Ten years ago, as social conditions became less responsive to organized religion, church planting became harder than it used to be. The number of failed church plants soared in most denominations. Millions of dollars invested went nowhere as the new churches failed to take root. Many judicatories decided to give up on planting and put all their eggs in the revitalization basket: seeking to stabilize the churches they had. This worried me then, because every church has a life cycle. As churches age, few are able to turn back time. But revitalization became the rage - all sorts of programs were offered to help local churches get a grip, and a facelift - I have been a major player in the church revitalization industry - even as I continued to coach new church starts.
