New $2 Million Initiative for Congregational Renewal

Thrive is expanding its congregational renewal work, aligning with Synod 2023’s call to prioritize renewal in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Over the next five years, $2 million will be devoted to support for church renewal amid ongoing societal and ecclesiastical shifts. 

The expansion builds on the success of Thrive’s previous work journeying alongside congregations in the process of Spirit-led renewal, and it offers churches new opportunities to strengthen their ministries, clarify their mission, and cultivate lasting vitality in their communities. 

“Congregations across the CRCNA are navigating complex times,” said Rev. Lesli van Milligen, director of Thrive. “Our role is to equip leaders and congregations with the tools, resources, and relational networks that help them discern God’s call for their unique mission in the midst of change.”

Thrive’s expanded initiative responds to denominationally expressed needs and seeks to reduce congregational isolation. This scaling effort aligns with Synod 2023’s call to address congregational decline and builds on the denomination’s existing values of continual learning and community. 

Rev. Zach King, CRCNA general secretary, said, “Our congregational support agency, Thrive, is well-placed to accompany Christian Reformed congregations in their desire to seek the Spirit's renewal in their mission and ministry as encouraged by Synod 2023. From their extensive work with congregations, including the recent Gather events, Thrive staff have their ear to the ground when it comes to God's renewing work in the local church.”

Thrive’s initial renewal work has laid strong building blocks for expansion, said van Milligen. Thriving Essentials, a four-part foundational course, has seen tremendous success, after pilot testing showed that 94 percent of pastors and lay leaders who participated in the course would recommend it to others. Similarly, Thriving Practices cohorts have served as an effective and encouraging way for churches to learn together and develop specific areas of church ministry.

Thriving Essentials is designed for every church and every leader, whether those leaders are seasoned elders, brand-new volunteers, or long-serving staff members. The course brings a congregation together to explore core pillars of impactful ministry: mission, discipleship, discernment, and leadership. It helps churches discover or rediscover who they are and why they exist, sparking meaningful conversations about how God is calling them to serve in their unique context.

“Some churches are navigating major transitions while others simply want fresh energy for ministry,” said Rev. Elaine May, Thrive’s congregational renewal consultant. “Thriving Essentials offers a shared starting point for renewal that helps leaders listen, dream, and discern their next faithful and gospel-centric steps together.”

May, whose doctoral research informed the initial development of the program, also noted, “We’re seeing churches not only absorb content but also engage in real, transformative conversations that shape how they understand their gospel call and serve their communities. That success is why we’re expanding this program to reach even more congregations.” 

To widen impact, Thrive will engage churches across the spectrum of congregational life. In the next five years Thriving Essentials will be introduced in more emerging congregations, helping new church plants build strong foundations. In collaboration with Resonate Global Mission, the CRC’s mission agency, this expanded initiative will highlight how existing churches plant new churches. By equipping church planters and their sending congregations with shared language and vision around mission, discipleship, and discernment, Thrive and Resonate will work together to strengthen the roots of these emerging ministries for long-term vitality.

The initiative will also expand among the fastest-growing ethnic and multicultural groups in the CRCNA – specifically, Korean, Latino, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander, and Chinese congregations – to offer tailored support for intergenerational transitions, cultural understanding, and effective communication. Renewal resources will be translated into two additional languages to increase accessibility. Simultaneously, Thrive will continue to journey alongside aging congregations in order to help them approach seasons of decline with discernment, hope, and a focus on clarifying mission and legacy. 

For congregations who have already participated in Thriving Essentials, Thrive will introduce a new process for churches to identify or clarify their specific calling. Churches will have the opportunity to identify their unique gifts, articulate clear future direction, and develop actionable five-year, three-year, and 100-day plans for ministry. 

Leadership formation will also expand through an update of Deacon Essentials (developed in partnership with Diaconal Ministries Canada and World Renew) and Elder Essentials, which focus on stewardship, service, faith formation, hospitality, and gospel witness. Learning cohorts will continue, providing small-group networks for congregations to learn, collaborate, and grow together around a shared missional goal.

The initiative is structured for attainable, long-term impact. Each year $400,000 will be allocated to expand and sustain renewal-specific work, and the funding will be split evenly between a renewed grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. and matching donations received from individuals and congregations.

The continued and increased investment from Lilly Endowment Inc. underscores the impact of Thrive’s initial work and demonstrates confidence in its ability to equip churches for Spirit-led health and flourishing, said van Milligen. By combining practical resources, leadership training, relational networks, and a willingness to labor alongside congregations doing the holy and weighty work of discernment, Thrive is well-equipped to implement Synod 2023’s priority of congregational renewal.

”We want every congregation to experience a sense of hope, clarity, and vitality,” van Milligan shared. “This initiative is about equipping churches to discern and live into their unique calling within God’s mission.”

Churches and leaders interested in beginning their renewal journey can sign up for Thriving Essentials at crcna.org/essentials.