by David S. Young
foreword by Richard J. Foster
This book provides congregations with the keys to revitalization. Using a seven-step model, it helps churches identify their strengths and build upon them. In the process, congregations discover new life and find renewed urgency to their mission.
David S. Young approaches the need for renewal with a spiritual thrust and an active servant leader style. He gives systematic help in how to be a healthy church with an urgent mission. This manual helps a church cultivate its spiritual life, train leaders, and focus efforts in ministries which express its identity and call.
Building on the classic spiritual disciplines, this book shows how a church can enter a faith journey using disciplines folders, implement a seven-step model to identify and build on strengths, and discern where God is leading. Then churches use servant leadership to implement a spiritually focused renewal plan. Twelve appendices with a disciplines folder on spiritual disciplines are included.
Rather than the pastor working solo, a renewal team is trained that gets the entire congregation involved. The team works with the church to look at its strengths and discover new life. Rather than using a diagnostic model of church renewal, find out what is wrong and fix it, the process uses an affirmative model, find out what is right and builds upon it.
This book is written from David Young's experience in pastoring in the local church, teaching in seminaries, leading cluster work, writing two books in the field, and keeping one foot planted in a church working on renewal. Young has learned, developed, lived, taught, and tested this model. Herald Press, softcover, 389 pages.