The R3 Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jeremy Geerdes
Two pastors of revitalizing churches trying to encourage and inspire other pastors to experience revival, renewal, and revitalization in their churches.
Check out our churches online! Heartwood Church: https://heartwood.church Debra Heights Wesleyan Church: https://dhw.church
A church may be doing everything right from a mechanical standpoint, but complacency may still snuff it out. How can we identify complacency in our churches, and how do we fix it if it's there?
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aSrSRoFnlVRhvS_N_UMilhBZUL7mVy-myj3VguwyIiA/edit?usp=sharing
Paul and Jeremy chat with Pastor Colleen Hoeft of South Troy Wesleyan Church about what it takes to resurrect a church that has reached the point of death.
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16_7mXx0TR4NdncK8jVfpF67uHDuMfJuGGlHsufqU7dU/edit?usp=sharing
The guys discuss what needs to happen to revitalize a church that has entered the convalescent stage of the lifecycle and is now barely clinging to survival.
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G2c0T-0OE-fXwnzcINjle0HEF3WcFJcWlPk0UZJZ0bk/edit?usp=sharing
As the church continues on the downhill side of the lifecycle, revitalization becomes increasingly difficult. The guys discuss how much harder it is for a church to experience revitalization after it has progressed to the "retirement" phase.
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rcGC8kAJ1pjL4IuapEf_ccCuUQX2W44RXWKmrbmi7MY/edit?usp=sharing
The guys chat about the effect of overshooting the vision and missing the prime opportunity for re-visioning.
Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11YTNzHM7acRT_ZHI231xMkt1aDgERFalwt_SlThzN70/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v1j8ZI3WIZ4IgKXbV2AxnEtcSQrx7jKfUKMoDG8Nfuk/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n37756fmLSlMVa8gvqkSchmRnMu9o5s7nV8oiOdDbhc/edit?usp=sharing
Paul and Jeremy discuss how your church's vision (or lack thereof) may signal the need for revitalization.
Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HnxRbvX8WlrWvZNq8eiKqbFOMODDUIdwuAhHBusBz70/edit?usp=sharing
Look for the insidious symptoms of an ingrown church to determine if your congregation is in need of revitalization!
Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19VEg_ncinIwvm_EDusgZi3V7RLSvVK0sQkGk1_Ro-Pk/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R4zRUS2bxeqsO_kyp2cvM77ZcndZuYGEWYWN5wqQuIw/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oKXhxCr30-2Ja4KtonewVRAjx1lt6nynqiky0mFDgME/edit
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TYIUJfQjSFO5uSYufg24-WolRAYn38Bessqlv9R-Wbo/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cW1NnwbeLMRefYtpDHOeofWAlz0YY0QaW67sL13pU6A/edit?usp=sharing
Jeremy and Paul talk about how cliques, quarrels, and your church's hospitality ministry can reveal a need for revitalization.
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SZuUoV6gNWCy0lcKULOksQ5TJJoATIVLTWRMYnq9IVo/edit?usp=sharing
Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15oBtJx873Qv5ObTZLlafIJIC9wWThD8n1y1KGewVX8o/edit?usp=sharing
Show notes available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XgZaqEYOKiU3dmuw4WXEEvPMW4ajwoDECj56Bb4L3Pc/edit?usp=sharing
How can you know if your church needs revitalization?
- Thom Rainer: 80+% of churches are in need of revitalization (Source: https://christianindex.org/five-reasons-a-wave-of-revitalization-of-church-is-likely/ )
- Revelation 3:1: Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
- Like Sardis, many churches have a reputation of being alive when, in fact, they are dead.
The life cycle of the church
- Infancy = church plant
- Adolescence
- Adulthood
- Plateau
- Decline
- Death
NOW is the prime time for revitalization, but God can revitalize no matter where a church is in the life cycle.
The church life cycle roughly follows the life cycle of Israel in the Old Testament
- Infancy: Samuel & Saul
- Adolescence: David
- Adulthood: early Solomon
- Plateau: late Solomon, Rehoboam
- Decline: Hezekiah
- Death: Josiah, Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim
Episode Resources
- Anatomy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer
- Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer
- Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer
- From Embers to a Flame by Harry L. Reeder, III
- What Every Pastor Should Know: 101 Indispensable Rules of Thumb for Leading Your Church by Gary McIntosh and Charles Arn
- Team Spirit by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
- Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
- https://www.free-stock-music.com/mixaund-team-spirit.html