Church Replanting and Revitalization
In the United States, nearly 4,000 churches close their doors yearly. We believe many of these declining churches can become fruitful again with the proper resourcing. To that end, the Redeemer Network serves churches from various denominational and theological backgrounds needing to be replanted or revitalized, and we train pastors for this work. Some churches will eventually be invited to join the network. For the churches joining our network, we employ the same strategy of training, funding, and support.
It is a privilege and honor to play a role in strengthening the church inside and outside the Redeemer Network. We see replanting and revitalization, alongside church planting, as central to our mission and vision of establishing healthy churches and bringing glory to God.
What is the difference between replanting and revitalization?
Replanting
Replanting is when an existing church decides to relaunch as a new church with new leadership, name, governance, mission, vision, and philosophy of ministry. Replanting builds on and celebrates the past while wholly committing itself to the future. In many cases, churches will utilize a transition team until new leadership is in place, offering a break from the past with a fresh start and momentum for the future.
Revitalization
Revitalization is a direct and deliberate effort to reverse the decline of an existing church rather than relaunch as a new one. This is less invasive, with fewer changes than a replant, and typically utilizes existing leadership. Revitalizations require a great deal of time and patience as the rate of change is much slower than in a replant, which makes it a fit for a church in decline or plateaued but is not a solution for a church facing imminent closure.
How does Redeemer train pastors who are leading a replant or revitalization?
REPLANTING RESIDENCY
The replanting residency is a one-year program designed to equip and support pastors who are replanting or revitalizing churches toward health, vitality, and multiplication. It consists of a monthly cohort and is structured for pastors who serve in full-time or bi-vocational ministry.
FIRST QUARTER | FOCUS: THE SHEPHERD
Before practices, the priority is the heart and character of the shepherd. The goal of this first quarter is to assess and pursue health, family, and calling of those shepherding God’s flock.
SECOND QUARTER | FOCUS: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Strategic leadership in a replant is vital to the health and faithfulness of the church. This quarter's goal is to equip shepherd leaders with vision and the necessary leadership competencies in building healthy teams.
THIRD QUARTER | FOCUS: PREACHING
God's primary means of making Himself known is through His word being faithfully preached. In this third quarter, preachers will learn the mechanics and methods of preaching God’s word.
FOURTH QUARTER | FOCUS: MISSION & MULTIPLICATION
The church's mission is to make and multiply healthy disciples of Jesus. The fourth quarter serves to train and catalyze replanters in missional living, multiplication, and the development of a clear and compelling vision for church planting.
How does Redeemer serve churches needing to be replanted or revitalized?
Our process is highly relational, collaborative, and customized to the church's current situation. We divide the process into two phases.
Phase One | Discernment
The discernment phase begins with an informal call with the church’s point of contact. From there, we schedule an initial meeting with church leadership. The goal of this meeting is to get to know each other better, understand the situation clearly, and remind one another of the hope we have in Christ. Faithful discernment has prayer at its core and aims to assess where God is leading and our willingness to follow. This phase can last from a couple of months to a year, and when there appears to be a pathway to replanting or revitalization, the process moves from discernment to strategy.
Phase Two | Strategy
This phase is not the end of prayer and discernment; it’s simply a shift from “Should we pursue replanting or revitalization?” to, “How will we?”. For most churches, this replanting and revitalization process will include much of the following:
- Reorganization Planning
- Leadership Structure & Design
- Strategy, Vision, Mission & Values
- Gaining Missional & Doctrinal Clarity
- Identifying a New Pastor
- Branding and Communication Planning
- Planning For the Launch or New Phase of Growth
Are you interested in taking the next step with the Redeemer Network?
Are you a church seeking to be replanted or revitalized?
Are you a pastor leading a replant or revitalization and interested in our training?