Struggling churches can have a vibrant future through replanting.

Strategic death can lead to new life for a church.

The mission of Gospel Renewal Collective is to revitalize and renew struggling churches through the intentional process of church replanting. Churches near death can have a vibrant future through a strategic death that leads to new life.

The problem for churches

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, missiologists said 80-90% of churches in America were plateaued or in decline. It has gotten worse since the pandemic began.

The average church in America is losing about 10-15% of its Sunday attendance every year.

Over 10% of churches are dangerously close to dying and not enough churches are being planted to keep up with population growth.

Pastors are burning out trying to lead churches in this strange new world. Nearly half of pastors have considered quitting in the last year.

Most pastors report not having any close friends. They are lonely, depressed, and anxious.

Many pastors are not sufficiently equipped, prepared, or supported to lead their churches into the future.

The challenge for pastors

The Twin Cities is home to more than 3.25 million people. It is an increasingly secular metro, and many are left without a tangible gospel witness in their lives.

The Twin Cities is one of the loneliest and most divided metropolitan areas in our nation.

Population growth is outstripping church growth, and we are in need of a church replanting (and planting) movement.

The needs of the city

Churches near death need more options than simply closing their doors. One of the most viable and live-giving options is to replant.

We have done it.

More churches can do it too.

We can help.

Gospel Centrality

The gospel must be foundational to all we do, or our work will have no lasting impact. In Dynamics of Spiritual Life, Richard Lovelace said the precursor for genuine revival is always a recovery of the centrality of the gospel. Gospel Renewal Collective will replant churches with the gospel as a foundation, or we will not do our work at all.

Church Replanting

Over one in ten churches is on the verge of dying. Replanting is one of the primary pathways for a vibrant future. One replanting network reports an average of 275% growth in churches that replant. The combination of planting new churches and replanting dying churches is a potent strategy for gospel renewal in a region.

Pastoral Coaching

Replanting churches is hard. It requires pastors who are healthy, trained, and well-supported. Gospel Renewal Collective will focus on coaching pastors as they replant churches.

There are reasons for hope.

There are thriving churches in the Twin Cities today.

Dying churches are being replanted.

Healthy churches are being planted.

Vibrant churches are willing to invest in the health of other churches.

There is a desire for gospel cooperation.

Church leaders are willing to work together for gospel renewal in the Twin Cities.

There is an undercurrent of optimism and a spirit of partnership.

A multi-ethnic and multi-denominational movement is forming.

Jesus promised to build his church.

Fundamentally, we have hope because Jesus promised he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Mt 16:18).

The Primary Initiatives

  • Replanting pastors are more successful when they have coaching and a process to follow. Eventually, the goal will be to establish a coaching cohort to maximize the number of pastors Gospel Renewal Collective can coach.

  • Gospel Renewal Collective will work with replanters AND the networks that support them. We will host a Midwest Replanting Summit within the next 1-2 years so we can encourage and equip replanters as we educate and cast vision for denominational and network leaders.

  • Develop content for pastors and ministry leaders, with an emphasis on replanting.

Help us make this ministry possible through your financial gifts.

Your generosity will enable us to increase the number of pastors we coach, host a Midwest Replanting Summit, maintain a website, and cover operating expenses.

Jeremy Adelman

Jeremy Adelman is the Senior Pastor of River City Church, a replant of the historic First Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Jeremy and a courageous team of legacy members replanted the church in 2023 and saw it go from 88 years of consistent numerical decline to growing 3x in its first year after replanting.

Jeremy is currently coaching one replanting pastor, and regularly receives request to coach and support more pastors in the Twin Cities. Gospel Renewal Collective gives him a vehicle to say, “yes,” more often.

HOW TO SUPPORT GOSPEL RENEWAL COLLECTIVE:

  1. Give financially.

  2. Pray like crazy.

  3. Cheer us on!