Resurrection Day is almost here. On Easter, your crowd will increase and your emotions and optimism will rise as you think, “We are doing pretty good after all. We are on the uptick!”
Years ago, when I was pastoring my first church, I set an attendance goal of 100 people for our Easter service. Our little building could not hold that many people so we rented the high school. We prayed, we invited and we fasted, and then we prayed some more. When the service was over, and they told me how many were there I was on cloud nine. We did it!
I was ecstatic on my drive home. The phrase “giddy as a schoolgirl” fit me to a T. I was sitting on top of the world with a smile stuck on my face!
Driving home, I pulled up to the stop sign two blocks from the parsonage when I felt the distinct impression to sit there for a moment. I was anxious to get home and share my joy with Cathy but something deep within was saying “Just sit here.” So I did.
Then I felt or heard, I am not sure, the call to “listen.” I rolled down the window and did just that. I heard kids playing and soon two bikes and their young riders came whipping around the corner. Their appearance told me instantly that they had not been to church anywhere. Their clothes were dirty, their hair uncombed, they had been at the construction site of the new house near where I sat. They seemed to be having fun.
Then my ears tuned into another sound and around the corner of the house, directly in front of me, came a man on a riding lawnmower. I noticed then that his lawn was almost cut. Just a few more passes and he would park the mower. He had not been at a worship service. He could not be that far along on cutting his grass if he had.
Then two guys in a truck pulled up to the stop sign, and I waved them through. There was the obligatory wave, and they pulled through the intersection. The truck was towing a boat with a black Mercury motor tilted at a 45-degree angle and water dripping from the stern of the boat. Fishing poles were bouncing in their holders as they drove by. It was obvious that they had not been to worship.
Then I heard a thought that was not mine. “You are rejoicing over 100, but there are so many more that do not know Me.”
My eyes filled with tears as I realized just how lost my community was. My mountain top high was now a Death Valley low. And I sat at the stop sign and wept for those without Christ. I had to do more. But what?
Yes, there is more to do. There are more that must be introduced to Christ. Our Christian Universities and Seminaries, for the most part, prepare pastors to hold on to the Saved but have left a void in what to do to move a church one step forward in reaching their community for Jesus.
High Impact Leader Lab (HILL) – Revitalization is our attempt at filling that gap in your leadership skills. I believe in you, pastor. I believe if you knew what to do you would be doing it. The problem is you only know what you know. You do not know what to do because no one has helped you know. HILL-Revitalization can help you help your church.
HILL-Revitalization is for any and all pastors and pastoral staff, even if you have been to HILL in the past. Here is what we are going to talk about:
- The Role of Prayer and Spiritual Renewal in Revitalization
- How to Leverage Discipleship for Revitalization
- The Impact of Vision on Revitalization
- How to Lead Change; being a transformational leader
- How to Address Conflict
- Outreach, Ministry & Evangelism and their role in Revitalization
- Preaching for Revitalization
Each session is being led by a mix of leaders that are getting it done from around our state as well as a few nationally respected leaders in Revitalization.
The cost is $199, however, many Associations are sponsoring pastors so that they may attend at reduced rates. Click on the link and read more about HILL-Revitalization. Take the Next Step you need to lead your church to the Next Step she needs. I am praying for you.
