The most recent research data released in January of 2012 by the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, has said that within my own Southern Baptist Convention we are at a critical juncture regarding church plateau and decline. The most recent series of studies have been conducted by Bill Day; Associate Director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, who serves the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as the Gurney Professor of Evangelism and Church Health in his sequential studies on church health and growth of 2003, 2007, and 2010. In January of 2012 Bill Day reports that currently there are less than seven percent (6.8) of our SBC churches that are healthy growing churches. That means 3,087 of our 45,727 SBC churches are healthy. Even the number of SBC churches is in decline and we need to address the needs for church revitalization immediately.

 

Thinking About the Pillars of CR

Working in the area of Church Revitalization will lead you eventually consider the Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization. A Church Revitalizer will not be working in all of these areas at the same time but you will eventually find yourself working in most of them at one time or another. Take a moment to reflect upon the Seven Pillars graph.  This week, I will break down each of these areas of renewal and revitalization.

[i] Hartford Institute for Religious Research (hirr.hartsem.edu/research)
[ii] Research Source: Stats listed online at: http://www.newchurchinitiatives.org/morechurches/index.htm (accessed 2/23/2006).