THE CHURCH REVITALIZATION PROCESS

            Several scholars have found that, similar to what happens in the biological universe, the church has a life cycle. The formation of a local congregation is often marked by vigor and joy, especially as one observes people being reached by the power of the gospel. Over time, however, the initial vitality of the congregation can suffer setbacks and decline due to a variety of factors, whether spiritual, cultural, doctrinal, relational, and others.

            In this regard Charles Swindoll observes that: "organizations tend to lose vitality rather than gain it as time goes on". Not even the healthiest churches are exempt from this decline. For example, a study of the Church of Ephesus reveals that it has lost vitality over the years, and this study should be enough to convince us that a congregation that starts out well, showing high levels of vitality, does not always it maintain this vitality over the years (cf. Acts 19-20; 1Tim 1 and Rev. 2.1-7). The same problem occurred with the churches in Asia, whose accounts are in the first chapters of Revelation. (Rev 1-3). There are some biblical factors that can promote the revitalization of a church, such as:

            The Leadership: Without a doubt, God has always used men like Nehemiah, Ezra, Peter, Paul and so many others in church history to revitalize it. During the period of the Protestant Reformation, God used men as instruments of revitalization, such as Luther and Calvin, to bring the church back on its path.

            The Word of God: Another determining factor for the revitalization of the church is the importance of the Word of God, which must be correctly taught to educate the people of God in justice and correct possible theological deviations. The return to the fundamental principles of the Word of God was one of the banners of the Protestant Reformation.

            Prayer: Throughout history, God has worked to revitalize His church through prayer. Important communities like the early church (Acts 2:42) and so many others had a fervent life of community and individual prayer. Prayer has the power to light the flame that was once lit in the heart of the church. Without prayer the strength of the church fades and it weakens.

            Discipleship: The systematic accompaniment of new believers through counseling, visits and training has been a decisive instrument in the revitalization process of a church, as the membership must also be renewed, new gifts and talents used, new ministries created.

            Finally, it takes perseverance and patience to experience consistent results in a church revitalization process. Some scholars suggest a period of not less than 10 years for us to see the fruits of this process. However, we believe that God is the Lord of time and that He can surprise us with fruits of revitalization much sooner than we expect!