15, 2024. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5791.
This article identifies a problem of a lack of intentional discipleship and spiritual growth opportunities at MVMNT Church then offers a solution, implementation and the expected outcomes that came from the decisions that were made. By seeing he real world applications of these decisions, the leader can factor that into the strategic plan and give examples of the results. Church Revitalization is not a mentioned goal of the MVMNT Church, but the way that they are trying to reinvigorate the missional focus and empower the members to live out their faith is a great example for the revitalization of a church.
Samra, James G. “A Biblical View of Discipleship.” Bibliotheca Sacra 160, no. April-June 2003 (n.d.): 219–34.
This article focuses on what a biblical view of discipleship is. For a leader to have a strategic plan to develop disciples, they must have a correct biblical view of what a disciple is and how it is created. This article covers the spiritual growth of individuals, leadership development, evangelism and outreach, and how to create a culture of discipleship within the church. The discussion about a culture of discipleship will help create a wholistic approach to development that includes recruiting, training, mentorship and releasing the new disciples into the ministry.
Sendjaya, Sen. “Building A Gospel Culture in the Contemporary Church: Ten Imperatives for Church Leaders.” Veritas: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pelayanan 21, no. 1 (May 13, 2022): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.36421/veritas.v21i1.551.
This article provides ten practical imperatives for church leaders to cultivate a gospel culture in their churches, which can help foster revitalization. The impertives are: preach the gospel to yourself everyday, befriend ambiguities and uncertainties in ministry, embrace new mindsets and new tools, encourage people to speak the truth, encourage participation, recognize and appreciate contrarians, encourage healthy debate, be a role model of the desired culture, harness the collective intelligence, and make the gospel the central organizing principle for church life. These imperatives are important steps that the leader needs to keep in mind during the planning process and will bolster points of their plan.
Appah, George Obeng, and Babu P. George. “Understanding Church Growth through Church Marketing: An Analysis on the Roman Catholic Church’s Marketing Efforts in Ghana.” Journal of Economics & Business Research 23, no. 1 (January 2017): 103–22.
It is important that spreading the news about what is going on inside the church to the world outside of the church is part of the strategic plan. The leader must consider how people will know what the church is doing. This will not only enable them to grow through possible visitors, but it will also allow the community to know about the services that the church is offering. This article aids in understanding the needs of the community, how to target the outreach programs, strategically target those communities with the advertisements, and how to create a welcoming environment that matches the advertisement.
Sidenvall, Erik. “Transforming Church Strategies in a Changing Social Landscape: Sunday School Statistics from a Swedish Diocese, 1920–1990.” The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 75, no. 1 (January 2024): 116–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046923000532.
This article is about how the Swedish Diocese adapted its strategies to adapt and adjust to the declining religious participation of the communities around it. It addresses the need for change, the way to develop alternative approaches, the need to empower the laity to aid in these changes, and how to navigate the financial and social shifts that many churches are undergoing. Revitalization strategies must consider the change in landscape that has caused the decline. This article gives statistics and examples of real world instances.
William Earp
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