Revitalize and Replant

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways that your church can come alongside other churches. Form a prayer partnership between your congregation and another congregation. Proactively find a church plant or ethnic congregation and invite them to use your building. Do a special event of some kind (worship night, community outreach, retreat, etc.) with one or more churches in your community. Send 3 or 4 families from your church to intentionally serve and help strengthen a declining congregation in your community for 6-12 months. Take the lead as a congregation in coming alongside a dying church and replanting it as a new congregation with fresh hope and vision. Resources Related to this Episode: Save the Date for the 2025 Replant Summit! – August 25-26 in Alpharetta, GA

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some things they would tell their younger selves about what it means to be a dad. Be intentional about discipling your children. Live out your love for Jesus in a genuine way in front of your kids. Be cautious about how you talk about the church in front of your kids. Laugh a lot with your kids. If your kids see you quarrel with your spouse, make sure they see you make up too.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some things they would tell their younger selves about what it means to be a husband. You must learn to be a better listener. Don’t try to fix everything but just be a soft place to land. Learn to love what your wife loves. Be present. Find ways to love her family.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some things they would tell their younger selves about what it means to be a pastor. Quit trying to worry about numerical results Focus on the gospel and realize that my worth is found in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished on the cross. Listen more and talk less. Cherish the small things and the small victories. Only eternity will reveal the results of your labor.

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss how to prepare for new folks who may come to your church in the new year. Why do folks not come to church? We minimize the importance of the local church. We worship the idol of activities. We take a lot of vacations from church. We do not have high expectations of our members. We make infrequent attendees leaders in our churches. Resources Related to this Episode: Five Reasons Church Members Attend Less Frequently by Thom Rainer

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss how to reflect on the last year, and to look forward to the new year. Good questions to ask: What’s going right? What’s going wrong? What’s missing? What’s confusing?

On this episode, Dan Hurst welcomes Jim Elliff, founder and president of Christian Communicators Worldwide (CCW) to discuss how pastors can make pastoral visits more effective. The value of systematic pastoral visits. Some key questions to ask in pastoral visits. Resources Related to this Episode: Christian Communicators Worldwide Spiritual Inventory for Pastoral Visits

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jim Elliff about how to lead difficult church members. Invite them to your home. Try to find out what drives them. Within reason, give them some servant responsibility. Confront them if they continue to cause problems in the church. Resources Related to this Episode: Leading Even the Cantankerous by Jim Elliff

Merry Christmas from the Revitalize and Replant gang! Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss Christmas Eve services and follow-up. We pray that you and your family have a blessed Christmas!

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chris Crain about some causes of church conflict. Pride Spiritual and Emotional Immaturity Change and Inflexibility Abuses of Power Church Politics Unclear Authority Personality Differences Resources Related to this Episode: Seven Causes of Church Conflict by Chris Crain

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst share some awkward situations that they’ve encountered (or created) through the years. When you face awkward situations or personalities, as the leader you must keep it cool. Recognize that everyone is awkward. Get comfortable with “Leaning into the awkward.” The importance of emotional intelligence in leaders. There is a difference in awkward behavior and sinful behavior. Leaders cannot show favoritism with church members. The importance of understanding your own awkwardness as a leader.

On this episode Dan Hurst welcomes Jim Eliff, founder and president of Christian Communicators Worldwide (CCW) to discuss how his house church network has designed their weekly meetings. What does a typical house church meeting look like? Where do these house churches meet? What are the biggest challenges for house churches? How does the house church network handle their finances and missions? How is church discipline handled in the house church network? Resources Related to this Episode: Christian Communicators Wordwide “Restoring Those Who Fall” – article on church discipline Church on the Couch: One Way Believers Work Out Church Life in Homes Christfellowshipkc.org

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst celebrate their 200th episode and discuss some reasons that pastors need other pastors as prayer partners. Many pastors have few prayer partners. Only another pastor really understands the burdens pastors carry. Pastors will answer to God for the spiritual care of the sheep they shepherd (Heb 13:17). Pastors need friends. Pastors face a real enemy who wants to destroy them. Pastors need a prayer partner who is also a trusted listening ear. Pastors sometimes struggle with hidden sin. Some pastors wrestle with prioritizing their families – and they need prayer support and accountability. Pastors never get done with their work. Most pastors don’t pray enough. Resources related to this episode: 10 Reasons Pastors Need Another Pastor as a Prayer Pastor by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss what they’re reading and have some book recommendations. Mark Clifton’s Recommedations: The River of Doubt by Candice Millard Scripture-Guided Worship by Joe Crider The Ways of God by Richard Blackaby Mark Hallock’s Recommendations: The Devoted Mind by Kris Lungaard Spurgeon the Pastor by Geoff Chang Trusting God by Jerry Bridges Into His Presence: Praying with the Puritans by Tim Chesster The Care of Souls by Harold Senkbeil Pastors and Their Critics – Joel Beeke and Nicholas J. Thompson Joyful Perseverance: Staying Fresh throught the Ups and Downs of Ministry by Ajith Fernando Kyle Bueermann’s Recommendations: A Wondrous Mystery: Daily Advent Devotionals by C.H. Spurgeon (Edited by Geoffrey Chang) Uncommon Greatness by Mark Miller The Overlooked Americans: The Resilience of our Rural Towns and What It Means for Our Country by Elizabeth Curried-Halkett Dan Hurst’s Recommendations: Jesus the Revolutionary by H.S. Vigeveno The Christian World Liberation Front by Jeanne C. DeFazio

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about why churches get stuck. Church leaders are not raising up new leaders. The pastor may be feeling a tug toward some other opportunity. The church is comfortable where it is. The community is changing. The church operates in maintenance mode. The church doesn’t pray much together anymore. Resources Related to this Episode: 10 Reasons Why Churches Get Stuck, Stop Growing by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about why churches get stuck. Nobody is paying much attention to the numbers. The church has outgrown the pastor’s leadership style. The church is out of space. The church’s small groups have hit their maximum. Resources Related to this Episode: 10 Reasons Why Churches Get Stuck, Stop Growing by Chuck Lawless

Mark and Dan welcome Jim Elliff, founder and president of Christian Communicators Worldwide (CCW) to discuss how the observance of the Lord’s Supper can be more meaningful in the life of your church. Why most of the instruction from Scripture about the Lord’s Supper is corrective. We don’t “take” the Lord’s Supper, we “eat” the Lord’s Supper. What it means to “examine yourself” before eating the meal. The meal is an “apostolic tradition,” which is a command to obey. “Eat a meal together” is just another way to express fellowship. Resources Related to this Episode: Free E-Book: The Lord’s Supper is a Meal by Jim Elliff https://www.ccwtoday.org/

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst take some time to talk about what they are thankful for. We pray you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some reasons that pastors must be patient when it comes to making change. The best change takes place on the wings of persistent study and prayer. Many churches simply don’t recognize the need for change. Some changes require structural change – even a change in the church’s by-laws at times – and that process usually takes a while. Too much change in too little time can backfire. Sometimes those members who’ve been the most faithful over the years are the ones who most need convincing of the change. We’re often trying to change churches that have been in maintenance mode for a long time. Some members aren’t unwilling to change; they’re just tired of change in general. Resources related to this episode: 7 Reasons We Must Be Patient with Church Change by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann answer some listener questions on this episode. Resources related to this episode: How can a solo pastor begin to identify and train leaders to help in the work of the ministry? How can you utilize parachurch ministries in the work of revitalizing your church? How can you prepare your church to minister to and disciple folks from messy backgrounds? Suggested Resources: Every Man a Warrior Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some why it’s so painful when church leaders experience moral failure. We never expect church leaders to fall. We genuinely love our leaders. We watch a leader’s family suffer. We watch a church grieve. We know it’s not a good witness. A call can create a faith crisis for others. It makes us feel vulnerable. It feels like it will never end. Resources related to this episode: 8 Reasons the Fall of a Church Leader Hurts So Badly by Chuck Lawless

Mark and Dan welcome Jim Eliff, founder and president of Christian Communicators Worldwide (CCW) to discuss how the observance of the Lord’s Supper can be more meaningful in the life of your church. Why Jim says “The Lord’s Supper is a meal.” The word for “fellowship” in the Bible means a meal. Resources Related to this Episode: Free E-Book: The Lord’s Supper is a Meal by Jim Elliff https://www.ccwtoday.org/

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some reasons that visitors don’t come back to your church. An unfriendly stand-and-greet time in the worship service. Unfriendly church members. Unsafe and unclean children’s areas. No place to get information on the church. Bad church website. Poor signage Insider church language Boring or bad church services Members telling guests they were in the wrong pew or chair. Dirty facilities. Resources related to this episode: Top 10 Reasons Visitors Don’t Come Back by Thom Rainer

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss what happens when churches become too busy. Activities become synonymous with ministry. Programs and ministries are added regularly, but few or none are ever deleted. Programs and ministries become sacred cows. The alignment question is not even asked on the front end. Silo behavior among the different ministries of the church. Lack of an evaluation process. Ministry becomes facility-centered. Lack of courageous leadership. Resources related to this episode: 8 Reasons Churches Become Too Busy by Thom Rainer

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss what happens when church committees go off the rails in a church. When there are almost more committees in the church constitution than there are people in the church. When the church has not examined, revised, and strengthened its committee structure in years (perhaps even a decade or longer). When the progress of the church gets bogged down in competing or controlling committees. When one committee is the power broker of the entire church. When most committee members can’t tell you what their committee does. When committees actually haven’t met or functioned for years. When committees meet, but they don’t actually do anything. When committee membership becomes a goal for church members who want power and control. When the church still has business meetings simply so the committees can report. When no one in the church will publicly question the value of these committees. Resources related to this episode: 10 Indications That a Church’s Committees Are Out of Control by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some reasons that church announcements don’t usually lead to church member involvement. Folks aren’t listening to your announcements (or reading your emails…or newsletters). Announcements seldom include the “why” with the “what.” Listeners hear a corporate announcement (if they hear it at all) for everyone else – not for themselves. Some church members carry baggage that makes it difficult for them to hear a call for workers. The wrong people make the announcements. Announcements put the responsibility on the respondent rather than on the recruiter. The church is making announcements, but not one’s praying for the Lord to raise up the laborers. Resources related to this episode: 7 Reasons Why Announcements Don’t Usually Lead to Church Member Involvement by Chuck Lawless

Mark welcomes Bob Payne, a volunteer with Experiencing God ministries, to discuss Experiencing God weekends. The Seven Realities of Experiencing God: God is always at work around you. God pursues a loving relationship with us. God invites us to join Him in His work. God speaks to us by prayer, Scripture, circumstances, and the church. When God speaks, it takes us to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. We must make major adjustments to join God in His work. We come to know God by experience as we see Him accomplish His work through our obedience. Additional Resources: Return to Worship by Ron Owens Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby Blackaby Ministries, Intl.

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some key insights that church consultants have gained from visiting churches. Church websites are often outdated, boring…and useless. Churches are not friendly. Church facilities are not generally marked well. Churches aren’t prepared for guests. Churches are poorly equipped for protecting children. Worship through music often needs improvement. Preaching is often weak. Churches are not always clear on “what to do” in response to worship.

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss some ways to earn and keep trust in your church. Display confidence, but never cockiness. Follow through, which means you never over-commit. To earn and keep trust, put trust in others. Extend grace but be firm in some non-negotiable principles. Don’t be a know-it-all. Exhibit humility but have courage to do the hard things. Value people more than progress. Resources related to this episode: 7 Ways to Earn and Keep Trust by Ron Edmondson

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss the next five of ten “Church Diseases” from a fascinating article by Chuck Lawless about some afflictions that affect churches. Community Disconnect Disease Methodological Arthritis “The Grass is Greener” Syndrome Professional Wrestling Sickness Program Nausea Resources related to this episode: 10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless Free NAMB Demographic Report

Mark Clifton, Dan Hurst, and Kyle Bueermann discuss the first five of ten “Church Diseases” from a fascinating article by Chuck Lawless about some afflictions that affect churches. Congregational Myopia Talking in Your Sleep Disease “Unrecoverable Void” Syndrome • You must be willing to be fired. • You can’t make decisions based on not losing people. Theological Self-Deception Ailment Baby Believer Malady Resources related to this episode: 10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless CP Stories: Missionary stories

Mark welcomes Bob Payne, a volunteer with Experiencing God Ministries. Some highlights from the episode: Bob’s unique health journey through the years. You cannot stay where you are and go with God also. Bob’s work around the world as a volunteer with Blackaby Ministries.

In this special episode, Mark Clifton answers questions during a live question and answer session from the 2024 Replant Summit. Listen in for some important insights from Mark on these topics: Should an incoming pastor accept a call if the former pastor remains in the church? What should we sing on a Sunday? How can our church begin the process to help other churches replant or revitalize? How do we balance the attrition of older, seasoned saints with gaining newer, spiritually immature believers? What are the next steps after a successful initial revitalization process?

This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Replant Summit. Mark Clifton talks through some of the various models of replanting. Here are some highlights: What is the difference between revitalization and replanting? Most churches need some form of revitalization. Models of replanting: A church is adopted by a stronger, healthier church. Fostering – one or more churches come alongside a struggling church to nurture them back to health Campuses – a dying church becomes a campus of a healthier, stronger church Replanting from within – a new pastor works with existing resources, existing people, and some outside resources to bring a church back to health. Resources related to this episode: Replant Fostering Guide

Mark welcomes JJ Washington, Director of Personal Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, to talk about the importance of personal evangelism in the local church. Some highlights from the episode: What does a church look like when personal evangelism has left the room? How can your church develop an effective evangelism strategy? Resources related to this episode: NAMB Evangelism Kit NAMB Evangelism Kit Online Course

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways that pastors might stand in the way of church revitalization. Don’t make changes too quickly. Don’t ignore the needs of your community. Don’t fail to ask for help. Don’t have any non-negotiables except for sound doctrine and the gospel. Don’t neglect the pain it will cause your church members. Don’t neglect the impact on your family. Don’t neglect the importance of Christ-centered preaching.

Mark welcomes JJ Washington, Director of Personal Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, to the podcast. Some highlights from the episode: How God changed JJ’s life through calling him to a replant. What happens when a community changes, but the local church does not. Many times, the remaining people in a replant or revitalization are demoralized. So, one of the primary jobs of a new pastor is to reinspire hope. The importance of the mindset of “Whatever it takes” in ministry.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways that pastors might stand in the way of church revitalization. They spend too much time trying to placate nagging critics. They fail to be an example of an outward focus. They do not emphasize member expectations in an entry level or membership class. They fail to focus on corporate prayer. Resources related to this podcast: “Four Major Ways Pastors Hinder Church Revitalization” by Thom Rainer Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on some reasons that pastors may fear entering into revitalization. Revitalization requires a long-term vision for a church. It requires facing reality. It demands patience. It requires prayer. It might requires asking for help. It requires “stick-to-it-ness” It might mean hurting people you love. It requires taking a risk. Resources related to this podcast: “Why Some Pastors Aren’t Ready to Lead in Church Revitalization” by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some tips from Thom Rainer on church revitalization. Substantive changes in a church typically don’t hold until has been at a church at least 4-5 years. The most common way to face reality in a church is to look at a 10-year attendance pattern. Revitalization is not something that happens with the snap of a finger. You don’t revitalize a church in your power. You do it through God’s power. There are a lot of pastors and church leaders who just don’t want to ask for help. If there were no risk in church revitalization, every church would be revitalized. Don’t get into revitalization if you’re afraid to lead by faith. Resources related to this podcast: No Silver Bullets by Daniel Im Pathways to Partnership by Bob Bickford and Mark Hallock

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some ways to be a “relentless encourager” in your church. People need encouragement because life is hard. People need encouragement because we have an enemy. There are plenty of discouragers, but not enough encouragers. Why don’t we encourage more? Pride Self-absorption Resources related to this podcast: The Relentless Encourager by Mark Hallock and Scott Iken

Mark Clifton welcomes Sam Rainer, Pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church and President of Church Answers. Here are some highlights from this episode: Sam’s story of revitalization at West Bradenton. What it means to believe that your church address is not an accident. The value of church fostering.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Crosswalk on how to deal with mean, cranky, and cantankerous people in your church. First, expect it. Don’t lose your cool. Don’t fuel the fire. Swallow your pride. Play the “happy ignorance” card Remember their brokenness Shower them with kindness Take a break Pray for the person. ALWAYS “Matthew 18” a conflict Resources related to this podcast: “10 Ways to Deal with Difficult People in Your Church” by Brittany Rust

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Lifeway Research on some simple, yet effective, ways to care for the widows in your church. Stay connected Say you are sorry for their loss Call and ask specific questions Refer to their husband’s acts or words – serious or humorous Invite them to anything Accept that they are where they are Walk the talk Resources related to this podcast: “7 Ways to Care for Widows in Your Church” by Miriam Neff

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss what faithful deacons do in the life of a local church. Deacons are the lead servants of a church. Deacons joyfully assist the pastor(s). Deacons facilitate God-honoring worship. Deacons help the poor, broken, and needy. Deacons mobilize others to serve. Resources related to this podcast: On Being a Deacon by Jim Noble, Scott Thistlethwaite, Phil Von Kaenel, and Mark Hallock