What Initiates Church Renewal?

In last week’s Fresh Ideas newsletter, I noted that there have been several major epochs of church renewal but, most importantly, church renewal is a constant fixture in every Spirit-filled, Spirit-led congregation. At the Center for Church Renewal we say, “Either a church is on a constant path of renewal or on a sure path of decline.”

• If renewal is that important, a critical question is, “Where does renewal originate?” In other words, what are the catalysts that initiate revitalization movements in everyday churches?
• And what might stimulate renewal in your own local congregation? In my observation there are several sparks that ignite renewal.

Six Sparks that Ignite Renewal Movements

Spark 1: The Spirit’s Wind

• Jesus said that the Spirit “blows wherever it pleases” (John 3:8).  The Spirit’s wind is about fresh yearnings, new leadership, unexpected opportunities, or creative imagining.  Spirit-directed renewal is often about trimming sails more than making plans. Spirit winds are stirred by prayer.

Spark 2: A Deep Longing for first love

• Jesus’ words to the church of Ephesus were, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” From time to time, churches see that their passion for Christ and for his mission has waned. The desire to find a way back to the life that they once knew and shared can be the spark that starts renewal.

Spark 3: A sense of urgency

• John Kotter in Leading Change says that the first catalyst to change is creating a sense of urgency. The sense of urgency felt around sharing the Gospel, reversing the decline of the congregation, or addressing the challenges of leadership, finances, and vision often motivate congregations to embrace renewal.

Spark 4: Connecting with a larger missional or revival movement

• Regularly, there are larger missional and renewal movements that are taking place in churches and Christian organizations around the world. Churches that get introduced to and connected with those movements often experience renewal at the local level.

Spark 5: Cultural shifts

• Changing culture can also usher in renewal. Sometimes it is capturing a positive cultural trend and leveraging it for ministry, as the Reformation did with the printing press.  Other times churches will rediscover biblical lifestyles in a culture that no longer values Christ likeness.

Spark 6: Investment in a renewal process

• Many churches experience renewal through a dedicated renewal journey focused on visioning, Gospel-telling, disciple-making, church vitality, structural reform, and the equipping of members. One of those renewal processes is The Church Renewal Lab of the Center for Church Renewal.

What have been the catalysts for renewal in your own congregation?