In the church world today there has been a rise in attention to the need for churches to be revived. Numerous churches across the country close their doors every year. As this issue is becoming more prominent, more and more attention is being directed to churches who are declining instead of growing. The word church revitalization has become a staple in conversations among pastors and church leaders. Books have been written, cohorts have been organized, teams have been developed, and conferences have been hosted on this subject of church revitalization. Many churches have had a breath of new life breathed into them by the Holy Ghost through these efforts but the problem still seems to be growing.
This word in our church vocabulary “revitalization” is relatively new on the scene but it carries the same meaning of the old word revival. Revival is nothing new. It is something that has been sought by Christians through the ages as church grow stagnant. In regions that once had people on fire for God that have grown cold, men of God throughout history has dedicated to seek revival in their churches and community. As these men and women sought revival, God has many times graced his people with a reviving such as during the Welch revivals and the great awakings. There have also been smaller, in area, revivals in local regions and in individual churches. These revivals brought a renewed dedicating to God, resulting in new conversions and growth in church membership.
In studying these former movings of the Holy Ghost which brought revitalization or revival to churches in by gone day, three elements are essential and always present. Always prior the these former movings of God there a renewed effort in prayer, faithful exposition of the scriptures, and fellowship of the brethren. Not only do we see these elements historically but it’s what we see the New Testament church doing in the book of acts. Considering these elements of past revitalizations in church history, interestingly fewer church are having revival services and many who do have them are only for one or two days.
I would like to encourage a revival of revivals. There are couple of matter that needs to be understood before planning revival services though. One is that just because we have revival services does not guarantee revival happens. The other is that revival is not something meant for the lost. The lost don’t need revival because they have never been born of the spirit. Revival is for the “born again”that have grown spiritually cold. Now conversions can be a result of revival among the saints but solely mass conversions are not revival.
We need revival in our churches today. If we do not experience revival the church today will grow colder and colder because the members are have lost dedication to their Christ, just as the church of laodicea. People are not being saved because Christian’s have lost their passion for Jesus. If there is not a revival, not only will church in America close but your church may close its doors. What better way to revitalize a church is there than dedicating a week or even to week to the membership of the local church coming together to intentionally seek to renew their love for God through intentional prayer and preaching of the word among the fellowshipping saints? I challenge us as pastors and church members to dedicate a week our our lives to come together, deny ourselves, set our normal routines to the side and unite in the fellowship of the saint to prayer and preaching of God’s word. This is what saints of old have done to usher in revival so why should we not seek the same?