Ep. 021 | Prayer and Worship in Church Revitalization

10 Necessary Elements in Church Revitalization

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Developing a System of Outreach and Evangelism in Your Church

May 1, 2025

Episode 21: Show Notes

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant introduce a new mini-series focusing on the "10 Essentials for Church Revitalization." They cover the first two essentials in depth: Dependent Prayer and Christ-Centered Worship.

Introduction

• Hosts: Bart Blair (Director of Church Revitalization) and Nathan Bryant (Executive Director) from Assist Church Expansion

• New episodes are released on the 1st and 15th of each month

• This episode kicks off a mini-series based on content from Terry Long of North Carolina Baptists

The 10 Essentials for Church Revitalization

1. Dependent Prayer

2. Christ-Centered Worship

3. Text-Driven Preaching

4. Intentional Discipleship

5. Gospel-Centered Fellowship

6. Missional Engagement

7. Joyful Hospitality

8. Meaningful Membership

9. Hopeful Vision

10. Leadership Development

Dependent Prayer

Key Points Discussed:

• Prayer acknowledges our complete dependence on God's power

• Common issues in struggling churches:

  • Lack of personal, corporate, and intentional prayer

  • Absence of prayer for leadership during pastoral vacancies

  • Failure to pray specifically for church renewal

• Spiritual benefits of prayer:

  • Fosters unity and healing of relational rifts

  • Addresses apathy toward evangelism

  • Renews belief that God can use the church to reach the lost

  • Aligns church leadership with God's will

• Biblical foundations:

  • Zechariah 4:6 - "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts"

  • Psalm 127:1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain"

  • James 5:16 - "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective"

• Practical application:

  • Create an intentional prayer plan for the church

  • Involve elderly members who can contribute through prayer

  • Persist in prayer despite challenges (prayer is not a quick fix)

  • Resource mentioned: "Praying for Renewal in our Church" by Bart Blair (available on Amazon)

Christ-Centered Worship

Key Points Discussed:

• Common issues in struggling churches:

  • Worship has become routine and predictable

  • Lack of clear outcomes and intentionality

  • Disconnected worship elements without flow

  • Focus on execution rather than encounter with Christ

• Essential elements:

  • Reestablishing Jesus as the center of everything

  • Creating transformative encounters with Jesus

  • Designing worship that tells the gospel story

  • Maintaining Christ-centered (not self-centered) content

• Warning about modern worship trends:

  • Many songs focus more on "me/my/mine" than on Jesus

  • Popular radio songs may be singable but not always worship-focused

• Practical application:

  • Consider the journey and outcomes of worship

  • Include testimonies of life transformation

  • Ensure worship communicates that "this is a place where God is changing lives"

  • Focus on excellence without making it about performance

Related Resources

• "Praying for Renewal in our Church" by Bart Blair (Amazon)

• "Reclaiming Glory" by Mark Clifton (mentioned in discussion)

The Revitalize My Church Podcast releases two episodes each month with the goal of helping churches navigate change and reorient to a new and healthy future.