Peter (not his real name) is a typical Canadian pastor. He has been leading his church for 11 years. His congregation has seen better days, when the nursery was full and the basement rattled with all those children. There were warning signs before COVID, with fewer new guests and less baptisms each year, but the church was getting by. In early 2020, he was able to recruit a couple of people to broadcast the Sunday service for “a little while”. Almost three years later, it’s hard to even remember what Sunday morning was like before streaming. His church and his people have changed so much. Many people have drifted away and those that remain are more fragile and less committed than ever. The ‘old normal’ seems like a distant memory.
Like many of his fellow leaders, Peter is facing daunting challenges. He wonders if he has what it takes to turn around his church. The current situation is like nothing he’s experienced before. All the old strategies are less effective today. Where do you even begin?
Maybe you resonate with Peter’s reality. The future seems so uncertain and the path forward is unknown. But I believe there is hope and future for every Peter out there.
By most indications the Church of Jesus Christ is struggling in Canada: attendance and engagement are dropping, pastors are barely hanging on and most dramatically the evangelical temperature of the church is declining. A recent Canadian survey almost half of the “those working with children, youth, or families are most likely to “strongly agree” or “agree” (46-48%) that it is wrong to share one’s faith with the hopes of conversion.” This is a sobering reminder of how far the church has drifted from its Mission.
In the face of such dire news, it’s important to rest on key promises of Scripture – notably, “I (Jesus) will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18b)
Brothers and sisters, the truth is that God continues to build His Church for His glory!
The current state and trajectory of the Church in Canada break my heart!
Church Vitalization Canada was launched to change this narrative. It’s an interdenominational movement of gutsy church leaders who are willing to do anything short of sin to reach people that are far from God.
This movement was birthed within the PAOC with great impact and now spans many denominations from coast to coast.
Church vitalization has only one objective: to grow healthy soul-winning and disciple-making churches in Canada.
We dream of a future where Canada’s churches are revitalized and healthy. How would our nation be blessed by seeing 80% of 30,000 churches were truly flourishing by earnestly following Jesus and his plans for world?
The Church Vitalization Canada purposes are as follows:
- Champion the need for and solutions to vitalizing churches across Canada (and beyond)
- Provide insights and resources for churches to help more people find and follow Jesus Christ
- Promote proven methodologies, tools and practices that help churches revitalize
- Develop coaching methods and best practices to assist churches to revitalize (including training, certifications and quality control / support for coaches)
- Provide grants to support coaching and vitalization efforts in churches and associations of churches
How can you get involved? Pray. Pray. Pray.
- Pray for Jesus’ Kingdom to come and his will be done in Canada as it is in heaven.
- Pray for leaders who are struggling to keep focused on God’s mission and what God is already doing in their context and to join them in this work.
- Pray to receive the Spirit’s wisdom on how to get support this movement which can be in any number of ways:
- PROMOTE – Spread the word about Church Vitalization Canada
- CONTRIBUTE – Share your resources to extend the movement
- PARTICIPATE – Join the Church Vitalization Canada movement
All the Peters’ of Canada will be blessed by seeing their congregations turn around as Jesus continues to build his Church, as they make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us.
Be sure to check out www.churchvitalization.ca for more information.
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[1] Alpha Canada, The Priority & Practice of Evangelism Canadian Church Leader Perspectives in 2021
