Elaine May, congregational renewal consultant for Thrive ministries, gave an impactful presentation to Synod 2026 of Thrive’s newly developed resources for church renewal across the Christian Reformed Church.
Thrive is the CRC’s congregational support ministry that equips and encourages churches and ministry leaders with tools to flourish as a church. It’s been a key part of responding to Synod 2023’s request that there be a denomination-wide plan to stop and reverse membership decline and work toward growth.
“It started with the Gather initiative,” May said, listening and learning from congregations through 2024 and 2025. Working from what they heard churches need, Thrive is now encouraging the implementation of Thriving Congregations, a five-year initiative for church renewal.
“We (Thrive) don’t have the answers. We believe you have the answers. And we are willing, able, and equipped to walk alongside and help you discern the answers,” May said. Sometimes the challenge is not in discerning what a church should do but in “the courage to implement and move forward in that faith-filled initiative.”
It’s not one-size-fits-all, but encourages congregations to be faithful wherever they are in a church's lifestyle. “The goal is to help local congregations find their identity as a people on mission, moving beyond institutional survival and towards gospel saturation within their local communities.”
Core to renewal work, May said, is discipleship—ongoing transformation of character and our ability as a church to engage in God's mission, with Christ at the center. Neither too focused on the inner life, creating “holy huddles” with no outside influence, or a disattached outward focus that doesn’t have Christ as its aim.
Thrive’s pathways for renewal begin with the Thriving Essentials one-day workshop for all ministry leaders and volunteers. They branch to Elder Essentials and Deacon Essentials for learning, then Thriving in Mission and Thriving Practices for discerning. The six-session Elder and Deacon Essentials flesh out the work of these officebearers, taken directly from the ordination documents. “This is what we charge elders and deacons to do,” May said. The workbooks help them understand why they do it.
Thriving in Mission is a nine- to 12-month innovative process of rediscovering God’s mission for a church in a local context. And Thriving Practices sees churches coming together. “Communities of learning that allow congregations to learn from one another,” May said.
Ending her presentation with different pictures of trees, some with only half of the branches having leaves, one with only a quarter of the branches having leaves, one whose leaves are changing into warm autumn colors, and one with leaves just starting to bud, May compared these to living and changing congregations. It does not take one perfect type of church to work with God on mission, she said.
Growing up in the CRC, May said she knows “we can be hard on ourselves. … We regularly say, ‘we’re not there yet.’ ‘We are not healthy enough’ (to start something new).”
“I think we believe that perfect churches plant churches. I want to suggest that that is an inaccurate statement,” May said. All churches that are alive have a place in God’s mission. God can use all of them, no matter their lack.
“Every congregation is unique. We’re not perfect. That’s why we have Jesus at the center. Every church has a purpose and a role to play in furthering the gospel and furthering the mission of Christ.”
Reading Psalm 92:14, May quoted, “‘Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green’ … that's hopeful!”
“Folks, we are a resurrection people. Let's believe it. Let's live it. And let's put Jesus at the center of our ministry.”
Synod 2026, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is meeting June 12-18 on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich. Go to crcna.org/synod for the livestream, photos, reports, and a live blog of synod proceedings and decisions. Find daily news and our video Synod Recap at thebanner.org/synod.