Practical Church Revitalization Podcast

looking at the recent SBC report and why both sides need to find balance and understand that there is good and bad from both sides of the argument in the debate. 

Natalie takes the lead talking about her recent time away and what she was studying and how we must be practicing this in our revitalizations. 

As observed by Aldag and Fuller (1993), the groupthink phenomenon seems to rest on a set of unstated and generally restrictive assumptions: The purpose of group problem solving is mainly to improve decision quality Group problem solving is considered a rational process. Benefits of group problem solving: variety of perspectives more information about possible alternatives better decision reliability dampening of biases social presence effects Groupthink prevents these benefits due to structural faults and provocative situational context. Groupthink prevention methods will produce better decisions An illusion of well-being is presumed to be inherently dysfunctional. Group pressures towards consensus lead to concurrence-seeking tendencies. According to Janis, decision-making groups are not necessarily destined to groupthink. He devised ways of preventing groupthink: Leaders should assign each member the role of "critical evaluator." This allows each member to freely air objections and doubts. Leaders should n

Taken from the WikiIrving Janis identified three antecedent conditions to groupthink:: High group cohesiveness: Cohesiveness is the main factor that leads to groupthink. Groups that lack cohesiveness can of course make bad decisions, but they do not experience groupthink. In a cohesive group, members avoid speaking out against decisions, avoid arguing with others and work towards maintaining friendly relationships in the group. If cohesiveness gets to such a level that there are no longer disagreements between members, then the group is ripe for groupthink. Deindividuation: Group cohesiveness becomes more important than individual freedom of expression. Illusions of unanimity: Members perceive falsely that everyone agrees with the group's decision; silence is seen as consent. Janis noted that the unity of group members was a mere illusion. Members may disagree with the organization's decision, but go along with the group for many reasons, such as maintaining their group status and avoiding conflict with ma

Type I: Overestimations of the group — its power and morality Illusions of invulnerability create excessive optimism and encourage risk-taking. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causes members to ignore the consequences of their actions. Type II: Closed-mindedness Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, impotent, or stupid. Type III: Pressures toward uniformity Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus. In illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement. Direct pressure to conform is placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty" Mindguards— self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.

Do we do discipleship right? maybe and maybe not, but the main thing is are you looking at the makeup of your church and investing time properly with new Christians as well as integrating them into established groups? DO takes a look at this in this week's short take. 

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In this episode, Don talks about lost opportunities churches miss and also rants about how this affects the area he is in as both an Educator and Pastor in the state of Massachusetts. 

We said no new episode this week, but Don decided this had to be said pointing out the pastor controversies the last few weeks, the crisis we are in in the Strauss-Howe Theory that he is working out for churches. This is an episode that you will want to hear to help you think through what is going on in the capital "C" Church 

Matt Henslee talked at the 2021 Replant Summit about thriving in a rural replant. As more than half the revitalization in New England are in rural areas, we pray you are blessed by his words of wisdom. 

 Sometimes we just need to dress up or undress a church to make the right adjustments to make it modern in feel. Today Don shows us three things to consider 1.      Undressing a church to exorcise the past2.      Dress up a church to hide things3.      Make sure that it works, and when to know it's time to change what you got. 

Don challenges pastors to take a bold step to have the revival they want in the revitalization they pastor. Don's Blog Article

5 Things Revitalizers Wish Visitors and Guests Understood. 5. We have more people than your seeing today4. We really have children’s and youth programs3. Our goal is to have missions giving, but we are just making it week to week2. I’m not responsible for the mess1. I’m stretched and have no more bandwidth to give. 

Most pastors burn out because they do not connect or keep connections going with other pastors or people in their church. Hear why this is important to do and keep up in a pastor's ministry. 

Erik Maloy is back to discuss what has been going on with him and First Church for the last several months and some of what he has done, why, and what he is going to do in the future. 

Don talks about the hopes and dreams for PCRP this coming year.

Chris McDonald shares why working with other churches in a revitalization effort is a key thing that replanters and revitalizers have to consider when things happen to block the church from healthy growth.

Don and Natalie interview Dr. David Jackson of the NAMB Replant team where he oversees the East region. Dr. Jackson has four decades of experience in Church planting and revitalization and shares his wisdom with the hosts. Dr. Jackson also served as Don's filed supervisor for his practicums in seminary this past year. 

At the 2021 Pastors Encouragement Dinner, Pastor Lierte Soares Jr. brought an encouraging message to the 30+ pastors gathered. Lierte’s ministry is unique in that he pastors two churches, Framingham Baptist Church in Framingham, MA (pop. 72,308) and Precision Valley Baptist Church in the small town of North Springfield, VT (pop. 644).Lierte Soares is a NAMB church planter missionary originally from Brazil and has been in New England since 2014. Pastor Lierte (or you can call him Pastor Junior) has been pastoring a church in Vermont and planting a multicultural church in MetroWest Boston for the past few years. Each week he makes the 240 miles round trip drive between the two churches several times as he evangelizes and disciples the people in those communities and those churches.

Erik and Don interview with Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention (NWBC), and nominee for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, top discuss his vision for the SBC as well as ask some questions on their hearts and minds.See Randy's site for his announcement: https://randyadams.org/2020/01/14/my-commitment-to-southern-baptists/