74: Episode 74 – Sean DeMars on Church Revitalization

On this week’s episode, Mark and Andy have another wonderful conversation with Sean DeMars. You may remember Sean from Episode 57, where he shares his powerful testimony of being delivered from drugs and gang banging, to believing in a fake gospel that almost killed him, to serving on the mission field in Peru, to pastoring a church. Sean joyfully serves as the Pastor of Sixth Avenue Church of God in Decatur, Alabama, where they are seeing God do some amazing things. In this conversation, Mark and Andy get to talk about something near and dear to their hearts, church revitalization. You will definitely be encouraged and challenged, as you listen to this week’s episode!

Find more about about Sean and Sixth Avenue Church of God, here: https://6thavechurch.org/leadership/

Watch The American Gospel.

Snippets from our conversation with Sean

“When I first got here, I described the church like this: It was relationally vacuum-sealed, evangelistically inept, and doctrinally apathetic. And I don’t think any of those things are true of the church today.”
“It may seem like something small. Oh, a member of your church likes you? But when half of the congregation is burning a hole through you on a a Sunday morning, it’s a big win.” 
“You would look at us from the outside and our old building, and you’d be like, ‘I don’t know that you’re revitalized.’ But, man, if you only knew what the church was like before, and if only you could be here on a Sunday morning and experience what the church is like now.”
“One of the things you have to understand as a missionary is that success is not promised… I don’t know that it will work out for you, but I do know that the Lord rewards faithfulness.”

“One of the things you have to understand as a missionary is that success is not promised… I don’t know that it will work out for you, but I do know that the Lord rewards faithfulness.” — Sean DeMars on Episode 74 of the Church Leadership Podcast
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