New England news & perspectives
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Making Easter a comeback
According to the National Retail Federation, "80 percent of Americans celebrate Easter and will spend an average of $21 per person on sweets such as chocolate, jellybeans, and more." This tells us that most people are thinking about Easter and what they will be doing on that weekend. The question is, are these people willing to walk through your church doors on Easter? If not, why not? Now is the time to ask these questions.
Why are our churches dying?
The first step toward addressing a problem is admitting we have one. Our churches in New England are in times of trouble. Without doubt, God is on the move, the Church is Christ’s Bride being beautifully prepared for Him and we are already overcomers. This is our identity. Given these truths, we might balk and say, “Don’t be so doom and gloom,” pointing to the churches that are doing very well. They are clearly thriving. But do these examples merely take the edge off the problem and dull our urgency to face it?
10 ways to pursue renewal as a pastor
At the end of a long, difficult season, many of us need renewal. Pastor, church renewal starts with you. If you are not renewed and refreshed, it will be difficult for you to lead your church to renewal. Begin the work of personal renewal by taking the following ten steps.
6 things this Easter weekend taught me about revitalization
While this Easter still looked different from Easters of the past, it was amazing to be able to celebrate the resurrection together both in person and online. As I have been reflecting on what I saw and heard from church members this Easter weekend, God gave me six insights for the ongoing process of revitalization that should be taking place in every church.
Ten revitalization steps for 2021
Revitalization is happening in churches around America! As a pastor or church leader, you are responsible for shepherding and caring for the congregation God has given you. But certain actions can help you be more effective and successful in guiding the church where God has planted you toward renewal.
Building momentum for church revitalization
It has been said that your church zip code is not an accident, and neither is your position in the church. God has placed you to speak into the brokenness of your community and capture your town for Christ. However, sometimes we do not feel like we have the momentum to do so.
The good news is that the people in your church can actually be the key to getting moving forward. Think back to high school physics when you learned that to gain momentum you need two things: mass and velocity. In religious terms, a church gets moving when a number of people buy into Jesus’ vision (mass) and decide to act on it (velocity).
Ten shifts New England churches are making
The metrics of the church scorecard are changing at a fast and furious rate during the pandemic. In the past few months, we have seen drastic shifts in our New England churches as they adapt to their new normal of functioning. Although there are struggles, most churches are showing clear signs of perseverance, persistence, and engagement. Here are ten positive changes our BCNE Church Growth Team has seen in the last few months.
BCNE annual meeting
In the opening remarks of the Baptist Convention of New England’s 38th annual meeting, executive director Dr. Terry Dorsett shared the story of a church that has affiliated with the BCNE from another denomination this year and is experiencing a time of revitalization.
Healthy transfer growth
In a church revitalization, our hope is to be a disciple-making church pointing the lost to Christ. No one wants to have a church full of transfers (Christians who formerly attended other area churches).
However, sometimes transfer growth is a necessity. In sports, teams that lack key players or strength in certain positions make trades to secure and fill in the holes in their rosters. Church replants, usually with only a few core people to help the pastor, may need members from other churches to come alongside them and help them grow and thrive.
The new contextualized pastor
A pandemic changed pastoring. We know that John Bunyan pastored during the bubonic plague in England, and God used him in a way that Bunyan never could have imagined. A man who was preaching boldly in the streets of England found himself sitting in a jail cell being still. God gave him many stories to write, one that would become the best-selling book next to the Bible, The Pilgrim’s Progress. God had a great legacy for Bunyan in the midst of a great change.
Right now, there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America. In a time of great stress, God is calling pastors to become creative, compelling leaders to lead the change through change. What will this new emerging leader look like for the church … and how can he have a legacy of leading differently?
Cultivating a team spirit in crisis
There is no doubt that during a crisis, teams – even church leadership teams – can fall apart. However, God requires His church to come together to see a change in the community, to accomplish something more significant together that we cannot accomplish alone. Here are some critical elements that are essential for teams to win together during a crisis. Try incorporating them in your church!
Keys to a successful church replant
Replanting a church is not easy, especially because it usually follows a revitalization process. But one phrase can help your heart and mind as you replant. If you forget this phrase you will most likely quit or not do much good for the Kingdom. Are you ready?
Starting points for church revitalization
Did you know that most churches have a 30-year life cycle before they start to decline?
That’s why revitalization is so important. But be warned, the process does not come naturally to churches. As a matter of fact, leading a revitalization effort is one of the hardest things you can do, so understanding the process of revival is crucial
If your church needs to work on revitalization, here are some starting points for you to think through.
Your first week of revitalization
Your first week of revitalization is essential. Knowing this, you must immediately begin to think proactively and plan to build alignment for future success. You will never get this time again, so it is important to focus on the most urgent task: assessing the situation by talking to people.