I read this post today about 'what it takes to lead a successful church revitalization" and thought, "We may want to put him in a red, yellow, black, and blue, suit and stitch a HUGE "S" in the middle of his chest." This is from Thom Rainer. My thoughts are: “If it takes all of this in one person, no wonder we have such difficulty in “Revitalizing God’s Church.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I find nothing wrong with any one of these and admittedly each of these is an integral part of Church Revitalization. To see these written in one article is a bit overwhelming.
While I believe these need to be seen by anyone who senses the Spirit’s leading to do the arduous and difficult work of Revitalization, I must add that some of the most needed personalities might not be on this list. These might include:
- Pray-er
- Witness-er
- Love-er of God
- Love-er of People
- Love-er of the community
While I could offer several more, I’m not really the professional, hear from Dr. Rainer:
INTRODUCING THE REVITALIZER PROFILE: LEADING A CHURCH FROM ONE OF 12 LEADERSHIP PERSONALITIES
If I write with too much enthusiasm, please forgive me. But I am unabashedly excited about this tool.
It is called the Revitalizer Profile. It is the first step in the Revitalize Bundle, or it can be used as a standalone tool.
As we have coached pastors in revitalization for many years, the most successful path has been helping pastors discover their leadership strengths and learn to lead from those strengths. Too many pastors are told what they are doing wrong; with the Revitalizer Profile we work on celebrating how God has wired them positively.
It has been transformational!
Once pastors have taken this inventory, they are immediately provided their leadership personality. It helps them to know how to lead the church best. Here are the twelve different personalities, including the strength for each and a potential challenge.
Instructor – leads revitalization best through teaching, the source of greatest ministry fulfillment. An instructor may be challenged to balance priorities and time.
Thinker – loves to spend hours in study. Thinkers are best used for revitalization by devising and articulating biblical mandates to move forward. A thinker can be prone to neglect pastoral needs.
Detailer – makes certain nothing falls through the cracks, a great need and strength for revitalization. Detailers must be cautious lest they fail to see the big picture.
Visionary – has the God-given ability to see a future path for revitalization. Visionaries may struggle to be good listeners.
Strategist – can see a path forward for revitalization plus the steps to get there. Strategists, though, should be careful lest they see people as a means to an end.
Loyalist – leaders with a deep love for both the members and the institution, needed traits in a revitalization. A loyalist, however, may struggle to be a good listener.
Responder – has a heart and desire to meet needs quickly, a valuable trait in revitalization. But the Responder may neglect leading the church evangelistically toward growth.
Provider –very good at working one-on-one, particularly across generational lines. The Provider, however, may neglect preparation time for preaching and teaching.
Idealist – is able to provide hope and encouragement even in the stresses revitalization can bring. But the Idealist can get frustrated easily, especially when hopes and goals are not realized according to their own expectations.
Systematizer – highly adept in organizing and prioritizing for revitalization. But the Systematizer can be prone to neglect pastoral needs in their enthusiasm for the pursuit of processes.
Equipper – adept at training and motivating members, particularly in the area of evangelism in a revitalization. But the Equipper may have difficulty communicating how the congregation can balance both an outward focus and an internal spiritual growth emphasis.
Counselor – loves to be around and help people, a vital trait in the process of revitalization. The Counselor, however, can neglect key aspects of church leadership, particularly those that lead the church to growth and an outward focus.
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