The Church Revitalization Podcast

Learn about the 2023 Church Check-Up Challenge! In this 7-day challenge (beginning January 9), you'll get practical tools and training to optimize your church's health for the upcoming year. Each day, you'll receive an email, a short video, and one actionable tool that focuses on a critical aspect of church health. Plus, one church that signs up for the challenge will receive a free Church Ministr...

Love runs deep in God's plan for humanity as we are made in His image, and love is at His core. As we move into the fourth week of Advent, celebrating the birth of Jesus and His imminent expected return, love should be the feeling we share towards him and one another. How should that manifest itself in a revitalized church? To read today's show notes, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/171

Joy doesn't exist because things are healthy. No. The opposite. Churches that want to experience revitalization need to get serious about becoming a place filled with joy. This joy is available to all churches—but it takes hard work to tap into the source. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll explore how your church can experience joy and how it can transform your church. To...

*This week's episode of the podcast was written and recorded prior to the passing of Dr. Aubrey Malphurs. You can read a statement from our TMG team here: https://malphursgroup.com/press As we continue through advent, we're talking about peace. There are dozens of references to peace in the New Testament alone. Peace is certainly a key theme in the coming of the Messiah, and in His imminent return...

When we celebrate Advent, we remember the fulfillment of God's promises in the birth of Jesus–but we also embrace the sense of expectation for Christ's imminent Return. In reflecting on this season on our team at The Malphurs Group, we realized that there's a clear connection between Advent and church revitalization. Over the next four weeks, we'll tackle each of the traditional four topics: hope,...

In this short episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we're reflecting on Thanksgiving and what we're thankful for on our team. To view the video of this episode, visit: https://malphursgroup.com/167

It's not news that the Church is declining in the United States and that fewer people are identifying as Christian, but Pew Research recently released the findings of a study showing the trendline of Christian decline along with future projections. So what is the takeaway for the Church? In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are focusing on a few things to consider about the fut...

Change isn't easy. Yet change in the church has never been more critical than it is right now. We believe that your church wants to change. More than that, we believe that your church can change. We believe it because we've seen it. So what do you do when your church commits to change, but some in the church resist? In this episode of the Church Revitalization podcast, we're listing what you need...

Making plans is fun. Following through is hard. Most churches fail before they even begin the implementation journey because they did not account for the barriers. Our team at the Malphurs Group has guided hundreds of churches through strategic planning, and on this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are addressing four common barriers we've noticed. To read today's show notes, visit...

Perhaps it's in the wide reporting about the loss of Christian influence in the world that we've all just had it in our heads that people don't want to talk to pastors about things. But according to a recent poll by the Barna Group suggests that a majority of U.S. adults trust Christian pastors. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are looking at easy ways that you can leverage...

Seminary is a wonderful place to learn how to preach a sermon and study Scripture. But historically, most pastors learn their leadership skills from the school of hard knocks. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we want to help you sidestep common potholes and give you a clear picture of four skills you need to develop that seminary might not have taught you. To read today's show...

Before a church is revitalized, its life dwindles, and death looms. These churches have a fading view of a once bright past, and it gives way to robotic monotony, apathy, and stress. But your church can be revitalized and enter into a new season of effectiveness. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are giving you six biblical signs of a revitalized church. To read today's show...

It seems like everyone has a podcast these days! While starting a podcast isn't for everyone, there is still plenty of room in the so-called "market" for your church to start a podcast. You don't need to make the "new and noteworthy" or top charts for your podcast to be successful. You simply need to set the right goals, and put in the work to achieve those ends. On this episode of the Church Revi...

Finding the right candidate for a church staff opening is difficult. Whether you're trying to find a new senior pastor or a part-time children's ministry director, the cost of hiring the wrong person is steep. But getting the right hire doesn't need to be impossible. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, We are diving into some key principles your church can apply to hire good chur...

It's the heavyweight title fight of church discipleship ministries. Perhaps second only to church "worship wars" between traditional and contemporary music, the battle between Sunday School and Small Groups has been waging for a few decades now too. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we discuss the best possible method for church discipleship. To read today's show notes, visit:...

A team or board of qualified senior leaders is an essential component of a healthy church leadership culture. That said, when church boards are dysfunctional, they can do more to single-handedly run a church into the ground than just about any other factor. n this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we outline the five most common dysfunctional habits of unhealthy church boards. To read...

The thought of talking about pastor compensation makes many people uncomfortable. From the pastor's point of view, he never wants to be seen as greedy or ungrateful, so most do not initiate a compensation discussion with the powers that make those decisions in the church. This is damaging to the whole church when a pastor is in a position that may distract him from his primary ministry and even co...

Church doesn't need to be complicated, but sometimes it ends up that way. Having a few primary ministries that are well thought out and intentional can be much more successful than a large menu of options. We refer to the ministries beyond what are primary as secondary ministries. It's in the secondary ministry space that church can get confusing, complicated, and distracting. And that is what we...

No two churches are the same any more than there are any two people who are the same. The Body of Christ is diverse, and God is sovereign over all things and His will is done in His timing and through those of His choosing. Still, humans are human and do human things. And with that fact, we find common themes in church dysfunction. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we are discu...

Every leader has to make decisions, and good decisions are made from good information. The helpful things every pastor should know every week , we call the pastor's "dashboard." So what should be on your dashboard? This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we will tell you some of the best things to include in any pastoral dashboard. Read the full show notes at malphursgroup.com/153 Shout ou...

Millennials are the most religiously unaffiliated generation in American history. But they're not atheists or agnostics. A study by Barna Group found that 74% of Millennials believe God exists, and almost half say they pray daily-yet many young adults don't identify with a specific denomination or church. Why are Millennials leaving their faith? And what can the church do about it? That is the sub...

Throughout the country, churches of all sizes and denominations experience a bump in fall church attendance. Congregations benefit from people wanting to get back into the rhythm of "normal" life after the summer and to establish good habits for a new season. However, this isn't just a chance to hop back into the status quo of the spring. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we ar...

The leaders of change must be proactive; they must act while the window is open. They must understand the process of change and be ready to implement that process as God opens windows to the future. But how do you start that process of change? Is your church frozen in the status quo? We are going to help you thaw it out on this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast. To read today's show not...

Poor worship music during a Sunday morning service is difficult to overcome. While music and worship style are not the primary factor in determining if a guest returns or not, bad music is still likely to keep guests from coming back–and to keep your existing congregation from inviting friends and family. So how can your church improve your worship music? That is what we are talking about in this...

Leadership development is a key element that highly effective churches have in common. If you want to increase the quantity and quality of ministry that your church is capable of doing, build leaders. So how do we help people grow in their leadership skills, and perform at higher and higher levels of effectiveness? In this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we are looking at three thing...