P – artners E – ncouraging R – evitalized C - hurches

P – artners

E – ncouraging

R – evitalized

C - hurches

Regional Partnering Networks

• A process – connect larger, healthier congregations to smaller, struggling congregations for up to 18 months.

Regional Partnering Networks

• Triage – Some churches are not good candidates for HKC, they need immediate, intense attention like an ER patient.

Regional Partnering Networks

Food for thought:

"The church is made up of disciples. If you revitalize anything, it's the disciple ... only the disciple is viral--not a church"--Bob Roberts, Jr. (From an article titled, "Revitalizing the church? I don't think so!")

http://www.glocal.net/blog/comments/revitalizing-the-church-i-dont-think-so/

Are declining churches worth the effort?

“What exactly am I trying to rescue in attempting to revitalize this church? You should only revitalize a church out of care for its present members and excitement about its future potential, not because of its institutional glory in the past”—J.D. Greear, http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/category/revitalization/page/2.

Regional Partnering Networks

• Resource larger churches for leadership help

• Churches may act as a sole partner, or provide episodic assistance to help with particular events and needs (VBS, revivals, block parties, etc.)

Regional Partnering Networks

• Help provide a small leadership team for struggling churches– Help assess local leadership needs– Help provide temporary lay leaders– Plan to partner for about 18 months

Regional Partnering Networks• Help put together a calendar of events for the

struggling church. The calendar could include:– Assessment– Prayer walking community– Hosting summer mission teams– Saturation of the community to discover new "constituents"– Attractional events (block party, Fall festival, clothing give-

aways, etc.)– Revival– VBS– Regular leadership training– Facility TLC (maybe with M-team help)– Regular evangelistic outreach

Regional Partnering Networks• Meet regularly with a regional leadership

team to provide guidance for the process. Goals:– Help regain intentional focus of NT principles– Help restore joy– Help raise the level of excitement – Help break out of the maintenance mentality– Listen and provide guidance and direction – Facilitate a process of renewal and better health– Help raise up "indigenous leaders"– Help develop an evangelistic strategy– Help improve the quality of discipleship

Regional Partnering Networks

Obstacles:

• Unwillingness• Denial• Pride• Unhealthy “ownership” of local churches• Franchise mentality (lack of kingdom-

mindedness)

Regional Partnering Networks

Needs:

• Database of needs and cooperating churches

• More trained lay leaders and bi-vocational pastors

Regional Partnering Networks

Group discussion from 9-6-2012:• Have church set goals• Develop achievement markers• AMs can help with discovery and connections• Cross Associational partnerships may help with

situations where there is “history” between local churches

Regional Partnering Networks

Group discussion from 9-6-2012:• What criteria can be used to establish what

constitutes a “struggling church”?• Churches can partner for events or for a long season• Goal: to pursue Great Commission, not the past• Establish positive attributes of healthy churches• Stressing cooperation is key

Regional Partnering Networks

Group discussion from 9-6-2012:• What ways are the churches struggling?• Ensure partners are healthy• Enlist churches to be involved in a pilot program