RenewalWorks Testimonials:
The Rev. George Calvert, The Parish of the Good Shepherd, Bonita, CA:
“I highly recommend the RenewalWorks Program. RenewalWorks has already collected data on the best practices of churches throughout the United States. The team then administers the Spiritual Life Inventory, a confidential online survey, to the participating parish to help assess the parish’s condition and potential needs. Finally, there are a series of workshops facilitated by a lay leader of the parish. These workshops let the parish work out what it wants to do with this data. This is one of the best renewal programs in which I have ever participated. Our congregation actively took part in the survey and workshops and the parish was delighted with the program’s process.”
The Rev. Justin Lindstrom, Associate Rector for Community Formation, Christ Episcopal Church, San Antonio, TX:
“RenewalWorks was the single most edifying and gratifying ministry I have ever taken part in. I would walk into the room where our team would gather to pray and ponder together what our people desired to grow spiritually and I could feel the movement of the Holy Spirit. We have designed mechanisms of discipleship and spiritual growth to help our congregation based on the Invite Welcome Connect model and framework. Our congregation is responding with incredible energy and enthusiasm. We look forward to repeating RenewalWorks to see if our response is working.”
Lisa Kimball, Ph.D., Vice President for Lifelong Learning, James Maxwell Professor of Lifelong Christian Formation, Project Director, Baptized for Life, Faculty Advisor, Mutual Ministry Initiative and Faith-filled Families, Virginia Theological Seminary:
“Too often the church relies on anecdotal information to evaluate impact. How do we really know people are growing as Christians and that we are making a lasting difference in their lives? Renewal Works provides a perfect blend of research rigor and contextual program flexibility to provide substantial and creative support to congregations and their leaders. I engaged Renewal Works to understand the health of congregations “before” and “after” they participated in a 5-year, grant-funded project, Baptized for Life: An Episcopal Discipleship Initiative. What we learned from the data reports inspired and improved our program implementation. More importantly, participating congregations acquired the confidence to address their spiritual longings directly and new appreciation for their distinct gifts in being church where they are planted.”
The Rev. Ryan Fleenor, Rector of Saint Luke’s Parish in Darien, CT:
“Having used RenewalWorks three times in two different parishes, I can say without a doubt that it is an exceptionally useful tool in helping parish leadership focus on “keeping the main thing the main thing”—making disciples of Jesus who will grow, love, and serve in his name. It can be a catalyst for change at every level, from decisions about programming, to how we preach and teach, to how individual leaders nurture their own spiritual lives. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
The Rev. Meredith Potter, Deacon, St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Deerfield, Illinois, Former Professor of Congregational Development at Seabury Western Theological Seminary:
“Our RenewalWorks team (now renamed “Spiritual Life Team” ) has actually become a small group ministry in our church and we are putting together our second retreat which will include ways of helping congregation members assess where they are in their spiritual journey. Here are some initial thoughts on how I see RenewalWorks as being vital to congregational development: A church grows in membership (and retains that growth) only if the members are also growing spiritually. Conversely, spiritual growth of congregation members can and should lead to numerical growth, but that doesn’t happen automatically. There are far too many congregations with deeply “pious” members who remain focused inward. That is where a program like RenewalWorks can be so important to both aspects of church growth. RenewalWorks not only provides ways in which congregations can assess “where” members are in their spiritual journeys, the program can help congregations put programs and opportunities in place to foster and deepen the spiritual lives of members. Then as more and more members move toward “Christ Centered” lives, they will begin to invite others to join in their parish life and ministries and that will lead to numerical church growth.”