Yes, I tend to be an optimist.<\/p>\n
I am not, however, that type of optimist who refuses to face reality. If you have been a reader of my blog or listener to my podcasts, you know I am not hesitant to face harsh realities head on.<\/p>\n
So, when I say a revitalization wave is about to come to our churches, I am serious about it. Indeed, I am obnoxiously optimistic about the future of congregations. In this post, I will address how churches will be impacted from a high-level perspective. In my post on Wednesday, I will share why<\/em> I see this major trend on the horizon.<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s agree there are 350,000 churches in North America. You can quibble with our estimates. Some say less; some say more. The exact number is not that important.<\/p>\n Second, let\u2019s also agree there are 300,000, or 85%, of all churches needing some level of revitalization, from modest to radical revitalization. Bear with me until my Wednesday post where I make my case for these numbers.<\/p>\n So, how will these 300,000 churches in need of revitalization be impacted by the wave that is coming? Let\u2019s look at three major categories.<\/p>\n I get it. The near-term closure of 100,000 churches is not good news. But look at the other side. Two of three churches, around 200,000, will revitalize organically or through replanting. That\u2019s incredible news!<\/p>\n If you want to see what many churches are using as first-step tools for revitalization, see the Church Health Report<\/a>\u2122 or join us at Church Answers<\/a>\u2122 where we are growing healthy churches together.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an exciting time. It\u2019s a hopeful time. It is my prayer God will use many of us as His instruments for a mighty wave of revival and revitalization in our churches.<\/p>\n Let me hear your thoughts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So, when I say a revitalization wave is about to come to our churches, I am serious about it. Indeed, I am obnoxiously optimistic about the future of congregations.","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":693421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"publish_to_discourse":"","publish_post_category":"","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[188,1,186,176],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-693420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-adoption","category-church-answers","category-health-and-metrics","category-revitalize"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n