The Five Stages of Renewal in the Local Church
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, June 30, 2008
- Viewed 100
- (27) comments so far
3. Missional Renewal: This is when a church discovers what God wants it to do. We have a kingdom assignment. We’re not here just to bless one another. God wants to bless the world through us. Specifically, God has given the church five purposes – worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. Missional renewal happens when we focus our churches on these purposes. When your church gets personal, relational, and mission renewal, it can’t help but grow.
4. Cultural Renewal: In this stage, God renews the culture of the church. I’ve known pastors who have tried to change the culture of the church without going through the other three renewals. There’s a word for that – martyrdom. You cannot change the culture of the church. Only God can. But once the first three renewals have happened in the church, God will change the culture.
5. Structural Renewal: After your church has been through the first four renewals, it’s going to outgrow your current structure. No doubt about it. I’ve seen it happen at Saddleback. The structure that works for a church of 100 won’t work for a church of 250 and so on. There is no perfect structure in Scripture. Why? Every situation is different. We’ve got to structure our churches differently depending on our circumstances. We change structures just about every year at Saddleback. You can’t put new wine in old wineskins. As your church begins to get healthier and healthier, the structure has to change.
But wait… there’s a sixth renewal… but to read that you have to go to The Christian Post!
What do you think? Do you think the church is close to another reformation?
Love to hear your thoughts!
Rick Warren believes that God is preparing the church for another reformation. The first reformation focused on what the church believed, this next reformation, according to Warren, will focus on what the church does. Here are five things that Rick says must happen before the next great reformation; and all of these things much happen from within the church:
1. Personal Renewal: It starts with the heart. If God is going to renew your church, he’ll begin it with you – and then it has to continue with the rest of your church. You might call it rededicating your life, being filled with the Spirit, or the “deeper life.” I don’t care what you call it. Just get it! Pastor, the bottom line is this – you need to fall in love with Jesus again. Do that and all of a sudden it’s not about religion and rituals; it’s about a relationship with Jesus. You realize that Jesus doesn’t just love you, but he likes you.
2. Relational Renewal: After you get right with God, you’ve got to get right with others. Jesus told us this. He told us to love God with all of our heart and then love others as ourselves. When you have relational renewal in your church, the gossip goes down and the joy goes up. How do you know when a church has been through relational renewal? People hang around longer after the service. They want to spend time together. If people don’t want to hang around after your services, you have a performance not a church. The church is more than content; it’s a community.
Comments
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Camey on Mon, June 30, 2008
“A great spiritual awakening is on the horizon.” I could babble on about why I think that is true…. why I am moved to tears at the very thought. Totally agree with Rick on this…
Peter Hamm on Mon, June 30, 2008
We need people who will be able to distill these ideas and make them really easy to remember. Rick could maybe do that. And yes, I think if we saw the kind of thing he discusses in the first 5 renewals, we will see (eventually) the sixth renewal.
Camey on Mon, June 30, 2008
Peter,
I agree that Rick can be a great communicator… Not bashing the guy here… There are people in our local church body who were a part of Saddleback before coming here. I’m thankful for his leadership. Having said that….
What we need are individuals who will realize that they too can be a great commuicator if they rely on God… and the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them in the moments of their daily lives. Wherever they may be…..
It’s not enough to just hear the message… but to let it truly permeate the very fiber of our beings. So much so that we cannot help but rub off on others because the fragrance of God being so strong.
I know I’m singing to the choir with you Peter… Hopefullly it was something beautiful and not just adding to the noise. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif
Fred on Mon, June 30, 2008
I believe Mr. Warren is very wrong, if he believes this is a good thing. I would highly recommend that people would get and read David Wells new book—The Courage to be Protestant. This is an excellent evaluation of the CGM and how it has followed the same path of the old Liberalism.
CS on Mon, June 30, 2008
“Do you think the church is close to another reformation?”
I heard a pastor who was preaching this weekend who said that across the nation, only one county in Hawaii has had church attendance rise. Across the entire rest of the country, it has declined.
Additionally, news headlines show a rise in apostasy and heresy in the church, such as strippers in services, pastors being brought up on sex charges, and the omission of the preaching of the Gospel for more “tolerant” messages.
Not to be one who read the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, but if anything, I don’t see another reformation in the works—I see the sort of “falling away” that was foretold within the Bible.
—
CS
Leonard on Mon, June 30, 2008
A few weeks ago I was teaching our church about the Gifts of the Spirit. I said that God does indeed heal and that the bible says if any among you is sick they need to come and let people pray… I did not have time to even finish this thought from James because a young gal immediately got up from her seat and walked forward saying ... I am sick, have been for a long time and need Jesus to do something for me…
I stopped everything (duh) and simply stated… Sometimes you have to quit talking about and just be the church. I think that is a bit of the renewal Warren is talking about. Not a healing and miracle stuff from the likes of Fill in the blank ___.
but a simple renewal to do what the church does not just talk about if people believe every dot and stroke of every word perfectly.
fishon on Mon, June 30, 2008
CS,
I thought about not commenting because I know I come off as negative and combative in some folks mind, on this blog. But this idea on another Church ‘reformation’ and ‘renewal’ just does not compute with me, not in this present situation we find the Church in. I am in agreement with you.
First, I would ask Warren, “Which church, Rick?” If someone were to do a survey [maybe have] and ask, “Who represents Jesus’ Church on earth,” we would find NO consensus. Is it the church Jim Wallis represents or Jerry Falwells? Is it Brian McLaren or John McAurther’s church? Is it Jeremiah Wright or Joel Osteen’s vision of Jesus’ Church? Is it the Amish or Todd Bently’s idea of Jesus’ Church? Is it the Catholic, Prot., Eastern Orthodox, Baptist, or Mormon?
Warren writes: “The first reformation focused on what the church believed, this next reformation, according to Warren, will focus on what the church does.”
—————Using the examples above, can anyone truely identify what the Church believes, today?
We can not even agree anymore as to Jesus being the only way to the Father. I just looked at the Pew report with the question: “Many religions can lead to eternal life?”
Protestant 66% yes.
Evangelical 57% yes
Mainline 83% yes
Historical Black churches 59% yes
Catholic 79% yes
A new reformation with empasis on what the church does. I think not. Not until we know what we believe.
Does the Church focus on the murder of babies in the womb and gay married that just became a reality? Is it Global warming or feeding the hunger? The fact is, if we could agree on what we believed, we could do all of the above. Who here thinks that the Church of Jesus Christ can NOT feed the hungry and at the same time stand up for biblical morality? Well, the Church of Jesus Christ can, but then again, I am guessing that there may be more than a few who read Todd’s blog who would disagree with what biblical morality is? And the chasm is now so wide and deep between even we on this forum, of what we believe, that we couldn’t come together as a group, so as to focus on what Warren proposes.
Stated plainly, I am in the minority. Jesus is the only way to the Father. I will NOT every join, under the banner of Christianity, with those who teach that there are many religions that lead to eternal life. What does light have to do with darkness?
Warren thinks God is preparing the Church for reformation, I think not. The power of positive thinking does not alter the facts. We are a fractured Church. Reformation, no, house-cleaning, yes.
fishon
layne on Mon, June 30, 2008
I want to believe that this is true I am trying to give my life to make it true. And I think that basically his order of renewal is accurate. I think that the most difficult ref is the one that deals with me. It is as needful, and more constant, and because personal reformation can be hidden with deeds (or maybe more properly the lack of personal reformation) and it seems like nothing happens in the kingdom without it.
His picture of the tree is pretty good, I have heard it described as stability at the core, innovation at the edge. (The ‘edge’ is where the fruit is) If we can (re?)establish what the core is, and then look to methods of implementation, maybe we can be a part of the difference.
CS, Even if the time of the apostacy is ‘this time’ I dont think we can just sit back and do nothing, I think we have to continue with the mission we were given…
Fred on Mon, June 30, 2008
fishon, so far there are three of us in this thread that are in the minority. The church is not primarily about engaging people. It is primarily about proclamation which in turn enlightens people to the Gospel through the Word. When conversion occurs, it changes people and they in turn go into all the world and live the new life out, be it in politics , art or what have you. This is not the churches job. It is the individual’s duty. The church has lost her bearings in the quest to be “relevant” to popular culture and especially the Boomers and Buster generations. This is the wrong type of contexualisation.
According to stats (isn’t this ironic?), the CGM is waning. It is being swallowd by its own philosophy though many in it do not realise it yet.
CS on Mon, June 30, 2008
Iayne:
“CS, Even if the time of the apostacy is ‘this time’ I dont think we can just sit back and do nothing, I think we have to continue with the mission we were given…”
Oh, absolutely. We can’t throw up our arms in the air and say, “It’s going downhill anyway, might as well give up.” We have to continue with the Great Commission as Jesus commanded. I just believe that any “reformation” that is trying to be devised by Rick Warren or any other pastor with a similar philosophy is not going to change things around.
—
CS
jud on Mon, June 30, 2008
Rick Warren doesn’t speak for me.
The first reformation was about what the church believed? Just going by what the recent polling numbers 57% to 83% of evangelicals and protestants believe Jesus Christ lied when he said “I am THE way”. So me thinks the “first” reformation is still under way.
The “second” reformation seems to me to require a “preterists” or “dominion theology” interpretation of Bible Prophecy/ Church History.
jud on Mon, June 30, 2008
I’m sorry I attempted to state what fishon so eloquently stated above. Somehow I skipped over your reply. I will just give that a loud ditto from the high plains region.
I will add that the unity that many of our leaders seem to be so ernest in seeking will NEVER be found by tossing doctrine aside. That obviously is leading to more fracture by the day. How many “Christians” have I dialogued with in just the last year who actually espouse Universalism and then along with pastors who back their “Mystical interpretations” charge me for with being “divisive” for rebuking such blasphemy.
Peter Hamm on Mon, June 30, 2008
Jud,
I think you see a connection and relationship between Warren’s comments and the recent polling numbers that doesn’t exist. They are separate facts and issues perhaps.
You write [The “second” reformation seems to me to require a “preterists” or “dominion theology” interpretation of Bible Prophecy/ Church History.] Or maybe this thinking only requires an understanding that faith without works is dead, and a desire to have a more vital, living, active faith that will indeed impact the people around us. Kinda like “I don’t go to church, I am the church… and that means I _________(you fill in the blank)”.
I hope that most of the people in the pews (who are the people in the real world living out their trust in Jesus daily) care far less about their interpretation of church history than they do about what the Gospels say about how to live life now and what to DO today… in my home, my neighborhood, my city, my state, my nation… my world…
jud on Mon, June 30, 2008
Peter,
You wrote..
“Or maybe this thinking only requires an understanding that faith without works is dead, and a desire to have a more vital, living, active faith that will indeed impact the people around us.”
Faith in WHAT? That is what I’m getting at.
I just came out of a church that is incredibly obsessed with the works end of the deal. Local, domestic, foreign missions, homeless, fatherless , hungry. Whatever. We had all of those bases covered.
And I think that is WONDERFUL !!!!
However, the matter of Docterine is avoided like the plague and you end up on Sunday morning with theists, buddhists, pagans, wiccans, christians and agnostics unified over a great band, an average light show and a topical felt needs message that is backed by threads of scripture pulled together and presented as cookies on a plate with milk.
Absolutely, Faith without works is deader than a doornail. But “faithfull” people unified in their avoidance of absolute truth .... it is the Peace Corps, Not Christianity.
If you read over the constitution of Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E plan I think you will see what I’m talking about.
fishon on Mon, June 30, 2008
Jud wrote: “Absolutely, Faith without works is deader than a doornail. But “faithfull” people unified in their avoidance of absolute truth .... it is the Peace Corps, Not Christianity.”
———————I can not give a big enough AMEN to that statement. Right on, Jud.
———————I wonder if someone could tell us what the difference would be for we who believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God and that Jesus is the “only way to the Father,” to partner up with those who DO NOT believe in those doctrines, but call themselves Christians, to do good works together, as opposed to partnering up with the Mormons and JWs for works?——Way to long a sentence, but you/they can figure it out.
Jud, I don’t know if you have read much of the writings of some of the “emergents,” but they bristle at even the word “Doctrine.” And doctrine is not even assigned to the bottom shelf, but to the back—end of the basement.
Paul did tell Timothy, “ Watch your life and DOCTRINE [caps mine] closely. Persevere in them, because if you do you will SAVE [caps mine] both yourself and your hearers.”
Then he tells Timothy in his second letter, “For the time wil come when men will NOT [caps mine] put up with sound doctrine.” That is a fit discription of the church in America, for sure.
Unlike Elijah, after he battled Baal, he ran from JezeebeI, and thought he was the only prophet left, I [I am not a prophet] know I am not along in my thinking about these issues, though we are quickly becoming a minority. Good to hear some of you think and state your opinions and thoughts.
fishon
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