As the gnawing sense of disenchantment deepens, many churches find themselves succumbing to spiritual fatigue. Feeling the weight of this reality, pastors yearn for revival, a spark to reignite the flames of faith within their communities. But where does the journey begin?
Here we gather insights from faith leaders who guide us toward answers. They explore ordinary practices—prayer, hospitality, worship, storytelling, silence, and sacraments—that can spark extraordinary transformation. Rediscover the joy, mystery, and wonder at the heart of Christianity, and prepare to lead your church into a vibrant, reenchanted future.
Sharon Hodde Miller
Sharon Hodde Miller leads Bright City Church in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, Ike. She earned her MDiv from Duke Divinity School and her PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where she researched the topic of women and calling. Sharon writes for sites like Christianity Today, She Reads Truth, and Propel, and she is the author of three books: Free of Me, Nice, and The Cost of Control.
What advice would you offer to pastors who struggle to prioritize their own spiritual and emotional well-being after such a long season of feeling drained and discouraged?
A pastor’s personal faith and renewal must be our first and best work. It is the fount from which all our leadership flows. That said, pastors have been through the ringer. Seasoned, long-time pastors have told me that the last few years of ministry have been the hardest of their lives. I have spoken with countless pastors who have been rejected, betrayed, slandered, and accused by some of their longest-serving members and closest friends, and this takes a toll on a person. It also takes time to heal. I would encourage pastors to give themselves a lot of time and margin to rebuild what the last several years have torn down, and to make this a priority.
Jasmine Wood
Jasmine Wood serves as associate pastor at Lower Manhattan Community Church. Originally from Alabama, she infuses her messages with Southern warmth, emphasizing prayer and worship. Jasmine loves spending time outside in NYC with her husband, Brandon, and their daughter Trinity.
How can pastors measure the success of their efforts to foster spiritual renewal within their congregations, recognizing that spiritual growth can be subjective and multifaceted?
Eugene Peterson has done some work here that I found transformative. In The Jesus Way he writes about Christianity being an apprenticeship with Jesus. If we are developing as followers of Christ, shouldn’t we take a closer seat to observe him? Do we look like Christ? Does the congregation agree on the principles of what it means to be a disciple, and are they moving in that direction? If we, as pastors and leaders, are aware that more church members are actioning Jesus-centered ideas, we can rest assured spiritual growth is right there beneath the service.
Raymond Chang
Raymond Chang is the president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative. He has lived throughout the world, traveled to nearly 50 countries, and currently serves as the executive director for TENx10 and lives in Chicagoland with his wife, Jessica.
How can churches ensure that efforts toward spiritual growth and engagement are accessible and inclusive for individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences?
Design by centering the margins. One of the problems with the spiritual formation industry is that it is so focused on the individual that it never addresses the structural and social forces that alienate those who are considered the other (especially those from underrepresented and underresourced communities). Many Christians have told me that they do the work of evangelism, service, and discipleship among those who have been disenfranchised in our society only to have no church that they feel like they can entrust those marginalized groups to.
It often has nothing to do with doctrine but with culture—and cultural commitments that center those that have always been centered. One way you center the margins is by listening deeply in a nondefensive manner, seeking honest critiques of the status quo, and allowing others to speak into and shape the culture.
Courtney Ellis
Courtney Ellis is the author of Looking Up: A Birder’s Guide to Hope Through Grief (IVP, 2024). She and her husband, Daryl, pastor Presbyterian Church of the Master in Southern California, where they’ve served for ten years. They are raising three young birders.
What unexpected sources may have contributed to the church’s spiritual fatigue?
We’ve lost touch with creation. Natural theology points to the goodness of God, yet we design church life around explicitly religious practices (worship, Bible reading, prayer). As a result, the wonder, brutality, beauty, and awesomeness of the natural world are pushed to the background, creating a disconnect from the divine. I feel this most when I pray and words feel inadequate. But bird walks have become my solace, a spiritual practice that tethers me to the pleasure of God. Rather than dividing my life into secular and sacred, these moments remind me that the earth is the Lord’s and that I am invited to delight in his creation. Had my faith practices remained narrow and insular, too easily I would forget the vastness and complexity of creation—and of our Creator.
Trevin Wax
Trevin Wax is vice president of research and resource development at the North American Mission Board and the author of multiple books, including The Thrill of Orthodoxy, Rethink Your Self, and Gospel Centered Teaching. His podcast is Reconstructing Faith.
How can church practices cultivate a deeper awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance?
There are many practices I could recommend that might help reinvigorate the church’s spiritual life—everything from frequent fasting to corporate prayer to a renewed emphasis on catechesis. And yet, too often we think it’s our activity that matters.
I’ve heard it said before that the most dangerous part of ministry is that you can learn to do it. And much of what passes for ministry today takes place without true dependence on the Spirit’s work. Were we to see our need, our dependence on the one who has called us, we would summon his presence with quiet desperation, begging that he might allow us to taste and see his goodness. The sidelining of God, as demonstrated by the absence of fervent prayer—surely this is the biggest obstacle to renewal today.
Collin Hansen
Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. He hosts the Gospelbound podcast and has written and contributed to many books, most recently Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation.
How can churches create a culture of spiritual growth and engagement?
You don’t see revival without holiness and prayer, and renewal starts by going back to God’s Word with complete confidence in its truthfulness and sufficiency. Additionally, there are three shifts in thinking that, if understood and embraced, would greatly contribute to the spiritual vibrancy of a church:
- We shouldn’t have to agree with someone 100 percent in order to learn from them.
- We should be able to criticize and reject evil practices in the church, past or present, without either inciting a backlash or deconstructing our faith.
- We should be able to follow in the example and grace of Jesus Christ by being compassionate, courageous, and commissioned at the same time in our personal lives and in our churches, no matter our particular gifting.
Derwin Gray
Derwin Gray cofounded the Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, with his wife, Vicki Gray. He speaks at conferences nationwide and is the author of several books, including Building a Multiethnic Church.
As we think about fostering spiritual revival across broader communities, how can pastors look for, or create, opportunities for cross-denominational collaboration?
Sparking a spiritual revival can be catalyzed when pastors from different streams of the Christian faith see themselves as partners in the gospel, not competitors for religious consumers. This means they pray together, centering their ministries in the gospel of King Jesus. There must be a willingness to resource each other with best ministry practices, mentoring, and financial assistance.
In our ever-increasing diverse contexts, it is essential for pastors to model what it means to love the other relentlessly, listen to the other intentionally, and learn from the other continuously.
