In this post we need to look at some of the most vital aspects of the church for a theology of revival.
We need to start by emphasizing that in the Bible the Church is not primarily an institution but an organism. The church is a living body made up of countless people who have each been born again, God in the church has created a new humanity. If we start with the church as an organism we will perceive that God by his Spirit is active through his people. When we look the church primarily as an institution we tend to look at structures and government rather than seeing how God has designed the Church as the body of people that continue the mission of Christ.
The great commission gives us our guiding principle the major role of the church is to make disciples, we are to not only evangelize but we are also to establish people in their faith and equip them to minister to others. This will mean recognizing that all believers have been gifted by the Holy Spirit and helping them to mature in that gifting. A church experiencing revival will need all the gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip it for it’s task. This will also require us to be discerning and test all things by the written word of God, revivals that are not built on the solid foundation of scriptural teaching will soon run out of steam. (see Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 -14)
As the family of God the church has a structure which helps it mature this is why the ministry gifts of the risen Christ are so vital each gift being used to equip the believer. The teacher is important because he can impart the teaching of Scripture with a relevance which will cause believers to grow in their faith.  the Prophet brings the word of God for today as he is directed by the Holy Spirit, the scripture is very clear all prophetic utterances must be tested to see whether they accord with the Word of God. Pastors are vital because they provide care for the flock in spiritual matters and bring wise counsel to individual believers. Evangelists equip the church to reach out to the lost with the good news of Jesus, the evangelist normally has a great compassion for the lost and a God given ability to speak to them in a way that draws them towards the kingdom of God. Alongside these ministries we need the work of the Apostle who leads churches into new territory. (see Ephesians 4)
The church of the New Testament is a living vibrant body, the church today should be the same, we must pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy spirit on the Church today