The Renewal LabIntroduction…Keith Doornbos

• Lead Pastor Providence CRC, Holland, MI• Coordinator of the Renewal Lab through

CTS 

• The Providence Experience• Five Things We Kept Alive

• Kept hope alive• Kept vision alive• Kept renewal alive• Kept discipleship alive• Kept worship alive

Providence Church Holland, MI

The importance of revitalization in

North American churches

North American Statistics

Of the 350,000 churches in America•80% have plateaued or are in decline•15% are growing by transfer •Only 5% are growing by conversion

Each year...•Between 3500 & 4000 churches close in U.S.•Only 1,100 to 1,500 are started•Lose 72 churches each week & gain 24

(The Barna Group)

• Of 845 churches in CRCNA that existed a decade ago • 533 are plateaued or in decline (63%) • The average rate of decline has been 25.4%.

• Membership in CRCNA is lowest since 1963 (248,000)

• Article 17s (separations) have increased 580% from the ‘90s to the ‘00s (from 25 to 146) and Article 14s (resignations) have tripled (from 11 to 30)

Source: THE CHRISTIAN COURIER Feb. 24, 2014 Peter Schuurman

Importance of renewal in the CRCNA

A Constant Need for Renewal

1st missionary journey (Acts 13)•Church planting

2nd missionary journey (Acts 15)•Church planting & revitalization•Acts 15:36 (return) & Acts 15:41(strengthening)

3rd missionary journey (Acts 18)• Returned to many of the same churches

“strengthening all the disciples”

A Simple Reality…

Either a church is on a constant path of renewal

orit is on a sure path of decline.

The Renewal Lab The Church Renewal Learning Laboratory of

the Institute for Global Church Planting and Renewal at Calvin Theological Seminary

The Renewal Lab’s Focus The Renewal Lab comes along side congregations that have plateaued or are in decline along with any congregation seeking to regain a focus on their Missional calling.

The Renewal Lab’s Purpose

The Renewal Lab seeks to develop intentional congregations that make more and better disciples who join Christ on mission to the world he loves.

The Renewal Lab’s Desired Outcomes

• Help identify the mission & unique vision• Give tools for making more and better

disciples• Establish the priorities of the early church• Gain insight into mission-oriented ministry• Nurture a passion for global church planting• Regularly “add those who are being saved”

The “Why” of Renewal

• A deep desire for God’s glory

 

The “Why” of Renewal

• A deep desire for God’s glory• A deep desire to unleash the

Gospel’s power (saving souls/transforming lives)

 

The “Why” of Renewal

• A deep desire for God’s glory• A deep desire to unleash the Gospel’s

power (saving souls/transforming lives)• A deep desire for a church to reach

its full redemptive potential

 

The “Why” of Renewal

• A deep desire for God’s glory• A deep desire to unleash the Gospel’s

power (saving souls/transforming lives)• A deep desire for a church to reach its

full redemptive potential• A deep desire to be on the mission

of God

 

God’s Mission…

To redeem & restore the world

(everyone and everything)

The Renewal Lab is a Missional Move

The Renewal Lab seeks to create vibrant mission-focused faith communities that are pulsating epicenters of God’s redemptive love.

 

The Renewal Lab continues with a “how”

“Change the Atmosphere…Journey to Mission”

(Culture + Strategy) 

3 central questions of the Renewal Lab:

• Who are we? • Where are we headed?• How will be get there?

The importance of… working backwards from our future

We tend to work forward from our past

past future

Disadvantages• Slow incremental growth• Repeating the past with minor

modifications• Cannot keep up with change in culture• Leads to “we’ve always done it this way• Church of the ‘50’s in ‘10’s

 

The importance of… working backwards from our future

New: working backward from our future

present future

Advantages• Driven by vision not just by history • Creates real and significant change• Keeps pace with culture• Leads to “whatever is best”

 

1 GOAL

Missional

The Heart of the Renewal Lab

Brief definition of “Missional”

Missional means

living for the glory of God and

for the sake of others

so they experience God’s new creation and

join with his worshipping community.

1 GOAL

4 ESSENTIALS 

Missional

AbidingVision

Leadership Health

The Heart of the Renewal Lab

1 GOAL

4 ESSENTIALS 

SEVERAL KEY ACTIVITIES

 

Missional

AbidingVision

Leadership Health

The Heart of the Renewal Lab

Listen…Imagine…Do

FOUR DIRECTIONAL LISTENING

LISTEN

from AMONG(What is our congregation saying about gifts & passions )

from ABOVE(What is God saying in his Word about our mission and calling?)

from OUTSIDE(What are our neighbors saying about needs & opportunities)

from WITHIN(What is the Holy Spirit saying about what we are to uniquely do?)

Listening for Renewal

Listen Do

{First six months} {Final year}

Imagine

{Second six months}

The great pivot point

God’s MISSION in the world

God’s VISION for our church

Annual SMART goals

THE VISION PYRAMID

• Specific• Measurable• Assignable• Realistic• Time-bound

Our OBJECTIVES

Our VALUES

The Renewal Lab’s Structure• Two-year renewal journey• Cohorts of 10-12 churches• 8 quarterly learning labs• Coaching• Peer learning• Congregational involvement• Accountability• Interns & Jubilee Fellows (optional)

Change the AtmosphereJourney to Mission

FourEssential

s 

AbidingJohn 15

 

VisionActs 26:19

 

Leadership

Nehemiah 2 

HealthActs 15:28-29

KeyActivities 

Listen6 monthsS.W.O.T.

Imagine6 monthsS.M.A.R.T.

Do12 monthsR.E.A.C.H.

One Goal“Missional” 

Living for the glory of God and for the sake of others so they experience God’s new creation and join with His Worshipping Community

Characteristics ofMissional

 

Church Kingdom ChurchCentrifugal and Centripetal

A Light to the NationsA church the unchurched

love to attend

Why the Olive Tree Symbol?

• Olive trees still bear fruit in old age• Olive trees can be cut to a stump and still create

new shoots• Olives produce oil that represent the anointing of

the Holy Spirit• Olive trees are often symbolic of God’s

redemptive work among his people

The gift of the renewal journey =Hope + Purpose

Testimonials:

West Olive “What a difference a year makes…” (Matt Stob…Classical Visitor)

Immanuel “God is using the Renewal Lab as the single most influential planning process in our church’s history.”

(Bob Huiseman…pastor)Fairway “The Renewal Lab is an invitation to return to God’s vision for the church and see the glorious things he does in the lives of those who don’t know him.” (David Den Haan…pastor)

Three Rivers “Seeing the Lord use the Renewal Lab to transform lives has been amazing.” (Tim Raakman…pastor)

“Behold, I make all things new”

Revelations 21:5

Next Step:Possibility #1: Participate as a congregation– Join a cohort of 6-10 churches that will launch in

the Spring/Summer 2015 in Northern, NJ– Quarterly learning labs with pastors on

Thursday-Friday and a team retreat on Saturday

Possibility #2: Participate as a classis– Go big and jump in as an entire classis– Classis helps fund the RL and encourages as

many churches as possible to join the process

Possibility #3: Participate as an individual– Come to Grand Rapids and sit in on a session

of one of our next Renewal Labs