Church Revitalization Track: 8 training sessions that provide comprehensive training in church revitalization conducted by Ken Priddy

Coaching Track: 4 training sessions that provide training in the basics of coaching conducted by Steve Ogne

Church Revitalization Coaching Track: 2 training sessions working in tandem with the basic Coaching Track that provide training in coaching the church revitalization process conducted by Ken Priddy

GCA Church Revitalization Training Track:

Session 1:

A) An Overview of Church Revitalization
B) Understanding the Church Lifecycle
C) Dynamics of the Stalled Church Plant
D) Dynamics of the Declining Established Church

Topics:

1) The Big Picture – Seeing God – Seeing What God Sees
2) Biblical Models: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, The Acts 2 – Ephesians 4 Church
3) Phases of Church Revitalization
4) Four Habits of Highly Effective Churches
5) The Church Lifecycle
        a) Stages: 
                i) Incline
                ii) Recline
                iii) Decline
                        (1) Vitality Lost Over Time
                        (2) Range from Moderate to Severe
                        (3) Distinctive Characteristics of incline/Recline/Decline
6) Dynamics of the Stalled Church Plant
7) Dynamics of the Declining Established Church

Session 2:

Phase 1: Aligning Perception: Looking Into a Giant Mirror. Through self-discovery, church leaders come to see their churches as they really are through statistical, historical and spiritual analysis.

Topics:

1) Assessment Tools:
        a) Two Key Perception Questions
        b) Getting the Facts – a Statistical Analysis
        c) Getting the Story – a Historical Analysis
        d) Getting the Pulse – a Spiritual Condition Analysis    
        e) Getting the Picture – a Congregational Survey

Session 3:

Phase 2: Aligning Vision: Discernment – Not Creativity. Vision in the church is about discernment, not creativity. The canvas is not blank but is filled with God’s vision for the church.  Through seeking God, church leaders identify God’s vision for the church and then apply that vision in the context of their individual churches.

Topics:

1) Two Key Vision Questions
2) Biblical Foundations:
        a) Matthew 16:13-18 The Great Promise
        b) Matthew 22:34-40 The Great Commandment
        c) Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission
        d) Acts 1:8 The Great Witness
        e) Luke 19:10 The Great Mission
3) Identifying the Impact Group
4) Designing the Ministry Setting

Session 4:

Phase 3: Aligning Strategy Part 1: The “How-To” of Vision. Strategy in the church is built around the objectives of reaching the lost and developing the found to their full spiritual potential. Two primary tools work in tandem to reach these objectives, The Progression of People Development (PPD) and the identification of Key Impact Ministries (KIMs).

Topics:

1) Two Key Strategy Questions
        a) The Progression of People Develop (PPD)
                (1) Contact
                (2) Convert
                (3) Disciple
                (4) Servant
                (5) Leader
                (6) Multiplier
        b) Identifying Key Impact Ministries (KIMs)

Session 5:

Phase 3: Aligning Strategy Part 2: The “How-To” of Vision with Key Impact Ministries identified and strategies for the Progression of People Development in place, a focused yet holistic Ministry Action Plan (M.A.P.) is designed for implementation. This M.A.P. will carry the church’s revitalization movement forward.

Topics:

1) Developing the Ministry Action Plan – Combining the Progression of People Development (PPD) with Key Impact Ministries (KIMs) to create a strategic Ministry Action Plan (MAP)
2) PPD + KIMs = MAP

Session 6:

Phase 4: Aligning Structure: High-Quality Decision-Making. The placing of authority and the effectiveness of decision-making are at the heart of how a church is structured. The healthy, growing church focuses its leaders on spiritual and strategic matters over administrative and financial management.

Topics:

1) Two Key Structure Questions
2) A Look at Acts 6
3) No to Administration and Finance
4) Yes to Spiritual Leadership and Strategic Resourcing
5) Identifying Key Impact Structures
6) The Role of Structure in the Ministry Action Plan

Session 7:

Phase 5: Aligning People: Cause & Effect. King James tells us that without a vision people will perish. It’s also true that without the people a vision will perish. Revitalization is about people reaching people who reach other people with the love of God by the grace of God. The dynamics of mobilizing the body to reach the lost and assimilating those who are found are critical to the process.

Topics:

1) Two Key People Questions
2) Four Dimensions of Change
3) The People of Church Revitalization
4) Four Types of People
5) Public Alignment of People
6) Private Alignment of People
7) Aligning Insiders & Newcomers: A Surprising Contingency
8) Prayer Teams

Session 8:

Sustaining Health, Growth & Multiplication: Church revitalization is not an event in the life of a church, it’s a commitment to a lifestyle for a church. Without regular vision and strategy analysis and adjustment, the younger church will again stall, and the older church will relapse into plateau or decline. Vision Vigilance is a must.

Topics:

1) The Revitalization Cycle
2) Leadership Effectiveness Factors
        a) Leadership Culture
        b) Leadership Selection Process        
        c) Leadership Equipping Process
3) Evaluation & Accountability
        a) Ministry Impact Objectives
        b) Ministry Impact Competencies    
        c) Ministry Impact Training
        d) Ministry Impact Documentation
        e) Analysis and Adjustment

Plus Two Coaching Tracks: The church leader who desires to serve as a revitalization coach should attend the Coaching Track presented by Steve Ogne as a prerequisite.

In addition, the revitalization coach-to-be should attend all eight church revitalization sessions as a prerequisite.

With the Coaching Track and the Church Revitalization Track completed, the revitalization coach-to-be should attend the two-session Church Revitalization Coaching Track presented by Ken Priddy.

The Coaching Track provides preparation for general coaching. The Church Revitalization Track provides an understanding of revitalization itself. The Church Revitalization Coaching Track prepares for coaching in the context of revitalization.

Note: All tracks can be attended during the same GCA Conference.