Revival cannot be initiated by men since it’s solely the work of the Holy Spirit. However, as believers we can participate in structuring and initiating ideas or events that can create a setting where the Holy Spirit can actively minister. Over this last decade, I’ve seen various successful initiatives where believers united for a common goal of having their town or city draw closer to God. Pastors and worship leaders can take the lead in this initiative by breaking their mold of denominational exclusivity and focusing on leveraging the strength by uniting for ministry, prayer and outreach, regardless of denominational barriers. This, however, does constitute a common framework of believers accepting and agreeing on principle Biblical/faith concepts that do not defect the Word or character of the Trinity and Salvation. In other words, drop the denominational barriers, but keep within the Truth.
3 Ways To Ignite a Revival in Your Town or City
1. Build a network of pastors in your community: This is such a great approach and concept with huge potential. It’s not a time to show off your congregational growth, but a time to unite as fellow ministers of the Gospel to have transparency and accountability towards each other. If you want your town or city changed, have your pastors work towards a common goal so that their messages to their congregations can align to some extent in achieving the goal of drawing the city or town’s citizens closer to God.
Break the mold even further and have your pastors revolve in preaching at each other’s churches. Don’t worry about one pastor stealing your members. A Baptist church can learn a lot about the Holy Spirit from a Pentecostal church. A Charismatic church can learn a lot about doctrine from a Methodist Church.
One beautiful example that I’ve recently heard was that of a pastor from an affluent church learning that a fellow pastor from another congregation around the corner was struggling financially and was unable to draw a salary for months. The pastor from the more affluent congregation immediately made known that they had plenty of financial ability to steward different projects, and had he known that his fellow pastor was struggling financially, he would have paid the salary of the struggling pastor. That is true transparency and accountability of pastors uniting and reaching across their denominational borders to become one in Christ, working for a common goal.
2. Have an interdenominational worship event: Worship leaders have the incredible ability to unite, motivate and steward people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. One example for igniting a revival in your city is for worship leaders from different Christian evangelical denominations to come together for a city-wide worship event. Your pastors and community workers will have a good understanding of needs and struggles within their communities, and these can be made a focus for prayer.
Have the different worship leaders form a united worship team and invite all the congregations to participate. If this is, for example, on a Sunday night, cancel all services at the different churches and have the different congregations assemble for one service.
At this event, give special focus to prayer, repentance and set clear goals as to why the gathering is taking place. Create an atmosphere of unity where the pastors, worship leaders, and congregations unite in offering prayer, thanksgiving and repentance to God.
3. Uniting in outreach activities: Another example with great communal benefit is for congregations from different denominations to unite in outreach activities that support their local communities through soup kitchens, food banks, caregiving, volunteering, or showing general acts of kindness and support. Believers from different congregations will work together as one towards a common goal, strengthening the unity in the Body, while at the same time ministering to each other and the greater community.
Overall, the goal for revival is not just to save the lost, or draw the community closer to God, it is to become more united as fellow believers in serving each other and providing for each other’s needs. It’s having older pastors become mentors for young pastors. It’s having worship leaders revolve in the town or city’s churches as help is needed. It’s for one church to help carry the financial burdens of another.