Sticky Church

This was written by Dan Maxton/Terry Martell who are the BGC LEAD Team Coordinators. It gives a great overview of STICKY church. I am currently reading this book and believe it has some great ideas that need to be implemented in most churches.

What does it mean to be a STICKY church?

Here is an interview of Larry Osborn, pastor of North Coast Church in San Diego about his new book written about assimilation.

What are one or two things that you've learned about STICKYNESS? The first is that stickyness starts and ends with significant long-term relationships. It's not about providing better programs. It's not about developing a slick assimilation process. It's about finding practical ways to velcro people to one another to create long-term relationships.

What is unique about what you have to say in STICKY Church? I show what STICKINESS looks like, and explain why so many of the things we currently do to "reach" and "assimilate" people actually hinders the process.

For instance... programs and ministries are not very STICKY. They're sort of like Post-its; they do connect people to the ministry; but the connection is easily removed. Or how about small groups? Most of the models we're using today are broken. They work far better in theory than in real life.

Who is the book for and why should they read it? It's aimed primarily at pastors and church leaders. It's the sort of book that a pastor or leader can work through together with their staff or lay- leadership team. That's why we put a study guide and reflection questions in the back.

Share one idea from the book that's been helpful for pastors. I'm challenging some of the most widely held and seemingly unquestioned bits of conventional wisdom about assimilation, special programs, and small groups. I've had lots of people tell me, "I always thought that, but I didn't know anyone else did."

What do you hope the reader takes away from the book? It's about church health... It's simply about keeping them connected to the church long enough to fulfill the second half of the Great Commission: "Teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you." Retention matters--in everything. If we're not STICKY, it's hard to be healthy.

Church planting formula

I found this in material from my good friends with the NAB. I like the formula for Godly success in church planting.

CV(over)BV + WS X BIP = GS

CV = Compleing Vision
BV = Biblical Values
WS = Wise Strategies
BIP = Bathed in Prayer
GS = Godly Success

Kansas here we come

As a district we currently have no churches in Kansas. There is some history behind why we don't, but my prayer is that we plant churches across the state of Kansas. There are many other great detonations working in Kansas, but with only 22% attending (American Church in Crisis) a church on any given Sunday I believe there is room for ConvergeHeartland. Here are city over 15,000 and outside of Kansas City. (We have church in the Kansas City Metro area)

Kansas
Olathe – 96,000*
Overland Park – 146,000 *
Leavenworth – 35,000
Topeka – 122,000
Lawrence – 80,000 *
Emporia – 26,000
Manhattan – 44,000 *
Hutchinson – 40,000
Salina – 45,000 *
Wichita – 344,000 *
Derby – 17,000 *
Hays – 20,000
Dodge City – 25,000 *
Liberal – 19,000 *
Garden City – 28,000
Great Bend – 15,000 *
Newton – 17,000 *
Pittsburg – 17,190 *
* Indicates growth in the community.

A gift from God

This morning as I was lying in bed praying, fighting the desire to get out of bed, but not doing so because it was earlier than my normal early rising, I was struck once again with the reminder that each day is a gift from God. The way all the parts of the body function together is not some random chance of cells holding a meeting deciding how to work better together. God’s hand is clearly seen in putting us together. Reading in scripture you see God hatred of sin, and at times his destruction of the sinners. Yet, I woke again this morning, not because I was so sinless yesterday, but because of God marvelous grace. In the very beginning God saw my sin, and announced the promise of the birth of Jesus to take away the sins of the world. Why did he allow me, or you, to hear the gospel message, recognize our salvation is based completely on His work, and acknowledge Him as Lord? I don’t have an answer others than God sovereign plan, His grace. Another day of life, a gift from heaven above. God may I treat this day as a gift from you.