My Goal, Hope, Dream, and Prayer

My goal for writing is simple. First, I want to help pastors, ministry leaders, and church members understand a few things about church revitalization so they can be better prepared to lead and experience revitalization in the church. Second, my goal is to put forth something that God will use to motivate you, equip you, and/or trigger something in your heart and mind that He is calling you to do for Him.

My hope is that this can be a helpful resource that can be used in helping church leadership and membership to understand, prepare to participate in, and/or lead the church to experience revitalization.

My dream is to see Christian colleges and seminaries who are preparing men and women for ministry in the local church address this topic at an undergraduate level and graduate level. If the numbers are right and the majority of existing churches are plateaued and/or in decline, it seems to me those who will become members and leaders in those churches should be equipped to help the church experience revitalization. I am aware and am glad to hear that a few seminaries have, in fact, added a revitalization track to their doctor of ministry degrees. Revitalization of the church would be easier if more understood it and realized their role in the process.

My prayer is for the Heavenly Father to use Church Forward in some way to help His church move forward in regaining their spiritual health and ministry effectiveness so His glory will be revealed through them. His glory is revealed when His presence and His working is manifested in and through the ministry of His church.

As Jesus says, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT).