Resurrecting Worship: A Pentecostal Liturgy for Slow Burn Revival
Ebook
Overview
Every year, more congregations in North America close their doors. Can a near-dead church be revived and renewed? Marketing campaigns or managerial innovation aren’t going to work. We need theological and pastoral answers that come from the on-the-ground realities of churches.
Joseph Lear has seen first-hand God breathe new life into a dying congregation. Resurrecting Worship is a pastoral theology of renewal for the local church, offered through the story of one near-dead congregation becoming a vibrant, life-giving safe haven for the poor, the hungry, and the educated elite in Iowa City. Lear shows that every church service can be a mini-Pentecost. The Spirit of God will set hearts on fire as Jesus makes himself known in the breaking of bread and the faces of children. This church’s Pentecostal liturgy started a slow-burn revival that renewed, motivated, and sustained a community who held kid-friendly potlucks, welcomed immigrants, housed the homeless, and canceled debts.
Lear’s book will help you see what the Holy Spirit is doing in your own church no matter its condition, and equip you to fan into flame the gifts God has given your community.
“Worship is our response to all that God is, says, and does. Even though the generations may respond differently, it is not how we worship but whom we worship. Joseph Lear has a deep conviction to see the practice of biblical worship be a catalyst for spiritual growth.”
—Doug Clay, general superintendent, Assemblies of God
“I am glad that Joseph has written this book and that he is publishing it now. We need it, more than ever.”
—Chris Green, professor, public theology, Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida, from the foreword
“In Resurrecting Worship, Joseph Lear takes us on a journey of theological depth and worship innovation that blends the best of Protestant liturgy and Pentecostal tradition. It is the hands-on story of the transformation of a smaller, lower-income, multicultural church into an authentic community of Christ’s followers who serve and love. Read it with an open mind and a hungry heart!”
—James Bradford, lead pastor, Central Assembly of God
“The dynamic combination of Pentecost and liturgy is on display in Resurrecting Worship. Joseph Lear uses engaging stories and testimonies from a middle-America church to display how we can love God and neighbors with equal passion. If you are ready to see your church and community through a fresh perspective, I invite you to join me in being impacted by this book.”
—David Docusen, author of Neighborliness: Love Like Jesus. Cross Dividing Lines. Transform Your Community.
“Joseph’s commitment to scholarship and Pentecostal worship redefined is clear in his writing. Drawing from his work in Iowa, he masterfully weaves in the experiences there and offers considerations for the broader church. In our tradition, there is a broad spectrum of expressions, and he unpacks thoughtful insights that are sincere and reveal his dedication to leading an authentic Spirit-filled community at the grass roots. His treatment of Pentecostal worship is both insightful and gracious. By emphasizing the centrality of Scripture, the significance of prophetic preaching, and the role of communal worship, he offers a perspective on worship that will deepen the reader’s knowledge of ecclesiology—all intended to strengthen the local church.”
—Mike Rakes, president, Evangel University
“For a world—and a church—addicted to the fast and furious, Joseph Lear reimagines the gathered people of God. Lear interrogates elaborate worship schemes that strive primarily for relevance and effectiveness. He envisions, instead, a church that creates a trinitarian, eucharistic, and Pentecostal liturgy. Lear does not offer yet another ‘how-to’ manual, but he offers a path toward prayer-filled, embodied, and celebratory liturgy. I recommend this book for every Assemblies of God pastor on a quest for a slow burn revival.
—Martin Mittelstadt, professor of New Testament, Evangel University
“This book is the testimony of a Pentecostal pastor who worked hard to revitalize the worship of his congregation and, in the process, resuscitated a dying church. Lear writes to other Pentecostals to demonstrate how a church’s worship shapes the quality of their discipleship. Some may be uncomfortable with his testimony as it includes historic Christian practices rarely seen in Pentecostal gatherings. You do not have to embrace all his recommendations to appreciate his approach. Lear takes seriously the worship of the church as a faithful response to the full gospel of Jesus under the direction of the Holy Spirit. What could be more Pentecostal than that?”
—D. Allen Tennison, theological counsel, National Office of the Assemblies of God
“Resurrecting Worship tells a story we need to hear—how congregations are revitalized in today’s culture. My approach to leadership in my own local church has been indelibly impacted by Joseph Lear’s reflections. Grounded in the Pentecostal tradition but applicable across Christian denominations, this book offers more than a roadmap for numerical renewal; it invites Christians into a deeper, theologically rich practice of worship. By returning to the essentials of Trinitarian, Eucharistic, and Spirit-led liturgy, the author demonstrates how authentic worship not only sustains faith communities but breathes new life into the mission of the church. This is a profound testimony of how faithful, intentional worship can reawaken the church’s call to justice, compassion, and discipleship, while pointing the way toward a kingdom-oriented future. Church leaders seeking both spiritual depth and practical guidance will find in these pages hope for a slow burning, yet powerful revival.”
—Kevin Hargaden, director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Dublin
“In far too many communities, our churches are failing. Too often the answer is to just begin a new with church planting or multi-site approaches without serious attention to the reasons why a church fails or perhaps what has been neglected by those tasked with supporting congregations. Joseph Lear is a true pastor and theologian. He has never been satisfied with the status quo or the latest in church growth trends. By focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit to revive not only the hearts and minds of individuals, Lear developed a Pentecostal liturgy that expanded the spiritual imagination of a community for more than just themselves. This book is a treasure for pastors who are looking for more than strategies, but for a revival of hearts for the work of God in our communities. This is a must read for all leaders who long for real and sustained revival.”
—Joy E. A. Qualls, associate professor, Division of Communication, and associate dean, School of Fine Arts and Communication, BIOLA University
- Title: Resurrecting Worship: A Pentecostal Liturgy for Slow Burn Revival
- Authors: Joseph M. Lear, Chris E. W. Green
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Logos Release Date: 2025
- Pages: 98
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9798385202652, 9798385202645, 9798385202638
- Resource ID: LLS:9798385202652
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-23T00:18:23Z
Joseph Lear is pastor of theology and preaching at Resurrection Assembly of God in Iowa City, and director of theology and global church ministries at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He is author of What Shall We Do?: Eschatology and Ethics in Luke-Acts (2018) and writes Pastoral Theology with Joseph Lear on Substack. He is a church revitalization consultant and has partnered with five church plants across Iowa.