Anytime you are going to revitalize something, you have to be ready for the journey." Pastor Josh Woods could not have known the journey he was about to go on when he arrived at Pursuit Church in Prattville, Alabama.
Upon his arrival in 2019, he knew that much was going to have to change and beyond changing, some things were going to have to die for the sake of the future. The church was about 40 people with an average age around 70. Children’s ministry program were nonexistent, the music needed refreshing and even racist tensions were present in a few members. As the town had grown around the church, some in the church were content to not grow. While the lifecycle of the church was coming to an end, a number of congregants desired to help it live again.
There were immediate steps taken which included starting live music, recruiting a few young families and inviting new people into the church. These people brought a passion that spilled over onto others and started an awakening of a new passion in the remaining people of Pursuit Church.
These initial moves helped create some positive change, but it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that something truly new began to spring up out of a dry land. What was a wasteland season for many churches became an opportunity for Pursuit Church. They utilized the pandemic shutdown to expedite the necessary changes and launch the church’s restart.
Pastor Josh reflected, “As we started sharing the idea of a launch team and preparing the way for what God is going to do, it created a different culture.”
Pastor Josh and his team became inspired with a new vision to love people: “We want to have as many opportunities as possible to let a person know that God loves them.” As they continued to circle the idea of loving people, they were drawn to the parables within Luke 15. Within those parables, they found their new name, Pursuit Church. Pastor Josh explained, “Every time something is lost, there is a big pursuit and effort, and they wanted to be part of it.”
During this visionary stage, “The leaders that we were able to put into place, they were ready. And they still are,” shared Pastor Josh. When the congregation heard the news about the church’s restart, the congregation applauded.
South Coastal District Superintendent Dr. Tim Fox weighed in on this unique occurrence: “In any church that needs a turnaround, you don’t get new life without death. You have got to be willing to let some things go, and Josh led through that beautifully.”
A key change leading to Pursuit Church’s new life was the death of personal preferences. Pastor Josh is proud of his congregation: “They do not respond with ‘This needs to be more about us.’ Instead, they start with the question, ‘How can we make this about the people that desperately need Jesus?’” He explained a major shift started when they began mirroring the Great Commission, making disciples of those not yet part of the church.
There was also death of another sort — the loss of some members of the congregation. “I always want to bring everyone along for the ride,” shared Pastor Josh, “but doing this (a church revitalization) twice now, I’ve found it is almost impossible. There may be people who are not able to or not willing to go on that journey.”
Congregants who were willing to journey on have taken major action steps alongside Pastor Josh. Anything their city does, Pursuit Church gets involved to serve in various ways —distributing water bottles, buying lunch for city workers or adopting families for the Christmas season. They are providing meals, materials and conversation for the homeless at a local shelter. Every month, they celebrate one of Pursuit’s outreaches, keeping the vision of pursuing the lost before the congregation.
Pastor Josh articulated that their goal is to create positive church experiences. “These positive experiences help move people one step closer to considering Jesus in a world that is giving them a lot of bad church experiences.” Through Pursuit’s outreach efforts, they are effectively reaching 20,000 in their local and worldwide communities.
Pursuit Church is seeing new life springing up in many ways. At the time of the interview, they have grown to approximately 175 people calling Pursuit their home, baptized 24 with at least 30 people giving their lives to Jesus!
District Superintendent Fox highlights the secret to their numerical success: “As God has used their willingness to lay down their life for the kingdom, God has brought about new life at Pursuit Church.”