Feb 18, 2017 | 9:29 AM
She was on
her deathbed.
Every breath
was laborious. Every breath was more difficult.
Those who
surrounded her knew the end was imminent. It was only matter of time — a very
brief time.
But the
impossible became the possible. The dying lady survived. In fact, she not only
survived, her outlook is very promising today.
Hers is a
true story of resuscitation: from the brink of death to survival to improved
health to a healthy life.
What about
churches? Can a church experience a similar miraculous recovery? Admittedly, I
have only seen a few churches with the same story of resuscitation. But I have
seen a sufficient enough number to make some concise observations. These
observations are among the most encouraging events I have ever
witnessed.
How did
these few churches go from near death to vibrant life? Here are their
stories.
1. A
prolonged period of prayer. The members knew that only a miracle of God could
save their church. So they decided to set aside a period of prayer, usually a
few weeks or a couple of months. Members would gather after the worship service.
Some would gather in homes. They would admit their total dependence on God. And
they would place everything about their churches at His mercy and in His
will.
2. A
covenant to forsake self. When a church dies, there is the predictable prologue
of self-centered, self-serving membership. Church members argue about the style
of music, the length of the sermon, the types of ministries and programs, and
even the type of furniture in the church. Membership becomes about me, myself,
and I. In the resuscitated church, the members covenant to put self last. They
agree they will not demand their way, but seek to put others first. Some of the
churches even create a written covenant.
3. A
willingness to kill sacred cows. This process is often an extension of the
previous commitment. As the members covenant to forsake self, they commit to
doing away with programs, ministries, events, rooms, furniture, or anything that
has become a sacred cow. They often don't see those sacred cows until their eyes
have been opened in the prolonged period of
prayer.
4. A
commitment to see through the eyes of the outsider. As the members continue to
forsake self, they begin to ask how the church is viewed from the perspective of
the outsider. They may actually engage a person to visit their church and share
their experience. It is amazing to see how this process transforms facilities,
worship, greeters' ministry, and children's ministries, to name a
few.
5. An
agreement to connect and invite. Members commit to be intentional about
developing relationships with people outside the church. They set prayer goals
of how many people they will invite to church each month. The church begins
moving from an inward focus to an outward focus.
6. A
decision to move beyond the negative naysayers. This core of members realizes
that not everyone will be on board. There will always be those who view church
as a spiritual country club with perks and privileges. Indeed, in most of these
resuscitated churches, there was stiff resistance, adamant opposition, and
financial threats. But the members were loving but firm. No longer would their
church be controlled by the naysayers, critics, and bullies. They would stand
together and stand with others who were attacked and
maligned.
Is church
resuscitation common? No.
Read
more at
http://www.christianpost.com/news/6-steps-to-resuscitate-a-dying-church-174859/#JL0qFlBjbYoOpJ1j.99 
