2026 Church Revitalisation in Today's Context Network
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For the last few decades, there has been a growing realisation that existing churches, even those that were recently planted, are not faring well. Many church leaders currently lack the training necessary to build sustained growth, health, and spiritual vitality.
The Church Revitalisation in Today's Context Network seeks to respond to the decline of existing churches by training church leaders in the spiritual leadership and skills they need to revitalise their churches for long-term sustainability. Its vision is to equip spiritually mature and intellectually well-grounded evangelical church leaders to:
- Improve the spiritual health of the church through worship, building trust in God as obedient disciples
- Improve relationships within the church and with unbelievers through face-to-face relationships and better integration of new members
- Improve the quality of leadership within the church through team building
- Improve the effectiveness of the church by identifying the mission, vision, and strategic plan
- Improve the contextualisation of the church through historical, geographical, and cultural study of the church’s community
Participants in the Church Revitalisation in Today's Context Network will receive specialised training at the Annual Meeting and throughout the year, as well as helpful resources and opportunities to be mentored.
What Network Participants Are Saying
- "For me, ELF is an island of renewal in the midst of the challenges posed by my ministry. One of the main sources of joy for me is seeing so many leaders in one place, worshipping the King who changes lives, families, churches, cities, and nations. Leaders laying down their titles and acknowledging God's presence and grace in everything is truly inspiring. The Forum also helps me to refocus on my church. As somebody who is involved in many faith-related activities, I am reminded here that the local church is the utmost priority when it comes to ministry. Being in Christ means being in His church."
- Balazs Koncsard, Worship Leader and Teacher, Hungary - "This year I joined the Church Revitalisation Network and have been blessed with many insights, ideas, and relationships. The Forum has been instrumental for me in creating friendships and partnerships with other European leaders in similar spheres of ministry. I have been blessed with meaningful contacts and relationships with preachers and pastors from across the continent, but also with professionals from other spheres of life."
- Vladimir Raichinov, Vice President of the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance, Bulgaria - "For the last couple of years our church has gone through some difficult times and some problems have emerged. Because of those problems, we see a need for church revitalisation and the Forum is the best place I know of to get insights on the matter. For me it has been a tremendous blessing to participate in the Forum’s Network about this topic. I am learning a lot."
- Edvin Puka, Field Leader in IFES, Albania
Applicants should be church leaders interested in receiving the spiritual leadership and skills they need to revitalise declining churches and build sustained growth, health, and spiritual vitality.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
David Brown planted three churches before revitalising a church in central Paris. For many years he was involved with GBU (Groupes Bibliques Universitaires), the French student movement affiliated with IFES. More recently he has been promoting church revitalisation through his chairmanship of… Read more
Pastor David Fleming served the local church for nearly 30 years, most recently as Sr. Pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Under David’s leadership, the church grew to become a large multi-cultural and multi-site congregation that also planted churches across the US and… Read more
Barbara Herrmann leads her consulting business for organisation, leadership, and strategy development. She guides marketplace, non-profit, and church leaders on how to develop their organisations. She has delivered numerous development programs and, in the last 17 years, has worked on large-… Read more
Ján Máhrik is a church planter pastoring Za Kostolom church in Žilina, Slovakia. He is passionate about bringing the Gospel and truths of the Bible to the unchurched - sceptic, secular, and post-Christian. He is a host of the award-winning podcast… Read more
Patrice Niveaux is the president of the French evangelical denomination Perspectives and a member of the board of the R-FEF (the Network of Conservative Evangelical Churches in France). He has also pastored two different churches and helped churches in their restructuration and redynamisation. … Read more
Balázs Stanzel has been a church planting pastor for the past 19 years in southern Hungary. He also serves as part of the national leadership team of the network of Golgota Churches (Calvary Chapel Hungary). He has been married for 20 years, is a father to 6 kids, including two adopted, enjoys… Read more
Vlada Stojanovic was born and raised in Nis, Serbia, where he graduated in mechanical engineering. He spent 4 years in the UK training in missions and receiving his education in theology and leadership, at the same time working in local churches. Currently, he is finishing his master’s degree in… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 17 May
Why is church revitalisation necessary? What can we embrace as a realistic, exciting and biblical vision of a healthy church in today’s European context? What steps can we take to work towards this vision?
Change is essential for church growth, health, and life. But change can also be painful, both for members of the congregation and their leaders. This seminar will examine the dynamics of change in the church and explore practical steps in the process of leading through change. A biblical and balanced approach to change, both large and small, can lead to a healthy outcome for pastor and people.
Monday, 18 May
In the diverse and complex environment of 21st-century mission, the table becomes a powerful, yet simple symbol of God’s hospitality and a place of reconciliation. This session will explore how pioneering leaders can intentionally create spaces where everyone is welcomed and valued, regardless of their ethnic, social, or economic background.
Very few people spontaneously enter an Evangelical church in today’s world. Indeed, a great many of our contemporaries have no contact with biblical Christianity except with the Christians whom they meet in the course of the week - at their work, in their neighbourhood, or in their leisure activities. How can we prepare our church members to be witnesses in this context?
Tuesday, 19 May
Many books have been written about church leadership, but available resources are often informed by the context of bigger churches with faster dynamics and greater resources, including numerous staff members. Even though these resources are informative and encouraging, quite often, the principles addressed are difficult to transfer to the context of smaller local churches. As a church planter and leader from Central Europe, Ján Máhrik will offer insights into leadership principles contextualised to the European environment of smaller churches.
From his experience of revitalising two churches in France, Patrice Niveaux will recount his observations of the churches at the time of his arrival as pastor, the different ways in which he introduced change, and what he put in place to maintain the ongoing development of the church.
Wednesday, 20 May
Based on the story of revitalisation in a Hungarian denomination, Balasz Stanzel and Barbara Herrmann will take us through a practical process of revitalisation, both from the pastor’s perspective and the consultant's perspective. Among other things, we will consider,
- What is our personal role in the process?
- How can we engage our leadership team?
- How can we build a good strategic plan?
This session continues the discussion raised by a story of revitalisation in the Hungarian denomination. What can we learn from both the pastor’s and the consultant’s perspectives in this case? We will continue discussing our personal role in the process of revitalisation, how to engage our leadership team, and how to build a good strategic plan.