Revivals are historically important and continue to be essential to the spiritual vitality of the church. Revivals and evangelistic crusades continue to be relevant in these days and can provide many significant benefits for the local church.
- Lost people can be saved.
- Believers can be sanctified.
- Sanctified Christians can be renewed.
- Those who have fallen can rise and return to the Lord.
- The church as a whole can be awakened from apathy and stagnation.
- Families and other relationships can be healed.
- Church unity can be enhanced.
- Laity can be inspired to new levels of Christian commitment.
- Church finances can increase.
- Pastor and spouse can be encouraged in their ministries.
A revival can create a dynamic opportunity for evangelism. With adequate spiritual preparation, evangelism becomes an expression of true revival experienced within yourself and in your church.
Revival in your own life can bring about revival in your church. Revival beginning in the hearts of a core group, spreads to a larger group, the church, and ultimately to the community.
FOUR STEPS OF PREPARATION
1. Pastor, stir the embers of revival burning in your own heart. Revival has to do with the "intensity of desire" for God. Evidence of your desire for God will spread revival flames from you heart to your people. Why not begin meeting individually with a few key persons several months before the revival to pray for revival?
2. Begin to discuss the need, opportunity, and greatness of revival. Perhaps you will want to preach a series of sermons on the subject of revival and renewal. Your enthusiasm about revival will excite your congregation as well.
3. Contact NPH to order revival preparation materials, revival advertisements, and supplies.
4. Establish a committee to help the church anticipate the revival. This should be done at least eight weeks before the event. The Revival Preparation Guidebooks (MGU-595, available from Nazarene Publishing House) have been especially designed to help you implement this preparation. They present a job description for each committee chairperson including:
- Pastoral and General Chairperson
- Prayer Committee
- Attendance and Enlistment Committee
- Program and Altar Workers Committee
- Follow-Through and Bible Study Committee
BASIC REVIVAL TOOLS
TOTAL INVOLVEMENT
The most effective revival preparation secures the help of everyone connected with the church. What people participate in, they attend. Older Christians can be at the heart of prayer for revival. Pre-Christians can assist in driving vans and buses. Children and teenagers are a wonderful asset to revival and should be incorporated into the preparation. Advertising can make a difference in your attendance and make your neighborhood aware of these special services.
ORGANIZING WITH CHECKUPS
The best of us sometimes forget simple but necessary details unless we are reminded. For that reason report cards are provided with the Revival Preparation Guidebooks for each area of preparation. This helps us to remind one another of our responsibilities and how excited we are about doing them.
FOLLOW-UP
It is important to have a follow-up plan for new and growing Christians as well as those who haven’t made a decision to follow Jesus Christ as of yet. During the revival the Holy Spirit will continue to speak to those hearts that listened and heard His Message, even after the special services have concluded. Phone calls, home visits, personal evangelism and discipleship classes are all useful tools for the continuation of building the Kingdom.
Itinerant Evangelists make it their life calling to serve God in their vital role. Evangelists consider it a privilege to be called by God to preach and/or sing at your revival. If you feel comfortable, let the Evangelist know the praises and difficulties that your church is experiencing. This will enable him/her to be more sensitive to the needs of your church.
These are exciting days of revival. Our tools are sharper than ever before. The revelation of God is at a peak. Now is the time to prepare and have revival.
God will minister to you as you prepare for this exciting event in your church and in your heart.