4 Principles to Revitalize Church Communities

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Spotlight on Certified Renewalist, Rev. Dr. Becca Girrell

Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all formula. It requires a balance of self-awareness, community engagement, and visionary thinking. Rev. Dr. Becca Girrell, a recent grad of Creating a Culture of Renewal®, is a newly credentialed Certified Renewalist serving as a pastor in New England. Her work has been a shining example of what great leadership can do. Together with her team, her incredible journey has set a blueprint for Christian leaders seeking to renew their congregations and communities. In this spotlight on Certified Renewalists, I would like to share the 4 principles she embodied to revitalize her church and community. But first, let me introduce you to Rev. Becca.

From COVID to Community

Rev. Becca was newly appointed to United Community Church of Morrisville VT during COVID-19 lockdowns. All worship services and meetings were conducted through Zoom. As you can imagine, settling into this new environment without the usual opportunities to foster relationships proved challenging. Nevertheless, Rev. Becca was determined to create community.

Over the course of her three-year stint in Creating a Culture of Renewal®, Rev. Becca and her leadership team developed a Kingdom-oriented vision, “We connect people to the resources they need with the dignity they deserve by using all of our space and resources for God’s mission.”

As a result, the congregation connected with the community through “Breakfast on Us” serving 50+ meals per day, Monday-Friday, and regular community dinners serving 75+ meals each time.

In addition, the church partnered with healthcare teams, rural resource navigators, and more than half a dozen organizations to make their services available at the church several days a week. By popular demand, the church provided Narcan training to help combat the opioid epidemic.

What happens when a church uses all of their space and resources for God’s mission? Not only does the community experience renewal, but so does the congregation!

A Reinvigorated Church

United Community Church of Morrisville VT has been reinvigorated. Even as missional engagement has soared, worship attendance—both in person and online—has increased while congregational giving—both plate giving and missional giving—has grown by 36%!

The miracles haven’t stopped there.  Since completing Creating a Culture of Renewal®, Rev. Becca applied for and was awarded a multi-year development grant in the amount of $10,000 a year for the next three years that will continue to fund the Community Resource Hub. The church also responded to area flooding by becoming the go-to place for resources. This opened the doors to additional disaster relief grants and donations in the amount of $17,000.

Let’s look at the four  principles Rev. Becca used during her time in Creating a Culture of Renewal® to achieve success.

Principle 1: Grow in Self-Awareness

To grow as a leader, one must know one’s strengths and weaknesses.  In Creating a Culture of Renewal®, we use the Everything DiSC® suite of profiles. Rev. Becca was able to use this valuable assessment to gain insight into her communication style. During her first year in Creating a Culture of Renewal® as she grew in self-awareness, she could tailor her approach to better relate to her team. That includes those with strong personalities that had caused friction in the past. “I found knowing the DiSC styles of my group to be a very helpful way to get to know the key people at church,” reflects Rev. Becca, “Skills like people reading and understanding congregational culture were also assets, especially as I got to know a new congregation in my first year. I was worried about starting CCR at the right or wrong time. But there is no wrong time.”

Principle 2: Move People to Dream Like Jesus

Creating a church improvement plan is often as far as most congregations get when thinking about vision. But United Community Church of Morrisville VT, with the leadership of Rev. Becca, dared to dream like Jesus.

Their vision was to create a community hub that would address systemic issues. They wanted to reduce poverty-related suffering and create equitable access to services. At the same time, they realized that “an empty church is not a sacred use of space.” Instead, they dared to use their building to co-create miracles with God for others.

A Jesus-sized vision for the community is not an easy task. But Rev. Becca has shown that when Christian leaders clearly understand their purpose the result makes a lasting difference.

Principle 3: Connect Impact and Funding

Often, churches have a finite view of money for missions. But United Community Church of Morrisville VT’s  strong vision unified the congregation and community and drew external support. Rev. Becca and her team found the resources to help those who may have been passed over by other organizations. “Through the partnerships and connections we made by casting this vision and seeking alignment with it,” Rev. Becca adds, “we submitted the grant application with a letter of support signed by 12 community partner organizations and 4 interfaith clergy. This huge demonstration of alignment and buy-in from a wide community was essential to our being awarded the grant.”

Their success highlights the importance of connecting with outside resources to help fund efforts for the church.

Principle 4: Embrace Change

Authentic Christian leadership involves trusting in the provision and faithfulness of God. Even in the midst of intense change. A significant principle that Rev. Becca firmly held onto was the necessity to embrace change. The onset of the pandemic brought unforeseen challenges, and adapting to the new normal was not mere choice but necessity. Rather than viewing these changes as obstacles, Rev. Becca saw them as opportunities to innovate and reimagine how the church could serve and connect with its community. Her flexible approach allowed the church to continue its mission under changing circumstances, reinforcing the idea that embracing change is about finding new avenues for growth and community service.

Certified Renewalists Make a Difference

We’re so proud of Rev. Dr. Becca Girrell and the United Community Church of Morrisville VT. Together they have exemplified vision and leadership with grace, courage, and humility. They are an inspiring reminder of the power of God’s presence in our lives, no matter what challenges we face. It’s also a reminder that Certified Renewalists make a difference.

If you want to experience the same kind of transformation and create a culture of renewal in your congregation and community, consider registering for a free How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success: An Introduction to Creating a Culture of Renewal® seminar. Through Creating a Culture of Renewal®, you can empower people, love your community, and dare to dream like Jesus to transform the world. Let 2024 be your year of transformation!

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