When we talk about renewal we are primarily talking about what we trust in for the power for mission. Psalm 20:7 reads, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” We trust not in human resources, not in leadership charisma, seasonal strategies, or hype, but in what we call “renewal dynamics” that are found in God’s presence and power.

Renewal Dynamics 

Renewal Dynamics are not just beliefs but the functional power behind our mission:

• Justification—we are fully accepted (Romans 5:18-19)
• Inheritance—what is true of Christ is true of us; what belongs to Christ belongs to us (Ephesians 1:18) 
• Indwelling—we are not alone but empowered with the power of the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
• Authority—We are a kingdom of priests with more authority than the world, the flesh, and the Devil (Luke 10:19)

Christ calls his Church, not to rely on more strategies or hype, but to rely on the renewal dynamics of the gospel. They fuel our mission more powerfully than any resource. For example:

• We can work in difficult contexts, knowing success & numbers do not justify us, but we have infinite worth in Christ.
• We can work against racism and structural discrimination even when it costs us cultural capital knowing that we are infinitely rich in Christ. 
• We can labor in evangelism knowing that our witness may cost us our reputation, but we are infinitely loved in Christ. 

Putting Ourselves in the way of Renewal

We know we can’t conjure up spiritual renewal, manipulate circumstances that create revival. We just put ourselves in the way of it through ordinary practices of:

• Prayer and Spiritual Disciplines
• Corporate Worship—Lord’s Supper—Preaching/Teaching
• Ordinary Christian Community
• Sabbath Keeping
• Obedience to Christ’s Commandments

These are ordinary things that keep us in the way of experiencing his power.