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Church Growth Has Become Too Complicated. 3 Simple Steps Any Pastor Can Take to Increase Attendance

By
Brian Dodd
-
communicating with the unchurched

At a graduation party yesterday, a friend of mine and I found a quiet corner table to talk. He told me the story of a recent meeting with a church leadership team. Even though he did not use these words, he discussed their lack of passion, energy and vision. The church, while in a rapidly growing area, had not experienced numerical growth in decades. It appeared the pastor was content with just getting in another 10 years and retiring. He then asked, “What would you tell them?”

Sadly, this is not an unusual situation. I encounter similar church environments on a daily basis. Without any sense of context, here is what I would say to such a church leadership team:

We have made church growth too complicated. Yes, it is important we have demographic studies, great systems, quality services, excellent children and youth ministries, diversity, inspired preaching, and community outreach. If some of these items seem out of reach for whatever reason, any pastor or church leadership team can take these 3 Simple Steps to Increase Attendance:

  1. Growing Churches Are Led by Spiritually Growing Leaders – You can’t take people where you have not been. I ask church leadership teams, “How are you growing in your relationship with Jesus? Tell me about a fresh word you have gotten from Him recently. What are your quiet times like? Describe for me something God showed you in His Word in the last week. What have you been convicted about recently? Is there unrepentant sin in your life? Tell me about something breaking your heart which is also breaking the heart of God. What did you do with these new insights?” If a leader is growing spiritually, I then get to ask my final question in this area, “When is the last time you personally shared your faith with a lost person outside of your pulpit ministry?” Spiritually growing leaders are actively sharing their faith.
  2. Growing Churches Are Led by Personally Growing Leaders – Your personal leadership growth is your responsibility. What books are you currently reading? What podcasts are you currently listening to? What conferences are you attending? What people are you meeting with? What blogs are you reading? What questions are you asking? Forrest Gump famously said, “Been there. Done that.” That is a cute Hollywood statement. It is a terrible leadership statement. Yes, growing leaders have been there and done that. But they are more focused on going there and doing that. Personally growing leaders focus on taking new ground by advancing the mission and vision of their churches.
  3. Growing Church Are Led by Leaders Who Invite Unchurched Friends to Church – Once again, do not make this too complicated. Churches grow from an increased number of visitors. A person is most likely to visit your church when invited by a friend. I look at each person around the leadership table and ask, “When is the last time you brought an unchurched friend to church?” So goes the leader, so goes the church. When the leadership are inviting friends to church, the congregation will do likewise and your church will grow.

For a church to grow, it is important to have the systems and all the programmatic functions in place. If not, you will experience expansion and contraction.

But if you really want your church to grow, do not make it so difficult. Be a group of growing leaders, spiritually and personally, who invites their unchurched friends to church.

It is not that complicated.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Things That KILL a Strong Leadership Finish

By
Ed Stetzer
-
communicating with the unchurched

I was recently in a meeting discussing the future of an evangelical movement. The person I was with shared a great challenge—one of the most prominent leaders of their movement was not finishing well, making it hard for the movement to envision a successful future.

That conversation soon turned to why this happened—and how it happens elsewhere. Within a few minutes, we had identified four others who showed similar patterns. They were all older leaders, were immensely respected, yet who were finishing poorly, griping, complaining and often undercutting those who will likely become their successors.

My guess is that you would not be surprised with some of the names, and you could probably quickly identify others in your own movement who have done the same, but that is not really the point.

After our meeting concluded, I continued to ponder the situation even more.

Why do some leaders end so well—Calvin Miller, Jack Hayford, Bob Russell, Roy Fish and so many more—while others go out not in a blaze of glory, but in a blaze of gory? They finish poorly and leave a mess in their wake. In some cases, they even undo some of the tremendous progress God used them to create in the years prior.

They have all been key leaders—and some still are—though many of those who have followed in their stead are ready for the former leaders to move on to greener pastures, other ministries or just down the road. That grieves me and makes me wonder why some leaders don’t finish well, as the Bible often reminds us to do.

I think there are some common factors shared by those who don’t end well. Here are my five observations:

1. They did not trust the very people they developed for succession.

In all the cases (there were no exceptions in the leaders considered), they had obvious successors with whom they were disappointed.

In some cases, the outgoing leader actively tried to get yet another successor to replace their original successor (without, it appears, considering they might also be disappointed in the replacement successor). Those who are not finishing well seem to always be dissatisfied with who succeeds them, almost as if they are looking for, but unable to find, a clone of themselves.

Ten Tips to Break out of a Limited Mixing Mentality

By
Chris Huff
-
communicating with the unchurched

 

Too many times, we limit the quality of our mixes because we don’t know about the little tips the pros use, or more likely, we’re limiting our mixing quality because of what we THINK we should do.  It’s only when we open our eyes to what’s possible do we really have a chance at creating a great audio mix.

Consider the ten tips below as ways to break out of a limited mix mentality.  But to being with, I’m including a tip that everyone should do no matter how long they’ve been mixing.

1. Build a mix from a template

If you’re starting a fresh mix every week, because you’re in a multi-purpose room or the musicians change each week, then consider a mix template that you can put into place before the band arrives.

Yes, I know you can recall EQ settings on digital mixers but if you’re in that category and you’re so sure that’s always an option, guess what, you’ve been asked to mix in a youth hall or gymnasium or whatever.  The bottom line is the template idea can save you time.

What type of stuff can you do with this template?

  • Start all faders at unity.  That’s a great way to get into the fresh-mix mentality. This is especially helpful on digital consoles with layers so you know all the channels are starting out in the same place.
  • Use a high pass filter on vocalists.
  • Set up compression on vocalists but don’t engage the compressor until after the sound check so you can later dial it in.
  • Decide if the bass or the kick drum will own the low end and boost or cut according.
  • Consider how much you normally roll off your guitars or where you boost them and make those changes.

The idea is quickly roughing in a mix so you can then spend more time on the finer details once the band is practicing – sometimes during the first song of a live event because…

If you’re ever called to mix at the last minute such as when the regular sound guy calls in sick, or in my case, when the production director got hit with a kidney stone and there was a quick reshuffling of staff and volunteers on a Sunday morning, I could glance over the mix to see if the channels were where I expected them to be.

2. Use compression for a tighter sound

Too often, we think compression is just for vocals.  I use it on everything from acoustic guitar to bass guitar to drums.  Sometimes it’s used as an effect but often it’s to get a consistent volume from my guitarists.

Ask yourself how often the guitars strum at the same volume or bassists pluck at the same volume.  The tighter the volume range, the better you can get those important frequencies into the mix.

If you’ve got a digital mixer, there’s no reason not to use compression.  And honestly, same for those of you with analog mixers and rack compressors.  And don’t worry if you’re afraid of making a mistake, test it out during a practice.

3. Listen to what the live microphones hear

Don’t assume you know what each channel is giving you.  Put on some headphones, hit that PFL SOLO button and listen.  Listen to what you’re getting and compare it to what you thought you’d get.  You might find that vocal mic is picking up the drums or that acoustic guitar has some string fret buzz in it.

Microphones on the stage can pick up a variety of background sounds.  In particular, boosting the high-end frequencies of a vocal microphone can pick up drum cymbals and unintentionally accentuate them.

From here, you can then decide if you need to make microphone changes on stage, talk with a musician about a problem with their gear, or get creative with your mixing, through gates or narrow EQ cuts or by using whatever means necessary.

It really comes down to this — you can only produce a great mix when you know your exact ingredients.

4. Pull your male singers out of the mud.

This is a simple tip I learned years ago and it usually works.

Cut your male vocals in the 250 to 350 Hz range to clear up your vocals.  Often, this range is where the muddiness exists.  But be careful, if you do apply a cut to someone who isn’t creating muddy frequencies in this area, you might be taking away from the warmth of their voice.

Any time you cut a frequency range, you might also be affecting other frequency areas that contribute to the mix.  or, by cutting one area you get a new problem area.  Listen to the area you cut then listen to the full frequency range.

5. Recognize the side effects of reverb

Reverb can be a great mixing tool but it has side effects, like headache, upset stomach, and ….ahhh…wrong side effects. What I mean is when you add reverb to anything, you can give it a better sound but the more reverb you add, the more that channel is moving back in the mix.

Imagine a cube and the face closest to you is everything loud and the face farthest away is the softest sound.  Mixing is all about placing channels in that cube.  The more reverb you add, the farther back that channel moves in the (cube) mix.

That being said, a volume boost might be enough of a correction or the answer might be less reverb or a mid-range frequency boost, it all depends on your mix goal.

Another side effect is loss of clarity in that channel.  Now you can double a channel on a mixer and keep one channel dry, meaning no effects, and have the other channel wet, meaning it has effects.  Then, if that wet channel is losing too much clarity, you can boost the volume of the dry channel to make up for it.

6. Mix the kick drum and bass to work together

This one is short and sweet.

Try letting the bass give you the TONE of the low-end while letting the kick drum win on the attack.  Each instrument brings something different to the mix and you can use the parts of each to create something bigger.

7. If you are ever prone to hitting a piece of equipment to make it work…

…once is maintenance, twice is abuse.  You didn’t hear that from me. Seriously, if you have equipment that doesn’t work correctly 100 percent of the time, replace it.

8. Take control of your house EQ…

…by controlling the Q-value of your cuts and boosts.

On a standard 32-channel rack EQ, the Q value (that is the width in which a boost or cut is made) is the same with the exception that it might automatically tighten up if a cut is below 3 dB.  Think of that Q value as a bell curve and you can control how wide the curve is — and that controls how wide a range of frequencies are affected.

Therefore, if you run a digital mixer, use the onboard master EQ to alter the house EQ.  This gives you the ability to also control the Q-value of your cuts and boosts.

Honestly, I know there are so many of you that use digital mixers but if you don’t know how to do anything other than mix channels, you’re missing out on the power of the digital mixer to do a lot of great stuff.

9. Don’t discount frequency bands of an instrument

Adele released the song Hello that became popular and the studio engineer highlights her vocal, in part, by using a low pass filter on the drums to the point that they have just the energy of the beat but not the actual sound.

This is where I have to emphasize this idea:

Don’t mix like you think you need to mix.  Be creative.  How many great songs are in the key of G?  How many fancy meals involve mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots)?  You can do so must with a mixer as long as you are thinking about what would sound good, not what is traditionally done.

How should you mix a male vocal? However you want so in the end, the mix sounds great.  Roll off the highs and lows, whatever, just be creative!

Try adding high end to your toms.  Boost the mids and highs on your bass guitar.  Those low-end instruments can have both fundamental and especially harmonic frequencies that go well into the midrange and high-end frequencies.  Don’t assume instruments can only work a certain way in the mix.

Listen to a variety of music genres to hear the possibilities.

If you’re new to mixing and struggle with building a consistent mix every week, check out:

10. Don’t be afraid of distortion

Distortion can work on more than a bass or a guitar.  It can even work on a snare drum.  Distortion can sound different depending on how you use it and set the appropriate parameters.  When you do use it, use it because it helps the overall sound of the song.

For example, I use distortion on my worship leaders voice because just the right amount is what it takes to get his vocal to pop in the mix.  It’s not noticeable to the listener but when I disable the distortion, his vocal falls back in the mix.

Distortion adds new frequencies to a channel and often those mid and high range frequencies, especially the mids, can help punch up a vocal or acoustic guitar — I’ve used it there as well.  It’s also a valid effect for any channel as long as it improves the sound of the mix.

And there you have it, ten mixing tips that you can use this weekend.

Podcast

This article is also available as a podcast — with just a few more bits added in.  I’ve added the player at the top of the article or you can use the below links.

The original article appeared here.

5 Things Every Church Website Must Have

By
Bryan Haley
-
communicating with the unchurched

A few months ago, I scoured the web looking for the best church websites. What I found is that the vast majority of churches struggle in the website department. The church website needs to be a priority. Potential guests are going to find you online before ever stepping foot in your building. Your first impression comes long before the service ever starts. In an effort to help you make your website a priority, here are five things that need to be on your church website.

1. A CLEAR FOCUS

Before you ever think about the design or the content of your church website, you need to have a focus. Who is the intended audience of your website? What does this audience need? Creating personas (we’ll talk about creating personas in an article later this month) helps you know who you are reaching with your church website. The more detailed you can be about who your target audience is, the more you can tailor your website to reach your audience. Tailoring your website to your audience means you’re going to be more relevant to them. That helps clarify your message and delivery.

2. LOCATION & TIMES

Often, we assume people know where our church is. They know how to get to our building on Sunday, and that we meet Sunday mornings. Because we make that presumption, a lot of church websites bury their service information deep in the website. Instead, make that information easily available for the new person who has never interacted with your church. Think like a visitor. Making the location of your church and the times of your regular worship easily accessible helps make people get the very basic information they’re needing.

3. MINISTRY INFORMATION

Regardless of who you decide your target audience is, you need to have ministry information on your website. The way that information is displayed, and what all goes into these pages may look different, but at the very base, you need to have a basic overview of what ministries are offered — provide the 5 W’s that we learned about in elementary school (who, what, when, where, why). For the potential visitor, this helps them realize if your church is the right fit for them. For the regular attendee, this can be a good reminder about different ministries or a way to keep them in the loop on things they aren’t normally a part of. Providing ministry information gives a deeper look into the ministry of your church, outside of Sunday services.

4. VISUALS

Part of what’s great about reading a novel is the ability to fantasize and visualize for yourself in your mind’s eye. But that’s not what you want people to do when reading about what to expect during a Sunday worship gathering. Visuals help me understand what’s going on, what’s being conveyed, and what the intention is. Don’t you agree? Your visitors are no different. Reading a description may be useful, but a visual help bring those words to life. Adding visuals give your website visitors a peek into what to expect, the life of the church, and small details like what to wear, worship style, and even the demographics of the congregation.

5. CONSISTENT UPDATES

A website is not a one-and-done element of your ministry. It needs to be updated consistently, optimized for your audience, and refreshed every so often. Allowing the website to go stagnant with outdated information, dated pictures, and old design all mean that you’re not reaching your audience well. Your website does not need to be a full-time job, but it does need to be a part of your job. Keeping the website updated can also be a great opportunity to find a volunteer. It’s another way we can view every aspect of ministry as a form of discipleship.

The original article appeared here.

Which Phone Has the Best Parental Controls?

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

The recent criticism about the damaging effects smartphones are having on teens has caught the attention of the companies that maintain operating systems for the phones. Apple and Google are looking for ways to improve smartphone safety.

Both Google and Apple say they’re working on ways to give parents more control over what their children see on their smartphones and how much time they’re spending with the devices.

Apple has launched a new “Families” page on its website that allows parents to remotely manage their kid’s smartphone usage.

With it, parents can choose which apps their child uses, manage in-app purchases, set restrictions on websites accessed by Safari and see where their child’s smartphone (and hopefully the child) are located with Find My Friends.

There are also apps available that tell your kids when it’s bedtime, wake them with customized alarms and track their sleep.

Apple smartphones come with a Do Not Disturb While Driving setting that mutes messages, calls or notifications until you reach your destination. In an emergency, callers can override it and get through.

The Families page also controls iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and Apple TVs as well.

Apple says it just wants to do what’s right for families.

Google counters with Family Link, an application for parents that lets them establish a child’s first Google account, as well as utilize a series of parental controls to manage and track screen time, daily limits, device bedtimes and which apps kids can use.

Family Link is different from other parental controls in that it’s a two-party system. It works like the third-party parental control and monitoring software already on the market, where an app installed on a parent’s device is used to configure settings and keep an eye on kids’ digital behavior.

Once signed in, the child’s phone usage is tracked and logged, so parents can see how much time kids spend in various apps, via activity reports. From the parent’s app, moms and dads can set a number of rules for their kids, including how long kids are allowed to be on their mobile devices every day, at what time the devices can no longer be used that day (through a remote locking feature), and which apps can be installed. Parents can also approve or block apps the child wants to download from the Google Play Store.

Google is also updating its Do Not Disturb notifications to limit sounds at night, during events or while driving.

Google says Family Link is designed to be used for children under the age of 13. Parents may have a different age limit in mind.

TheVerge.com described the differences in the two platforms this way:

“While Apple is expanding the scope of Do Not Disturb to include location-based or event-based triggers (like snoozing notifications while you’re in a museum or at your friend’s party), Google is making its version more powerful. DND mode will completely hide all notifications until you turn it off.

“Overall, one could probably say that Google is taking a bit more of a brute force approach with its Digital Wellbeing program, whereas Apple’s approach is a bit more tilted toward simply supplying information to the user so they can make better decisions themselves (if they choose).”

Both of these systems are still in the planning stage and there’s no way to tell what each will look like when they’re finally rolled out this fall.

 

Carson Wentz Lives Out His Faith in the Off-Season Too

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

Carson Wentz doesn’t recognize an off-season when it comes to helping people in need.

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is rolling out a new, free food truck that will serve the less privileged in the Philadelphia area.

The food truck has the catchy name “Thy Kingdom Crumb” and is a collaboration between AO1, Wentz’s charity and Connect Church.

“God willing, I want to be here a long time. And I wanted to find a way to make a difference in this area, in this community. And what better way than to provide free food to people all over the place, all walks of life—and just to foster an environment where there’s community, where’s there’s real relationships,” Wentz said in a promo video posted on Twitter on Monday.

But the food truck is just one his summer projects.

On June 4, while the Philadelphia Phillies were on the road, more than 25,000 fans showed up at Citizens Bank Park to watch Wentz’s inaugural charity softball game that raised over $850,000 for his A01 Foundation, whose mission statement is to “uplift individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for his people.”

Wentz got some push-back when he suggested using the Phillies ballpark from people who didn’t think he could attract a crowd and pictures of an empty stadium might actually harm his charitable efforts.

Those were probably the same people who didn’t think the Eagles could win a Super Bowl.

“Trust me, they’ll come. I just know the passion here,” said Wentz. “I know the fans are all about the Eagles and everything we stand for and what we’ve been up to. The support has been unbelievable.”

About half of the Eagles team, as well as owner Jeffrey Lurie, showed up for the event, a group that included Fletcher Cox, Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor, Jason Kelce and Nick Foles. Wentz and Jordan Hicks were the captains, and as the picks came and went, Foles still had yet to hear his name called. At the end, it was just he and rookie tight end Dallas Goedert in the dugout. “We’re down to the rookie and the Super Bowl MVP. So I’ll take the rookie,” Wentz joked. It was all apparently by design, as Foles got a huge ovation and chants of “MVP!” as he took the field last.

During the event Wentz presented a check for $520,000 to Mission of Hope to help fund the building of a sports complex in Haiti. Wentz opened up a public fundraiser that brought in $260,000, which he matched dollar-for-dollar.

AO1 is short for “an audience of One” and Wentz said his efforts to help those less fortunate fulfill the desire that his foundation’s name stands for.

“The thing about the foundation and everything that comes with it is, that’ll hopefully be my whole life, whereas football, there’s obviously a time limit on that,” he said. “Who knows how long that will be, but I definitely want my legacy to be more about how we served, how we gave back, how we came into this world and hopefully leave it in a better place.”

Take Out Church: A Summer Resource for Families

By
Vanessa Myers
-
communicating with the unchurched

I love a good find on Pinterest…especially when it has to do with great resources for the families at church.

I came across an idea called Take Out Church. It’s a resource created by two pastors in North Carolina. The concept behind it is for churches to give it to families for the summer…to take church with them when they go on vacation and are away for the summer. When I saw this I knew I had to do this with the families at our church. I took their ideas and also added some of my own. Here’s all that is included in my Take Out Church resource. (Check out my YouTube video where I show you all the items in the box).

I used a pizza box to hold all the items. I ordered these pizza boxes on Amazon.

Here are some pictures of the box and its contents.

I typed up some instructions (some of it was used from the original Take Out Church), but I also added some of my own wording.

I included several different areas for them to practice and live out their faith:

Fellowship 100 Family Fun Night Ideas

This is a great list of things you can do with your family. (I found this resource from The Marvelous Moms Club blog.)

2. Conversation Starters With Kids

Need to get your family talking? Here is a great list of questions to strike up conversations with your kids. (I found this resource from the Realistic Mama blog).

Praise God

3. VBS CD 

Each family received a free VBS CD inside their box (from the VBS that we are doing this summer). What a great way for families to praise God together over the summer!

Prayer

 4. M & M Prayers

In the original Take Out Church they used a Skittles Prayer, but I changed it to M & M’s (because I love chocolate). I put a pack of milk chocolate M & M’s inside the box and also included this M & M Prayer for families to use. Each color represents something different and includes a prayer prompt.

Hear God’s Word

 5. Bible Apps for Kids

In the original Take Out Church, some of the apps no longer existed so I did my own search and found these cool Bible apps for your children to use. It’s a great way for your children to use their technology devices for something other than video games and Netflix.

6. Memory Verse Cards

Included in this resource are 10 Bible verses (found at Moritz Fine Designs). Families can choose to memorize one Bible verse per week. This is a great way for your kids to keep focused on God’s Word this summer.

Give Thanks

7. Beach Ball Thanksgiving

Included in the box is a beach ball (which I got from Amazon). Families can write down things that they are thankful for and then use the beach ball over the summer to give thanks to God.

Serve

8. Serve your Neighbor

This game is included in the original Take Out Church. It’s a fun game for your family to use while you are on vacation. It gives ways for each family member to serve each other.

Witness

9. Rock Painting

Rock painting is a fun activity in our small town. Families paint rocks and hide them around our Square. If you find a rock, then your family gets to keep it. Families can use rock painting to be witnesses for Christ. They can paint Christian symbols, Bible verses or other things to point people toward Jesus.

Remember Jesus

10. Flat Jesus

Remember Flat Stanley? This the same concept. I found this Flat Jesus online. Kids colored him and then I laminated and cut him out and included him in their box. Over the summer the kids will take Flat Jesus with them wherever they go. They will get their parents to snap a picture of them together and post their pictures onto our Children’s Ministry Facebook page. I can’t wait to see where all Flat Jesus goes!

I am excited to share this summer resource with the families in our church. I hope each of them will use it to live out their faith this summer!

This article originally appeared here.

Rise Up: Choosing Faith Over Fear in Christian Ministry

 

Don’t miss Vanessa Myers’ new book Rise Up: Choosing Faith Over Fear in Christian Ministry. 

Should the Church View Homosexuality Like Divorce?

By
Russell Moore
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communicating with the unchurched

When it comes to homosexuality and the church, are we being hypocritical regarding the issue of divorce? Whenever an evangelical denomination disfellowships a church due to compromise on the issue of homosexuality, I usually hear critics complain that such action is hypocritical. Don’t most conservative denominations, after all, welcome members who have been divorced into the fellowship? Why do evangelicals single out one sexual teaching over another? Couples divorce, sometimes remarry others, and yet are welcomed within the congregation. We don’t necessarily affirm this as good, but we receive these people with mercy and grace. Why not, the argument goes, do the same with homosexuality?

Divorce, Homosexuality and the Church

The charge of hypocrisy is valid in some respects. I’ve argued for years and repeatedly that many evangelical churches have been slow-motion sexual revolutionaries, embracing elements of the sexual revolution 20 or 30 years behind the rest of the culture. This is to our shame, and the divorce culture is the number-one indicator of this capitulation. The preaching on divorce has been muted and hesitating all too often in our midst. Sometimes this is due to what the Bible calls “fear of man,” ministers and leaders afraid of angering divorced people (or their relatives) in power in congregations. Sometimes it’s due to the fact that divorce simply seems all too normal in this culture; it doesn’t shock us anymore.

A recovery of a Christian ethic of marriage will mean repentance, and a strong commitment by churches to courageously say, where applicable, what John the Baptist put his head on a platter to say to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” In that sense, the charge is correct.

But divorce and remarriage is not, beyond that, applicable to the same-sex marriage debate. First of all, there are arguably some circumstances where divorce and remarriage are biblically permitted. Most evangelical Christians acknowledge that sexual immorality can dissolve a marital union, and that innocent party is then free to remarry (Matt. 5:32). The same is true, for most, for abandonment (1 Cor. 7:11-15). If the church did what we ought, our divorce rate would be astoundingly lowered, since vast numbers of divorces do not fit into these categories. Still, we acknowledge that the category of a remarried person after divorce does not, on its face, indicate sin.

The second issue, though, is what repentance looks like in these cases. Take the worst-case scenario of an unbiblically divorced and remarried couple. Suppose this couple repents of their sin and ask to be received, or welcomed back, into the church. What does repentance look like for them? They have, in this scenario, committed an adulterous act (Matt. 5:32-33). Do they repent of this adultery by doing the same sinful action again, abandoning and divorcing one another? No. In most cases, the church recognizes that they should acknowledge their past sin and resolve to be faithful from now on to one another. Why is this the case? It’s because their marriages may have been sinfully entered into, but they are, in fact, marriages.

Jesus redemptively exposed the sin of the Samaritan woman at the well by noting that the man she was living with was not her husband. “You have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband” (Jn. 4:18). It could be that her husbands all died successively, but not necessarily. Christians are forbidden to marry non-Christians. This does not mean, though, that these are not marriages, or that, after repentance, these marriages are ongoing sins. Instead, the Scripture commands a repentance that looks like fidelity to that unbelieving spouse (1 Cor. 7:12-17; 1 Pet. 3:1-2).

Even if these marriages were entered into sinfully in the first place, they are in fact marriages because they signify the Christ/church bond of the one-flesh union (Eph. 5:22-31), embedded in God’s creation design of male and female together (Mk. 10:6-9).
Same-sex relationships do not reflect that cosmic mystery, and thus by their very nature signify something other than the gospel. The question of what repentance looks like in this case is to flee immorality (1 Cor. 6:18), which means to cease such sexual activity in obedience to Christ (1 Cor. 6:11). A state or church decree of these relationships as marital do not make them so.

It is challenging to speak to the issue of homosexuality and the church when we have much to repent for in the accommodation to a divorce culture in our churches. And if we do not articulate an alternative gospel vision of the definition of marriage, we will see the same wreckage we’ve seen on so many churches’ capitulation on the permanence of marriage. But our attitude should not be that so many have shirked their churchly responsibility in some things, so let’s then shirk our responsibilities in everything. That would be the equivalent of someone saying, “Since I have had lust in my heart, which Jesus identified as root adultery, I should go ahead and have an affair,” or, “Since I am angry with you, which Jesus identified as springing from a spirit of murder, I should go ahead and kill you.”

Instead, when it comes to divorce, homosexuality and the church, our response ought to be a vision of marriage defined by the gospel, embodied in local congregations. This means preaching with both truth and grace, with accountability for entering marriages and, by the discipline of the church, for keeping those vows. We don’t remedy our past sins by adding new ones.

This article about divorce, homosexuality and the church originally appeared here.

10 Great Relationship Principles I’ve Learned from John Maxwell

By
Dan Reiland
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communicating with the unchurched

With more than 35 years in leadership now, I’ve learned that it’s truly all about people. That may seem obvious, but not all leaders behave as if they know or agree with that thought. They don’t follow relationship principles.

It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how gifted you are, or how much you know about vision and strategy. If you don’t know how to connect with and get along with people, you won’t make it far as a leader.

We’ve all made our fair share of relational mistakes, and no doubt you are grateful like I am, for the people who have been kind and patient. I appreciate the people who gave me a chance and still give me grace.

When you learn to follow relationship principles and treat people like you want to be treated, it’s amazing how much better life becomes.

I’ve learned that if I put others first, life has a way of giving back in wonderfully positive ways. That’s not the motivation, but it is the blessing.

If you don’t invest in friendships, you may end up traveling through life alone. The encouraging truth is that great relationships are not that difficult. They require time, love and the willingness to not always get your way.

John Maxwell has been a great friend and mentor for over 35 years. I’m so grateful for his love, belief and investment in me.

He has taught me so much about relationships over the years; I could fill a book. But for now, I’ll share just 10 of my favorite relationship principles with you.

10 Great Relationship Principles

1) We see people through our own lens.

Your self-awareness, self-esteem and self-perception establish the foundation of all your relationships. The way you view yourself and the way you see life shapes how you see and relate to others.

Whether you see the cup as half-full or half-empty will transfer every time.

2) People don’t care how much you know, till they know how much you care.

Caring about people isn’t automatic. Not everyone cares. I’m sure you’ve run into people along the way that it’s clear that they just don’t care.

You can’t learn to care, it’s not a skill, but you can decide to care. You can ask God to help you become more caring.

If you want to lead for the long-haul, it isn’t enough to be great at what you do. If you don’t sincerely care about people and live in such a way that you demonstrate it, your leadership will suffer.

4 Keys You Need to Develop Truly Influential Leaders

By
Mark Howell
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communicating with the unchurched

4 Keys You Need to Develop Truly Influential Leaders

I think you need to know about a powerful idea at the very heart of one of the biggest issues facing many of us.

Here’s the essence of the issue: In the midst of an increasingly post-Christian culture, how do you identify (and then recruit and develop) the kinds of men and women who can become truly influential leaders (i.e., leaders who have a posture that can influence culture).

If you’re like me (and I know you are), you are constantly wrestling with this exact dilemma. As you look around in your congregation, as you rub shoulders with people in your church, there are not many who have strong biblical knowledge or positive experiences of leading previous groups or discipling others. Instead, most of the people you meet clearly need to be mentored or discipled themselves!

Right? Is this not your experience?

So what are we to do? How can we identify (and then recruit and develop) the kinds of men and women who can become truly influential leaders?

I came away from the breakout yesterday with several insights that can help many of us.

First, in order to help anyone grow spiritually, they must be connected relationally.

Note: I know you know this, but it is an essential building block if you want to understand what it next

At the essence of this insight is the awareness that a class taken while seated in rows is not likely to produce spiritual growth.

Second, Titus was instructed to find this kind of potential leader even on the island of Crete, which in the first century was one of the most evil places in the known world.

Note: if you think you live in an evil place in the world, does the mention of your city or of your region define what it is to be an evil or bad person (i.e., “So and so is a Cretan!”).

This is a profound understanding. It means that all of us can find the leaders we need if we are looking for the right things.

Third, character reflected in posture has the greatest potential to influence others. What is the posture of the most effective leaders?

The posture of the most effective leaders:

Humble: They do not think they are “all that.” “Humility in leadership and dependence on God are often found together.”

Teachable: They do not think they already have it all figured out. They have a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset (i.e., they are willing to be changed by their members).

Curious: They have genuine curiosity and practice “the art of suspending judgement” and earn the right to be heard by asking lots of questions and listening to the stories of others.

Intentional: They don’t just take action. They are purposeful. They know they won’t passively find what they are not actively pursuing.

Questions that remain:

How do you identify the presence of these attributes in potential or aspiring leaders? I think you can see how, by asking the right questions, we might begin to see glimpses of several of the desired attributes. And, you can see the need for the development of a set of interview questions.

How do you develop these attributes in leaders once they’ve been recruited? Clearly, these attributes will only be developed in others by leaders who already demonstrate them; who are already living them out. “If we are not the example, we might be a stumbling block.”

Note: Patrick Lencioni’s The Ideal Team Player is an excellent resource that unpacks some helpful parallels. Brad Lomenick’s H3 Leadership is another.

This article originally appeared here.

Don’t Compromise the Gospel for Relevance. Do This Instead

By
Robin Riggs
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communicating with the unchurched

The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of grace, forgiveness, salvation, change and hope. It promises a new start for everyone who believes. It is the ultimate positive message. Because of that, it has been adopted and co-opted by many causes—political, social, philosophical and religious. It has been used by teachers of positive thinking and by preachers of social transformation.

But what is the heart of this gospel? What did Jesus teach and stand for? And what is the Lifestyle of the Cross? The core of the gospel is the message of the redeeming power of the cross of Christ. It is a picture of both suffering and victory. Both elements are absolutely necessary to the message.

Certainly the gospel is adaptable enough for presentation in any culture. But its truths and standards must not be changed to accommodate the fashions and feelings of the world.

Of course we must always be concerned with relevance. But this is not achieved by compromising the message. Whenever the biblical message of the cross is made to conform to human wisdom, you have a distortion of the message.

If we add to or subtract from the gospel message, or present it in any way other than in its pure, straightforward, biblical form, we dilute it, change it into something else, and take away its power to save.

So how do we convince the world our gospel is the truth? The answer: We don’t. The Spirit convinces. How will our message stand out as different? The demonstration of the Spirit’s power. We can go out with confidence, not intimidated by the skepticism of the world or the zeal of the cultists. We can go with confidence that the true gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful in itself, and that the Spirit of God works within it and us in a way no other religious group will ever experience or manifest.

As a pastor I preach and teach and witness with the desire that the faith of my hearers will lie not in my seminary training or the logic of my presentation (though God can and does use such things). Rather, their faith must ultimately be in God and in the power of the cross of Christ, in the power demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus, in the wisdom of God’s Word, and in the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

To be an effective witness requires obedience (to live and speak the message of the cross) and trust (in God for the results), and not personal magnetism or even lengthy training.

This understanding should free anyone who wants to tell others about Jesus, but who hesitates because of perceived personal inadequacy, or who is intimidated by the hardened hearts of sinners. We are not the ones who accomplish the crucial work of conviction in the hearts of those to whom we speak. We only need surrender ourselves to be God’s speakers and instruments.

Read more from The Lifestyle of the Cross.

Robert Morris Returns to the Pulpit After Harrowing Brush With Death

By
Megan Briggs
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Robert Morris
Screengrab Youtube @ Pastor Robert Morris

After a terrifying flight for life helicopter ride in April, Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Texas returned to the pulpit this weekend. Explaining what happened to him and the incredible events and people that aligned to save his life, Robert Morris said the experience taught him three important things.

“I’m here because of prayers and some phenomenal first responders and medical professionals,” Robert Morris began. He then told the story of the events that unfolded nearly two months ago.

The day after Easter, Robert Morris had hernia surgery. Originally, he explained, they thought his medical emergency had something to do with this surgery, but now he knows everything with that surgery went as it was supposed to, and what happened to him afterward was virtually unexplainable.

Six days after that surgery, Morris and his wife, Debbie, were at their home located well outside the city of Dallas. Robert Morris said it’s about an hour and a half- to two-hour drive to Dallas from there. When Robert Morris began feeling ill, he tried taking a bath but needed Debbie’s help to get in the tub. As he was getting in, he passed out and stopped breathing for 30 seconds. Debbie called the paramedics, who came and treated Morris for dehydration. They gave him fluid and left.

Later that day, Morris passed out again while trying to stand up. When the paramedics came the second time, they tried taking his pulse. Morris explains his pulse was so low, neither paramedic could feel it. Using humor to break the tension of the story he was recalling, Morris said it was a little bizarre listening to two paramedics ask each other if they could feel a pulse and listen to their whole conversation while lucid. One paramedic, who had experience as a helicopter medic, told Morris his situation was “life or death” and that he needed to be transported by helicopter immediately.

The paramedics told Debbie she should say goodbye to Morris in the event he didn’t survive the helicopter ride. Morris’ voice wavered and his eyes filled with tears as he recalls saying goodbye to Debbie and recording a video saying goodbye to his children and grandchildren.

Morris did make it to the hospital, though, and underwent several tests before the doctors found two torn arteries that were leaking blood into his abdominal cavity. Morris told his congregation that something like that normally takes just minutes to kill someone, yet it had been 45 minutes from the time the paramedics came to his house the second time and he arrived at the hospital. He had lost over 50 percent of his blood—losing just 40 percent can kill someone, Morris pointed out. This is just one of the instances Morris recalled made him think something supernatural was taking place to save his life. He asked Debbie to send updates on his condition out via social media; he was convinced he needed prayer as much as he needed medical attention.

Once the internal bleeding was discovered and he was given a blood transfusion, Morris recovered in the ICU first, then was moved to a regular hospital room. All told, he was in the hospital for eight days.

Even after his blood pressure came back up and recovery had begun, Morris said the doctors were still baffled by the internal bleeding. One doctor, who attends Gateway Church, told Morris there was “no medical reason why you started bleeding in two places.” Even more significant, though, is the doctor’s conclusion about Morris’ ability to recover: “There’s no medical reason why you’re still alive today.”

Supreme Court Sides With Administration on Illegal Immigrant Abortions

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

The U.S. Supreme Court threw out a pro-abortion ruling Monday that forced the Trump administration to help facilitate an abortion for an illegal immigrant minor.

In its unanimous decision the justices declined to set a precedent for illegal immigrant abortion for teens in U.S. custody.

The teenager in the case, “Jane Doe,” aborted her 16-week unborn baby in 2017 while staying in a government-run shelter for illegal immigrant minors and refugees. A federal appeals court sided with the ACLU, and forced the government to help facilitate her abortion in October 2017. However, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, not wanting the “Jane Doe” case to set precedent for future requests for illegal immigrant abortion.

The Trump administration argued it is not obliged to facilitate abortions for minors in its care, while the American Civil Liberties Union claimed every woman and girl on U.S. shores has the “right” to abort an unborn baby.

The teenager in the case requested the abortion after arriving in the U.S. and being housed in the government-run shelter. The shelter did not assist her, citing a new government policy that they offer life-affirming support to women and girls who are pregnant.

According to the report, the shelter took “Jane Doe” to a pro-life pregnancy resource center instead.

In 2017, the Office of Refugee Resettlement issued a new policy requiring that taxpayer-funded shelters for immigrants and refugees offer life-affirming support to women and girls who are pregnant.

Office Director Scott Lloyd, a Trump nominee, said the shelters may not take “any action that facilitates” an abortion for unaccompanied minors without his direct approval.

Lloyd said that “grantees should not be supporting abortion services…only pregnancy services and life-affirming options counseling.”

Several lawsuits challenging the policy are on-going.

“Jane Doe’s” lawyer, Brigitte Amiri of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she does not expect Monday’s ruling to negatively affect those lawsuits.

Update: Colorado Baker Wins Case at Supreme Court

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

UPDATE June 4, 2018

By a vote of 7-2, justices on the U. S. Supreme Court sided with a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple citing his religious beliefs.

The court found that Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop, did not get a fair hearing on his complaint because the Colorado Civil Rights Commission demonstrated a hostility to religion.

Writing for the case, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that while it is unexceptional that Colorado law “can protect gay persons in acquiring products and services on the same terms and conditions that are offered to other members of the public, the law must be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion.”

December 6, 2017

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in the case involving a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage ceremony. Based on their questions it appears the justices are struggling with how their ruling will impact other conflicts between religious liberty and same-sex marriage, which will eventually trickle down to the church.

Attorneys for Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop, argued that their client had a free speech right to refuse the job despite a Colorado civil rights law that claims his actions are discriminatory.

“WHAT ABOUT” QUESTIONS

Chief Justice John Roberts asked the attorney for the state of Colorado, if under his legal theory, a group of Catholic lawyers offering pro-bono legal services could be forced to take cases supporting same-sex couples. The lawyer representing Colorado replied that they could.

Several justices questioned why a baker’s work could be considered speech and how the court could set a legal rule that would allow some businesses involved in “expressive” work, but not others, to refuse to serve certain customers.

Justice Elena Kagan asked Kristen Waggoner, Phillips’ lawyer, “What about a jeweler, a hairstylist or a makeup artist. How do you the draw the line?”

“Because it’s not speech,” Waggoner said.

“Some people may say that about cakes, you know,” Kagan replied.

IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

The implication for schools and universities would be affected too. When Justice Samuel Alito asked David Cole of the ACLU whether “Colorado can compel a religious college . . . whose creed opposes same-sex marriage to provide married student housing for a married same-sex couple or allow a same-sex wedding to be performed in the college chapel,”  Cole admitted that the state could force this on the college.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered by many to be the swing vote on the court, asked questions that could give hope to both sides.  

He asked US Solicitor General Noel Francisco if the administration, which supports the baker’s free speech claim, would be comfortable if the court’s ruling started a national movement to deny services of all kinds to homosexuals.  

But Kennedy was also upset by a statement from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission that was cited in the legal briefs. “Freedom of religion and religion has been used to justify all kinds of discrimination throughout history, whether it be slavery or the Holocaust,” said Commissioner Diann Rice. “To me it is one of the most despicable pieces of rhetoric that people can use, to use their religion to hurt others.”

Kennedy said the statement showed a “hostility to religion” adding, “Tolerance is essential in a free society.  It seems to me that the state in its position here has been neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips’ religious beliefs.”

IS IT A SIN TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO GAY WEDDINGS?

Another group that could be forced to deal with the fallout of the court’s decision is pastors. How should they counsel members who ask for advice on performing duties that violate their beliefs?  At the heart of that question is another:  Is it a sin to provide services to same-sex weddings?

The question was asked of pastor John MacArthur during a Ligonier Ministries conference last June.

MacArthur said, “No, it’s not sinful for a cake maker to make a cake for a gay wedding anymore than it’s sinful for a guy who runs a restaurant to serve dinner to somebody who is gay, sits in a booth and eats the food, or goes to the market and buys a loaf of bread and you own the market. What the issue is, is not whether that’s sinful. It’s whether the federal government can demand that people do certain things, which goes against their Christian conscience.”

MacArthur argued that this is “more of a political governmental issue.”

“I actually think that we need to show love to everyone and particularly, we need to do good to all those that are outside the kingdom, as well as inside the kingdom, as much as possible—a gesture of kindness toward some unregenerate person is in itself not a sin.”

MacArthur also suggested it could be dangerous to ask Christians to violate their conscience.

“You don’t want to train yourself to ignore your conscience. I think it’s a personal issue. The issue becomes when people are basically fined or imprisoned for doing things that are religious-conscience matters. And, that speaks to the issue of how much authority the government has to make you do that.”

CULTURE SHIFTS

The issue becomes even more complex for churches as culture shifts on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Overall, white evangelical Protestants continue to stand out for their opposition to same-sex-marriage: 35 percent of white evangelical Protestants favor same-sex marriage, compared with a 59 percent majority who are opposed, according to a Pew Study from earlier this year. But younger white evangelicals have grown more supportive: 47 percent of white evangelical Millennials and Gen Xers–age cohorts born after 1964–favor same-sex marriage, up from 29 percent in March 2016. Views among older white evangelicals (Boomers and Silents) have shown virtually no change over the past year (26 percent now, 25 percent then).

Just as Supreme Court justices and church leaders weigh the impact of the ruling in this landmark case, so should every Christian.  How should we respond in similar situations? Perhaps the best advice comes from the man at the center of the Masterpiece Cake case.  

Back in 2012, shortly after Phillips refused to bake the same-sex wedding cake, he started to receive threatening and harassing phone calls. He says he saw the calls as an invitation to prayer:  “[The phone calls] give me an opportunity to pray for people I wouldn’t know.”

 

8 Healthy Leadership Characteristics I Learned From a Kid

By
Melissa J. MacDonald
-
communicating with the unchurched

Lately, the story of David and Goliath has had me captivated. I have always loved that story but I’ve been teaching it to kids and adults and it’s blowing me away. I was asked to speak on healthy leadership to children’s pastors and God took me back to David and Goliath. What better place to learn about healthy leadership than through a kid? Kids are forever teaching us, and David does no less as this story unfolds in 1 Samuel 17. Grab your Bible and follow along.

V15&17. Healthy leaders respect, obey and come under the authority in their lives.

When David’s father asks him to go to the battlefield he does not complain. He is obedient. We don’t know exactly his attitude but I can make some conjecture. I would guess he was disappointed that he wasn’t in the army. I would guess as much as he wanted to visit his brothers there was a part of him that would have rather stayed away than be reminded of all he was missing. And yet he was obedient. Later in chapters 24 and 26 of 1 Samuel we see where David has the chance to kill Saul and her refuses to touch God’s anointed one. Once again he respects the leader that God has place over him. Even though that leader had flaws.

V15. Healthy leaders don’t have to be in the fray. They don’t have to be a part of every big thing that is happening.

Whether David was too young, needed at home or just wasn’t able to be in the army, he wasn’t there. I’m sure there was some disappointment on his part. And yet the lesson for us is that healthy leaders don’t have to be in the middle of everything. They say “no,” they step back, they aren’t at the church every time it opens, and they do mundane things. Healthy leaders live with an awareness that the world will turn without them. God doesn’t need us but he does desire to use us.

V20. David leaves his sheep with another shepherd.

We often skim over this verse in the story but it’s important. David’s friend makes the decision to watch David’s sheep. He fulfills his much-needed role in the story that God was writing that day by simply being kind. David chose to delegate his sheep to another shepherd. Healthy leaders delegate. They recognize the importance of others in the story God is writing. Healthy leaders understand that each role is a God-given spot for someone to serve and fulfill their part in the story God is writing. It is never just about a hole in a schedule, it is about the bigger story God is writing.

V26. David is the first one in the midst of the fear and the chaos who remembers that the Israelites are the armies of the living God.

A kid is the first one to refocus eyes back on God. Healthy leaders keep their eyes fixed on God. When fear creeps in they stay focused on Who they serve, not what they face. Every morning and night for 40 days the Israelites and the Philistines would face each other and every time Goliath would challenge them and they would run away in fright. They lost sight of who they belonged to, they lost sight of God. And King Saul led the way in the panic and fear. Healthy leaders keep their eyes focused on God and do not allow the emotions of the masses to become their driving force.

V28-30. David has a perfect opportunity to step into an argument.

Eliab has lost face and is angry so he picks a fight. His accusations aren’t grounded but they are mean and they are embarrassing. David walks away. I picture David in my mind being singularly focused on what God is stirring in him to do. He takes a breath and walks away because he’s meant for something else. Healthy leaders know when to walk away from things that seek to distract them from the bigger mission. They take a breath, they say no, they redirect, they turn away and they stay focused.

V40. After shocking Saul with his declaration of, “don’t worry about Goliath, I’ll take care of him” Saul tries to get David to fit the “norm” of what a soldier should be.

The armor doesn’t fit and David casts it aside. He then walks out and starts picking stones out of the stream. By now the whole camp knows that David has said he’ll fight Goliath. I’m sure they were watching him as he exited in his normal attire, picked up rocks, and set off to do battle with the giant. Healthy leaders are who they are with confidence. They do not apologize for how God created them. Healthy leaders often look different than the norm but are comfortable knowing they are who they are meant to be. Healthy leaders measure their worth and acceptance by the Audience of One, not the audience of many.

V40. David has his rocks and sets off across the valley.

Nowhere does it say that Goliath is already out there, in fact, it says that Goliath comes out to meet him. David has seen what needs to be done and goes after it. Healthy leaders don’t wait for the challenge to come to them. When they see it they face it head on and deal with it swiftly. Healthy leaders don’t allow others to set the agenda, they set the agenda. They are proactive rather than reactive.

V46-47. Over and over again David points to God.

In a beautiful display of humility, he declares again and again that God has taken care of him, God is with him and God will defeat Goliath. Healthy leaders remember who they serve, who they belong to and where their strength comes from. They consistently point to God rather than themselves.

The story goes on and there are a hundred other nuggets I could pull out. These, however, are the ones that are currently convicting and challenging me. May they do the same to you because what the church needs, what our kids need and what our teams need is healthier leaders who lead with a heart like David’s.

This article originally appeared here.

Rapid Multiplication Approach to Multisite Expansion with Chris Hankins

By
Beth Colletti
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communicating with the unchurched

Today I have Chris Hankins with me, the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Point Church has about 17 services across nine locations on Sundays. With a total attendance of between 1,500-2,000 people. That means an average of under 100 adults in each service, so it has a small feel even in a large church. They planted their locations with the idea of smaller services to multiply quickly, be more relational and reach more people in the Triangle region, which is part of the church’s vision. Chris is here to talk about that rapid multiplication and how to keep the sites aligned as they grow.

  • Vision holds church locations together. The Point Church orients everything around their vision of seeing 30 churches planted in the Triangle by 2025 so that every man, woman and child has the chance to experience the gospel in their generation. Chris explains that they’ve had that same vision before they held their first service, and it’s that vision that still keeps them aligned and focused now. Many churches branch out into multisite because they’ve run out of room in their current locations, but The Point hadn’t yet filled up their current meeting place when they launched their second campus 18 months after starting the church. Finding the vision that drives your church will hold all of the campuses together and drive them further as they reach out to the community.
  • Put the church closer to where people live. For every mile that a person lives away from their campus, they are significantly less engaged. What The Point Church has found is when they bring the church closer to one of these communities where their people are driving from, engagement goes up. Suddenly there is increased engagement in worship, in groups and in serving. Planting a church location closer to the people who are attending creates a much tighter knit community because the same people live, shop, learn and work in this area. People are much more likely to invite their neighbors, and their kids bring friends to church with them more often because they go to school together. So The Point Church has found this approach of launching smaller locations more often to be much more effective at transforming lives.
  • Leadership development is key when launching so many locations. Having so many locations, with a goal of increasing to 30 sites, takes a lot of leadership, which can be a big obstacle to many churches. In the beginning, Chris was doing everything himself, but they’ve since raised up leaders to handle the ministry with 2 Timothy 2:2 as a driving verse: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” The Point Church has a five-step leadership model that can work in any context, from Chris apprenticing someone to be a lead pastor, to apprenticing someone to be a nursery volunteer. The five-step leadership model is simply: I do, you watch; I do, you help; you do, I help; you do, I watch; you do, someone else watches. The Point Church also works with leadership maxims such as: Every leader has an apprentice, someone you’re training to do what you do; every leader has a huddle, with people who are doing what you are doing on the same level where you’re sharing struggles, best practice and getting encouragement; and every leader has a coach, someone who’s investing in them. Every leader has those three things, which helps move the church forward as they continually develop new leaders.
  • Launch team size is the greatest predictor of the success of the church. What is that right size of a launch team? If you have a thousand people on a launch team, then yes, that church will do amazing things in that community. But you may never get there if you’re waiting for a thousand people. The Point Church launched their first church with 125 and settled in with 250-275 people attending. They launched their second church with 50 and settled in at 100. Chris notes that they’ve found that they can consistently double the size of their original launch team, which is an incredible growth factor. But there are also growth barriers in churches. Currently it’s The Point Church’s goal to launch new locations with 100 people, which means they will likely settle in at above 200 people. As a result, they start above some of those very difficult growth barriers with regard to the size of the congregation, budget, staff team and volunteers—this sets the church up for success moving forward.

You can learn more about The Point Church at their website www.pointchurch.com

This article originally appeared here.

4 Ways to Involve Everyone in Evangelism

By
Ed Stetzer
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communicating with the unchurched

Many people have slipped into the mindset that evangelism is a gift that some believers have and others do not. The reality is that when someone becomes reconciled to God, He sends them out to reconcile others. That’s not a gift—we all have the responsibility to take Christ to others.

Pastoral leadership can go a long way in shifting those mindsets. Pastors can and should equip the church body to understand their role in evangelization. Among other things, a church can do four things to encourage the spirit and practice of evangelism.

1. Build Relationships

Only a very few hear the gospel or show up at church without first being in relationship. Most people who come to Christ are invited by a person they know.

God calls us to evangelize, including our family, friends and neighbors. He invites us to invite others. Personal relationships are the best way to reach out.

Your friends trust you when you talk about restaurants, plumbers and baby sitters. That same trust gives each believer an open door to introduce their friends to Jesus.

2. Encourage Engagement

Sometimes the world gets the wrong idea that being a Christian means our lives are perfect. They feel disconnected and unworthy. So whenever we can remind our people and those looking in that we are all in need of a Savior, it breaks down walls that keep people from Christ and the church.

The church and its people must understand that no one gets through a broken world unbroken. So as they go back out throughout the week, they should connect with broken people as broken people who have met the One who restores. They should offer restoration through Christ. That is evangelism.

3. Inclusive Events

Some parts of church are more exclusive. The Lord’s Supper, baptism, even some small groups are just for believers. But a church has the freedom, and really a responsibility, to have gatherings where seekers feel welcome—places where they are ready for company.

One of those low-threshold events is an annual Easter egg hunt. You ramp up by involving the whole church. They bring their friends, neighbors and families.

Do these events where everyone can be involved. Why? Events can show love for our community and increase visibility to invite people to our church. Multiple relationships can form in these open and inclusive events. These relationships can ultimately lead back to Christ.

4. Teach Well

The Easter egg event mentioned above is an inroad. But the greater thing happens when we actually preach on the resurrection—we want to bridge relationships from something as simple as a children’s event, to something as important as the gospel.

And, we don’t just preach about the resurrection on one Sunday.

Our people understand that after they bring their friends to the church community event, there will be an intense Gospel thrust in the following weeks. We call each other, and the Life Group leaders make calls. Everyone knows that everyone should invite their friends to hear about Jesus.

We teach the gospel well and over and over.

Holistic Approach

It’s a full-court press. We do all of these things in waves at the same time, but we don’t do them all the time. Spring and fall, summer and winter, on mission to share Jesus.

Everyone is on board. Everyone understands that our church leadership will provide opportunities for their friends to hear the Gospel, but their friends are their responsibility.

I don’t know their friends. They do. I can’t invite their friends. They can. And they must. Evangelism is everyone’s responsibility.

We can complain about the lack of evangelistic activity in our churches, but this goes back to leadership. We as leaders create the culture of evangelism. When the church sees we are intentional and serious about creating a pathway, they will be more likely to engage their friends and invite them on the pathway.

What has your church done to make sure everyone participates in evangelism? Why do you think people often drop the ball in the area of evangelism?

This article originally appeared here.

When Confession Goes Wrong

By
Jared C. Wilson
-
communicating with the unchurched

The greatest temptation in Christian communities is to avoid confession altogether, to maintain the facade, the uneasy stasis of staying right near the surface and never getting too deep, too real, too honest with each other. But on the other side, another temptation, perhaps not as great but just as real, is what often happens in place of real confession. We might call it “confession as performance.” Here’s an insightful piece from Bonhoeffer’s invaluable Life Together:

[A] danger concerns the confessant. For the salvation of his soul let him guard against ever making a pious work of his confession. If he does so, it will become the final, most abominable, vicious and impure prostitution of the heart; the act becomes an idle, lustful babbling. Confession as a pious work is an invention of the devil. It is only God’s offer of grace, help and forgiveness that could make us dare to enter the abyss of confession.

Again, let us not steer clear of real gospel confession with our brothers and sisters. The Bible commends it too much for us to safely avoid it. But Bonhoeffer has touched on something important here, something I’ve witnessed in a few small group settings. The safe space for confession can be taken advantage of, in a way. Here are some ways we might exploit and pervert the confessional act:

1. We treat the confession itself not as an act of repentance but mainly of catharsis. This is the employment of cheap grace. Basically, we’re not looking so much for the grace that frees and empowers us but the opportunity to “get something off our chests.” At least, until the next opportunity.

2. The confession becomes a self-indulgent “pity party” session. It is not about receiving the word of forgiveness in the gospel from our brethren and walking in that freedom but about occupying their ears to satisfy our need for attention and soaking up their consolation. It’s not the gospel’s embrace we really want, in other words, but some pats on the back.

3. We turn our confession into self-justification. We end up spending most of the time blaming our wrongs on all the people whose fault it really is. We use the time to confess others’ sins, not our own.

4. We treat confession secretly as sport. Mainly, we confess certain things to see what might scandalize our community or offend their sensibilities. We enjoy cultivating a prurient interest or creating a shock factor. This is relatively rare but still real.

5. We confess sins to look like good confessors. This is what Bonhoeffer is mainly addressing in the excerpt above.

Note: Some of these sins can only be self-diagnosed. Let us be more on guard of our own hearts‘ tendencies toward these perversions of confession than on the watch for others’ tendencies toward them.

This article originally appeared here.

6 Reasons You Need to Ask a Team Member to Step Down

By
David Santistevan
-
communicating with the unchurched

This blog post is tough. Nobody likes church staff problems, nobody likes to have difficult conversations,  and nobody likes to fire anyone.

But sometimes it’s necessary. And if it’s done in the proper way, can be good for everyone.

Facing Church Staff Problems

One of the tensions every worship leader faces is caring for the culture of the team and caring for each individual. When those lines are blurred, everything becomes more difficult.

But the word “leader” is in your job description for a reason. That doesn’t give you license to be a jerk. You need to love, care for and “pastor” your team.

But it does necessitate some difficult decision-making. Get your comments ready. This conversation will need a deep-dive.

Let’s State the Obvious

These “top reasons” I speak of are on the more subtle side of the spectrum.

Obviously, if a vocalist is dropping f-bombs on the congregation during worship, they need to step down.

If a drummer is using his drum sticks to physically abuse the band, he may need to step down.

If your keyboard player keeps leg-sweeping the pastor and pushing him off the stage, he needs to go.

If a guitar player is playing with his teeth and lighting his strings on fire, he may need more professional help.

I think you get my point!

A Few Quick Thoughts

  • Realize that working with people will always have its tensions. Having this understanding helps you adjust your expectations when it comes to church staff problems.
  • Never forget your calling to love, care for, lead, pastor and shepherd your worship team. They’re not just a means to make you look good.

The Power of Sisterhood: Women Spurring Women to Do Hard and Good Things

By
Jen Oshman
-
communicating with the unchurched

Remember Donna? My workout partner who is 25 years my senior and who frequently out-lifts, out-runs and out-performs me? The other day, when our workout was over, our trainer (and our dear friend) invited us to stay for bonus burpees. Yes, bonus burpees.

Of course I put on my coat and headed for the door. Who needs bonus burpees? Not me. I said I had to go educate the next generation and started walking out. When I glanced back to say goodbye to Donna, she was poised to start the burpees. Without complaint.

Ugh. Fine. In an instant, my coat was off and I was standing next to Donna, ready to start the bonus burpees. She had said nothing. But her mere action of standing ready to do a hard and good thing provoked me to be willing to do the same.

This is the power of sisterhood: women watching women do hard and good things, thus enabling us to do more hard and good things.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

We were made for community and we were made for good works. When we gals meet together, and when we stir one another up to love and good works, God is glorified and we all benefit.

This has been profoundly true in my own life.

  • It was my girlfriends in college, who loved Jesus, who role-modeled for me what complete surrender to him looks like.
  • It was a couple of women, just a bit older than me when I was new to my faith, who showed me how to treasure the word of God.
  • It was Bible-teaching women who showed me how to plumb the depths of scripture when I was new to ministry.
  • It was women who were missionaries on the other side of the world who showed me that Christ can be my joy and my strength when the labor is hard.
  • It was my girlfriends who locked arms with me and pushed me to memorize entire books of the Bible together with them.
  • It was other adoptive moms who displayed for me the gospel in action and girded up my faith in our own adoptive journey.
  • It was Christian moms a few years ahead of me who showed me how to rear my own girls in grace and truth.
  • It was Christian wives down the road ahead of me who showed me how to lay down my life for my husband.
  • It has been my girlfriends who have met with me every single week for almost two decades now to study together and pray together and hold one another accountable.
  • It has been my prayer partners who have reminded me of God’s truth and pointed me back to him in all things.
  • And it’s women now, in my current church and community, who are showing me and pushing me to walk with Jesus in this season of life.

It has been women in my life who have shown me over and over and over what it looks like to love God and love my neighbor. As I have walked life with them, they have spurred me on to good works. Truly, I would not have pursued Christ without their godly influence.

I am convinced the best way women can serve one another—and even the entire world—is to meet together and to encourage one another to love and good works. 

If you are a woman seeking to follow Jesus solo, you will not make it. You will grow weary and wander. You need your sisters. Look around you and find just a couple other ladies who love the Lord and ask them to get together with you. Pour some coffee, open up the Bible, read a few verses together, talk about them, share your joys and sorrows, pray together, and spur one another on to some good works in Jesus’s name this week. And then do it again next week and the week after that.

Be Donna to another woman. Be in community with other women and stand ready to do hard and good things along with them. It is absolutely for your good. And God’s glory.

This article originally appeared here.

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