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Are You Building Scaffolding or

Foundations in Church Revitalization?

By Dr. Tom Cheyney

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

I grew up in a modest home where my father was the owner of a construction company.

It was a good life and one which taught me many things about life and how to be successful as well as a few things about living a strategic life!

Both of these sort of lessons have served me well in leading and coaching on Church Revitalization.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

Let me ask you a question: Are you setting up scaffolding in your

church renewal effortsor Are you constructing foundations in your

Church Revitalization efforts?

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

My second job in working with my father when I was a high school student was helping carry and set up the scaffolding around the parameter of what would eventually be a nine story high rise building. I learned some important lessons in setting up the enormous amount of steel frames that would interlock together to build a strong structure to assist in the construction of the building.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

Setting scaffolding requires the attention to detail at the outset but later if it is set right at the start, it is just mere repetition and following a preconceived plan.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

Nine stories later, if you set it right from the beginning, it will still be close to the side of the building and solid as a rock! If it is not given the attention it needs at the start it will be quite wobbly and extremely dangerous to venture out on.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization:The Scaffolding Code of Conduct

The first observation is that there are some pastor/leaders who view those members who they inherit as a new revitalization leader as simply scaffolding to temporarily build upon unto the real foundation is laid.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization:

Scaffolding for these type of leader are expendable and not really all that important! They are simply to be used until something stronger is built! They will eventually be dismanteled and thrown back into a truck to return to a warehouse until they are needed once again. OUCH!

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization:

Pastors that practice the scaffolding code practice a callous misuse of what God has given that local church. Often the lack of growth is a memorandum on the minister callousness and not the people he serves.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization: The Scaffolding Code of Conduct

The pastor who believes the end justifies the means really ought not get involved in church revitalization! Besides I believe this is anything but pleasing to the Lord on High. It doesn’t do much for the church either.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization: The Scaffolding Code of Conduct

There is a reason for this, your inherited members need some strong pastoral care. There will possibly be wounds that need to be healed and a caring leader will add so much to the revitalization efforts over a callous leader who throws away believers.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization: The Scaffolding Code of Conduct

If a callous leader seeks to manipulate the present membership until he can build a “real church”, the resentment will surface and might not ever disappear.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from setting

scaffolding that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization: The Scaffolding Code of Conduct

I have noticed that the pastors relationship with the existing membership, no matter how weak or small it may be, sets the tone and creates the environment for everything else that could happen. Those that are left should be honored and respected.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

Let me ask you a question: Are you setting up scaffolding in your

church renewal effortsor Are you constructing foundations in

your Church Revitalization efforts?

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?One summer my Dad asked me to come

home from college and help him build elevator pit foundations! That was a summer I will never forget.

First because where we were building these elevator pits was out in the brutally hot sun and…

Secondly, because it was in the middle of a very muddy area that would eventually be about ten feet below ground level for the elevators.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

I learned about how critical it was to lay precise foundations that summer. If they were even as little as 1/8 of an inch out of level, square, and plumb it would spell disaster as the buildings began to rise out of the ground.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Lessons learned from forming the

foundation that relates towards principles of Church Revitalization:

How a revitalization pastor deals with those whom the Lord has blessed him with will be the determining factor for both the quality of the future congregation that he hopes will emerge.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Consider a Biblical pattern for church

revitalization

1. Bond to the churches past glories (honor them).

2.Call the church to repentance and set a moving forward from here date!

3.Develop new Gospel driven and Christ centered ministries.

4.Begin individual disciple making within the church.

5.Keep intercessory prayer central in the church.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Consider a Biblical pattern for church

revitalization

6.Biblical preaching is placed as central to the churches mission!

7.Keep the vision clear and easy to share.8.Stay on Mission.9.Practice servant leadership.10.Lead the church to practice

multiplication.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization? Consider a Biblical pattern for church

revitalization

11.Develop small group disciple making.12.Keep the Great Commission as a most

important commitment.

Are You Building Scaffolding or Foundations in Church

Revitalization?

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Are You Building Scaffolding or

Foundations in Church Revitalization?

By Dr. Tom Cheyney