Revitalize My Church

Building Healthy Churches: A Conversation with AJ Mathieu of The Malphurs Group In this episode, we sit down with AJ Mathieu from The Malphurs Group to discuss church revitalization, leadership development, and building healthy churches. Drawing from his decade of experience in ministry and the legacy of Dr. Aubrey Malphurs, AJ shares valuable insights on how churches can move from decline to vita...

Essentials for Church Revitalization - Part 1 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)...

Episode Overview In this episode, Bart interviews Jason Allison about the challenges and opportunities of leading leaders in normative-sized churches. Jason shares insights from his extensive experience working with churches through multiple organizations and provides practical guidance for pastors looking to develop leaders rather than just delegate tasks. Guest Bio Jason Allison serves in multip...

  Episode Summary In this episode, Bart and Nathan discuss the "Farming Model" of evangelism, building on principles shared in Episode 17. They explore a strategic approach to both individual and corporate evangelism based on the parable of the seed from Matthew 13.   Hosts: Bart Blair Nathan Bryant (Executive Director of Assist Church Expansion)   Key Points The Need for Evangelism A 2021 LifeWay...

Lead Your Church Out Of Maintenance Mode Signs Your Church May Be in Maintenance Mode with Dan Reiland Episode Overview In this episode, Bart interviews Dan Reiland, an experienced executive pastor and church leadership coach, about identifying and addressing church stagnation. Dan shares insights from his article "Seven Signs That Your Church May Be In Maintenance Mode" and provides practical gui...

Episode 17: Show Notes The 6 Core Principles of Effective Church Evangelism - Revitalize My Church Podcast What Are the Most Effective Principles for Church Evangelism and Outreach? In this episode of Revitalize My Church, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss six foundational principles for effective church evangelism. These principles are designed to help church leaders develop a more strat...

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Hallock, author of "God's Not Done With Your Church," to explore practical strategies for church revitalization and replanting. Mark shares his journey from youth ministry to leading church replanting efforts, and provides valuable insights for churches facing decline. Key Topics Covered: The difference between church revitalization and church replanting Six...

Episode 15: Show Notes Episode Overview In this insightful episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, host Bart Blair engages in a deep conversation with Ed Short, a seasoned ministry leader whose experience spans over four decades in pastoral ministry and church consulting. Their discussion provides crucial insights for churches navigating the challenging waters of pastoral transition, with par...

Bart highlights 5 books to read in 2025 to help you revitalize your church!   1. Canoeing the Mountains - Tod Bolsinger Subtitle: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory Think of Lewis and Clark showing up at the Rocky Mountains with canoes - that's exactly what it feels like trying to lead a church today with methods that worked decades ago. Tod shows us how to adapt when our old playbook isn...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of cascading communication and maintaining unity when leading a church through revitalization. They emphasize that getting agreement and buy-in from core leaders, mid-level leaders, and key influencers before announcing major changes to the entire congregation is critical for success. Nat...

In this illuminating episode of Revitalize My Church, Build Groups founder Adam Ehrlichman shares his expertise on developing effective small group ministries. Drawing from his experience of doubling group participation at multiple churches, Ehrlichman introduces a practical six-part framework for small groups success: discover, develop, deploy, connect, coach, and care. The conversation explores...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of clear church governance and polity in revitalization efforts. Many struggling churches face challenges related to leadership structure, accountability, and decision-making processes. These issues can hinder progress and make it difficult for churches to move forward in a unified direct...

In this engaging conversation, Eric Hoke discusses his journey from traditional full-time ministry to becoming a co-vocational pastor and author of "Market Street Pastor." The discussion centers on the crucial distinction between bivocational ministry (working another job temporarily until full-time ministry becomes viable) and co-vocational ministry (intentionally maintaining both church and mark...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the fifth "big rock" of church revitalization - launching the new vision and plan. They explain that while "launch" can refer to a specific kickoff Sunday service, it's really a season of putting all the pieces of the plan in place and beginning to implement them.  Just as the Israelites built the taber...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, host Bart Blair interviews Pastor David Hsu from  West Houston Christian Church . Pastor David shares his story of immigrating from Taiwan to the United States at age 14, working as an electrical engineer after college, then feeling called to ministry and attending Dallas Seminary.  In 1993, Pastor David joined a new Chinese immigrant church pla...

In this Bonus Episode of the show, we explore the transformative power of small groups in church revitalization with Dustin Godshall, Lead Pastor of Thrive Church in York, PA. Over the past decade, Dustin has led his congregation from a struggling 60-member church to a thriving community of 300+, largely through the strategic implementation of small groups. Dustin shares his journey of transitioni...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of developing a comprehensive strategic plan when working to revitalize a church. This topic is the fourth of their "five big rocks" of church revitalization, following unity, leadership, and team. The conversation begins by addressing the common objection that strategic planning is too "...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, host Bart Blair interviews  Pastor Keith Minier  of  Grace Fellowship Church  in Ohio. Pastor Keith shares his experiences leading the church over the past 20 years, from when he first arrived as a young pastor to a congregation of just 65 people, to the thriving multi-site church it is today with over 4,000 attendees. Pastor Keith recounts how...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of building a strong team when working to revitalize a church. This topic is the third of their "five big rocks" of church revitalization, following unity and leadership. The conversation begins by emphasizing the biblical foundation for team ministry. Nathan points out that even Jesus se...

Navigate change and reorient to a new and hopeful future In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, host Bart Blair interviews Dale Sellers, Executive Director of  95Network , a ministry focused on serving and resourcing small to mid-sized churches. Dale shares his personal journey in ministry, the mission of 95Network, and the importance of soul care for pastors. Dale recounts his early...

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the critical role of leadership in church revitalization. As the second of their "five big rocks" of revitalization ( unity , leadership , team , plan, and launch), leadership is identified as the most important component for success in renewing a church's vision and direction. The hosts begin by emphas...

Ep.02 | Engines of Church Growth | Jim Brown In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, host Bart Blair interviews Pastor Jim Brown of Grace Community Church in Goshen, Indiana . Pastor Jim shares his experiences leading the church over the past 28 years, from when he first arrived as a young pastor to a congregation of just 60 people, to the thriving multi-campus church it is today with...

Episode 1 Show Notes: In this inaugural episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of unity within the local church, especially as it relates to church revitalization. Drawing from biblical passages such as Psalm 133, the hosts emphasize that unity among believers leads to a spiritual anointing that enables the church to move forward in i...

Welcome to our brand new show. In this episode you’ll get to know Nathan and Bart and learn a bit about why we decided to start this podcast. After you listen to this one, jump right over to Episode 1!