Revitalize and Replant: Recent Episodes
North American Mission Board
Your church doesn’t have to die. God is moving, even in the most difficult places. The Revitalize and Replant podcast equips pastors to take their churches from declining to thriving by pointing them to a new future and a new hope. Tune in for weekly encouragement and practical advice for your pastoring journey.
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some reasons that visitors don’t come back to your church.
- An unfriendly stand-and-greet time in the worship service.
- Unfriendly church members.
- Unsafe and unclean children’s areas.
- No place to get information on the church.
- Bad church website.
- Poor signage
- Insider church language
- Boring or bad church services
- Members telling guests they were in the wrong pew or chair.
- Dirty facilities.
Resources related to this episode:
Top 10 Reasons Visitors Don’t Come Back by Thom Rainer
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss what happens when churches become too busy.
- Activities become synonymous with ministry.
- Programs and ministries are added regularly, but few or none are ever deleted.
- Programs and ministries become sacred cows.
- The alignment question is not even asked on the front end.
- Silo behavior among the different ministries of the church.
- Lack of an evaluation process.
- Ministry becomes facility-centered.
- Lack of courageous leadership.
Resources related to this episode:
8 Reasons Churches Become Too Busy by Thom Rainer
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss what happens when church committees go off the rails in a church.
- When there are almost more committees in the church constitution than there are people in the church.
- When the church has not examined, revised, and strengthened its committee structure in years (perhaps even a decade or longer).
- When the progress of the church gets bogged down in competing or controlling committees.
- When one committee is the power broker of the entire church.
- When most committee members can’t tell you what their committee does.
- When committees actually haven’t met or functioned for years.
- When committees meet, but they don’t actually do anything.
- When committee membership becomes a goal for church members who want power and control.
- When the church still has business meetings simply so the committees can report.
- When no one in the church will publicly question the value of these committees.
Resources related to this episode:
10 Indications That a Church’s Committees Are Out of Control by Chuck Lawless
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some reasons that church announcements don’t usually lead to church member involvement.
- Folks aren’t listening to your announcements (or reading your emails…or newsletters).
- Announcements seldom include the “why” with the “what.”
- Listeners hear a corporate announcement (if they hear it at all) for everyone else – not for themselves.
- Some church members carry baggage that makes it difficult for them to hear a call for workers.
- The wrong people make the announcements.
- Announcements put the responsibility on the respondent rather than on the recruiter.
- The church is making announcements, but not one’s praying for the Lord to raise up the laborers.
Resources related to this episode:
7 Reasons Why Announcements Don’t Usually Lead to Church Member Involvement by Chuck Lawless
Mark welcomes Bob Payne, a volunteer with Experiencing God ministries, to discuss Experiencing God weekends.
The Seven Realities of Experiencing God:
- God is always at work around you.
- God pursues a loving relationship with us.
- God invites us to join Him in His work.
- God speaks to us by prayer, Scripture, circumstances, and the church.
- When God speaks, it takes us to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
- We must make major adjustments to join God in His work.
- We come to know God by experience as we see Him accomplish His work through our obedience.
Additional Resources:
Return to Worship by Ron Owens
Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby
Blackaby Ministries, Intl.
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some key insights that church consultants have gained from visiting churches.
- Church websites are often outdated, boring…and useless.
- Churches are not friendly.
- Church facilities are not generally marked well.
- Churches aren’t prepared for guests.
- Churches are poorly equipped for protecting children.
- Worship through music often needs improvement.
- Preaching is often weak.
- Churches are not always clear on “what to do” in response to worship.
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some ways to earn and keep trust in your church.
- Display confidence, but never cockiness.
- Follow through, which means you never over-commit.
- To earn and keep trust, put trust in others.
- Extend grace but be firm in some non-negotiable principles.
- Don’t be a know-it-all.
- Exhibit humility but have courage to do the hard things.
- Value people more than progress.
Resources related to this episode:
7 Ways to Earn and Keep Trust by Ron Edmondson
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss the next five of ten “Church Diseases” from a fascinating article by Chuck Lawless about some afflictions that affect churches.
- Community Disconnect Disease
- Methodological Arthritis
- “The Grass is Greener” Syndrome
- Professional Wrestling Sickness
- Program Nausea
Resources related to this episode:
10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless
Free NAMB Demographic Report
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss the first five of ten “Church Diseases” from a fascinating article by Chuck Lawless about some afflictions that affect churches.
- Congregational Myopia
- Talking in Your Sleep Disease
- “Unrecoverable Void” Syndrome
• You must be willing to be fired.
• You can’t make decisions based on not losing people. - Theological Self-Deception Ailment
- Baby Believer Malady
Resources related to this episode:
10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless
CP Stories: Missionary stories
Mark welcomes Bob Payne, a volunteer with Experiencing God Ministries.
Some highlights from the episode:
- Bob’s unique health journey through the years.
- You cannot stay where you are and go with God also.
- Bob’s work around the world as a volunteer with Blackaby Ministries.
In this special episode, Mark Clifton answers questions during a live question and answer session from the 2024 Replant Summit. Listen in for some important insights from Mark on these topics:
- Should an incoming pastor accept a call if the former pastor remains in the church?
- What should we sing on a Sunday?
- How can our church begin the process to help other churches replant or revitalize?
- How do we balance the attrition of older, seasoned saints with gaining newer, spiritually immature believers?
- What are the next steps after a successful initial revitalization process?
This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Replant Summit. Mark Clifton talks through some of the various models of replanting.
Here are some highlights:
- What is the difference between revitalization and replanting?
- Most churches need some form of revitalization.
Models of replanting:
- A church is adopted by a stronger, healthier church.
- Fostering – one or more churches come alongside a struggling church to nurture them back to health
- Campuses – a dying church becomes a campus of a healthier, stronger church
- Replanting from within – a new pastor works with existing resources, existing people, and some outside resources to bring a church back to health.
Resources related to this episode:
Replant Fostering Guide
Mark welcomes JJ Washington, Director of Personal Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, to talk about the importance of personal evangelism in the local church.
Some highlights from the episode:
- What does a church look like when personal evangelism has left the room?
- How can your church develop an effective evangelism strategy?
Resources related to this episode:
- NAMB Evangelism Kit
- NAMB Evangelism Kit Online Course
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways that pastors might stand in the way of church revitalization.
- Don’t make changes too quickly.
- Don’t ignore the needs of your community.
- Don’t fail to ask for help.
- Don’t have any non-negotiables except for sound doctrine and the gospel.
- Don’t neglect the pain it will cause your church members.
- Don’t neglect the impact on your family.
- Don’t neglect the importance of Christ-centered preaching.
Mark welcomes JJ Washington, Director of Personal Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, to the podcast.
Some highlights from the episode:
- How God changed JJ’s life through calling him to a replant.
- What happens when a community changes, but the local church does not.
- Many times, the remaining people in a replant or revitalization are demoralized. So, one of the primary jobs of a new pastor is to reinspire hope.
- The importance of the mindset of “Whatever it takes” in ministry.
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways that pastors might stand in the way of church revitalization.
- They spend too much time trying to placate nagging critics.
- They fail to be an example of an outward focus.
- They do not emphasize member expectations in an entry level or membership class.
- They fail to focus on corporate prayer.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Four Major Ways Pastors Hinder Church Revitalization” by Thom Rainer
Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some reasons that pastors may fear entering into revitalization.
- Revitalization requires a long-term vision for a church.
- It requires facing reality.
- It demands patience.
- It requires prayer.
- It might requires asking for help.
- It requires “stick-to-it-ness”
- It might mean hurting people you love.
- It requires taking a risk.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Why Some Pastors Aren’t Ready to Lead in Church Revitalization” by Chuck Lawless
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some tips from Thom Rainer on church revitalization.
- Substantive changes in a church typically don’t hold until has been at a church at least 4-5 years.
- The most common way to face reality in a church is to look at a 10-year attendance pattern.
- Revitalization is not something that happens with the snap of a finger.
- You don’t revitalize a church in your power. You do it through God’s power.
- There are a lot of pastors and church leaders who just don’t want to ask for help.
- If there were no risk in church revitalization, every church would be revitalized.
- Don’t get into revitalization if you’re afraid to lead by faith.
Resources related to this podcast:
No Silver Bullets by Daniel Im
Pathways to Partnership by Bob Bickford and Mark Hallock
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways to be a “relentless encourager” in your church.
- People need encouragement because life is hard.
- People need encouragement because we have an enemy.
- There are plenty of discouragers, but not enough encouragers.
Why don’t we encourage more?
- Pride
- Self-absorption
Resources related to this podcast:
The Relentless Encourager by Mark Hallock and Scott Iken
Mark Clifton welcomes Sam Rainer, Pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church and President of Church Answers.
Here are some highlights from this episode:
- Sam’s story of revitalization at West Bradenton.
- What it means to believe that your church address is not an accident.
- The value of church fostering.
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Crosswalk on how to deal with mean, cranky, and cantankerous people in your church.
- First, expect it.
- Don’t lose your cool.
- Don’t fuel the fire.
- Swallow your pride.
- Play the “happy ignorance” card
- Remember their brokenness
- Shower them with kindness
- Take a break
- Pray for the person.
- ALWAYS “Matthew 18” a conflict
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 Ways to Deal with Difficult People in Your Church” by Brittany Rust
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Lifeway Research on some simple, yet effective, ways to care for the widows in your church.
- Stay connected
- Say you are sorry for their loss
- Call and ask specific questions
- Refer to their husband’s acts or words – serious or humorous
- Invite them to anything
- Accept that they are where they are
- Walk the talk
Resources related to this podcast:
“7 Ways to Care for Widows in Your Church” by Miriam Neff
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss what faithful deacons do in the life of a local church.
- Deacons are the lead servants of a church.
- Deacons joyfully assist the pastor(s).
- Deacons facilitate God-honoring worship.
- Deacons help the poor, broken, and needy.
- Deacons mobilize others to serve.
Resources related to this podcast:
On Being a Deacon by Jim Noble, Scott Thistlethwaite, Phil Von Kaenel, and Mark Hallock
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock talk about some marks to look for in prospective deacons.
- A love for the Lord.
- A love for people
- Humility
- Flexibility
- Sacrifice
Resources related to this podcast:
On Being a Deacon by Jim Noble, Scott Thistlethwaite, Phil Von Kaenel, and Mark Hallock
Mark Clifton welcomes Clint Pressley, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, to the podcast.
Some highlights from the episode:
- The value of being a part of the Southern Baptist Convention.
- The value that normative-sized churches bring to the Convention.
- Some of the challenges that our Convention is facing these days.
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss four priorities of pastors who shepherd their people well.
- Shepherd-pastors know their people.
- Shepherd-pastors feed their people.
- Shepherd-pastors lead their people.
- Shepherd-pastors protect their people.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Shepherding is a Two-Way Street” by Mark Hallock
“5 Ways to be a Faithful, Healthy Church Member” by Mark Hallock
The Priorities of a Shepherd-Pastor by Mark Hallock
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways to shepherd the people in your church.
- The importance of knowing your people’s names.
- Ask, “What kind of shepherd am I?”
- As a church member, ask yourself, “What kind of sheep am I?”
5 emphases for healthy church members:
- Attend regularly
- Engage deeply
- Preserve unity
- Serve faithfully
- Extend grace continually
Resources related to this podcast:
“Shepherding is a Two-Way Street” by Mark Hallock
5 Ways to Be a Faithful, Healthy Church Member by Mark Hallock
The Priorities of a Shepherd-Pastor by Mark Hallock
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock toss some questions back and forth about revitalization.
Here are some highlights:
- The importance of winning the hearts of your people.
- The importance of serving your community without expecting anything in return.
- Getting people to agree to a change and getting them to believe in a change are two different things.
- The importance of humility in pastoral leadership.
- Dealing with mistakes and regret in pastoral leadership.
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Thom Rainer on some dangers that come from denying the realities of a declining church.
- The problems will only worsen.
- Future generations are forsaken.
- Leaders will have regrets.
- Churches will miss opportunities for solutions.
- There is no urgency for change.
- Maintenance ministries engender frustration and conflict.
- Churches in denial are usually disobedient.
- Many of these churches will tolerate open and flagrant sin.
- The church will lose its best members.
- Comfort becomes an idol.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Dangers of Denial in a Declining Church” by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Barna research group about why some millennials are staying connected in a local church.
- Make room for meaningful relationships
- Teach cultural discernment
- Make reverse mentoring a priority
- Embrace the potency of vocational discipleship
- Facilitate connection with Jesus
Resources related to this podcast:
“5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church” by Barna Research
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an from Brian Croft on some unexpected lessons in church revitalization.
- Wait for the right time to implement change.
- Don’t underestimate the power of persistent love.
- Don’t underestimate the joy of winning those who were once hostile to you.
- Don’t neglect your elderly members – they’re one of your greatest gifts.
- Labor for the satisfaction of seeking unhealthy, dysfunctional church patterns broken.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Five Unexpected Lessons in Church Revitalization” by Brian Croft
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Outreach Magazine about some ways to make first-time visitors feel welcome at your church.
- Have a good great website.
- Easy parking
- Friendly greeters
- Interior signs
- Exceptional childcare
- Visitor-friendly sanctuary
- Acknowledge visitors during the service
- Post-service connection
- Follow up
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 of the Best Ways to Make Visitors Feel Welcome at Your Church” by Outreach Magazine
We Want You Here by Thom Rainer
Becoming a Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some reasons that churches drift away from their mission.
- Nobody’s even talking about the possibility of mission drift – almost as if “it surely won’t happen here.”
- IF the church has a mission statement, it’s only a sentence on the website.
- The church ministries have been, and continue to be, siloed from each other.
- Pastoral leaders have lost any sense of vision for the church.
- Members have expected their pastoral leaders to take care of them primarily rather than reach outsiders.
- Recent – and sometimes, not so recent, conflict has left scars in the congregation.
- Leaders hesitate to make hard calls to keep the mission primary.
- The church has been large enough that the drift is so slow it’s almost imperceptible.
- The church’s leadership recruitment process is weak.
Resources related to this podcast:
“9 Reasons Churches Drift from Their Mission” by Chuck Lawless
Anatomy of a Revived Church by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Brian Croft about some good reasons your church may not grow numerically.
- Members leave to help plant or revitalize a church.
- Your church sends missionaries to the field.
- Your church places pastors in other local churches.
- Members relocate to improve their family situation.
- Divisive or unconverted members leave.
Resources related to this podcast:
“5 Reasons a Shrinking Church May Be a Good Thing” by Brian Croft
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on prayerlessness among pastors and church leaders.
- Leaders are “fixers” by nature.
- We never learned how to pray.
- Prayer has become more about ritual than about relationship.
- Prayerlessness can be hidden.
- We don’t really believe prayer works.
- We have never been broken under God’s hand.
- Leaders read the Word in a one-sided way.
- Some leaders have simply lost hope.
- We miss the gospel focus on the prayer life of Jesus.
- We have no role models.
- We don’t have God-sized goals.
Resources related to this podcast:
“11 Reasons Church Leaders Struggle with Prayer” by Chuck Lawless
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Kevin DeYoung on some of the dangers of busyness.
- Busyness can ruin our joy.
- Busyness can rob our hearts.
- Busyness can cover up the rot in our souls.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Three Dangers of Being Crazy Busy” by Kevin DeYoung
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Part 2
Part 3
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some church members who can create headaches for pastors.
- The “doom and gloom” member
- The “on the edge of leaving” member
- The “amateur theologian” member
- The “have you heard?” member
- The “church shopper” member
- The “constitutional lawyer” member
- The “internet sermon troll” member
- The “nostalgia” member
- The “unforgiving saint” member
- The “on permanent sabbatical” member
- The “unidentified ‘pot stirrer’” member
- The “financial threat” member
- The “professional critic” member
Resources related to this podcast:
https://chucklawless.com/2020/01/13-church-members-who-sometimes-drive-me-crazy/
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Jim Elliff about dealing with interpersonal conflict in ministry without losing your soul.
- I will accept whatever means God may use to make me more humble and therefore more dependent on Him.
- I will seek to peacefully and humbly to resolve the conflict face to face immediately, unless it is providentially impossible to do so.
- I will thoroughly repent of any known sin in my life and will sincerely express my repentance to those who are concerned, even if there is blame on the other side.
- I will be painfully accurate in my words about myself, even if it embarrasses or condemns me.
- I will gladly leave vengeance to God, who sees and evaluates with perfection.
- I will give thanks in everything, and rejoice in the Lord always, for this is safe for me.
- I will forgive from my heart when I’m asked to forgive.
- I will refuse to let Satan, the archenemy of believers, gain the ultimate victory in this conflict.
Resources related to this podcast:
https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/15-resolves-for-maintaining-spiritual-balance-in-severe-interpersonal-conflicts/
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Lifeway Research on some current trends in churches across North America.
- Shifting Attendance Patterns
- Shrinking Groups but Growing Importance
- Increasing Diversity
- Equipping Women to Serve and Lead
- Rising Prosperity Gospel
- Helping the Deconstructors Reconstruct
- Overcoming Economic Headwinds
- Calming Fears
Resources related to this podcast:
https://research.lifeway.com/2024/01/12/10-trends-impacting-the-church-in-2024/
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss how pastors can maintain (or regain) joy in the midst of ministry hardships.
- Find a Scripture passage to anchor yourself in the power of God and His call on your life.
- Find a song that calls you back to the heart of God and increases your affection for Him.
- Collect mentors like baseball cards.
- Set goals and get accountability for them.
- Celebrate something every day.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss an article from Sam Rainer on some ways a church can become hypocritical.
- The church becomes fixated on external preferences and not internal devotion.
- The church falls in love with commitments but neglects people.
- The church leaders seek religious prominence instead of humble service.
- The church hides double standards with artificial religious rules.
- The church kills the heart of worship with a religious presentation.
- The church adds to the gospel to burden people.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Six Ways the Church Becomes Hypocritical” by Sam Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss an article from Thom Rainer for churches who want to be involved in church revitalization.
- An admission of a problem and a need
- Humility
- A willingness to do things differently – sometimes radically differently
- New leadership or renewed leadership
- Renewed focus on the community
- Members praying for revitalization
- Change in membership attitudes from selfish to selfless
- A focus on evangelism
Resources related to this podcast:
“8 Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations” by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about why ministry can often hurt so much.
- We mourn when marriages fall apart.
- We hurt when young people make decisions that lead to trouble.
- We occasionally beat ourselves up when our sermon wasn’t nearly as strong as we thought it would be.
- We sometimes grieve the sin of others more than they do.
- We ache when our church must carry out church discipline.
- We struggle when the churches we lead aren’t growing.
- We sometimes hurt when we see the loneliness and struggles of our families.
- We quietly grieve funerals for persons who showed no evidence of Christian conversion.
- We wrestle with loneliness when we don’t know how to develop strong friendships.
- We often feel guilty even expressing any of these thoughts.
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 Heartaches of Being a Pastor” by Chuck Lawless
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss a blog from Thom Rainer on some current trends in church names.
- “Point” has become ubiquitous.
- “Life” has a new life.
- Tim Keller put Redeemer back into vogue.
- City Church, usually with another name in front of it.
- Christ Church.
- Five biggies the past ten years: Journey, Bridge, Foundry, Mosaic, and Generation
- Cross has made a surge: Cross Church, Cross Fellowship, etc.
- Simple Church.
- Meaningful Names: Impact. Potential. Epic. Transformation. Renovation. Innovate.
- “Fellowship” can be found in almost any town.
- Grace.
- Many churches like the new factor: New Life. New Hope.
- Moving on up: Elevate, Vertical, Summit.
- Not English (Greek or Latin): Eklessia, Ecclesia, Koinonia, Agape, etc.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Contemporary Trends in Church Names” by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss an article from Aaron Earls that discusses some insights from the unchurched about what they look for in a church.
- “I saw them treat others better because of their faith.”
- “I saw them caring for people’s needs because of their faith.”
- “I saw them be happier because of their faith.”
- “I saw them use their faith to solve problems in our community.”
- “I saw them use their faith to help them solve their personal problems.”
- “I saw multiple races/ethnicities working together in a church.”
Resources related to this podcast:
“7 Ways to Draw the Unchurched to Your Church” by Aaron Earls
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart offer encouragement for rural church pastors.
- Remember that you are entirely unaware of the impact of your ministry.
- Be happy to know that you may not be able to change much but lives.
- Be energized by the concept that your church could become the most loving church in the world.
Resources related to this podcast:
“The Rural Church Dilemma” by Jim Eliff
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and JimBo Stewart discuss some ways pastors can build up their prayer life.
- Come in Christ’s Name.
- Delight in Him.
- Express Your Longings to Him.
- Read a Psalm.
- Sing to Him.
- Intercede for Others.
- Place Your Day Before Him.
- Petition Him for Other Special Needs.
- Meditate on His Word.
- Offer Thanks to Him.
Resources related to this podcast:
“An Intimate Hour with God” by Jim Eliff
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst talk about some important reasons to stay in a church that just isn’t cool.
- It will teach you the nature of the church.
- It will teach you the nature of humility.
- It will teach you the nature of unity.
Resources related to this podcast:
“3 Reasons to Stay in a Church That’s Not Cool Enough” by Michael Kelley
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jason K. Allen about how his preaching has evolved, and why young preachers’ preaching should evolve as well.
- The sermon outline means less to me now.
- More Bible and fewer books.
- Fewer personal and family illustrations.
- More intentional about preaching Jesus.
Resources related to this podcast:
“4 Ways My Preaching Has Evolved (And How Yours Should Too)” – by Jason K. Allen
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst revisit a topic from a previous episode – why people aren’t singing in our churches.
- They don’t know the songs.
- We are singing songs not suitable for congregational singing.
- We are singing in keys too high for the average singer.
- The congregation can’t hear people around them singing.
- We have created worship services which are spectator events, building a performance environment.
- The congregation feels they are not expected to sing.
- We fail to have a common body of hymnody.
- Worship leaders ad lib too much.
- Worship leaders are not connecting with the congregation.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Nine Reasons People Aren’t Singing in Worship” by Kenny Lamm
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some of the trends surrounding how baptism and the Lord’s Supper are observed today.
Here are some items discussed on this episode:
- How communion practices have changed over the years.
- The importance of “fencing the table” for communion.
- Some thoughts on spontaneous baptisms.
- Can you baptize someone without them becoming a member of your church?
Mark welcomes Jonathan Smith, Director of Church Health and Growth for Texas Baptists.
Here are some highlights:
- Empty seats in churches are not a bad thing, that means that there’s room for new people!
- With the resurrected Christ, there is always hope for every church!
- Put on display the church that you want to become.
Some principles for increasing baptisms in your church:
- Preach on baptism twice a year.
- Only baptize one person per week, unless they are family members.
- Don’t baptize at the very beginning of the worship service.
- A significant portion of your congregation will miss the baptism if it’s at the very beginning of the service.
- A 3-week baptism plan:
- Week 1 – Announce that there will be a baptism next week and provide invitations for the baptism candidate to invite friends and families.
- Week 2 – Shoot a video of the baptism candidate answering two questions: 1) How did you come to faith in Christ? 2) How did this church help you come to faith in Christ? Show this video before the baptism.
- Week 3 – Show a video of the testimony and the baptism.
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
Texas Baptists PAVE process: txb.org/pave
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some tips to make ministry transitions easier on your family.
- Recall important memories.
- Try not to compare your last church and community with your new situation.
- Don’t under sell the stress of the transition.
- Expect to go through the stages of grief because you have lost close touch with friends, a church, a home., school and community
- Prepare your family for the sense of loss of identity as they come to a new place compared to the identity they had in the former
- Settle in as quickly as possible do everything you can do to make the new place seem like home even if you’re in a rented apartment for a while.
- Make sure you spend ample time with your family, even though you were busy trying to engage a new ministry
- Worship is even more important than ever.
- Take day trips to discover the joy and fun places of your new home.
- Begin a new scrapbook or memories of the new place.
- Group activities as quickly as possible for your children and spouse to engage so they become part of a new event outside the church
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Kris Eldridge on some traits of toxic leaders.
- They are works-filled vs. grace-filled.
- They are all about their reputation
- They use people.
- They surround themselves with “yes” people.
- Pushback or disagreement are highly frowned upon.
- They are full of pride.
- They don’t lead well through change.
- Their leadership style is autocratic.
- They are self-absorbed.
- The fruit of the Spirit seems to be absent in their life.
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 Traits of Toxic Church Leadership” by Kris Elridge
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about why pastors bear scars from churches they serve.
- Few pastors fully expect the anguish that church members can sometimes cause.
- The arrows often come from formerly close friends.
- Wounds affect not only the pastor, but also his family.
- Many pastors hurt alone.
- Some pastors view conflict as ministry failure.
- Pastoral grief at times stretches a pastor’s theology uncomfortably.
- Some pastors experience pain in more than one church.
- Too many pastors are blinded to their own role in the conflict.
- Some criticism of pastors is simply unfounded.
- Pastors sometimes refuse to admit they have scars.
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 REASONS PASTORS SOMETIMES BEAR SCARS OF CHURCH WOUNDS–AND A CHALLENGE TO ADDRESS THEM” by Chuck Lawless
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Thom Rainer about why non-denominational churches are growing.
- Non-denominational churches tend to be more evangelistic.
- Non-denominational churches typically invest more financially in reaching their communities.
- Non-denominational churches usually do not engage in issues of conflict to the level that denominational churches do.
- Non-denominational churches do not carry the “name” baggage that a denominational church might carry.
- Non-denominational churches tend to be newer churches that grow faster than older churches.
Resources related to this podcast:
“5 Reasons Why Non-Denominational Churches Are Growing” by Thom Rainer
“The Future of American Christianity is Non-Denominational” by Ryan Burge
Mark and Dan welcome Jonathan Howe, the immediate past Interim President, and current Vice President of Communications for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to the podcast.
Some highlights from the episode:
- A behind-the-scenes look at the preparation for the SBC Annual Meeting.
- Why does the SBC Annual Meeting tend to only go to a few select cities?
- Bright days are coming for the EC as we look forward to Jeff Iorg’s leadership.
- What role does Baptist Press play in the life of Southern Baptists?
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
- Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some helpful questions to ask church members when they leave your church.
- Why did you come to our church in the first place?
- How often did you attend and/or participate in church?
- Did you feel connected to the church?
- Were you involved in a small group? If so, which one?
- What did you most appreciate about the Sunday morning worship event? Least appreciate?
- What the PRIMARY reason you’re leaving?
- What ONE THING must the church continue to do?
- Are you already attending/joining another congregation?
- How can we pray for you now?
Resources related to this podcast:
“10 Things I’d Ask in an Exit Interview When Church Members Leave” by Chuck Lawless
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some helpful questions for pastor search teams.
- “What is your church’s doctrinal statement – and how much attention has your congregation given to understanding and affirming it?”
- “What person is the most powerful member in the church? What group or committee is the most powerful?”
- “When’s the last time your congregation did church discipline – and would you do it again?”
- “How much freedom would I have to hire and fire staff members?”
- “Would you please connect me with your last 2-3 pastors (assuming they’re all available) for a conversation?”
- “What’s the financial condition of the church?”
- “Does the church have business meetings – and if so, what things must they vote on?”
- “Why are you interested in my becoming your pastor?”
- “Would you hire all your current staff again?”
- “What will be the most difficult things a new pastor will have to address in this church?”
- “What have you not told me that you should tell me if you were completely honest?”
- “In your opinion, is your church a church that makes hell shake?”
Resources related to this podcast:
“12 Questions I Might Ask a Pastor Search Team” by Chuck Lawless
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Thom Rainer about how pastoring has changed in the last few decades.
- Thirty years ago, most people in the community held the pastor in high esteem.
- Thirty years ago, most people in the congregation held the pastor in high esteem.
- Leadership skills are required more today than 30 years ago.
- Interpersonal skills are required more today than 30 years ago.
- Outreach was accomplished by getting people to come to church services 30 years ago. That is not so today.
- Thirty years ago, there were very few “nones.”
- The Internet and social media have made pastoring much more challenging than it was 30 years ago.
Resources related to this podcast:
7 Ways Pastoring Has Changed in 30 Years by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock talk about the importance of reading Scripture aloud in your weekly worship gathering.
- The public reading of Scripture demonstrates the priority and authority of the Bible.
- The public reading of Scripture protects against heresy and promotes unity in the truth.
- People who cannot read and/or do not have much access to God’s word are blessed by the public reading of Scripture.
Resources related to this podcast:
Should We Still Be Devoted to the Public Reading of Scripture? By Steve Burchett
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Thom Rainer on why smaller churches are making a comeback.
Some statistics regarding church average attendance
- 31% – less than 50
- 37% – 51-99
- 24% – 100-250
- 8% – more than 250
The coming realities:
- More pastors and staff will be co-vocational and bi-vocational.
- Equipping church members to do the work of ministry is as vital as always.
- Ministry and theological training must adapt to this reality.
- Search committees will be looking for a different type of pastor.
- Church budgets will be smaller.
- Denominations must refocus their ministry and support of this new paradigm.
- More churches will need to be adopted or they will die.
Resources related to this podcast:
The New Very Large Church by Thom Rainer
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock share some ways pastors can effectively minister in churches with primarily older members.
Helpful reminders when ministering in an older church:
- The people you tend to draw may provide a strategy for the future.
- Make much of fellowship.
- Meet the needs of your people.
Resources related to this podcast:
The Old Church by Jim Eliff
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss four realities that can help believers deal with anxiety.
- We’re not alone.
- We’re united to Christ.
- We’re part of a greater redemptive story.
- We have the hope of eternity.
Resources related to this podcast:
4 Comforts for Anxious Christians by Beth Claes
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some major developments for churches in the last year.
- Local congregations will emphasize evangelism more than at any point in the past three decades.
- The increase in the growth of diversity in congregations will be its greatest ever in 2023.
- The year 2023 will be a record year for church adoptions.
- More churches will have specific global partners.
- The time between pastors for churches will be longer than ever.
- The number of interim pastors will be greater than ever.
- More churches will request consultations than at any point in American church history.
- Church autopsies will be the fastest growing area of research in American churches.
- More pastors and staff will become bi-vocational and co-vocational.
- More pastors and staff will get their theological and ministry training in the church.
Resources related to this podcast:
“Ten Major Trends for Local Churches in America in 2023”
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss sermon preparation.
- In 2001, Thom Rainer found that, on average, pastors spent an average of 4 hours in sermon preparation.
- Today, 75% of pastors spend between 8-15 hours in sermon preparation.
- Expositional preaching can require more in-depth study.
- If you aren’t spending adequate time in sermon preparation, your people will know it.
- If you are spending too much time in your office and away from your people, that’s a problem also.
- The hardest part of preaching is knowing what to leave out.
Resources related to this podcast:
“How Much Time do Pastors Spend Preparing a Sermon?”
“Pastors and Time in Sermon Preparation: Some Good News”
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Bill Eliff on how to deal with dissension in your church.
The anatomy of dissension in Acts 6:9-15:
- The rose up an argued.
- They moved in secret.
- They stirred up others.
- They were unafraid to use deception.
- The attacked God’s man with false charges.
- They did their wickedness in the guise of spirituality.
- They hated the loss of their kingdom and the status quo.
Resources related to this podcast:
The Anatomy of Dissension
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways teens can help serve in your church.
- Greet people.
- Help young parents with their little children.
- Participate eagerly in the main weekly meeting.
- Speak up in Bible studies and prayer meetings.
- Give financially.
- Serve in less glamorous ways.
- Reach out to the younger children.
Resources related to this podcast:
7 Ways Teens Can Contribute When the Church Meets
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some things they’ve found in church junk rooms and what that says about your church.
- Old church organs
- Old pulpits
- Puppets
- Handbells
- Old RA/GA materials
- Look for things in the junk room that can be redeemed.
Resources related to this podcast:
How to Throw Away Accumulated Junk in Your Church
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some more ways to prevent and restore conflict in your church.
- Teach your people to practice charitable judgements.
- When you need to negotiate, PAUSE.
- Diffuse explosive meetings with a six-part format.
- Teach people to focus on the good before itemizing the bad.
- Be approachable.
- Unleash the power of confession.
- Follow the example of Lincoln and Reagan.
- Deploy God’s full array of peacemaking processes.
- Practice redemptive, gospel-centered church discipline.
- An ounce of prevention is worth many hours of conflict resolution.
Resources related to this podcast:
20 Ways to Prevent and Resolve Conflict in the Church
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some ways to prevent and restore conflict in your church.
- Remember the Golden Result.
- Bring the gospel into every conflict.
- Expose the idols that drive conflict.
- Guard against any amygdala hijacking in yourself and others.
- Weave relational wisdom into your church.
- Communicate so clearly that you cannot be misunderstood.
- Work patiently with people as they process their emotions and experiences.
- Don’t be misled by the three faces of fear.
- Practice the three P’s of satisfaction.
- Constantly build passport.
Resources related to this podcast:
20 Ways to Prevent and Resolve Conflict in the Church
Mark welcomes Thom Rainer back to the podcast to discuss the future of megachurches in North America.
- Megachurches have historically been defined as churches that have more than 2,000 in average worship attendance.
- In the future, there will be a far fewer megachurches, but they will not disappear altogether.
- There is a redefinition of megachurches taking places – some define it as more than 1,000 in worship attendance, some define it as more than 1,500.
- Why did megachurches form?
- Why the Boomers helped create the megachurch culture.
- Many institutions are fading away.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some more ways a pastor can prepare the church for a long-term revitalization.
- Give the church members the same dose of reality.
- Learn to be content with 3 steps forward and 2 steps backwards.
- Be content and celebrate small victories.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some ways a pastor can prepare the church for a long-term revitalization.
- Accept the reality of the time it will take.
- Make certain your family is on board.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some keys a pastor must give to his congregation to effectively lead church revitalization.
- A healthy dose of reality
- Unconditional love
- Hope
- A clear plan forward
- A love for the community
- Respect for their history and heritage
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst how to assess a church’s readiness to be revitalized. Here are some things the remaining leaders must share:
- Hearts that are humble.
- Desire to reach the community with the Gospel.
- Commitment to the Bible.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes.
- Faith that God can revitalize churches.
Mark welcomes Thom Rainer to the podcast to discuss denominational trends in North America.
- Debunking the myth that conservative churches are growing and liberal churches and denominations are declining.
- Simply holding correct beliefs (orthodoxy) without having a correct practice (orthopraxy) will not guarantee growth and vitality.
- Are the declining numbers in SBC membership primarily due to churches cleaning up their rolls?
- Non-denominational churches are the only consistently growing group among evangelicals, but even this can be misleading.
- What are the benefits of being aligned with a denomination or convention?
- What are some of the pitfalls of being aligned with a denomination or convention?
- What is the future of entities in the world we live in now?
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss the role of baby dedications.
Baby dedications are a relatively new thing in SBC churches.
- We thank God for the life of this baby.
- We remind the parents that they are making a commitment to raise this child in the Lord.
- We remind the congregation that they are making a commitment to help raise the child in the Lord.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some observations from pastors who are leading church revitalization.
- It is spiritual warfare
- The longer the length of the decline, the longer it takes for the church to turnaround
- Many of the leaders are tired
- Many of the church members have heard before what you are telling them
- Good people will leave
- Everyone says they want change. Not many do
- They want to know if you will be their pastor.
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jim Eliff on how to make baptisms more meaningful and exciting.
- Consider bringing the congregation forward and as near as reasonable to the baptistery when you baptize.
- Print nice invitations for the baptism with the name of the one to be immersed.
- Always include the testimony of the one being baptized.
- If a son or daughter of godly parent(s) is being baptized, allow them to speak about their child’s conversion also.
- If a father wishes to be in baptismal pool with a son or daughter, this is possible.
- If your church is smaller (or even larger, if you can work it out), it is certainly possible to baptize in a location other than the church building.
- During the baptism, ask for the church’s faithful commitment to the new believer.
- Baptize as often as possible.
- It is important to teach on baptism.
Resources related to this podcast:
Thoughts on Improving Baptisms
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss the importance of a statement of faith for a local church.
- Your church needs a statement of faith.
- A statement of faith provides clarity about what your church believes on important issues.
- The statement of faith provides a boundary for leaders in your church.
- A church’s statement of faith is always subservient to Scripture.
Resources related to this podcast:
How We Use Our Statement of Faith by Christ Fellowship Elders
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some characteristics that are necessary in the life of a deacon.
- Deacons understand the sacrifice of Christ to be the foundation of their own sacrifice.
- Deacons understand the cost of living out sacrificial service.
- Deacons strive to first lead sacrificially at home.
- Deacons understand their sacrifice to be a source of joy.
Resources related to this podcast:
Joyful Sacrifice: How the Best Deacons Live and Lead
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Peter Krol on conflict resolution within the church body, based on Acts 2:42-47.
Priority #1: Devotion to the Word of God
Priority #2: Devotion to One Another
Priority #3: Devotion to God’s Presence
Priority #4: Devotion to Radical Generosity
Priority #5: Devotion to Reaching the Spiritually Lost
Resources relate to this podcast:
Mark Hallock sermon
In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Peter Krol on conflict resolution within the church body.
- Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4)
- Let your reasonableness be known to everyone (Phil. 4:5a)
- Remember the Lord is at hand (Phil. 4:5b)
- Don’t be anxious about the conflict, but ask God to resolve it (Phil. 4:6)
- Guard your heart and mind with the peace of God, even when it does not make sense to do so (Phil. 4:7)
- Find something – anything – praiseworthy to focus on in your antagonists (Phil 4:8)
- Find good role models and continue practicing these things (Phil. 4:9)
Resources mentioned in this episode:
7 Steps to Conflict Resolution
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss a recent quote that Mark shared that got quite a bit of pushback online: “I’ve never known a pastor to burn out when he was deeply abiding with Christ.” – Richard Blackaby
- There’s a difference between struggles and burnout.
- Burnout is one of the causes of moral failure in leaders.
- Your rest is not found in cessation of activities, or in recreational activities. Your rest must be found in Christ.
- If you’re abiding in Christ, you won’t experience burnout, because Christ will be your strength.
- A good diagnostic question: What do you think about when you’re not thinking about anything?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Living Out of the Overflow by Richard Blackaby
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Christian Communicators Worldwide about how you and your church can have more effective prayer meetings.
- Plan to pray.
- Listen to the prayers of others instead of planning what you are going to pray next.
- Don’t monopolize the prayer meeting.
- When leading group prayer, be sure the people know what to expect.
- If you break down into small groups, somebody might need to take the lead of each group.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Better Prayer Meetings and Prayer Groups by Steve Burchett
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Matt Henslee about how to respond when you hear these unfortunate phrases from church members.
- “You couldn’t preach your way out of a paper bag.”
- “We get it; we need to share the gospel. Find something else to preach.”
- “I can’t look at you when you preach because you don’t wear a suit.”
- “We aren’t going to get as close to you as the last pastor.”
- “You obviously don’t look at my tithe amount.”
- “Preacher, that was a good message. It would have been better if you weren’t so fat.”
- “You can preach, but you’re a lousy pastor.”
- “Stop preaching about our sin. We already know what we’re doing wrong; just preach love.”
- “You’re an elder?!?! Wow! I don’t know what to say…”
- “I’m leaving because it’s too cold in here. We need to keep it at 78.”
- “You just canceled church during COVID so you could have more vacation time.”
- “I didn’t vote for you, and I still wouldn’t. I just don’t like you.”
- “Eventually, you’ll figure out how to preach.”
Resources mentioned in this episode:
13 Things a Churchgoer Should Never Say to a Pastor by Matt Henslee
In this special edition of Revitalize and Replant, Mark Clifton addresses the upcoming vote on the Law Amendment at the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis this June.
Here are some highlights:
- The Law Amendment (which states that a church cannot be in friendly cooperation if they have any female staff member with the title of pastor – children’s pastor, worship pastor, etc.)
- The amendment passed last year in New Orleans, but it must pass again this year in Indianapolis in order to become a part of the SBC constitution.
- There are good folks on both sides of this debate. We must treat one another with grace and love, even when we disagree.
- A brief history of the Baptist Faith & Message and how we arrived at this point.
- An balanced analysis of what might happen if the amendment does – and does not – pass.
- The importance of praying, “Lord Jesus, what would you have us do with the Southern Baptist Convention?”
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some more interesting findings regarding church conflict. This is the second of a 2-part series.
- Conflict is not usually over tradition; it’s over
- Much conflict reveals the spiritual immaturity of members of the congregation.
- Somehow, prayer gets lost in the conflict.
- Some conflict is scarring.
- Conflict that leads to honest conversation, repentance, and renewal can be good for the church.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
10 Findings About Church Conflict by Chuck Lawless
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some interesting findings regarding church conflict. This is the first of a 2-part series.
- Conflict is sometimes about issues, but it’s often about personalities and preferences.
- Some church members are tools of the devil.
- Sometimes today’s present-tense conflict is the residue of yesterday’s past-tense issues.
- A track record of short-term pastorates is usually evidence of a problem with the people in the church more than it is a problem with pastors.
- On the other hand, some pastors are the cause of conflict.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
10 Findings About Church Conflict by Chuck Lawless
Come to the Lord’s Table by Claude King
The Peacemaking Pastor: A. Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict by Alfred Poirier
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss how to recruit volunteers.
- Stop leading with need and obligation.
- Communicate a clear and compelling “why.”
- Clarify expectations.
- Give them an in and an out.
- Make it personal.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
A New Approach to Volunteers: 5 Tips for Getting a “Yes” in a Culture of “No” by Chuck Peters
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss four profiles of at-risk pastors, and five questions to ask if you may fall into one of these categories.
4 Profiles of at-risk Pastors
- The narcissistic star who rises quickly.
- The narcissistic star who doesn’t rise.
- The no-boundaries leader.
- The floater.
5 questions that could raise a red flag on an at-risk pastor
- Do you resist authority?
- Do you resist critique?
- Are you isolated?
- Do you see it as your church?
- Are you a young pastor leading a large church?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
5 Signs You’re an At-Risk Pastor by Jim Davis
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss how pastors and church leaders can deal with discouragement in ministry.
- Resist the tendency of comparison.
- Keep the long game in mind.
- Find your value in the cross.
- Celebrate discipleship growth among your flock.
- Love the church you have, not the church you wish you had.
- When you feel discouraged, that’s your cue to plead with God to give you a heart for evangelism.
- Create a strategy to go after the sheep.
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss how to minister to senior adults in your church.
- Stop treating senior adults like children.
- Senior adults need to be challenged with meaningful opportunities for ministry.
- Lean into their experiences and use them!
- Use senior adults in worship leadership.
- Don’t just entertain them; disciple them.
- Help senior adults lay down the idol of church as they know it.
In this episode, Mark Clifton is joined by Kyle Bueermann to discuss some reasons people may not be singing in your worship gatherings.
- They don’t know the songs.
- We are singing songs not suitable for congregational singing.
- We are singing in keys too high for the average singer.
- The congregation can’t hear people around them singing.
- We hae created worship services which are spectator events, building a performance environment.
- The congregation feels they are not expected to sing.
- We fail to have a common body of hymnody.
- Worship leaders ad lib too much.
- Worship leaders are not connecting with the congregation.
Resources mentioned:
9 Reasons People Aren’t Singing in Worship by Kenny Lamm
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways pastors and church leaders can minister to kids in their primary worship gathering.
- Greet them by name and engage them in conversation.
- Acknowledge to the parents in the worship service how grateful we are that their children are here.
- Acknowledge the children in the worship service, and say something specifically to them.
- Provide clear direction about our children’s ministry every Sunday morning and the options that are available.
- Provide a packet of worship materials just for children that they can pick up and bring with them into the worship service.
- Take a moment to explain, especially to children, the purpose of baptism and Lord’s Supper each time those are celebrated.
- Find ways to actually include the children in your worship service leadership.
Resources mentioned:
Every Kid Matters by Mark Hallock and Frank Trimble
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock call an audible from their original topic and discuss why ministry to children matters in revitalization.
- Kids matter because they are created in the image of God.
- Kids need to experience intergenerational worship.
- How the pastor treats young kids will impact young families’ involvement in church.
Resources mentioned:
Every Kid Matters by Mark Hallock and Frank Trimble
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock continue their discussion of an article from Daryl Wingerd.
- To complain is to say that God is not just.
- Faith and prayer exclude complaining.
- This difficulty is being used by God for my good, and it is foolish for me to complain against it.
- Those more faithful that I have suffered far worse than I and did so without complaint.
- Complaining denies that God’s grace is entirely sufficient.
- The greatest suffering, the worst trial or difficulty, can never rob me of that which is of greatest value to me and my greatest joy, namely, the love of Christ.
Resources mentioned:
Daryl Wingerd – A 12 Point Cure for Complaining
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Daryl Wingerd about complaining.
- God commands me never to complain.
- God commands me to give thanks in every circumstance.
- God commands me to rejoice always, and especially in times of trial.
- I always deserve much worse than what I am suffering now.
- In light of the eternal happiness and glory that I will experience in heaven, this present trial is extremely brief and insignificant, even if it were to last a lifetime.
- My suffering is far less than that which Christ suffered, and He did not complain.
Resources mentioned:
Daryl Wingerd – A 12-Point Cure for Complaining
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about obstacles to church growth.
- A worn-out pastor.
- Inward focus.
- Bad preaching.
- Evangelistic apathy.
- No growth strategy.
- Turf wars.
- Prayerlessness.
- Space issues.
- Poor discipleship.
- Retreat mentality.
Resources mentioned:
Chuck Lawless: 10 Obstacles to Church Growth
We must be careful with our attempts to explain the growth of the non-denominational movement.
- Our information is anecdotal, rather than data-based
- Non-denominational churches are far from monolithic
5 reasons non-denominational churches are growing.
- Non-denominational churches tend to be more evangelistic.
- Non-denominational churches typically invest more financially in reaching their communities.
- Non-denominational churches usually do not engage in issues of conflict to the level that denominational churches do.
- Non-denominational churches do not carry the “name” baggage that a denominational church might carry.
- Non-denominational churches tend to be newer churches that grow faster than older churches.
Resources mentioned:
Thom Rainer: 5 Reasons Non-Denominational Churches are Growing
As we close out the year on Revitalize and Replant, we want to encourage you to seek the Lord in the work of revitalization.
- Christ will build His church.
- Your identity is in Christ, not in your ministry.
- We have confident hope in Christ Jesus.
- The Lord’s grace is sufficient for you in ministry.
- Only eternity will reveal the fruit of your labor.
- His strength is perfect, even when we feel like we have no strength.
- The church that you lead is not the church that will be there for all eternity.
What are some of the pitfalls of having multiple worship services? Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss some of the issues that arise when a church moves to multiple worship gatherings.
- One of the primary traits God desires in his church is unity.
- Historically, music divides.
- Are there reasons for multiple worship services that contain different genres of music?
- What is the ultimate end-game for “stylistic’ worship?
- Is it too often enabling ‘bad behavior?’
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Scripture-guided Worship by Joseph R. Crider
Mark and Dan welcome Dr. Jamie Dew, President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Dew has served as a pastor and at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary before he came to New Orleans in 2019.
Here are some highlights:
- Southern Baptists should be proud of all six of our seminaries. They are each doing valuable work.
- The great work that God has done at NOBTS over the last several years.
- The differences in residential versus online education.
Resources mentioned:
To find our more about New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, check out NOBTS.edu
In this episode, Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss why thick skin is necessary for church replanters and revitalizers.
- Your peers may think you are nuts for going to that church.
- Your in-laws and family (and maybe even your spouse) may think you are nuts.
- You won’t get much praise or accolades for serving in a dying church…at least not from people.
- If you indeed leading Holy Spirit-directed change in a declining church, you will almost always encounter opposition – sometimes a lot of it.
- It’s likely to be very hard financially.
- Your wife and kids may not feel at ease with the tension around the change needed for revitalization.
- Some of the people who were the strongest supporters may become your greatest critics.
- You will step on landmines you didn’t even know existed.
In a more light-hearted episode, Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss an article from Jared Wilson about some cringey things that worship leaders have said from time to time.
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Are we ready to have fun this morning?
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How’s everybody feeling?
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You can do better than that.
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I can’t hear you!
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[Introducing an old hymn] Here’s an oldie we dusted off.
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“Rockin’” worship
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Lord, we invite you to be here.
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God showed up.
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Let’s give God a hand.
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Turn to your neighbor and __________.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/top-10-things-i-wish-worship-leaders-would-stop-saying/
- Adversity is a gift to remind us that we are insufficient for this work.
- Adversity is a gift to manifest the life of Jesus through His servants.
- Adversity is a gift to bring life to your congregation.
- Adversity is a gift to prepare us for eternity.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Facing Snarls and Scowls: Preaching through apathy, adversity, and hostility in church revitalization by Brian Croft & James B. Carrol
- Determine whether you believe the Word builds the church.
- Listen to those who don’t like your preaching and why.
- Remember the Word never returns void.
- Embrace a supportive, but unimpressed, evaluation of your preaching.
- Know there is nothing like a congregation who grows hungry for the Word.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Facing Snarls and Scowls: Preaching through apathy, adversity, and hostility in church revitalization by Brian Croft & James B. Carrol
Mark and Dan welcome Jared Wilson back to the podcast. Jared is the Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Author in Residence, and General Editor of For The Church at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In this episode, they discuss how nostalgia can be a trap for churches in revitalization.
Resources mentioned:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-beauty-and-burden-of-nostalgia/
Sooner or later, most pastors will encounter a suicide. How do you minister to a family after they have experienced a suicide by a loved one?
- Acknowledge fears.
- Be available.
- Be a good listener.
- Defuse guilt.
- Offer practical support.
- Suggest counseling.
- Pray with them and for them often.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/ministry-deacon-reaching-out-following-suicide
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of suicides in our culture, particularly among younger people. Sooner or later, you will likely encounter a suicide in your ministry.
- Humanity is totally depraved.
- A Christian can commit any sin except the unforgivable one.
- Christ’s atonement forgives all sins past and future.
- David took Uriah’s life without invalidating his salvation.
- We must factor in the emotional distress and lack of clarity at the moment of suicide.
- It is an irrational act to be sure, but all sin is irrational.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/can-a-christian-commit-suicide/
Every church needs volunteers. And many churches struggle to find enough volunteers to fill all the needed spots. The guys discuss an article by Chuck Peters on recruiting volunteers.
- Stop leading with need and obligation.
- Communicate a clear and compelling “why.”
- Clarify expectations.
- Give them an in and an out.
- Make it personal.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://research.lifeway.com/2022/03/16/a-new-approach-to-volunteers-5-tips-for-getting-a-yes-in-a-culture-of-no/
The church is always facing challenges. That’s nothing new. But the kind of challenges and how to tackle them is always changing. On today’s episode, the guys explore some recent research on the five greatest challenges churches are facing today.
- More churches are in significant decline.
- Aging leaders and aging congregations.
- Increasing resistance to change
- Navigating changing worship experiences
- Exhausted pastors
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://research.lifeway.com/2023/09/26/5-current-challenges-facing-u-s-churches/
Mark and Dan welcome Jared Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Author in Residence, and General Editor of For The Church at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to the podcast. In this episode, they discuss Jared’s new book, Friendship with the Friend of Sinners: The Remarkable Possibility of Closeness with Christ.
Home Factors
- Make sure dad is involved.
- Enjoy church as a family.
- Model and encourage daily Bible reading.
Church Factors
- Foster and environment of trust by helping them deal with their life issues.
- Youth workers must go the extra mile to express genuine concerts for the individual young persons – not just the “group.”
- Get them involved with more adults (multi-generational discipleship).
- Crate some rites of passage.
- Let them provide real leadership.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
https://www.baptistmessenger.com/lifeway-research-the-next-generation-is-leaving-the-faith-earlier-than-you-realize/
There seems to be an overall trend that young people who were raised in the church are leaving the faith at an earlier age than previous generations. In this episode, the guys discuss a Lifeway Research article that gives insight into this alarming trend.
- Kids are walking away from their faith at a younger age than previous generations.
- When does the shift away from their faith and toward secular ideation begin?
- Why do so many dying churches have so few young people?
- What is the last and first thing a dying church needs, as it relates to young people?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.baptistmessenger.com/lifeway-research-the-next-generation-is-leaving-the-faith-earlier-than-you-realize/
In this episode, Mark, Mark and Dan continue their discussion of Barnabas Piper’s article about why pastors’ kids struggle with doubt and disbelief.
- No room for questions.
- No room for failure.
- An undefined identity.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://research.lifeway.com/2020/01/21/5-reasons-pastors-kids-struggle-with-doubt/
It’s no secret that pastors’ kids often have a bad reputation. But what’s not as commonly known is how often pastors’ kids struggle with doubt and disbelief. This is the first of a two-part series discussing an article from Barnabas Piper.
- Peoples’ expectations vs. Jesus’s expectations
- Borrowed belief
Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://research.lifeway.com/2020/01/21/5-reasons-pastors-kids-struggle-with-doubt/
Mark and Dan welcome Andy Addis, pastor of CrossPoint Church in Salina, KS to discuss the CrossPoint story, which fostered the idea behind the Replant Hub.
To learn more about Andy and CrossPoint’s story, check out the free ebook, Doing More Together, below.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Doing More Together by Andy Addis
What should churches do with kids on Sunday morning? Should they have a separate “children’s church?” Should the kids join in the main worship gathering every week? Once a month?
In this episode, the guys discuss this hot topic.
- The preaching of God’s word is transforming power – even for kids!
- God can communicate to even the smallest child in ways we can’t comprehend.
- Understood correctly, children are not a distraction in worship.
- Children learn songs VERY early.
- Children learn routines VERY early.
- Children need to see their parents and siblings worshipping.
- Worshipping together takes priority over parental ease.
Resources mentioned in this passage:
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-we-embrace-children-in-our-worship-service/
Every Kid Matters: How your church can effectively shepherd the next generation by Mark Hallock and Frank Trimble.
Church discipline can be a sticky subject. In this episode, Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss an article from Jared Wilson about some ways to take the scariness and weirdness out of church discipline.
- Make disciples.
- Create clarity about church membership.
- Teach the process.
- Follow the process.
- Practice gospel-centeredness.
Check out the full article here:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-ways-to-keep-church-discipline-from-seeming-weird/
Every church wants to know if they’re making progress. But what if many are asking the wrong questions? In this episode, the guys discuss some good metrics for measuring progress in church revitalization.
- New Christians
- Total giving (more than weekly, per-capita giving)
- First-time guests
- Second-time guests
- Community ministry involvement
- Worship attendance
- Prayer involvement
What do you do when you have a church building that was designed for a much larger congregation than you currently have? Listen in as Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss some creative ways to use the extra space.
- Share it with other churches (as an incubator for church plants).
- Allow fellowship hall and kitchen to be used by community at no cost (with appropriate precautions).
- Create a birthday party room for the community to use.
- Partner with community nonprofits who need space.
- Consider allowing local business to use your fellowship hall or kitchen.
- Consider re-creating your space to bless the community.
Mark and Dan welcome Ryan Durham, the 2023 Billy Heriford Replanter of the Year. Listen is as Ryan discusses ministry in Loup City, NE.
Check out more of Ryan’s story at the video linked below.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Replanter of the Year Video
This is a question we hear often. Which form of church governance is better? Mark, Mark, and Dan break down the issues surrounding this important question.
- Both are used with great impact and both have been used to great distraction.
- Why Southern Baptist haven’t historically appointed elders.
- The historic role of deacons in Southern Baptist life.
- Why the recent increase in elders among Southern Baptists?
- Questions to ask when considering elders –
- Is what we are doing now working?
- Why do we need to change?
- How broad is the consensus of the leadership and membership to make the change?
- What happens if we don’t make the change at this time?
- Can we adjust our current model to adequately address the need?
Leading a church through a replant or revitalization process is very difficult. You don’t get to pick the folks who will be a part of your church. But that doesn’t mean you should love your preferred church more than the church you serve.
In this episode, Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss the importance of loving the church you have.
- Your current members are not a hinderance to your ministry – they are your ministry.
- Your current church can be used by God to edify you.
- Loving another church, even an imaginary one more than the one you serve is adulterous.
- The key to loving your church more is to love the Savior more.
- If you can’t truly love them, then leave them.
In this episode, Mark, Mark, and Dan discuss how you should (or shouldn’t) address ongoing issues in the Southern Baptist Convention with your church.
- You likely don’t need to unpack it to the entire church – especially as you preach.
- You may need to carefully explain the issues to trusted leadership (elders- deacons).
- Be sure to not ignore all the benefits of cooperation.
- Be sure to communicate any concerns with overall desire to love our brothers and sisters and only want what is best for the kingdom.
- Resist a critical and spiteful heart.
- Keep it off social media.
Mark Clifton is joined by Dan Hurst and Mark Hallock to discuss 7 issues surrounding “The Billy Graham Rule.”
- Is it misogynist?
- Overkill or absolutely necessary?
- Functionally how can you make it work in the real world of ministry?
- How does this work in a church with one pastor and a secretary?
- What about email/texting/social medai
- Your spouse and your passwords
- When in doubt, leave it out
On this very special episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Dr. Geoff Chang, Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology and the Curator of the Spurgeon Library. In a previous episode, Dr. Chang discussed Spurgeon’s upbringing and background. In this episode, he discusses what pastors in the 21st Century can learn from the ministry of Charles Spurgeon.
Resources mentioned:
Spurgeon.org
Mark Clifton is joined by Dan Hurst and Mark Hallock to discuss 5 ways to deal with the pain of a dying church.
- Get them to turn that pain into a greater passion for prayer.
- Find the intersection of members’ passions, members’ gifts, and community needs.
- Celebrate more often.
- Help to remember the past to propel them to the future.
- Lead them to consider a replant.
Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Mark Hallock discuss 4 ways to lead the Builders (those born before 1946) in church revitalization.
- This generation is institutionally loyal.
- They love to tell stories.
- They are often fearful of the change taking place.
- The can confuse methods with doctrine.
In the third and final part of a 3-part series, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss 4 ways to improve your preaching.
- Simplify and clearly answer the “what,” “so what,” and “now what” questions.
- Practice.
- Do immediate reflection.
- Listen to and watch your own sermons or lessons.
Resources mentioned:
15 Ways to Improve Your Preaching or Teaching by Chuck Lawless
In the second of a 3-part series, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss 4 ways to improve your preaching.
- Enlist a prayer team.
- Study preaching and teaching.
- Listen to other preachers.
- Invite others to help you prepare.
Resources mentioned:
15 Ways to Improve Your Preaching or Teaching by Chuck Lawless
On this very special episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Dr. Geoff Chang, Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology and the Curator of the Spurgeon Library. In this episode, they discuss Charles Spurgeon’s upbringing and background.
Resources mentioned:
Spurgeon.org
In the first of a 3-part series, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss 4 ways to improve your preaching.
- Assume you need to improve.
- Consider the last time you intentionally improved your approach.
- Read the Bible and pray every day.
- Forsake sin in your life.
Resources mentioned:
15 Ways to Improve Your Preaching or Teaching by Chuck Lawless
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock consider 4 potential reasons that your church may be declining.
- Churches with a majority of older people
- Churches that focus on minor issues
- Churches that do not impact or invest in their community.
- Churches that develop a pattern of flexibility.
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways small churches can be positioned to make an impact in the future.
- Millennials and Gen Z and they don’t value the “big” church experience like older generations did.
- The overhead cost of large campuses is becoming a bigger issue.
- The increasing use and availability of technology means smaller churches can function very well and maintain a high degree of excellence.
- There will be an increasing value on serving/relationships/community.
- More pastors have gifts better suited to lead a small churches than a larger ones.
- Make worship meaningful.
- Emphasize the family aspect of church membership.
- Make expectations clear at the outset.
- Engage with those who are inconsistent in attendance.
- Engage members in small groups.
Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Dance, Director of Pastoral Wellness for Guidestone Financial Resources. Mark discusses his new book, Start to Finish: The Pastor’s Guide to Leading a Resilient Life and Ministry.
Highlights from this episode:
- Many pastors don’t take the time to care well for themselves.
- Pastors should model boundaries for the people in their churches. But that requires a healthy pastor.
- “I’ve never met a Great Commandment pastor that wasn’t a Great Commission pastor. I’ve met a lot of Great Commission pastors that were not Great Commandment pastors.”
Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss reasons why people are less engaged in gathered worship.
- Increase in kids sports and recreation activities.
- Increase emphasis on vacation/travel/leisure.
- Blended families.
- Unwillingness to engage in commitments.
- Online options
- Luke provides your congregation with the context of some of the most familiar passages in the scripture: Prodigal Son, is an example because Luke 15:1-3 provides critical context to the parable.
- Luke observes God’s opposition to the proud and grace to the humble – This theme is repeated throughout the gospel of Luke.
- In Luke, we witness Jesus welcoming sinners to his table, Robert Karris observes in Luke Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal or coming from a meal.
- Luke reveals the consist way Christ prays, depends on prayer and the Spirit.
Resources Referenced in this Episode:
- “Four Reasons You Should Preach Through the Gospel of Luke in Your Church Revitalization” by Philip Howell
- Evangelistic work will be hindered.
- You will enter into more temptation.
- You will not get what you want.
- You cannot successfully prove you are His disciple.
- You will not have all the joy you could have.
- You will forfeit some of God’s protection and deliverance.
- You will often misunderstand God’s ways.
- You will continue to be worried.
- Some may not be healed.
- You will not glorify God as much as you could.
Resources Referenced in this Episode:
- “Losses of a Prayerless Christian” by Jim Eliff
- Care centers provide an avenue to obey God, Who tells us to serve the downcast and rejected.
- Care centers offer numerous opportunities for evangelism.
- Care center residents will increase your trust in a sovereign God.
- Care centers make available a place of real and life-impacting ministry for young men contemplating or heading into the ministry.
- Care centers present a way to teach children to love their neighbor.
- Care centers remind us that sickness and death are coming.
- Care centers put you in the presence of older saints who are persevering in the Lord.
- Care centers put you in the presence of people who have hardened their hearts, rejected Christ, and may never again have a coherent thought.
- Care centers open doors to new relationships with those related to or associated with the residents.
- Care Centers provide a ministry environment where what really matters takes priority.
Resources Referenced in this Episode:
- “10 Reasons Why Nursing Homes Are Great Places to Minister” by Jim Eliff
In Matthew 11, John the Baptist seeks out Jesus and asks Him, “Are you the one, or should we look for another?”
Why did John question?
- His circumstances – He was in prison, facing suffering and death.
- Outside influences – “Jesus has healed strangers, why doesn’t he even visit you?”
- Wrong expectations
- Incomplete Revelation
- Repent of Every Known Sin
- Forsake All Questionable Habits and Activities
- Make Right Any Wrongs Between Yourself and Others
- Commune with God in Prayer and be Personally Instructed Through His Word
- Trust God to Use You as His Specially Designed Tool for Revival in Others
Resources Referenced in this Episode:
- “Five Resolves for Personal Revival” by Jim Eliff
- You are here for the long haul – this isn’t a mission trip.
- Learn to discover and rejoice in the work of God even in the small places.
- Engage with other revitalizers so you can learn from their journey.
- Confident that nothing done in obedience to Christ is”wasted” your work no matter how slow it may appear matters.
- Take time to enjoy life, especially your family.
- Develop a deeper walk with Christ and learn what it means to pray without ceasing.
Resources Referenced in this Episode:
- Biblical Church Revitalization by Brian Croft
- Revitalize by Andy Davis
- The members simply will not put forth the effort.
- Pastors who are unable or unwilling to put forth the effort to engage their members and develop servant leaders.
- A lack of spiritual depth (carnal attitudes).
- Unregenerate members.
- Pastors who “quiet quit.”
On today’s episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Richard Blackaby, President of Blackaby Ministries International. He discusses his new book, The Ways of God. Richard addresses the following issues:
- How do I respond when I’m laboring for the sake of the gospel, but God doesn’t seem to bless?
- God cares just as much about how you do something as what you do. You can do the right thing, but do it in a sinful way.
- Often times, we don’t allow people the chance to respond to the power of the gospel that has been proclaimed.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Flickering Lamps
- Revive Summit – Birmingham, AL
- The preference-driven church
- Pastoral tenure decreases
- No praying together
- No clear purpose
- Obsession over facilities
- Neglect of facilities
Resources Referenced:
- A Praying Church by Paul E. Miller
- God’s Not Done With Your Church by Mark Hallock
- Slow erosion
- The past is the hero.
- The church refuses to look like the community.
- The budget moves inwardly.
- The Great Commission becomes the Great Omission.
Resources Referenced:
- The Great Omission by Dallas Willard
- A healthy dose of reality.
- Unconditional love.
- Hope.
- A clear plan forward.
- A deep and abiding love for the community.
- Respect for their heritage and history.
- The unchurched community simply doesn’t care what you name your church.
- There must be an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do this (creating a new brand is not an overwhelmingly compelling vision).
- The new name may cause more confusion than you might anticipate.
- Think long and hard about the longevity and place in the community you are so quickly walking away from.
- It’s better to reclaim the name for God’s glory.
Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst welcome Nathan Lorick, Executive Director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He discusses some of the characteristics of healthy churches. Some of the things he mentions:
- The necessity of healthy pastors
- The importance of prayer in the local church
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Hallock to discuss some principles from pastor Frank Lewis concerning dealing with the storms of life.
- You will encounter storms even when you are obediently traveling with Jesus.
- No matter how skilled a sailor, you might encounter some storms are more powerful than you.
- The time to prepare for a storm is before the wind starts to blow.
- The wind and the waves know his voice even when he is asleep in the stern.
- Have a song or hymn.
- Have a scripture.
- Have a friend.
Related Resources:
- How Long, Oh Lord by DA Carson
- Pastoral Friendship by Brian Croft
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Hallock to discuss the role of worship in church revitalization and replanting.
- Worship helps your people understand what Jesus wants for their church they have to grow closer to Christ.
- Structured worship matters.
- A call to worship.
- Focused prayer and scripture reading.
- Responding to God enter the scripture rather than to a leader or a person.
- Congregation involvement through congregational reading of scripture.
Related Resources:
- The Role of Worship in Revitalization
- Return to Worship by Ron Owens
In this episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Hallock to discuss the role of worship in church revitalization and replanting.
- Church members must be willing to relinquish the idol of the church as they know it.
- This relinquishing requires a church to embrace a higher joy/security than the one they currently have.
- A church will only experience this higher joy and security as they move closer and closer to Jesus.
- Corporate worship is one of the primary ways to draw people’s hearts toward Jesus.
Related Resources:
- The Role of Worship in Revitalization
- Touch Not the Glory – Ron Owens
Building off of the last episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Hallock to discuss 5 more reasons churches should stay engaged in the Southern Baptist Convention.
- Send Relief/Disaster Relief
- Chaplains
- Our six seminaries
- Unique partnerships with state in association
- Local church governance of the entire convention
Resources related to this episode:
- NAMB celebrates planters, chaplains, Send Relief in presentation to SBC messengers
- Baptist Faith and Message 2000
- Seminary Statistics – pg. 134, 2023 SBC Book of Reports
In the last few months, there has been a lot of talk about the Southern Baptist Convention. On social media, it seems many pastors and churches are wondering why they should remain a part of, or why they should join, the SBC. In this episode, Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by Mark Hallock to discuss why churches should stay in (or join!) the Southern Baptist Convention.
- The extended family of churches, wonderful pastors, great leaders, and mission-focused strategists.
- The commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture by our seminaries, institutions, and agencies.
- Our mission boards.
Resources related to this episode:
- Baptist Faith and Message 2000
- I will lead my family to be healthy church members.
- I will be a functioning church member.
- I will treasure church membership as a gift.
Resources:
I Am A Church Member
- I will be a unifying church member.
- I will not let the church be about my personal preferences and desires
- I will pray for my church leaders.
Resources:
I Am A Church Member
Reality 5 – God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
Reality 6 – You must major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
Reality 7 – You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.
Resources mentioned:
Experiencing God
Reality 1 – God is always at work around you.
Reality 2 – God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal
Reality 3 – God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
Reality 4 – God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the Church to reveal Himself, His Purposes, and His Ways.
Resources mentioned:
Experiencing God
- Someone is pre-eminent in your church. Who is it?
- Is your church bringing glory to God, and how?
- Do your church members behave in a God-glorifying way?
- What role does church discipline play?
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Richard & Henry Blackaby
- How would you currently describe your church? Are you weak, poor, or rich? What do you base your evaluation upon?
- Is there anything in the recent past that you can point to and say, “If God hadn’t done this, we wouldn’t be where we are”?
- Is your church characterized by giving itself away or holding on to what it has?
- God will always provide what His church needs right when His church needs it.
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Richard & Henry Blackaby
- If you are not experiencing God’s power in your church, what is the issue?
- A dying church, more than anything else, needs the power and presence of the risen Savior.
- Sin is not something to be toyed with, it is something to war against and put to death.
- Christ’s power will only be present in His church when God’s people – beginning with the pastor – are pursuing holiness.
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Henry & Richard Blackaby
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell
- Christ is always present with His church.
- How does Christ’s presence visible in your church?
- How do you encourage the people in your church to repent when they sin against God?
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Henry & Richard Blackaby
- How has your congregation sought to find out what Jesus wants your church to do?
- What one ministry in our church could only have been developed because God showed us how to do it?
- Is your church focused only on your own ministry, or are you kingdom-focused?
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Henry & Richard Blackaby
- Why was your church founded?
- How is the church different now than when it was founded?
- How does your church glorify God?
- In what ways is your church making disciples?
- What are some sins for which your church needs to repent?
Resources:
Flickering Lamps by Henry & Richard Blackaby
Sign 1: The commute
Sign 2: Worn out ministries
Sign 3: Declining ministry funds for children and students
Sign 4: The pastoral parade
Sign 5: The aging facility
We are thrilled to welcome the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Bart Barber, to discuss the importance of revitalization, particularly in smaller, rural, churches.
Episode Highlights:
- Small rural churches have great value for the Kingdom of God.
- Jesus has a plan for every church.
- Over half of the churches in the SBC average less than 50 people on Sunday morning.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
- Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton
- The church boldly confronted the traps of tradition.
- Leadership developed a clear and compelling vision
- Leadership communicated a sense of urgency
- The pastor was willing to endure a season of intense criticism
- The leadership of the church was willing to let go of members
- The church stopped blaming past experiences or outside circumstances.
- The pastor formed an alliance of key influencers in the church.
- The influencers made a commitment to pray daily for revitalization.
- The church made a commitment to look like the community.
- Will I be a continuous learner?
- Will I be content?
- Will I be Jesus’ example in my community?
- Will I take care of my family?
- Will I pray daily for my church, her members, and my own leadership?
- Will I see this opportunity as a mission field?
- Will I make a commitment for the long haul?
- Will I love my critics and those who leave the church?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Biblical Church Revitalization by Brian Croft
Willingness to Confront
- Confront over theology
- Confront over sin
- Confront over methodology
- Confront over personality
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
- Anatomy of a Revived Church by Thom Rainer
- Affinity for Multi-Generational Ministry
- Respect for a Church’s Legacy
To learn more about becoming a replanting pastor, or to explore resources about revitalization for your own church, visit https://www.namb.net/church-replanting/
- Initiative
- Emotional Intelligence
To learn more about becoming a replanting pastor, or to explore resources about revitalization for your own church, visit https://www.namb.net/church-replanting/
- Resourceful Generalist
- Tactical Patience
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Songs from Joyland by Mark Hallock
This is the first-part in an upcoming series covering the 13 Characteristics of a Revitalizing Pastor. Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst are joined by special guest Mark Hallock to cover:
- Visionary Shepherd
- Gospel Orientation
- Missional Focus
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
- “Replanters are Visionary Shepherds” by Mark Hallock
- “Essential Characteristics of Effective Replanters: Gospel Orientation” by Bob Bickford
- Essential Characteristics of Effective Replanters: Missional Focus by Keelan Cook
- Part 1
- Part 2
- What to preach
- How much time to spend
- Collaboration with others in sermon prep
- Trusting the Holy Spirit
- Seeking honest evaluation
Helpful Resources
- Who Will Preach? By Mark Hallock
- Preach by Mark Dever
- Deal with the outside look.
- Deal with restrooms & children’s area
- Address audio & video
- Consider the imaging your church is projecting with its signs and graphics.
- Be aware of bad or weird smells
- They have moved past the past.
- They expand the scorecard.
- They deal with toxins in the church.
- They stop looking for silver bullets.
The points from today are found in Thom Rainer’s book, Anatomy of a Revived Church.
Resources:
- Anatomy of a Revived Church by Thom Rainer
- They make decisions based on keeping the people they have.
- They numb the pain of decline with an over-abundance of activities.
- They value the process of decision more than the outcome of decision.
- They begin loving something more than Jesus.
Highlights from the episode: * If you make decisions so that no one will leave, you’ve given up leadership to anyone who may threaten to leave the church. * Unless you’re willing to get fired, you’re not really willing to be the pastor. * Often times, rather than dealing with issues with biblical, restorative church discipline, churches added a bylaw.
- Don’t undersell the reality of the church.
- Listen to them.
- Pray for them and with them.
- Find ways to involve your kids.
- Seek partner churches that can minister to your family.
Additional Resources: * Pastoral Care Line – 1-844-PASTOR1
- God always does some of his best work in small things.
- God loves to show his strength in weakness. There is something great in being weak because it shows God’s greatness.
- The point is not about growing numerically. The point is growing in faithfulness.
- We live in a culture that values smaller things.
- We’ve lost the community church mindset.
- A smaller church requires greater responsibility on its members
- You can shepherd more effectively.
- Walk slow among your people.
- Never look at the empty seats.
- Know and love your people.
- Lead from the pulpit
- Remember – only eternity will reveal the true impact of faithful preaching
Episode highlights * Focus on the pre-sermon. How are you engaged with your people during the week, before you preach to them on Sunday morning? * Preaching is not just communicating information. You are speaking to individuals with hurts and needs. * Write the name of 5 different people at the top of your sermon notes, so you remember that you’re preaching to individuals, not a faceless mass of people.
Resources * Revitalize by Andy Davis
- You must know yourself.
- You must know your church.
- You must know your community.
Episode highlights:
- Your worth does not come in your performance in preaching or ministry.
- Are the people in your church from the surrounding community?
- If all you care about is reaching new people, and you’re willing to leave the existing people behind, you should not be a revitalizing pastor.
To learn more about becoming a replanting pastor, or to explore resources about revitalization for your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
It can be very easy for dying churches to lose hope. Everywhere you look, you may only see what your church can’t do. In this episode, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss four reasons that dying churches should have hope for the future:
- Dying churches have a real possibility to have a future.
- Healthier churches have a greater opportunity to make a greater Kingdom impact.
- Church replanters have an opportunity like never before.
- Jesus has a plan for every church.
To learn more about becoming a replanting pastor, or to explore resources about revitalization for your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
On the pilot episode of Revitalize and Replant with Mark Clifton, Mark and Dan Hurst are joined by special guest, Mark Hallock, to discuss the four pillars of church replanting:
- Preach
- Pray
- Love
- Stay
Resources:
- Replant Roadmap by Mark Hallock
- Leading Church Revitalization by Mark Hallock
To learn more about becoming a replanting pastor, or to explore resources about revitalization for your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.