We talk about “church revitalization” a lot on our website. That’s because it is at the core of what we do.
Many churches come to us looking simply for a temporary pastor—one who can fill the pulpit while they search for their next lead pastor. That’s not what we offer at VitalChurch ministry. Rather than providing just a short-term solution, we supply churches with intentional interim pastors who truly invest in churches and serve with pastors’ hearts. They want all churches they work with to become healthy, revitalized places.
So, what does a revitalized church look like exactly? Is it a church that’s growing in numbers? One that has a lot of active ministries? One where congregants are engaged in the worship services and in church life in general? Or something else entirely?
When we talk about the work of church revitalization, we are talking about a number of things. Most importantly, we’re referring to helping a church get to (or get back to) a place of intimacy with Christ. From that intimacy, we believe a natural outpouring will be that people in the church will start to actively engage in their communities with the gospel message, because what people cherish and value, they will joyously commend to others (Psalm 67: 1-3).
We believe a revitalized church is one in which:
- Gospel values are embedded
- Gifted leaders are empowered
- Mission and values are embraced
- Discipleship pathways are engaged
The VitalChurch Process
Church revitalization doesn’t happen overnight. There isn’t a single sermon or an all-church meeting that can turn things around in a church that has seen a steady decline, or in one that is in a difficult transition due to a single event or a series of events. When a church works with VitalChurch, they can typically expect to spend 18-24 months going through our three-phase process of church revitalization.
Our process is very “hands-on.” Our interim pastors work with your church leadership and your congregation from beginning to end to help you discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to your church and where He is leading it.
The process starts with a diagnostic assessment. We offer three different levels of diagnostic assessments, ranging from an online survey of your congregation to a full ministry survey that involves an on-site visit by our diagnostic team. If your church is experiencing major issues, or if you want a thorough assessment of your church’s current situation, we recommend a Tier 3 Diagnostic. After your assessment is complete, we will present your church with a report based on our findings. You can then decide if you want to move on to the next phase of our process, which is the intentional interim pastor phase. One of our highly trained pastors will come to your church and help you address the issues that were revealed in the diagnostic assessment. He will also lead your church through gospel-centered preaching and help establish a mission and vision for your church. If things like governance upgrades, strategic planning, or help with the pastoral search process are needed, he can help with those as well.
After the intentional interim pastor phase is complete, VitalChurch Ministry will continue to be involved with your church through follow-up coaching, which is the final phase of our process.
Throughout the entire process, our interim pastors are constantly in prayer, seeking God for answers to questions like:
- What are His plans for this body of believers?
- Who are the people He wants in leadership at this church?
- What are His solutions to this church’s specific issues?
As you can see, true church revitalization takes a significant amount of time and effort. It takes a congregation truly seeking the Lord, humbling themselves, and submitting to what the Lord has for them. If your congregation is ready to make a change, contact us at VitalChurch Ministry. We can tell you more about what we do and how we have helped Christian churches throughout the country.