Church Encourager | Church Consultant

“Reigniting vision. Restoring vitality. Renewing the Church.” – Church Consultant

Virtual Church Spark

Listening for Renewal in Congregational Life

Virtual Church Spark creates intentional, prayerful space for churches that sense a need for renewal, clarity, or fresh direction. Rather than beginning with solutions or strategies, this initiative starts with listening — attending carefully to a church’s story, context, and present realities.

Through guided virtual conversations, churches are invited to slow down, reflect, and discern where God may be at work in their midst. These conversations honor the complexity of congregational life and resist quick fixes, making room instead for thoughtful reflection, shared prayer, and faithful attentiveness over time.

Virtual Church Spark is not a consultation program or growth strategy. It is a discernment-centered process designed to help churches name what they are carrying, notice patterns that may be emerging, and consider faithful next steps that align with their calling and capacity.

Participation in Virtual Church Spark is sustained through a shared generosity model. Some churches are supported through grants and designated gifts, while others choose to invest forward so another church can receive the same support. For this reason, participation is offered without a required fee, allowing churches to engage without added financial pressure.

If your church is seeking space to listen, reflect, and discern together, we invite you to reach out for a conversation.

Guided Listening & Discernment Conversations

Virtual Church Spark begins with guided listening rather than consultation. Through prayerful virtual conversations, church leaders are invited to share their story, name present realities, and reflect together on where God may be at work. These conversations are not assessments or evaluations, but spaces of attentiveness, trust, and discernment.

Reflective Exploration of Congregational Life

Rather than offering predefined strategies, Virtual Church Spark creates space for churches to reflect on patterns, practices, and hopes shaping their life together. With gentle guidance, churches are encouraged to consider questions of calling, capacity, leadership health, and shared vision — allowing clarity to emerge at a pace that honors their context. In this way, Virtual Church Spark helps churches discern a faithful path forward, equipping them to cultivate an outward-focused culture and become genuinely welcoming communities.

Attending to Digital Presence & Community Context

Churches today exist within both physical and digital neighborhoods. As part of the discernment process, Virtual Church Spark invites churches to reflect on how they are present and perceived within their wider community — including online spaces. This reflection is not about marketing or branding, but about attentiveness: noticing who is nearby, how connection happens, and where hospitality may be extended.

Kingdom Encouragers Network

Participants are invited into the Kingdom Encouragers Network — an ongoing, light-touch community designed to reduce isolation and foster connection among believers seeking to live faithfully in daily life. The network offers a simple space for shared reflection, encouragement, and prayerful presence beyond formal gatherings, supporting participants as they continue their journey.

"You’ll get a lot out of connecting with him!"

Steve and his team at Keys Vineyard Church have built a church that has done an inspiring job reaching their community. Steve is a treasure trove of experience and has continued to prioritize learning and growth throughout his more than 30 years of ministry in a way few pastors have. You’ll get a lot out of connecting with him!

Putty Putman Phd – Pastor, Author (Live Like Jesus, Kingdom Impact), and Founder of the School of Kingdom Ministry.

 

"a valuable coach/ mentor."

Steve Lawes is a valuable coach/ mentor.  I’ve watched Steve over the last thirty years build a substantial outward focused church with disciples who do what Jesus did. He has inspired leaders of churches with simple/tested ideas to develop leaders and grow churches.

Bob Fulton – Pastor, Founder of Pass it On Ministry, Former International Director of Association of Vineyard Churches.

 

"authentic, creative, and personable."

Steve Lawes is an outstanding coach. He is authentic, creative, and personable. He has more cutting edge ideas than any pastor I know in regard to evangelism and meeting the needs of people in his community.

Happy Leman – Founding pastor at Vineyard Church of Champaign-Urbana IL

"a powerful voice of experience and wisdom"

I watched first hand as Steve experienced the devastation of hurricane Irma in his town of Big Pine Key, Florida. The town was destroyed, the church building rendered unusable and the staff impacted personally. I watched a leader rise to the need of his community and minister in a situation that not very many could. He has a powerful voice of experience and wisdom earned the hard way.

David Speicher PhD, DMin. Author of “Not Many Days From Now” Lead pastor of South Bay Church, Tampa , Fl.

 

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