Learnings from revitalisations

The Eido Research report found that mission, especially evangelism, often worked well. It helped churches grow and brought new energy to the existing congregation. Our wider evaluations showed something similar. Clear invitations to faith and good pathways for discipleship help people take steps towards becoming Christians. Many resource churches and their plants have grown strongly in this way.

Cockayne and Powley remind us that revitalisation should not be seen as just a technique to grow numbers. It is the Church taking part in God’s own sending work, which is key to Anglican faith and practice. Seeing mission this way helps us understand growth not only as bigger numbers, but as signs of a healthy and flourishing church community.

Eido Research found that building good relationships with local people and organisations helps a church grow and builds trust. Our evaluations agree. Working with others in the community is important, and the theological reflection says that choosing where to revitalise should be a matter of prayer and discernment. Local partnerships help churches serve their area well and support shared growth.

Existing congregations also play a major role. Many evaluations, and the video series, show that their support, or resistance, can strongly affect a project. The theological reflection adds that a revitalisation should not make every church look the same. Instead, emerging insights suggest that a revitalised church often grows in ways that fit its local Anglican tradition.

Eido Research also found no evidence that revitalisations reduce attendance at nearby Anglican churches. While some people may move in the short term, over time attendance at other churches is not negatively affected.

Both research and evaluations highlight that leaders need to listen carefully and handle change with sensitivity.

Churches are working in many ways to support the faith of children, young people, and families. The evaluations again show that this work is central to revitalisation. Eido Research found that engaging children and families was one of the most important sources of growth. It also opens new opportunities with schools, wider family networks, and to support other churches, as evidenced in the video series.

Theological insight helps us see that revitalisation is about the whole community flourishing, not just certain groups. Children’s activities and youth work are signs of shared life and growth across the church. When churches choose where to plant or send teams, they should think about long-term needs, including the needs of younger generations. This supports the evidence that children’s work helps churches grow and reflects the Church’s calling to help whole communities thrive.

Prayer is essential and sustainable! Eido Research reported that prayer helped leaders stay focused on Jesus, keeping mission central to planning. Other evaluations said that prayer helped people discern their next steps and prepare for the work. This shows that prayer is not supplementary, it is foundational. Revitalisation needs ongoing attention to God’s leading, and prayer keeps that at the heart of the work.

Eido Research also stressed that leaders need support and that drawing on the gifts of lay people helps stop clergy from becoming overwhelmed. Our evaluations also show that strong teams of clergy and lay members together make revitalisations more effective and healthier for everyone involved.

Funding is another key challenge. Eido found that relying solely on local giving is often difficult, especially when building costs are high. Other evaluations confirm that different mission models need different levels of resources. Some revitalisations take longer to become financially steady or may require ongoing support to sustain their mission, particularly those in deprived contexts, as the Blackpool and Blackburn video series identifies.