Aubrey Malphurs - Re:Vision: The Key to Transforming Your Church

2014 by Aubrey M. Malphurs and Gordon E. Penfold

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2014

Ebook corrections 10.01.2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-2010-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Malphurs and Penfold have de-mystified the church revitalization process without factoring out the necessary dependence on the Holy Spirit. They have provided principles and processes to follow. They have supplied evaluative tools for both the church and the pastor. And, most importantly, they have centered it all in Scripture and prayer. This will be a resource every pastor leading in a revitalizing effort will want to have.

Phil Stevenson , assistant district superintendent, Pacific-Southwest of the Wesleyan Church

What leadership is to healthy and growing churches, vision is to effective leadership. Penfold and Malphurs have rightly targeted and identified the need for weary pastors and waning church leaders to team up around a renewed vision that will direct and align their energies and resources toward a revitalized church. What they present may well be the remedy for the declining direction of the church in America.

Rich Frazer , president, Spiritual Overseers Service International

Integrating statistical analysis, biblical theology, and pastoral wisdom, Aubrey Malphurs and Gordon Penfold have compiled a marvelous work that will help leaders think through how to lead their teams to re-envision their leadership structures for the glory of Christ.

Kevin Peck , lead pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church

Church planting is on the rise, but what about all the existing plateaued, dead, or dying churches in America that are in desperate need of revitalization? Is there hope for them? Very few pastors are turnaround leaders, yet the majority of churches in America are in desperate need of renewal. Most pastors dont know how to lead a church out of a downward spiral. Heres a book that will help pastors do just thatturn around a church.

Jim Tomberlin , founder and senior strategist, MultiSite Solutions; author of many books, including 125 Tips for MultiSite Churches

In this invigorating, timely, and prophetic work, Malphurs and Penfold paint a necessary future picture for the American church. Not content to only describe and lament the decline of the American church, the authors provide marching orders for pastors, congregations, judicatories, and denominations. Substance is added to the picture as the authors provide processes useful to the pastor who desires to bring about the re-envisioning of a local congregation.

Matthew Bohling , pastor for preaching and vision, Living Hope Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Re:Vision acknowledges the state of the church, declining denominations, and what it takes to reverse those trends. Through quantitative and qualitative research, Malphurs and Penfold unpack the significance of pastoral vision and how it directly influences the heart, health, and future of the church. This book will help leaders regain the momentum they need to revitalize the work God has called them to do.

Tami Heim , president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance

This book should be required reading for every pastor and staff member in our churches. Aubrey and Gordon have produced a phenomenal users manual for kingdom and church growth. They have covered all the bases plus brought into the mix of material behavioral requirements that are needed for pastors. Every reader should be challenged to make personal changes that will allow God to use them in an extraordinary way as well.

Ken Bratz , owner, Ken Bratz Consulting

This practical leadership book adds tremendous value to church leaders. The research, real life stories, and reflection sections will help move you from ideas to implementation. Re:Vision is not only a great read, its a great training tool.

Mac Lake , visionary architect, The LAUNCH Group

This is a book pastors will return to again and again. Every pastor should read it and read it again when it is time to dream new dreams and lead toward the next season of ministry. This is a great book for a mentor and protg to enjoy together.

David Bowman , executive director, Tarrant Baptist Association

Malphurs and Penfold offer us their marvelous wisdom, creativity, practical analysis, and motivating visionenvisioningwith regard to pastoral leadership in the church. In this present situation in North America, there is much confusion over what could and should be done to lead churches toward health and growth. One thing we do know is that without visionwithout envisioningcongregations slowly decline and die. This book is a treasure trove of down-to-earth, immediately usable advice for all of us called to lead the church today.

Charles Van Engen , professor of Biblical Theology of Mission, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary

We dedicate this book to those pastors and their families who commit themselves, often at tremendous personal cost, to transforming established churches from the throes of death to new life and vitality. You have hung in there in spite of peoples resistance to change and innovation. Sometimes the saints can make church work difficult. Regardless, out of a deep love for Jesus Christ and his body, you struggle against all odds to direct the churches you serve back to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. We thank God for your dedication and sacrifice not only to the church, but to those who are not yet Christ-followers. May your number grow exponentially and may the Lord use you to create such a stirring that North America will never again be the same. You are our heroes. We need more leaders like you.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all those pastors who contributed in some way to our exploration. Your willing participation made this book possible. Your love for Christs church and your desire to aid in her growth is commendable. Thanks for making yourselves vulnerable as you shared your ministry life with us.

Special thanks to Brad Bridges, who helped us gather some of the material to make this book possible. Due to your push at the end of the discovery phase, we were able to reach pastors whose ministries touch each state and each Canadian province. Thanks for your investment.

To Ken Bratz of Ken Bratz Consulting: Your gift of the DISC profiles made this project doable. Thanks for your wonderful generosity that enabled us to reach such a large and diverse group of pastors. The extensive nature of this exploration would have been most difficult, if not impossible, without your generous contribution.