Frequently asked Questions about the Church Renewal Journey Q. What is the Church Renewal Journey? A. A churchwide process of awakening God’s church, equipping and discipling it’s members and sending them out with the joy of serving in the unique way God has called and gifted them, where they receive the Joy and God receives the Glory. Q. What does the Journey Consist of? A. There are five major steps in the Journey, consisting of Lay Led weekend events: The Lay Renewal Weekend is the Awakening step for the Journey and is an opportunity to re-­‐awaken the church to it's purpose and passion. It takes believers, wherever they are in their spiritual journey and refreshes them with a godly perspective of their role in service to others, This is an inward journey that renews and restores the love of Christ to those who have drifted away from their commitment. This weekend also brings the church body together as a family. Acts 3:19 Repent and return...., in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. The Lay Ministry Weekend is the Equipping step and equips churches by sharing how God has shaped each believer for ministry. Using the acrostic, S.H.A.P.E, this weekend teaches about Spiritual gifts, what God is continually saying to our Heart, and how our Abilities, Personality, and Experiences have uniquely prepared us for specific ministries. It is here that many laypeople understand for the first time that they are just as called to ministry as their pastor. This weekend is preparation for the outward journey. 1st Peter 4:10-­‐11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another... that in all things God may be gloried through Jesus Christ. The Marketplace Evangelism Weekend is an application of the Awakening & Equipping steps and a continuation of the journey called the Commissioning. Church members are encouraged to Prayer Walk their marketplace or school, asking God how He may want to work through them, where they spend the other six days of their week, outside the church walls. Those who commit to God's calling are commissioned by their pastor and church body and sent back into their marketplace or school or wherever God has placed them, but now as commissioned missionaries from His church, to witness and minister in their unique giftedness. John 20:21 Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you. The Prayer Weekend is just that, a time for His church to come apart from the world to spend time together in the Father's Presence, to be Empowered through individual and group prayer. This weekend is about God's people returning to Him through fervent prayer toward personal holiness and the Great Commission. Participates will also be encouraged and trained in biblical prayer that focuses on Kingdom Priorities. Through prayer, God unleashes His church to be on mission with him in their world. The church as a body and it's individual members are Empowered for whatever God has next for them. Luke 11:1 It came about while He was praying, ...one of his disciple said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray..." The Acts 1:8 Weekend is the fifth step of the Church Renewal Journey, but can also be used as the first step or to launch the church into a new & exciting Sending journey, by involving it's members in their Jerusalem (local & associational ministries); their Judea (their state convention ministries); their Samaria (national or North American Mission Board ministries); and to the Ends of the Earth (international or International Mission Board ministries). This weekend encourages churches to register as an Acts 1:8 Church, a process sponsored by NAMB & IMB which has 8 goals for the church to adopt and work toward. Acts 1:8 You shall receive power... and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Other Renewal Weekends are available for churches desiring to continue the Journey. The church decides after each weekend if they want to continue the journey and the weekends are usually scheduled 6 to 12 months apart. The church does not commit to the whole journey at once, but registers for each step as they decide to continue. Q. How does a church begin the Church Renewal Journey? A. The pastor or church member contacts their State Convention who will have a Church Renewal Journey Consultant call and explain the process and set up a meeting for an overview of the journey with the pastor and/or with the church.. Or they can also go online and fill out an online form at www.churchrenewaljourney.net and request an Overview or register under the heading "Renewal Weekend Application Form" for a Renewal Weekend. Continued Q. What is the cost for the consultant meeting and Overview presentation? A. There is no cost, obligation or commitment for the Overview presentation. This is a Ministry of Love and all Renewal Consultants come at their own expense. The purpose of the consultant meeting is to allow the church to see an overview of the Journey without any commitment. If they are interested in knowing more after this meeting, the consultant will explain the next steps Q. Who and how many outside people are involved in the Journey? A. A Renewal Coordinator is assigned to the church and he will bring a visiting team from other churches. The visiting team will consist of a Music Leader, Children’s Coordinator, Youth Coordinator and several other adults depending on the size of your church. A church with a Sunday School attendance of 80 adults would normally have about 15 visiting team members. (Many team members are married couples, so the church would only need about 7 homes to house a team of 15.). Q. How does the church prepare for the Journey? A. The pastor appoints a General Chairperson who with the pastor, chooses a chairperson for 6 major Preparation Groups. Eight to Ten weeks prior to the date of the Weekend, the Renewal Coordinator meets with the Preparation Groups and those they have recruited and trains each Group in their responsibilities. Q. What if we are a small church, do we still need all the Preparation Groups? A. Small churches can combine several groups if needed, and large churches can expand the groups to include more people. Q. How much time is needed for the church to prepare for the weekend? A. It takes 3 to 6 months to properly prepare the church for the weekend and the preparation time is an important part. Q. What is the cost if the church decides to continue with the Journey? A. The Coordinator and complete visiting team come at their own expense. The biggest cost to the church is for the meals. ( Many churches have a catered church-­‐wide Friday evening meal and have a donation box to help cover the cost. Saturday Lunch can be a simple sandwich meal, again with a donation box. Saturday evening meal many times is a covered dish. There is a Sunday lunch for the visiting team and Host families. The Postage for the invitation letters to the visiting team and pastor letter to the congregation is the only other expense. Q. Does a church have to commit to the complete Journey? A. If a church wants to begin the Journey it only plans for the first weekend. After the first weekend, they then decide if they want to continue to the next weekend. (The Renewal Consultant will assist them again if they desire to prepare for the next weekend and nearly all churches do continue the Journey.) Q. How many weekends are there in the Journey? A. The Renewal Consultant will plan to assist the church through the first five weekends. After that the church should be able to continue the Journey themselves. However, a new consultant can be assigned to the church is they desire help with any further weekends and there are many to chose from. Q. How much time is usually needed between the first and second weekends? A. Most churches will schedule the second weekend within 6 to 12 months. A weekend in the fall can be followed by the next weekend in the spring, or on the same date on the following year. The church sets this schedule if they decide to continue. Q. How can you learn more about the journey? A. 1. Go to www.churchrenewaljourney.net and under the heading "RENEWAL WEEKEND APPLICATION FORM," register online to have a Renewal Consultant to contact your church and schedule a Church Renewal Journey Overview on a Sunday night or Wednesday night, or during the Sunday School hour with all adult classes meeting in the fellowship hall. There is no cost or obligation for the Overview which takes 45 minutes. 2. Contact your State Convention office or the North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30022 Phone (888) 634-­‐2462 ext 6481 3. Email [email protected] The Church Renewal Journey North American Mission Board, 2400 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta GA 30022 888 634-­‐2462 ext 6481 www.churchrenewaljourney.net [email protected]