The following 20 quotes caught my attention as I worked through Brian Croft’s Biblical Church Revitalization: Solutions for Dying & Divided Churches (Christian Focus, 2016).
20 Quotes on Biblical Church Revitalization
When is a Church "Revitalized" pt. 2
Pastors, protect your flock
Christ's sheep are vulnerable. Piper was right: Leaders must be willing to stand in the breach and protect the flock. This will always involve the basics: preaching the gospel faithfully, and shepherding God's people willingly, humbly, and tenderly through a myriad of circumstances. But it will also require courageous choices over many years, and that will inevitably produce hardship. Pastors, let us hold fast to the promise that such faithful shepherding will be rewarded when the Chief Shepherd appears with that unfading crown of glory (I Pet. 5:1-4).
5 Lessons Learned Through Church Revitalization
Herein lies the essential lesson for all pastors laboring in the work of revitalization. Jesus is with you! He is your shield in that deacons’ meeting. He is there when you are publically rebuked. He is compassionate when your mistake or failure in a decision harms the church. He is sad when his sheep attack you because they do not understand and are afraid. He is your defender when wolves in the church try to harm the sheep. The Chief Shepherd will never abandon his shepherds!
2 Pleas to Perseverance in Revitalization
The 3 Virtues of a Faithful Pastor
The words peace, grace, faith, and love permeate this book and are all purposely planted in the Ephesian benediction to remind his readers of the beauty and power of the gospel. In this, Paul keeps the proclamation of the gospel primary. Faithful pastors must do the same in every facet of their ministries, whether preaching and teaching, casting vision, or providing pastoral care and counsel, the gospel must be the primary language the pastor speaks to those whom he shepherds.
Revitalization or Replanting?
Charles Simeon and the fruit of humility
Humility, not humiliation, is essential. Growing downward was a practice in preaching the gospel to himself that many in ministry, especially those in a revitalization setting, should strive for. It was the seed that blossomed patience. But not merely patience in isolation, it also led to perseverance in his ministry, something all pastors, but especially those revitalization must possess.