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.

Improving our Gospel Communication

Tony Reinke has a great post about how we can improve our gospel message. The following is from his blog


Improving our Gospel Communication

In the last post I wrote: “Showing people sin is the easy part. Showing people the grace of God is not so easy.”

A profound—but plagiarized—thought.

The simple truth is that convincing someone of personal sin is not hard. I remember reading the story of a horror film writer on opening night of his movie sitting in the front row and watching the ghastly evil on the screen and realizing that this entire movie had been born in his heart. It was a sort of Ah-ha moment of his own sin. He was no Christian and I’m not certain he ever became a Christian. Every sinner knows that they are sinful, this is a truth none of us can escape–we can only suppress its reality.

And for those of us who are Christians, who have openly and honestly looked into the eye of that heinous beast of sin residing in all our hearts, a preacher can convict us of sin with little trouble. But if we are more aware of sin than grace the conviction of sin can easily dominate and suffocate a more important truth of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In the last post, this led Tom post this comment: “As a pastor I desire to present Christ in all His goodness and glory in such a way that He is beautiful desirable, attractive and appealing, and yet I feel I so often fall short. You would think that it would be easy to present Christ in such a way that people would have a natural hunger and yearning for Him, yet I find it to be a great challenge and am frustrated that I fall so short of proclaiming Christ’s glory winsomely, fruitfully and effectively.”

Great thoughts, Tom. Its worth taking a moment to understand how we can better communicate the grace of the gospel.

And I begin by realizing that I will never sufficiently communicate the glorious gospel. We live by faith now, which has its inherent limitations. But one day we will look at Jesus and be overwhelmed with affection like never before. Yet the promise holds true to us that although “you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).

But how?

Three topics come to mind when I read your comment.

1. Study the Gospel

It may be that the content of messages could be improved. And for this the solution is fairly straight: Read Scripture and read excellent books on the cross. What better way to saturate our words with grace than by filling up our hearts and affections with appreciation for what Christ has accomplished for me on the cross!?

Thankfully there are dozens of excellent books on the gospel. My friend C.J. Mahaney—the author of my personal favorite book on the gospel, Living the Cross-Centered Life—has published a list of recommended books on this topic of supreme importance. Reading these books frequently, and slowly enough to be personally affected by the gospel on a regular basis, will fill your soul with love for the cross and that will be communicated.

But I would caution us from thinking that the key to better communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ is only about speak more frequently, affectionately, clearly, or eloquently about the gospel. I think there are two other critical factors that help determine (promoting or limiting) the effective transmission of the gospel to others.

2. Assault Legalism

We are all prone to think God is pleased with us to the degree we pleased him during the week. If I didn’t do so well, I’m more likely to be shut off from the gospel and words of grace. And if your hearers do not understand the depth and severity of legalism in their hearts they will be gullible to a hardness towards the grace of God (and may not even know it). A while ago I posted an outstanding excerpt from Sinclair Ferguson on the importance of ministers preaching strong indicatives (the gospel) to support the imperatives (commands) of Scripture. I encourage you to read it.

Because the simple truth is that if we think God’s approval of us pivots upon our spiritual performance—and not what Christ accomplished on the cross—our appreciation for the gospel will never seriously affect us.

3. Communicate Christ’s Affections

Paul tells the church in Philippi that he loves them with the affections of Christ Jesus. His exact words: “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:8). Paul’s affections towards the Philippians is an extension of the affection of Christ to the saints. Which means (if I’m reading this correctly) that ministers have an opportunity to communicate, to some (obviously) imperfect level, the affection of Christ to their people.

A genuine Christian who is unfamiliar with the joy of Christ and the gospel may (notice I said may) have a pastor that does not reflect, model, and communicate a Christ-centered love to them. Those people with loving, caring, humble, sacrificial pastors who tell them how much they love them—and from an unconditional love unhinged from their responsive performance—will more likely be familiar with the unconditional love of Christ displayed in the gospel.

So could it be that a church unfamiliar with the unconditional love of Christ—as displayed in the gospel—have not experienced the affection of Christ through their pastor?

Two great questions to ask yourself are these: (a) Upon what condition does Christ’s love for me depend? (b) Upon what condition does my love for ______ rest upon what he/she does or does not do? And this love is obviously one that has first escaped the entrapment of legalism.

Conclusion

So those are three categories I would raise for your consideration, Tom. Read and study fill your own soul with the gospel, assault legalism in your heart and church, and seek to incarnate the love of Christ in caring for your flock. In all things praying the Holy Spirit would burn hot so your church will gather and sing with tear-filled eyes:

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

LEAD team update

LEAD teams are part of the BGC network for pastor. I post this hear hoping for feedback on the ideas that are shared (BGC or not please comment). What will work in our area? Are there things we need to implement or change to allow it to function in a God honoring way that allows His kingdom to expand?



The LEAD Team Update BGC LEAD Teams Nov 2008

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Greetings!
Thanks for reading this issue of the Update! We're Nat'l Coordinators helping LEAD Teams thrive in our movement. We welcome your input and questions. Click on the unsubscribe button if you wish to be removed. - Dan Maxton/Terry Martell

Deaf Church to Start in Wisconsin

The hearing impaired are a significant unreached group in America today! Henry Blackaby's principle - "Find out where God is at work and then join Him!" - helped some WI leaders trace God's hand in starting a deaf church.

Six years ago, Bethany Baptist (Schoefield, WI) pastor and Head Coach - Kim Swenson - first saw God working when four deaf people walked into the church foyer. A deaf interpreter, Carol Fourman, walked up to them and signed, "I remember when you come to faith in Christ 10 years ago!"

"When God is at work, he usually raises up a leader!" notes Swenson. Maverick Martin and his wife started spending time with the deaf community and suggested, "Why don't we start a church?"

Soon the group connected with a deaf evangelist Don Ketter from Kansas City, MO. Later, he met Executive Minister, Dwight Perry and Church Planting leader, Dan Parmalee to forge a ministry partnership.

Delegates attending a recent Annual Meeting (Oct 23-25) in Ashland, WI called Don Ketter as their first hearing impaired church planter in the Great Lakes Baptist Conference (GLBC).

The Grand Opening for the new church is planned for December 7th. Fifteen deaf adults along with their children will meet for worship at Bethany Baptist. Future midweek bible studies will utilize video relay (Skype-like conferencing) to connect with other deaf communities in Medford, Stevens Point, Marshville, Merrill and Rhinelander.

"It's amazing how God is providing," observed Swenson. "This is one of those ministries that just took off! God really seems to be at work when people, resources and plans just fall into place with minimal initiative on our part."


What are LEAD TEAMS?

LEAD Teams bring together pastors and planters who connect 4-5 times a year to ignite a movement. They discover and send out future pastors and planters to lead transformational churches.

Leaders Learn principles, Encourage growth, Achieve mission and Dream about opportunities. They live out core values and mobilize kingdom resources to reproduce the life of Jesus.

Current National goals:

Initiate regional training events that equip Head Coaches.
Assist district leaders to launch new Lead Teams.
Share regional ideas working in one area with other leaders across the country.


10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known...

Ever wished someone would have shared insights about your job before you started? Church Planter, Gary Lamb blogged some great insights that you can bring up in your LEAD team.

"These aren't the top things I would tell a church planter, just the top 10 things I wished I had known before we launched," explains Lamb.

Be secure in your calling. There are days when nothing will get you through the day but your calling. The one thing that will comfort you (and not much) is the fact that you must KNOW you are called to do this thing.
People who come on time and act like you are the greatest thing in the world, want to sign up for everything after one visit, talk about how they are called to the ministry after one visit, etc. are the ones that won't last long. It happens every time.
You can NEVER cast vision too much. Volunteers do what they do because of the vision, not because they need something else on their schedule.
Small groups are a lot of work and NO ONE is doing them well especially if they are reaching unchurched people. However when they run right, there is nothing greater.
Who you do this thing with is so important. Do it with friends and people you enjoy being around.
Don't be afraid to talk about money. The bible talks a lot about it and it is part of spiritual growth. Big vision takes big money and God uses people to fund the vision.
Be yourself. The world doesn't need another Ed Young, Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, or Erwin McManus. It does however need you to be you and who God created you to be.
Don't be afraid to lose people. I never want to see people go, but there are times when people need to leave and in the early days I was too afraid to lose people that I kept people around that needed to leave.
Take time off!!!! Starting a church is a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this thing for the long haul so take care of your body, your mind, your soul, your marriage, and your family now so you can be doing this thing later.
Enjoy the ride. Quit worrying about the next growth barrier, the other churches in town, the critics, etc. Just enjoy what God is doing. Stop and smell the roses. If you don't do it now, you never will. Keep pushing to reach more people, but enjoy what is happening while it is happening.



Key Vital Signs of LEAD TEAMS

LEAD teams discover financial resources that achieves their vision. Member churches put LEAD Teams in their budgets. Congregations make monthly gifts to multiply churches in their regions.


LEAD Teams mentor and coach potential pastors and planters. They encourage apprentice leaders to attend meetings, network with others and learn new ways to equip churches.


Lead Teams collaborate around mission. They challenge themselves to be teams that fulfills God's vision to reproduce the life of Jesus in people and churches.


LEAD Teams look for future planters from within their church ministries. They avoid relying solely on regional partners (districts) to do the hard work of recruiting. Instead, they discover future planters in their own churches and harvest fields of their communities.



Yours for the Cause,


Dan Maxton/Terry Martell
BGC LEAD Team Coordinators

10 Things I wish I would have known

I copied this from Dan Maxton, who copied it from Gary Lamb. I thought is was worth reading again.

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known...

Ever wished someone would have shared insights about your job before you started? Church Planter, Gary Lamb blogged some great insights.

"These aren't the top things I would tell a church planter, just the top 10 things I wished I had known before we launched," explains Lamb.

Be secure in your calling. There are days when nothing will get you through the day but your calling. The one thing that will comfort you (and not much) is the fact that you must KNOW you are called to do this thing.
People who come on time and act like you are the greatest thing in the world, want to sign up for everything after one visit, talk about how they are called to the ministry after one visit, etc. are the ones that won't last long. It happens every time.
You can NEVER cast vision too much. Volunteers do what they do because of the vision, not because they need something else on their schedule.
Small groups are a lot of work and NO ONE is doing them well especially if they are reaching unchurched people. However when they run right, there is nothing greater.
Who you do this thing with is so important. Do it with friends and people you enjoy being around.
Don't be afraid to talk about money. The bible talks a lot about it and it is part of spiritual growth. Big vision takes big money and God uses people to fund the vision.
Be yourself. The world doesn't need another Ed Young, Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, or Erwin McManus. It does however need you to be you and who God created you to be.
Don't be afraid to lose people. I never want to see people go, but there are times when people need to leave and in the early days I was too afraid to lose people that I kept people around that needed to leave.
Take time off!!!! Starting a church is a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this thing for the long haul so take care of your body, your mind, your soul, your marriage, and your family now so you can be doing this thing later.
Enjoy the ride. Quit worrying about the next growth barrier, the other churches in town, the critics, etc. Just enjoy what God is doing. Stop and smell the roses. If you don't do it now, you never will. Keep pushing to reach more people, but enjoy what is happening while it is happening.

Church states of reporduction

JD Pearring describes the different stages of church reproduction. I believe God's goal for the local church is to always be reproducing.

Stages of Reproduction
JD Pearring

Part of what we’re about in the GHC Network is helping churches partner with and parent new churches. Some churches are excited about the possibilities and are on board with reproducing. Others seem disinterested in church planting. Still others find themselves in the middle of those options.
In working with churches and pastors over the years I’ve come up with, what I call, the different Stages of Reproduction:

Resisting
Some churches are currently resisting reproduction. Like couples who have decided against having children, these churches do not want to reproduce. Church Planting expert Bob Logan uses the term “hostile” to describe how some pastors and churches respond to the idea of parenting a daughter church. One famous pastor of a mega-church in our country once remarked, “We came dangerously close to planting a daughter church.”

Questioning
Other churches find themselves grappling with the clear Biblical command to “go forth and multiply.” They are starting to wonder why this hasn’t been part of the natural development in their church. They are asking questions, checking studies and beginning to realize that they do not want to be, as multiplication specialist Red Ensley put it, “a dead-end link on the chain of Christianity.”

Not Now
Many, if not most churches find themselves in the “Not Now” stage. They realize that health leads to reproduction. They know that they need to parent someday. But they are caught up with other things right now. These folks typically say things like, “As soon as we get our facility built we’ll consider a plant.” Or, “We’re not large enough yet.” Or, “When we get our staffing, program, or financial issues remedied, we’ll look into it.”

Something
Many churches have moved to the stage where they are actually doing something. They might be financially supporting a church planter or two. They may open their facilities to a church plant in their area or perhaps they’ve given gently used equipment to a new church in the region. They have jumped into the game.

Aunt/Uncle
Other churches have moved to the point of being an Aunt or Uncle church. They might not feel ready to parent, but they are willing to generously support a planter. They’re having planters up front in their services and are growing in support of a church planting movement.

GodParent
Some churches have moved a bit farther along the reproduction journey. They’ve become that special Aunt or Uncle--the GodParent. They are praying and giving and are available for special appeals by church plants for one-time gifts over and above previous commitments; to send people to help out to a preview service; or to have a baby shower to buy items for a church plants nursery. My church in Elk Grove, Discovery Church, has a special relationship with a plant back east. We’ve told them to consider us to be a rich uncle who lives in California.

Parent
Some churches have actually moved to the point of daughtering a church. Like having kids biologically, this might be a deliberate, planned, thought-out strategy. A parent church might have the clear approach that they will give $50,000 to $100,000 and 50-100 people to get a church launched. Or it might be more of “an accident.” They might only be able to give a few bucks and a few people, but they are responding to God’s personal call to them to be parents. They may or may not be joined by another parent church, but they’ve taken responsibility to help a church get going.

Baby Machine
Some churches have had such a good experience in parenting, that they are having plenty of kids. My four sisters have had seven kids, seven kids, six kids and four kids respectively. And I’ve joked that they are baby-machines, constantly pregnant. Some churches are like that--they’ve become multiplication centers.

Mini-Denomination
And some have multiplied so much that they’ve approached becoming a denomination unto themselves. Their kids are having kids. Some are reproducing like wildfire, leaving a lasting legacy.

Churches range throughout these stages, from resistant to rapid reproduction.

The application is clear: let’s identify where we, where our church currently finds itself along the reproductive journey. Is your church resistant? Questioning? Waiting? Involved? Moving toward parenting? Cranking them out?

After identifying where we are, there’s one last application I’d like to challenge you and your church to take: consider making some movement further along the reproductive line. If you’re thinking, “Not now,” I’d encourage you to rethink that and at least do something--support a church planter, give something. If you’re doing something, consider taking the challenge on of being a GodParent. Or perhaps its time to daughter that first church--or that second one. Let’s move along the reproductive journey.

Steve Addison’s blog World Changers

The future of the Australian Baptists
(you can read his blog here)

I’ve just finished an unofficial report on the future of my denomination, the Baptist Union of Australia.

The good news is the BUA has a future. The bad news is if that future is more of the same then the Baptist are headed for long term, gradual decline in relation to the Australian population.

Here’s a summary of the trends

Baptist membership has been falling since 1992.
The gap between membership and population growth has been widening since 1911.
Church attendance has been growing since 2003 but the numbers may not be accurate.
The number of churches is increasing.
The gap between number of churches and population growth has been widening since 1911.
Mainline Protestant churches are in serious decline which outweighs the growth in evangelical churches.
The Australian population is growing at unexpectedly high levels and will continue to do so.
Conclusion: More of the same will result in steady long-term decline in relation to Australian population growth.
So what is to be done? Apart from a new logo I suggested we need to:

Confront the evidence
Keep returning to our evangelical heritage
See our future through Great Commission eyes
Release pioneering leadership
Build a church planting movement
Keep learning
Exercise faith
If we do nothing, we’ll survive. It may take decades for the full impact of our inaction to bear fruit. There will be a long journey of gradual decline in relation to population growth. The denomination will probably still be around in 100 years time—unless Jesus returns.

Life in Christ

I have been impressed with Acts 1:8 recently. While a common verse that I memorized as a kid, the impact of God's power through the Holy Spirit to be a witness is really challenging me. We have the power of the Holy Spirit as believers. In any type of work we always look at past performance to understand what will happen in the future. The power of God in the past blows the mind. He can and will do it in the future. Do I really believe I have His power to share what Jesus Christ did on the cross for the ungodly? Peter, Anannis and Paul are just a few of many examples of the practical working of the power of the Holy Spirit at work to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the unchurched.

Belief brings a change. Do I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to witness? I sure want to say yes, but how how verbal am I? I am so thrilled that God uses "simple", well know verse, to remind us once again of who He is and what He wants in our life. It is not a new idea, it is not an unheard claim, but because God word is living it takes new impact again and again.

Planting in KC

I just returned from Kansas City talking with two men about the possibilities of planting a church in Kansas City targeting Vietnamese people. There are about 10,000 Vietnamese people in the Kansas City area with one small church doing there best to reach them. I am excited to see how God will open the door for us to connect with this group of people that need Christ. While we were there we went to the Asian market. If you ever go to Kansas City you need to stop in and shop. It is a learning and delightful experience. Please pray with me for the Andrew and Phiet as they seek God timing and calling for the Kansas City area.

Does size of a church make a difference?

We have all read the discussion about big church vs small church. Which one is more effective? Which one helps the person growth in their faith? Which one has the most committed people? Warren Bird gives some great insight into the large church small church discussion.

Here is a part of what he posted (go to his site and read it all).

It turns out that as church size increase, people's beliefs are more certain. For example, on the question of whether heaven absolutely exists, 92% of people in larger churches said yes, while 79% in smaller churches said yes. Does hell absolutely exists? The replies were 90% and 69%.

What about people's practices? Those in the larger churches attend services weekly or more often (46% and 39%), more of them tithe (46% and. 36%), and more of them attend a Bible-study group (52% and 43%). So personal commitment is higher with church size.

Is there a lack of intimacy as churches grow larger? When asked if half or more of their friends attend their congregations, survey respondents said yes 41% for larger churches and 25% for smaller churches. The same point is made when when the opposite angle is taken: do they have no friends in their congregations? Agreement was 12% and 22%.


Tell me what you think about this study.

Belief review by Ed Stetzer

Check out Ed Stetzer and is numbers about what people believe today

Technology is a wonderful thing, but do we allow technology to take time that could be used proclaiming the Gospel. Here is the link to a new service that is coming for churches that made me think about how technology fits into our life. I must admit that I enjoy and often will defend the use of tracking information, but this made me consider the advantage of "information" verses just doing what God has called us to do. What do you think?

Short Term Missions trips?

George Barna found some interesting statistic related to short term mission trips. After reading it how can we improve on the long term affects of short term mission trips?

Who takes short term mission trips?

9% of American adults
>> only 3.5% of American adults went in the last 5 years
11% of churchgoers
23% evangelical Christians
12% of Mosaics (ages 18-24)
9% of Busters (ages 25-43)
7% of Boomers (ages 44-62)
9% of Elders (ages 63+)
How do short-term mission trips affect those who go?

75% say the experience changed their life in some way
25% say it helped them become more aware of other people’s struggles
16% say it taught them more about poverty, justice, or the world
11% say it increased their compassion
9% say it enriched their faith
9% say it broadened their spiritual understanding
5% say it boosted their financial generosity

How are we doing in planting?

I understand and agree that numbers are not the major indicator of our spiritual health. While saying that I also know that it is ones means of putting our hands to the fire to see how hot the flames are burning. While not all the district in Converge Worldwide reported, of those that did we found that we planted over 200 churches between 2000-2005. There was an average weekly attendance in 2007 of 154 people which impacted 22,847 individuals. In our church plants we baptized 1,916 in 2007. God is gracious to us. The fields are still golden ready for harvest. Pray for labors of the harvest.

Missional Church

I am enjoying reading Ed Stetzer's book, "Planting Missional Churches". In reading this morning he provided some head scratching thought about how we do church plants. First he list five items that are part of a church to be a church: 1. A covenant Community (is one that holds one another accountable for godliness and growth) 2. Meeting, 3. Biblical Leadership (leaders called "pastor/elders" and deacons" 4. The Ordinances, 5. Preaching. Easy to agree with.

The form this takes is not given in the Bible. One of the forms that Ed Stetzer talks about is being incarnational "not attractional, in its ecclesiology. By incarnational we mean it does not create sanctified spaces into which unbelievers must come to encounter the gospel. Rather, the mission church disassembles itself and seeps into the cracks and crevices of a society in order to be Christ to those who don't yet know him."

Incarnational church planters work in the neighborhood they are planting in. Stetzer says, "Missional/incarnational church planters do not need a prospectus, strategy plan, and time line; they need a job in the marketplace."

Vocational pastor are needed, but using his explanation of "missional/incarnational" church planters do we need to do some adjusting?

DA Carson

ACTS 29 has some great insight from DA Carson about five trends of the church today.

God at work

Meet with 10 pastors in the Kansas City area and talked about church planting. We had some great discussion as we talked about "Why should we plant a church?" Here are some of the answers but not all.
- Obedience to what God has told us to do
- It is the most effective means of evangelism
- Extending the Kingdom of God
- Growth of our people
- God's calling on our life.
- Health of the mother church
- Great way to train leaders
- God loves people
- Strengthens and stretches our faith
- Community needs Biblical values
- We can stress Kingdom issues not individual person or church

We also talked about barriers to church planting
- to old
- not organized
- comfortable with what we have
- fear of failure
- fear of money
- fear of burnout
- we get use to life

What could be added to either list?

Baptism

I took these pictures this summer, but just found the software to get the picture of the camera. They are taken from the church in Clear Lake. A small town with a pastor that has a heart for people to encounter Christ. The baptism was at a local lake. The man is 61 years old. It is exciting to see God changing the lives of young and old.

Essential Church

If you don't want to buy the book Essential Church you can download it for free for a limited time. It is well worth the read and will help sharpen your church in how it does ministry. Yes, they will put you on a mailing list, but the book is worth the a few e-mails.

Traveling

I spent last week in Omaha and Kansas City and this week I head to Chicago and then to Grand Island for Converge Heartland's annual meeting. I am excited about the 10 pastor that meet with me in KC as we talked about church planting. ConvergeUSA (BGC) has no churches in the state of Kansas so it will be fun to watch how God uses the pastors there to start a movement through Kansas. In Omaha I meet with 9 pastor as we talked about the possibilities for the Omaha area. How does a church know when it is ready to plant? Maybe the better way to ask the question is how to you help churches understand that we are always to be praying and working toward reaching the unchurched with the good news of Jesus Christ and the most effective way of reaching the unchurched is through church plants?

Character of a church planter strategist

Gus Suarez list 10 characteristic of a church planting strategist.   

Is doctrine important to the unchurched?

Thom and Sam Rainer say yes. In their book "Essential Church?" they write that in their research they were surprised to learn "Of these formerly unchurched, 91 percent told us that the doctrine of the church was important to them before they became a christian." They had enough unsure events or things in their life and was looking for a solid, sure belief. A great reminder as we ponder how do we connect with people that softening our doctrine is not in anyones best interest. God honors solid, confident, bibically based beliefs.

Worth reading

Ed Stetzer has a great post about the church in America and our need to foucus on the misson.  Take time to read the article.

Should you be a church planter?

I found this link from Andy Wright regarding 20 questions you can ask about being a church planter.  I will send you directly to Ardian Warnock blog for the questions.  

Essential Church part 2

Thom and Sam Rainer state "Of those who left the church between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, 97 percent left because of a life-change issue. Read that percent again: 97 percent left because of a life change issue.
Most of the dropouts did not leave their families during this time.
Most of the dropouts did not leave their social networks during this time.
Most of the dropouts did not leave the educational system during this time.
But most of them did leave the church."

How in the establishment of a new church do we generate a known need to stay part of the church which should be the stabling factor in any "life change issue"?

Essential Church

I made it back from Ord. My wife and I were reminded that God is in control of the weather. The wind blew and blew and blew some more. We had gust up to 45 according to the weather man. Since we camp in a tent, it was difficult to get a break from the wind.

I did have time to read the majority of "Essential Church" Rainer's research found the top 10 reasons why the 18-22 year old age frame stop going to church
1. Simply wanted a break from church
2. Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.
3. Moved to college and stopped attending church.
4. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.
5. Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.
6. Became too busy though still wanted to attend.
7. Didnt feel connect to the people in the church.
8. Disagreed with the churchs stance on political or social issues.
9. Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church
10. Was only going to church to please others.

I will talk more in future notes, but their basic solution is
Simplify: Getting the structure right
Deepen: Getting the content right
Expect: Getting the attitude right
Multiply: Getting the action right

As churches are planted we need to consider where we can make sure we are strong to prevent any age group from walking out the back door unnoticed.

Camping

I am headed to Ord, NE for several days of camping and riding the bicycle with my wonderful wife. I plan to read "Essential Church" while I am away.

Launch team or core team

My friend Andy Wright has a great post about developing a core team or a launch team.

Customers or rules

Todd writes some good though provider for what we do as churches. How do you make a church plant a "customer keeper" while never bending on theological issues?

Are You a Customer Keeper or a Rule Keeper?

from MMI Weblog by Todd Rhoades

Alan Nelson writes, "The other day we were in a restaurant that created a truly enjoyable experience. The waiter went out of his way to bend the menu rules in order to satisfy our preferences. Then he continued this empowering table service by providing us with a taste test of a dessert and finalized it by taking an item off our bill because it wasn't quite right. Compare that with the typical service you get at any number of eateries where the frontline people provide less than enjoyable service because they follow their workers manual to a T.

The big question is "Are you a rule keeper or a customer keeper?" An empowered team understands the importance of providing front-end people with the authority to make the right decisions for the customer in a given situation. Translated to the church, the question becomes "Are my team members told that they're empowered to make decisions that make sense?" Do you affirm this by telling stories of people who do?

Every church culture is different. I've been in some churches where I could tell that the fear of the senior pastor, board, or treasurer thwarted people from being creative, flexible, and responsive to people as needs arose. Of course, the antithesis of this is a church where there are no rules and everyone just sort of does his or her own thing...

The typical result is mediocrity, sloppiness, and haphazard ministry. But there’s a powerful place in the middle where you don’t have to create a million rules to follow but keep it simple.

One of the ways my wife has done very well in our home is by conveying to our sons these three primary principles:

1. We don’t hurt people.

2. We don’t hurt things.

3. And we don’t hurt ourselves.

Pretty much everything can fit into one of these three categories. Teaching these simple principles is far more effective than teaching a multitude of rules.

One time I was on staff at a large church in the Midwest. I coordinated the first Super Bowl party they’d ever done, as a community outreach. When the crowd overwhelmed the seating, I instructed the team to go into the halls and push in the comfy couches from the lobby. The next week in staff meeting, I heard about it. I responded, “It seems like we care more about the furniture than we do about people.” My brashness may have been unnecessary, but the point was true. I later convened the first fun day on the well-groomed lawn of the church, located on a busy street, to help create a buzz in the neighborhood. People loved it. Administration frowned. Needless to say, my tenure at that church was short.

So what are you doing, inadvertently, that promotes rules over people? What do you do to make ministry difficult in your church? Have you empowered your team to do what is needed to get the job done, as needed? Accountability means you deal with a misuse of freedom, but not by creating a list of rules and restrictions. Develop customer keepers, not rule keepers.

Alan Nelson is the executive editor of Rev! Magazine, the author of a dozen books, and has been a pastor for 20 years. email him at anelson@group.com.

You can read more of Alan’s work here...

25 and under morality

George Barna gives some startling information about those 25 and under. Read about their morality. How best can we reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Ed Stezter commenting on Randy Smith and age of people in church plants

Old People and Church Health
My New Jersey friend, Randy Smith, Lead pastor of Discovery Church, says too many believe the elderly have "cooties", and that this belief is damaging our churches. He is a church planting and in many plants, we don't see a good diversity of age. Randy explains,

We are missing out on something when we ignore the older generation. There I've said it. I like old people! When it comes to church, I don't like their music, I don't like their formality, and I don't like a lot of their traditions but I like the people.

...I think we hurt ourselves when we exclude the oldsters. They have wisdom, they have time, they have energy (for short periods of time!) and for all you pastors, they usually are good stewards! I'm not advocating that you haphazardly appoint five or six AARP members to your Executive Leadership Team. Actually, I'd warn you not to do such a thing with any age group. But I am saying that we need to find ways to marry the wisdom and years of spiritual growth of the old with the energy and adventuresome spirit of the new. How that's done is your job to figure out - you're the leader...lead!

Church growth or decline

Dan Garland writes a great review about a study done regarding church growth and decline. In short most growth or decline is not based on external factors but internal factors. We often blame external issues, but this study would indicate that the greatest factor in growth or decline is internal.

Young people thinking

ARDA has an interesting report on what people are thinking.

Why attend church

Q+A :: Top Reasons for Church Attendance

from churchrelevance.com by Kent Shaffer

QUESTION:
Do you have any statistics that show the top 5 reasons why people stay or connect with a church?
- Debbie :: California

ANSWER:
In recent years, there have been several research studies hoping to discover what motivates church attendance. I previously blogged about research from LifeWay Research and Gallup. Both of those studies offer good insights but can be general.

My favorite resource on the topic is Thom S. Ranier’s book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched. It discusses the following three surveys.

Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church
(research conducted by Ranier)

1. 90% - Pastor/Preaching
2. 88% - Doctrines
3. 49% - Friendliness of Members
4. 42% - Other Issues
5. 41% - Someone Church Witnessed to Me
6. 38% - Family Member
7. 37% - Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church
8. 25% - Relationship Other than Family Member
9. 25% - Sunday School Class
10. 25% - Children’s/Youth Ministry
11. 12% - Other Groups/Ministries
12. 11% - Worship Style/Music
13. 7% - Location

Top 9 Reasons that Church-Attenders Choose a Church
(research conducted by the Barna Group in 1999)

1. 58% - Doctrine/Theology
2. 53% - People Caring for Each Other
3. 52% - Preaching
4. 45% - Friendliness
5. 45% - Children’s Programs
6. 43% - Helping the Poor
7. 36% - Denomination
8. 35% - Like the Pastor
9. 26% - Sunday School

Top 6 Things that Keep the Formerly Unchurched Active in the Church
(research conducted by Ranier)

1. 62% - Ministry Involvement
2. 55% - Sunday School
3. 54% - Obedience to God
4. 49% - Fellowship of Members
5. 38% - Pastor/Preaching
6. 14% - Worship Services

The statistics speak for themselves. Overall, doctrine, the pastor and his preaching, and the friendliness and fellowship of the congregation are the most influential qualities.

Vacation

My wife and I got back from a great bicycle vacation late last night. We traveled a little over 400 miles across the western part of ND. We had a little rain, some wind and two days in the mid 90's. We had level ground to hills. Hills that we were able to coast down at about 43 mph and others that we traveled up at a whopping 4.5 mph fighting for our breath and praying our legs would keep moving as they screamed in pain. At one point our leg muscles filed a law suit against us claim cruel and unusual punishment. The judge listen to their cry and made us get off the bike and walk up some 10% and greater inclined hills.

Over all it was a great ride meeting people from all walks of life. I was able to connect with 4 other pastors that were riding their bicycle for fun. Most of the towns we went through reflect better times in years gone by, yet the people need to hear the truths of who Jesus Christ is and what He wants to do in their life.

It is great to be back.

Great missional opportunity

David Fitch on Reclaiming the Mission posted the following article. It is worth your time to read.

The Middle In: The Unique Missional Opportunity

Saturday, July 12, 2008

The pastors group at Life on the Vine spent this early morning talking about church planting, spawning communities of mission. We resolved that we would first seek to seed missional communities in places where a.) the gospel is sorely missing (either because churches have closed, left or not yet come), b.) we could live more affordably (so we could all live beneath our means), and c.) where we could live in closer proximity to one another.

Ironically the last two criteria would eliminate the very place Life on the Vine exists. Life on the Vine has faced significant challenges in the NW suburbs regarding the issues of affordability and proximity. We have had to be inventive. The struggle in each of these challenges has just begun. Yet the suburbs cannot be abandoned. We have seen smaller churches (300 and less) close up. The mega churches grow larger. And yet there is little left for those outside the gospel who would never consider darkening the doors of a mega church (which for me includes most post Christendom peoples).

Having said all this, I think we see ourselves as sending people off in groups of ten, as missional orders into places that a.) need the gospel, b.) more affordable, and c.) allow for proximal living. We want to send especially the people who cannot afford to live here.

This gets me to the point of this entire post. In several conversations I have had with missional church planters in the past three weeks, I have discussed what is happening in their towns. They all live in towns of 100,000 or so. In each of these towns the middle to upper classes economically have moved to the outer circle of these cities. Mega churches, in some cases huge mega churches, have sprung up on the outer edges of these towns (we'd call them suburbs in a big city like Chicago.) Meanwhile, from the middle of these little cities in, churches have shrunk, died, been whittled to nothing (many times by these mega churches) left and/or closed up. The outer circle of these towns has plenty of churches and money. Yet in all three of these contexts, "the middle in" is decidedly less middle-to upper class and lacks churches relative to the population. This "middle-in" is struggling with poverty, job loss, gangs, under-education and other things. Here in the "middle-in" parts of these towns are "the poor," the ones most ready and desperate for the gospel. Here lies fertile ground for the gospel.

All this to say, "the middle in" is also a.) very affordable, b.) allows for proximity, and c.) is in need of the gospel. These are the fertile places for the missional orders we are seeking to form at Life on the Vine. We seek to send groups of 10, gifted people for ministry who can get jobs and flourish in these new places for mission. I was stunned to visit one of these places this week and find many young professional Christians, who have good jobs, tired of mega church living, doing this kind of missional living. Wow, it blew my mind.

What do you think about the "middle in" hypothesis? Are you interested? Are you already doing this?

Travel Plans

My lovely wife and I are leaving this afternoon for a seven day bicycle trip in ND. You can check out the route and wish you were along.

Interview and book to consider reading

Justin Taylor as a great interview with Tom Schreiner about his book NT Theology. It looks like it is a great book to make you think.

Family Life

Shawn Lovejoy give a great description of the church and family.

The church and sin

A few words from Dr. John P. Splinter
"The church's comfort with sin in its midst has unleashed a whirlwind. Is there any other reasonable explanation for 88% of the children raised in evangelical homes to leave church by the age of 18, never to return (London, 2002)? They may have heard the words, but most of them never witnessed or experienced the Savior in the lives of their parents or church leaders. If they'd seen Christ, they'd have stayed. Is there any other reasonable explanation for the divorce rate among church members to be virtually the same as among non-church members (London, 2002); for Christian women to struggle with eating disorders to the same extent as non-Christian women (Myers, 2004); for only 2% of teens in churches to have a Christian worldview (Barna, 2003a); for Christian men to be as hooked into porn as non-Christians (Gallagher, 2000); for the rate of cohabitation among Christians to be nearly the same as among unbelievers (Bama, 2001); or for racism to be worse among evangelical Christians than among unbelievers (Gallup & Castelli, 1989)?
In many, perhaps most churches, the "cleansing power" of God's Spirit is present in name only. Few today see the church as a moral force to be reckoned with. It's like a harmless house pet which may be emotionally significant to its owners, but meaningless to those outside the family. Barna suggests that America is now entering a period that historians will someday describe as the beginning of the era of moral anarchy. And why should anyone take the church seriously if the church doesn't take itself seriously?
One of the high privileges of my life has been to co-minister with brothers & sisters in Russia & Ukraine. The church in that part of the world is a much leaner, harder spiritual body. The Exec. V.P. of a seminary in Ukraine told me that in a church of 200-300, it's normal to see 5-10 people removed from fellowship each year due to unrepentant sin as the Body keeps itself pure. That's an amazing contrast to Western churches in which it's sometimes almost impossible to be removed from church rolls."

Manipulative church

Monday Morning Insight, Todd Rhodes highlighted a new church in the Netherlands. Smoking is their god. At first I smiled at the manipulative invention of a church to get around a state rule of no smoking. Yet, the church today walks the tight rope of biblical principles to justify felt needs. Paul writing to Timothy said a little wine is good for the stomach, which means I can sit in the bar and sip a few because it is good for my health. I need to stop and look at my life, the life of my church, and the denominational I serve with to see what is manipulative for my pleasure and what is truly from God and needs to be practiced.

Kansas City Church Plant

It is always exciting to watch God's hand working in the lives of people. God is bring Converge Heartland (Heartland Baptist District)a step closer to planting a church in Kansas City for the Vietnamese people. There are approximately 500 families living in Kansas City that are from Vietnam. Currently there is one small church working with the 500 families. We are currently talking/interviewing two potential church planters. Our goal is to start the work in January of 2009. Keep watching and praying to see how God's hand works in the lives the church planters and the Vietnamese people living in the Kansas City area.

How Deep are we?

David Olson in trying to help the church recover from the crisis we are in makes the following comment. "Why do so many seekers report that they are attracted to Jesus but not to the church? Perhaps the problem is that the church has done a splendid job of concealing the powerful life-giving Jesus. We domesticate him; we make him our servants; we assume that people have more knowledge about him than they do. We are producing Christians who lack the vitality and depth that should mark Christ-followers. To quote John Perkins again, "We have over-evangelized the world too lightly. We have allowed a narrow and limited understanding of Jesus to marginalize and reduce the revolutionary nature of his message and mission."

Planting Fast Growing Churches

A few more items from the study on book, “Planting Fast-growing Churches”

Planters of fast-growing, dynamic church plants were given more freedom to spend their funding in the ways they saw fit.

Overall, less control and/or management from the sponsoring agency was exerted over fast-growing, dynamic church plants.  The data indicated that sponsoring agencies need to give proper freedoms to the church planter instead of imposing a cookie-cutter church planting plan.  Those church plants that were a part of the struggling group tended to have more constraints and control placed over them.

Sponsoring agencies must develop a quality training program.  Leaders of fast-growing, dynamic church plants received one or more weeks of training designed to prepare them for church planting.  By contrast, planters involved in struggling church plants indicated that they had received less than one week of training.

Church multipication

Andy Williams wrote a paper on Church Multiplication Centers that has some great insight and points to consider.

Do we obey advise?

A study was done in the last several years that reveal that nine of ten people who are told by doctors to "change or die" cannot do so. In other words, they are told to stop smoking, lose weight, or quit drinking in order to survive, and nine of ten die rather than change. Churches are similar. Are we personally similar?

Conversely, do we tell people what they want to hear or what they need to hear? Fox News has a story about what doctor would like to say, but will not or cannot because of legal issues.

I see the two similar in that we don't listen to advice and we are unwilling to give loving straight forward advice.

Post Christian ministry

What does ministry in a post-christian, post-modern and post-monoethnic look like today. David Olson, in The American Church in Crisis" said, "The American church must encage with these three critical transitions:
- Our World used to be Christan, but it is now becoming post-Christian
- Our world used to be modern, but it is now becoming postmodern.
- Our world used to be moneothic, but it is now becoming multiethnic (read more on multiethnic here)

He goes on to say, "In the post-Christian world, pastors, churches and Christians need to operate more as the early church did. In the post-Christain world, the needs of outsiders become most important. Ministry is more like missionary work, with a renewed emphasis on the message and mission of Jesus. The role of pastors is to lead the church in its mission and equip members to understand and live out the message and mission of Jesus outside of the church. Churches must develop a mission mind-set,l going out into the world to meet people's needs."

Invitation to a meal

Ed Stetzer in Outreach magazine asked a great question for every Christian and even more so for those of us in church planting. Ponder what he had to say, "Jesus was accused of hanging out with the wrong crowd because, among other things, he went to other people's homes for dinner! Here's a simple question: When was the last time an unchurched person invited you to dinner? Skip the excuses: 'Well I go and witness to people,' or, 'They're afraid of me because I'm a pastor.' Just be honest. Are you the kind of person other people want to hang around? Apparently, Jesus was."

Money for church planters

What is the right amount of money to give to a new church plant? What level of support causes the church plant to flourish or become dependent? Stephen Gray in his book, “Planting Fast-growing Churches” offers some points that his research has proven about funding for church plants.

“A majority of full-time planters leading fast-growing church plants received salary support for two years or less. Nearly 80 percent of the planters involved in struggling church plants received salary support for three to five years. This data seems to imply that an extended period of support is not good for a new church. It may be that the security offered by this extension causes a window of procrastination that is detrimental to the development of the church plant.”

“While a higher percentage of fast-growing, dynamic church plants received additional funding, most received $50,000 or less within a one-year time frame. A significant number of struggling church plants received over $50,000 in a four or five year period. Again, too much money given to a new start may be just as detrimental as too little.”

Planting Fast Growing Church

There are 21 significant differences between fast-growing and struggling church plants according to Stephen Gray in his latest book, "Planting Fast-growing Churches."

Following are 2 of the 21 items he lists

"1. Using the Ridley assessment is a must. No planter should be allowed on the field unless he or she has been properly assessed. When looking for a planter that can break out and overcome the 200 barrier, look for an above average planter. Those who lead fast growing, dynamic church plants had an average score of 4.26, while those leading struggling church plants scored an average of 3.82.

2. Adequate financial support of a church plant is a must. Church planting is expensive and requires a proper balance of funding from the sponsoring agency. The financing of this plant should come through a combination of sponsoring agency and planter. Every planter should take ownership and be personally involved in raising extra funds. If you find a planter who is not willing or able to do this, he or she may be the wrong person. Keep in mind that funding these new churches requires a lot of thought, because a delicate balance exists between giving a planter too much or too little financial support."

More to come in days ahead.

Church gowth by 2020

I have been enjoying David Olson's book, "The American Church in Crisis." He does give some numbers that cause us to reconsider what we are doing and how we are doing it. He said, "Approximately 55,000 churches will close between 2005 and 2020, while 60,000 new churches will open, producing a net gain of 4,500 churches. However, to keep pace with population growth, a net gain of 48,000 churches will be needed. In those 15 years the American church will fall short of this mark by almost 43,500 congregations." (pg 176)

Church Planting in rural towns

Check out this conference for churches in the "sticks"

10 changes for the future of the American Church

David Olson in his book, “The American Church in Crisis” gives ten necessary changes for the American church to have a bright future.    
1.        “Christian leaders need to be honest about what is happening in the American church and in their denomination and its churches, and personally lead the church forward with spirituality, chemistry, and strategy.
2.       Established churches need to have the courage and commitment to pursue both health and growth.  This dedication needs to come from pastoral and lay leaders and from members.
3.       Christian leaders and churches need to accept and learn to thrive in the new world that is post-Christian, postmodern, and multiethnic.
4.       The best pattern for the mission of the American church is the early church’s attitude, model, and mission strategy to the Creco-Roman world.
5.       In this new world, pastors need to upgrade their ministry gifts and skills, learning to articulate the message and mission of Jesus with passion, power, and wisdom.
6.       Christians must engage their neighbors with a humble and listening attitude, relishing the new opportunities God has made available.  A great way to begin is through the recovery of the historic Christian ministry of hospitality.
7.       Established churches must embrace church planting as a primary method of passing the faith on to future generations.
8.       Denominations need to learn how to develop turbocharged mammalian church planting structures while encouraging the initiative and interest in church planting to come from the grassroots level, both in established and new churches. 
9.       Pastors and leaders need to devote more energy to raising up and training young leaders in their churches, colleges and community organizations.
10.   The church needs to recognize anew the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.”
Taken from page 103, Olson, David; “The American Church in Crisis” Zondervan

How do we measure church sucess?

W. David Philips lists 19 items from a doctoral class that is enrolled in that help us evaluate the church today. I am asking the question of how does it describe my life yet alone my church. Enjoy the read

Where?

Where in ND, SD, NE and KS do you see a need to plant a church? Places you have been and seen that a church that teaches solid biblical truth is needed and that is impacting their community. I am working on a google map that pin points the locations of where people tell me a church is needed. I have a bunch of my own ideas, but want to see what other thing.

Second part of the question. How is the best way for people in our churches to see the needs and be able to discover church planters for our area?

Membership and MIssion

Ed Stetzer has a great post on membership in the Southern Baptist Convention. (Breaking News) While Ed speaks of the SBC the applications he draws applies across the board to each group of believers. What really matters in what we are doing? Have we let issues that are not critical become so critical that we have lost the reason God has allowed us to stay on this earth?

Invation to attend

In an article by Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer entitled Getting to Know the Unchurched, I found this very interesting piece of research:

Surprisingly, many people who are not currently attending a church are receptive to going. In fact, about 38% of the unchurched are receptive or highly receptive to attending church. The reason they do not attend is that they have yet to be invited. If invited and escorted, 82% of the unchurched we surveyed are open to attending church with a friend or acquaintance. Unfortunately, only 21% of active church-going Christians invited someone to church last year.

Read more

Beyond the Wineskin

Tom Johnston made a great comment about wine or the wineskin read the complete article.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to Starbucks for the paper cup. I go for the coffee. For me, it’s all about the contents of that cup, not the 10% recycled cup or the 30% recycled sleeve. I will not buy more Starbucks if they make the cup more cool looking. In fact, by taking a minimalistic approach to the packaging of their product, Starbucks actually is making a bold marking statement: our product is so good you will pay way too much for our really good coffee in this simple paper cup. And they are right. In a society that focuses on the externals of life, the appearance of things, they have masterfully highlighted the quality of the content by the use of a simple package. ...more...

Leadership Selection

Acts 13 starts by identifying prophets and teachers in Antioch. Two of the five listed we know the other three we know nothing about other then they were prophets and teachers. After worshiping and fasting they were lead by the Holy Spirit to “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul” for the work of the Lord. At this point they didn't jump up and leave, but after fasting and praying laid their hands on them and sent them off. How are decision made in ministry today?

As they were in service for the Lord they fasted and being directed by the Holy Spirit set apart two missionaries. But prior to sending them they fasted and prayed, upon the conclusion they commissioned Barnabas and Saul. So how did we select the last leadership role in our church? I am not trying to say this is the only method, because not everyone sent in the Bible repeated these steps, but it makes we ask how we are selecting leaders. How do you select leaders?

Beam Me up Scotty

Came across this today and wonder how it is going to impact the church and church planting in the future. I am sure the cost is to high today, but it will come down. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Watch this video

Invative design or functional design

Kent Shaffer gives pictures of 7 churches that have been listed as

7 Innovative Church Buildings in America

RIPPLE Church

Dan Maxton and Terry Martell define the advantages and blessings from God by being a church that daughters a church.

The Five Investments of a RIPPLE Church MEMBERS - The best of your leaders will jump at the chance to go with the daughter church. Be prepared to release them. It might take several families to replace them. But then again, they were never yours in the first place. It's your role to release them; it's God's job to replenish them. MONEY - Never does a church live more on the ragged edge of faith than when it risks its finances. There are two sources of income for the daughter church: the tithes of the core team and the parental gifts. When people go to the new church, their tithes and offerings go with them. MUD - The investment of turf and territory is key. Some congregations believes that no new church should move into its area. But no one church can reach an entire community. A variety of churches are needed to reach a variety of people. Wise leaders invest mud and release territory. MINISTRY RESOURCES - People take their gifts, skills and talents to the new church. The good news is that God raises up other leaders in the parent church. Often they are won't step up and volunteer until a ministry position opens up. God holds people in reserve until just the right moment. MOMENTUM - It would be misleading to minimize the cost. The parent church will gear down. There will be a lag in momentum. Just as a new mother feels postpartum blues after a birth, a Ripple church feels both sorrow and joy from extending the kingdom through church parenting.

Explring the Mysteries of Prayer

Gary Rohrmayer shared the following points at the TeAmerica in Chicago, IL, Feb 27-29

Isaiah 64:1-12

What did they ask God to do?

Oh God just show up

“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you” Is 64:1

Irresistible change

“As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil” Is 64:2

To make His name known

“...come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!” Is 64:2

What are the conditions for God to show up?

1. Learning to wait on God

“From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Is 64:4

2. Practice joyful integrity

“You come to the help of those who gladly do right...” Is 64:5

3. Conform to Gods standards

   “...who remember your ways.” Is 64:5

4. Admit your spiritual condition

“But when we continued to sin against the, you were angry, How then can we be saved.” Is 64:5

What did they admit?

They were impure before God

“All of us have become like one who is unclean...” Is 64:6

They were ineffective in their service

“...and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Is 64:6

There were spiritually weak

“...we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Is 64:6

“...and make us waste away because of our sins.” Is 64:7

They were disconnected from God

“No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us”” Is 64:7

5. Appeal to the fatherhood of God

“Yet O LORD, you are our Father, We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Is 64:7

“Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people.” Is 64:9

“After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back?” Is 64:12

Praying for a friend

Every wonder how best to pray for a friend or family member. Scripture is the greatest guide. Gary Rohrmayer has posted a great biblical based prayer guide. Stop and take a few minutes to pray for a friend.

Right time, right equipment and right knowledge

Mark Beseson has a great comment about evangelism and taking a picture of what some say looks like me. Look for the moment and be ready.

The Fields are White unto Harvest

Pew Research just completed a study of American and its connection to church. The need for people to see Christ is HUGE. God wants to use us to help them see their need for a vibrant relationship with Him.

A new study of more than 35,000 adult Americans by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life captures the depth and breadth of religious America -- 78.4 percent Christian, 4.7 percent members of other faiths and 16.1 percent unaffiliated.

-- Evangelical Protestant: 26 percent

-- Mainline Protestant: 22 percent

-- Catholic: 24 percent

Reproducing like rabbits?

Bob Roberts Jr, in his new book, The Multiplying Church declares: "The gute of faith in America (and anywhere in the world, for that matter) is not tied to planting more churches, but in raising up mother congregations of every tribe, tongue, denomination, and network that are reproducing like rabbits. Until that happens, we are only a dream waiting to happen. The individualistic, narissistic, consumer mind-set that has gripped the church today is killing us. Nothing will cause adult to sacrifice all they have, even their lives, like their children. We need pastors and churches who care more about their children than they do about themselves. The only way to do that is to make babies."

So what do you think? Is your church plan, praying, working and dreaming of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

What are you asking?

Henry Judy ask 12 great questions about how we recruit. Go to his blog to get greater details on each questions. They are well worth spending time praying about, and seeing how you plan your conversations and follow-up with each contact.

12 Keys to Successful Networking and Recruitment

By: Henry Judy
Lead Pastor: Life Point Church


What I came up with is a combination of 12 “Keys”, that help me create a method of attracting people to the launch team. These 12 keys are pulled together from a variety of sources over time but here they are organized.

1. Remember: You are on a God Hunt. You are looking for the people God wants to partner with you.

2. Never say or do anything that will tarnish the “Image of the Desired Future.”


3. Always have two or three “next steps” for this person in your mind before you begin the conversation.


4. Always Listen for Agenda Harmony


5. Remember: You are in Sales


6. Attempt to keep the conversation on “YES” rather than “NO” statements


7. Explore the level of commitment by moving from safe to unsafe territory. Once you have found the unsafe territory, retreat one step back into safety.

8. Ask meaningful questions that communicate you respect this person.


9. Always ask for the person to go the next step in commitment before leaving a conversation


10. Always ask for the names of two or three other people before leaving a conversation

11. Use a contact management system – preferable index cards rather than computer


12: Remember it is a numbers game

Self Assessment

Shawn Lovejoy ask some great questions about ourselves. Read though the list how are you doing?

Those Self Assessment Questions...

Guys, here's the self-assessment questions I mentioned today that we can use to examine our lives in regards to our level of self-discipline:

Do I get up at the same time every morning?

Am I overweight?

Do I have any addictions (caffeine, sugar, porn, etc.) right now?

Do I take a day off every week?

Have I taken a vacation in the last year? That wasn’t mixed with work?

Is my email inbox near empty right now?

Is my office and car clean or a mess?

Am I usually on time or late for things?

If I tell someone I’ll call them, do I do it?

Do I spend time with God every day?

Do I have a consistent date night with my spouse?

Do I have a hobby I enjoy consistently?

How often do I exercise?

How much TV do I watch?

What does my appearance say about my level of discipline (hair, clothes, etc.)?

Do I eat right?

Do I have a lot of debt?

Do I ever say: “When things slow down, I’m going to_______”

copied from http://www.shawnlovejoy.typepad.com/