One of the most practical—and most misunderstood—questions in church revitalization is this:

“Who are the right people for me to prioritize?”

Before we answer that, let’s be clear about what this question is not asking. There are no “wrong” people to spend time with. Over time, every pastor and revitalization leader should be present with:

• Long-time church members
• Staff and lay leaders
• Shut-ins and seniors
• Denominational colleagues
• Community leaders and business owners
• Teachers, CEOs, nonprofit directors
• Neighbours at the coffee shop—or even the local bar

No one is off-limits. Faithful pastoral presence matters everywhere.

But revitalization requires intentional focus, not equal time with everyone. If you are serious about leading a church toward renewal, there are three groups of people who must rise to the top of your priority list.

In this order.

The Three People Priorities for Church Revitalization

1. Prospective New Christians

The hope of any church turnaround is found outside the building.

The future of your church was not sitting in your pews last Sunday. As faithful as your current members may be, they represent—at best—the hope for today. The leaders and disciples of tomorrow are currently unchurched and living in your community.

Let’s be honest: if your existing congregation were going to reverse decline on its own, it would have happened already. The very presence of a revitalization leader signals that new energy, new relationships, and new people are required.

That means you must be the one spending time with the unchurched.

If your church averages fewer than 200 in worship, a healthy rule of thumb is this:
at least 50 percent of your working week should be spent with prospective new Christians and prospective new members.

That is not a typo—and it’s not just visitation time. Revitalization pastors cannot delegate this work. If you want new life, you must be where new life begins.

2. New Church Members

The second priority group is your newest members.

In many smaller churches, new members last about a year before quietly drifting out the back door. A few may stay—often because of family connections—but most never fully integrate.

Connection is the challenge.

New members don’t stay because they’re busy. They stay because they’re relationally connected.

The key is helping new people connect with existing people around shared interests, passions, and rhythms of life. If a new couple loves cycling, help them connect with other cyclists. If those people don’t exist yet, you have choices: find another shared interest, broaden your outreach, or—in some cases—step into that world yourself.

What doesn’t work is immediately plugging new members into committees, choirs, or endless volunteering. Activity is not the same as belonging. In fact, it often exposes disconnect faster when new people hear phrases like, “We don’t do it that way here.”

By spending intentional time with new members, you will:

• Learn how they’re connecting (or not)
• Identify barriers they’re encountering
• Help them discover where their gifts can flourish
• Guide them toward meaningful relationships—not just tasks

Yes, they may initially connect to you. That’s normal. The goal is not dependency, but relational bridges into the wider body.

3. Influencers

If prospective new Christians are the hope of your church’s future, influencers are the key to unlocking it.

One of the most critical roles of a revitalization leader—especially in smaller churches—is identifying who truly shapes opinion, mood, and direction. Titles don’t always reveal influencers. Often, influence is informal, relational, and deeply rooted.

Logic alone won’t move a church forward.
Vision statements alone won’t do it either.

If your influencers are not aligned with you, even the best plans will stall.

Although influencers are third on the priority list, they are not less important. In fact, strategically, they may be the most critical group. They appear third because, once trust is built, you don’t need to spend enormous amounts of time with them. Influence multiplies when alignment is achieved.

Your task is not to overpower influencers, but to win their trust, listen well, and bring your influence to their influence.

Intentional Time Leads to Renewed Churches

Revitalization is not only about strategy, structures, or programs. It is about people—and how leaders steward their time with them.

When revitalization leaders:

• Prioritize prospective new Christians
• Walk closely with new members
• Build trust with key influencers

momentum begins to shift.

The question is not whether you are busy.
The question is whether you are busy with the right people.