Remissioning Church - Print

Remissioning Church
A Field Guide to Bringing a Congregation Back to Life

By Josh Hayden

A practical and hopeful guide for church leaders seeking to revitalise their congregations and navigate the challenges of ministry in today’s changing world.

By engaging with this book, readers will:

• Discover proven strategies for church renewal and revitalisation
• Gain tools to assess congregational health and readiness for change
• Learn how to cultivate visionary leadership and community engagement
• Address common obstacles that hinder congregational growth and vitality
• Find theological grounding for change rooted in mission and discipleship
• Be inspired by real-life examples of churches that have found new life
• Develop an actionable plan to lead their congregation into a hopeful future
  

Features

• Step-by-step guidance tailored for struggling or plateaued congregations
• Combines practical ministry tools with spiritual and theological insights
• Includes diagnostic frameworks and reflective exercises
• Written by an experienced pastor and consultant in church renewal
• Accessible style suitable for clergy, lay leaders, and church consultants
  

Paperback, 200pp
1.78 cms H x 22.63 cms L x 15.49 cms W (0.35 kgs)
ISBN 9781514010556
IVP (2025)

[Allow 4 weeks]

Description

Many churches today find themselves at a crossroads: attendance has plateaued or declined, community engagement feels strained, and energy is waning.

Remissioning Church offers a lifeline to congregations longing for renewal but unsure where to begin.

Drawing on his experience as a pastor and consultant, Josh Hayden provides a clear and compassionate field guide for church leaders facing these challenges. This book equips pastors, leadership teams, and congregations with the tools they need to assess their current realities, envision a new future, and take practical steps toward revitalisation.

Grounded in sound theology and enriched by real-world examples, Hayden’s approach addresses both the spiritual and organisational dimensions of renewal. Readers will learn how to identify the unique mission of their congregation, overcome resistance to change, and lead with hope and resilience.

Whether your church is on the brink of closure or simply needs a fresh sense of purpose, Remissioning Church offers a roadmap toward renewed life and ministry.

About the Author
Josh Hayden is a pastor, author, and church consultant specialising in congregational renewal. He has guided numerous churches through the remissioning process and is known for his practical wisdom, theological depth, and deep commitment to helping churches thrive in today’s cultural landscape.

Contents

Part 1: The Journey of a Thousand Miles Starts Somewhere
1.The Gift of Remissioning
2. Remissioning Through Descent
3. Finding Ourselves in the Remissioning Story
4. Remissioners Shift from Ownership to Stewardship

Part 2: Practicing Resurrection Through Creative Destruction
5. Creative Destruction: Remissioning from Death to Life
6. Remissioning with Fresh Eyes
7. Pruning for Growth in the Remissioning Garden
8. The Nature of Change in the Remissioning Journey

Part 3: Traditioned Innovation
9. Remissioning Starts with the End
10. Remissioning and the Work of Remembering
11. Burying Preferences for the Sake of Mission
12. Everything Is Liturgical (So Remission on Purpose!)

Part 4: Developing Discipleship Pathways
13. The Four Spaces of Belonging in a Remissioning Context
14. Creating Shared Experiments to Grow a Remissioning Imagination
15. Movemental Discipleship for Remissioning Churches
16. Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God Are Essential for Remissioning

Part 5: Remissioning Leadership
17. Habits + Vision = Remissioning
18. Embracing Conflict as Remissioning Leaders
19. An Open Invitation for Remissioning Leaders
20. A Remissioning Path Requires New Metrics
21. Four Pathways for Remissioning
22. Dying to Live

Acknowledgments
Notes