Church renewal can happen. It should come as no surprise to anyone that a majority of churches in North America are plateaued or declining. We've all heard the statistics. We've seen the reports. In fact, you may attend, or even pastor, one of those churches. If so, I want to give you some hope: church renewal can happen.
First the bad news.
If we're honest with ourselves, we're sitting on the front edge of a wave in North America concerning church decline. It's a perfect storm really. With rapid cultural change and secularization happening outside the church and wholesale generational change occurring inside the church, the wave is only amplified. At current, we're closing around 900 churches per year just in the SBC. I fully believe that number will go up before it gets better as the wave crests.
But despite the church decline wave on the horizon, I'm actually hopeful. Call me an optimist, but I truly believe church renewal can happen. In fact, we believe in church renewal so much at UBA it's now one of the most significant aspects of our work. The more we lean into assisting churches the more stories of renewal we see.
It's hard work. In fact, it's some of the hardest local church ministry I've ever seen. You think planting a church is hard? Try replanting one!
The best things are never easy. I believe God is not done with many of these churches. After all, the gospel is ultimately a story of how God makes dead things live again. What better way to demonstrate that to a neighborhood than through vitality returning to a declining church?
Revitalize Network
That's why we're announcing a partnership with Revitalize Network to bring significant tools and resources to UBA churches that desire to walk a path toward renewal.
The Revitalize Network was started with a simple purpose: empowering churches toward greater health. Thom Rainer, the executive director of Revitalize Network, says it this way:
"Revitalize Network launched with the focus of reviving hurting, declining, and dying churches. No church should struggle. If God can save any person, then he can save any church."
Since its beginning, the Revitalize Network has grown into a truly national movement, with churches and partners across North America working together for church renewal.
Revitalize Bundle
The centerpiece of this partnership is the Revitalize Bundle. The bundle is a toolkit developed by the leaders of the Revitalize Network. The bundle consists of diagnostic tools that help a pastor understand himself, his church, and his community. Paired with personal coaching from UBA's consultant team, this bundle is an effective first step in assessing a church and its leadership in order to develop a custom pathway toward church renewal.
Our partnership with the Revitalize Network allows our UBA churches to gain access to this toolkit for a discounted rate of $150 (normally $500). In addition to the bundle, signing up pairs your church with a local personal coach from UBA to walk with your church through the renewal process. At UBA, we're in this for the long haul.
If you are interested in starting this process, you can find more information and the registration link for the bundle at this page. Or, feel free to contact us at UBA for more information.
Keelan Cook is the Associate Director of the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and former Associate Director of UBA. His primary areas of ministry focus include urban missiology, church planting, church revitalization, and unreached people groups.
