Revitalization and the Bread of Life
by Francine Taylor-Thirus, former staff, General Board of Discipleship

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35, NRSV)

For the last few weeks I have missed seeing my friends. Who are my friends? The birds that had flocked to my neighbor's birdfeeder.

For the last two and a half years, I have been exercising on my treadmill at 6:00 a.m. four or five times a week. The treadmill is in my basement next to glass doors that lead to a patio. Green grass and a number of trees extending for a mile or so beyond my apartment surround the patio. In the early morning, the view outside the patio doors is serene, peaceful, very quiet, and beautiful. Early morning is the time when nature declares praise and thanksgiving to God.

In the apartment yard next door to me, my neighbors had put a birdhouse and feeder on a shepherd's staff. Each morning, just as light appeared, I could see all types of birds appear — as if programmed — to get food. Birds of all sizes and colors flocked to the feeder. Each morning, they arrived to get their nourishment for the day. Some of them went straight to the birdhouse and feeder. Others discovered an abundance of nourishment on the ground in the grass. Fondly, I had come to think of them as my friends.

As I exercise on my treadmill, I read a Psalm for the day and three or four chapters from the Bible. I often thought of the parallel of the birds getting nourishment at the same time I was getting my spiritual and physical nourishment. However, for the last few weeks, I have not seen any birds. At first, I wondered what had happened to them. Then it occurred to me there were no birds any more because there was no longer any food for them. For some reason, my neighbors had taken down the birdhouse and the feeder.

As I pondered this situation, I thought about where and why the birds had gone. Clearly, the birds moved on to a place where they could get their nourishment. I couldn't help but think of how this situation duplicates itself in declining churches and churches in need of revitalization.

Do members leave their church for the same reason that birds leave an area where there is no food? In churches that have declined, could it be that the members fled because they were not getting fed?

Each church needs to be vigilant about feeding its congregation the bread of life. If the church does not engage in this type of ministry, the members will be hungry and thirsty. Out of necessity, people will have to go where they can be nourished. Some of the principles a church can use as a checkup on proper nourishment are:

1. Pray daily for guidance from God for what God wants the members to be given.
2. Strive for spiritual inspiration instead of routine and habit that may become meaningless.
3. Be aware of continuing something because "we've always done it this way."
4. Teach about how Jesus can nourish us with his unconditional love and that he is the bread of life.

Revitalization begins internally. The leaders of each congregation must start with an internal evaluation. Change can happen!

Posted 7-16-03.