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A core component of revitalization is having an outward focus. That outward focus is what connects your church to the community and often allows you to better reach them with the gospel. Today we discuss six keys to doing so.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DON
I have yet to meet any local clergy save one associate pastor from the multi-site church down the road. No one seems to want to sit and meet for coffee, I’ve also found out that the previous pastor seemed to step on the toes of a number of families in the town who wanted a key to the church and use the facility, some are so influential that our recent outreach during the town’s holiday festivity didn’t gain any support in the paper. What are some ways to open the doors of communication and try to share the love of Christ in a rural community that has grown from 6,000 to over 10,000 in the last decade?
Episode Highlights:
- New pastors should connect with community influencers to learn more about the community and about the church’s reputation in the community.
- It’s always good to have outside eyes help you see things at your church more clearly.
- Church members often don’t realize needs for improvement in the church. They are comfortable.
- The first step toward an outward focus has to be taken by the pastor if revitalization is to happen.
The six keys we cover are:
- Find one or two key people in the community who are unchurched
- Connect with them and use them as guides
- Ask them to secret-shop your church
- Find out the community’s greatest needs
- Mobilize your people to meet the needs
- Be fully aware of reality
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
- ChurchReplanters.com
- ChurchAnswers.com
- Secret Guest Survey
- Replanter Assessment
- Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com
Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
Hey Thom, The first church I served was on the brink of closing its doors: 17 adults and 8 children, and they had an extremely back reputation in the community. The Lord led me to start substituting at the local school. You will be surprise what kids know and are willing to tell you. Make a long story short, it was not very long until we were having 65-75 kids on Wednesday evenings and many of their parents starting attending.
Thanks for all your service for the Lord.
To Don, answering your points in order, more or less:
Most pastors in smaller towns are bivocational and don’t have a lot of time to carve out time to sit for coffee. It’s a paradigm I see in my community, of the 14 churches within 5 miles of the center of the village, only 3 pastors are full time in their church; the others have other employ which takes most of their days.
While it would be nice to simply open the church for use by all comers the gripe about not being allowed to “use the facility” needs more investigation. Is it common practice to just let a facility be used without compensation? Has it been a habit in the past and now that an “interloper” whose not from the town has changed things for a valid reason – hence the noses out of joint? Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with not simply letting families have keys to the facility.
Suggestions? As a pastor in a rural setting the keys to changing the culture, at least here, are time, intention, and incremental. Small communities have a long memory and until there is trust developed the best plan will often meet with resistance. It took me 3-4 years of being present at every community event for the community to buy in to the fact I wasn’t just “2-3 years and move on to a larger community”.
The second is a little harder to breech because you have to know the one or two people to meet with and air concerns – not what you want to do but what your vision and motivation is. Community leaders need to understand you’re not changing them to something else; but that you’re helping strengthen their talents. Starting with the pillars helps ease the way.
The last is captured in the idea that change doesn’t happen in a linear fashion nor does it happen tomorrow. Sometimes you have to propose something with the caveat “we’ll try it for 6 weeks and if it doesn’t work we’ll set it aside [for now].” Once trust is established and a willingness to integrate with the community is created then things will begin to change.
But, my experience is that into my 8th year in my church I’m just starting to be influential enough to lead change.
Les, there’s five churches in town, all the pastor Are full time. The community is a rich farming town that we’re trying to move to or near. Currently drive 50 miles to and from three times a week.
The church was opened to the community in the past for use of the Hall. The former pastor stopped all of it, without warning, sighting to the trustees that a church member had to be present. Thing was many in these groups were members, it’s very very complicated. Since that email things have been slowly getting better. I’ve been talking with some locals, we helped the food pantry. There’s still a lot of work, as one influential person in town put it to me who attends the Congregational church in town “you’ll have to have a ministry of reconciliation first.”
Don,
Thank you for your reply. Your context is very much different than mine. And it looks like wound is both fresh and deep – your predecessor definitely didn’t do any favors, especially by ostracizing members.
I am fairly sure when you are able to plug into the community things will become easier but I also know there’s a long road ahead because most smaller communities have long memories.
May God be with you as you begin the hard work of reconciliation.
Les