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The Five Stages of Renewal in the Local Church

Orginally published on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 7:33 AM
by Todd Rhoades

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.

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!



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  There are 27 Comments:

  • Posted by
    Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 1:40 PM

    Leonard,
    You have made some assertions that I don’t agree with. So I ask of you the same consideration you asked of me as I share my disagreements: ‘Please hear this in a spirit of love.’

    1. If my questions are loaded, it is not done so intentionally. And I surely would like an example of one of my ‘loaded’ questions. And I can assure you I am not trying to trap anyone. The questions I ask are questions I truely seek answers for. This is not a game to me.

    2. Every question I ask, every exchange I have is coming from a “perspective of learning.”
    When you insinuate that I don’t come from a “perspective of learning,” you are doing the same thing you accuse me of: Making assumptions.

    3. I “disrespect” this forum! I “hijack[ing]” from the original point.”

    Leonard, go back and read my FIRST post on this particular issue. It was an exchange with CS. He and I were discussing our thoughts and agreements. You will not find one word directed towards anyone on the forum in disrespect. Others read what CS and I were talking about, chime in, then we respond, and then get accused of hijacking.

    4. Go and read my second post. Where is the disrespect for the forum? Where is the hijacking? I asked questions. Again, the thrust of the post was dialogue with Jud. Not a word of disrespect towards anyone posting.

    5. My 3rd post was directed to Peter. If you see disrespect there, hijacking, then you are reading things that are not there. I asked him:::"How do you suggest we get past that and do and become what you suggest?” If that isn’t a question that is not trying to sharpen iron [read the whole context] then you are refusing to give me the benefit of the doubt.

    6. Lastly, I suggest you think any point counter-points with you or your beliefs are disrespectful and arguementative.

    Again, you go read my first 2 posts, and you will see they were in the context of agreement with those who shared the same perspective as me. Some of you read our perspective, they some of you chime in with your disagreements as to why we are wrong, then accuse us as hijacking and disrespect.
    ---Excuse me. I am going back one more time and read my first 2 post. ------I can not find disrespect or hijacking. Agreement with others on this forum, and a few general questions.

    And since you were here at MMI before I was, and your “heart is tired” with the likes of me:::::” Why do you keep chiming into discussions, hijacking them often from the original point?  These are not angry questions, they are honest questions.  They come from a heart that is tired of being here at MMI if this is all we do,” I WILL LEAVE in deference to your tired heart.

    You can sing with the choir and enjoy it.
    You can go about known there are millions like me, but in your blest, ignore us because we challenge some of your thinking, and you see that as an attack.

    It is to bad you see me as you do. You missed out on getting to know the real me. So, brother, you win. I’m gone from being a terrorist to your comfortability.
    jerry [fishon]

  • Posted by
    Monday, July 07, 2008 at 9:36 AM

    I dont know if there is a “reformation” on the horizon or not - it would be nice to think that a revival was on the horizon…
    BUT how about this… and please forgive me - I am naive - BUT how about we all try to reach someone for Christ… lead them to repent and receive the grace of God through Christ.
    If there is to be a reformation or revival - how about we let it start with the one - as one great pastor of old said when asked how to start a revival - “Go in your closet, draw a chalk circle around yourself and ask God to start a revival inside the circle.”

    Again forgive me for being a simple minded man but I think if we would just starting introducing people to Jesus the reformation will take care of itself.

    IMHO… Doug

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