Getting a Live Tree Out of a Dead Stump Church Revitalization: 101

Fresh-faced and starry-eyed, a pastor arrived at his new church. Straight out of seminary, that pastor thought this church would be the church that God would bless. Unfortunately, that church had a self-appointed male church boss who opened a closet door, pulled the pastor inside and, rearranging the vacuum sweeper and the push brooms which were located inside, the “ruler of the roost” proceeded to tell that preacher exactly who was “in charge” of that church. As the pastor listened with grace, he waited until the church’s Diotrephes concluded his diatribe on local church leadership. In response, the pastor said, “Thank you for your insights. Since it was Christ Who died for His church, it is Christ Who will be the Lord of His church.” That was the last time the janitor’s closet was used as the office for that church. As for the church’s Diotrephes, who desired the preeminence over Christ’s church, he boycotted the next five weeks of services. To his surprise, because those who intimidate one person will also seek to intimidate others, nobody missed him. Although he never attended that church again, while Diotrephes was away, the Holy Spirit took over, the church quadrupled in size, and that revitalized congregation built, by God’s grace and to God’s glory, a larger auditorium and a new fellowship hall to hold and host all the people who came. No man is ever equal to the one God Who rules as the rightful Lord over His bloodbought church. So, despite the people who seek to wrest control from the only One Who died for His church, raise your sights to heaven, keep Jesus Christ as Lord, and, recognizing that His influence is far more effective than ours, watch God work as you experience personally the God Who deeply desires to bless His church. When does decline in the health of a church begin? How do churches become revitalization works? What characteristics are found in the people who lead others to choose the “downward slope” for God’s local church? Two topics are addressed in this section: 1). Pertinent passages. Scripture serves as a picture window through which we can see what God says about the causes and cures for revitalization works. When it comes to those “wish they didn’t exist” situations in the church, the Bible is the answer. 2). Problematic people. On occasion, these words have crossed my mind and, perhaps, they have crossed yours: “The best thing about the church is the people and the worst thing about the church is the people.” Filled with the flesh or planted by Satan, problematic people seem to be present in every church that needs revitalization. Although Old Testament congregations were not the New Testament church, both Old Testament passages and New Testament passages are included in these two initial discussions involving revitalization works. In recognizing that these are not exhaustive lists, each passage presented or problematic person discussed can give us insights, from God, on how God wants us to lead a revitalization work. In addition, since there is ”nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), apply as much as you can – from these passages to your current situation.