Discussing Church Planting and Revitalization at Inspire 2019

Registration is now open for Inspire 2019 happening in Windsor, Ontario, August 1-3, 2019.

Inspire 2019 is an event designed specifically for ministry volunteers and leaders from Christian Reformed and Reformed churches across North America. Mary Hulst, Ann Voskamp, Ed Stetzer, and Soong Chan Rah are the featured speakers.

Over three days, people across the church will gather to worship God, build relationships across Christ’s community, and gain tools for ministry in your home communities. Resonate Global Mission is excited for the various workshops discussing church planting and revitalization.

“More and more people in North America are leaving the church or have no memory of church,” said Kevin Schutte, who leads Resonate’s church planting initiative. “There are huge opportunities for the CRC to bring a robust gospel to our communities and be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us—but we need to find new ways to do that and strengthen our churches.”

What does that look like? Kevin and other ministry leaders will be leading workshops on this important topic, and Resonate Global Mission will have a booth in the exhibition hall. Come and find us! We’d love to talk with you about strengthening the church and joining God in mission at Inspire 2019. 

Friday August 2, 10:00-11:00am: A New Partnership for Congregational Renewal with Colin Watson and Jil Ver Steeg

The Reformed Partnership for Congregational Renewal is a new combined effort of the RCA and CRC. It offers congregations an approach to renewal that includes prayerful discernment of what is needed, collaboration that catalyzes innovation, and resources from both denominations that can help congregations be revitalized for ministry. This workshop will teach participants about this effort and answer questions about how it might be useful for your church.

Friday August 2: 10:00-11:00am: Why Church Planting is an Essential Task of the Church with Kevin Schutte

We have a numbers gap. Each year the CRC closes more churches than it organizes. This workshop will allow breakout participants to explore and discuss church planting case studies and statistics in order to better understand the need for prioritizing church planting.

Friday August 2, 11:30am-12:30pm & 2:00-3:00pm: Leaders Who Turn Around Churches with Keith Doornbos

With 75% of CRCs and RCAs plateaued or in decline, the need for leaders who can lead change has never been greater. What are the characteristics of leaders who can bring about that change? How can a congregation find, equip, and empower leaders that will help them pursue a God-preferred future? This workshop will share leadership insights discovered by the Church Renewal Lab while working with turn-around congregations.

Friday August 2, 2:00-3:00pm: Church Planting and Latino Communities with Jose Rayas

What are the current opportunities for planting churches in Latino communities? This workshop will explore those opportunities by sharing recent stories of success, and identifying the approaches used.

Friday August 2, 3:30-4:30pm: Comeback Churches with Ed Stetzer

Research shows that over time most churches plateau and then eventually decline. This is holding true in North America, where the population has increased by 15 percent since 1991, and the number of "unchurched" people has increased by 92 percent. This workshop will look at the research and describe some methods being used by churches to achieve healthy growth after a significant season of decline.

Friday August 2, 3:30-4:30pm: Models of Church Planting with Kyle Brooks

What does a church plant look like today? Engage with two current church planters as they share their approach. You will learn about the classic launch team approach (with a twist!) as well as the missional community strategy.

Saturday August 3, 10:00-11:00am: Parenting Churches Well with Kevin Adams

How does church planting impact established churches? How can it ignite mission? What is the cost? This workshop will explore what it means to church parent well, including the costs and benefits to established churches.

Saturday August 3, 10:00-11:00am: Transformation Through the Power of Narratives and Systems Thinking with Soong-Chan Rah

When confronted with the need to transform our churches or ministries, we are often frustrated by the inadequacy of our efforts. In this workshop we will consider systems thinking, narratives, and social imagination as venues through which we can begin the process towards transformation.