Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Six Ways Churches Reverse A Decline - ChristianPost.com
Christian Post Article
(Content Edited for This Post)
The following is a great source of information and insight to be applied to churches of any size or history. - Freddie Steel
Six Ways Churches Reverse a Decline
Thu, Sep. 27, 2012 Posted: 08:52 AM EDT
I have had the wonderful opportunity to research
churches across America, as well as to have literally hundreds of
conversations with church leaders in a variety of settings. What I have
learned is that many churches are plateaued or declined. Many leaders
are frustrated and seeking God's solution to the situation. And a number
of churches exhibit common patterns when they break out of their
numerical slump. Allow me to share six of the more common ways I have
seen churches reverse a decline.
1. They Enter a Time of Corporate Prayer and Fasting.
Sometimes the period is a short duration, such as 24 hours. But in that time, many members of the body agree to pray and fast to seek God's face for His will for His church. In some churches the number of members who participate is relatively small compared to the whole membership. In other situations, a large number may participate. In each case, those who do pray and fast understand that only God can ultimately give the increase to a congregation.
2. They Start New Groups.
Churches that start new small groups, new Sunday school classes, new home groups, new discipleship groups, and a plethora of other possible groups often experience turnaround growth. More often than not, the approach to starting these groups is more strategic than haphazard, and more intentional than incidental.
3. They Start New Worship Services.
These worship services may be on Sunday morning, but they could be on other days and times as well. They could be new campuses or new venues. Like those that start new groups, many of the breakout churches strategically and intentionally make the starting of new worship services a vital part of the present and future of the congregation.
4. They Emphasize the Power of Inviting.
The pastor emphasizes it from the pulpit. Printed and web information constantly reminds members to invite others. The leadership of the church seeks to make the act of inviting others part of the DNA of the congregation.
5. They Emphasize the Importance of Groups Growing.
Not only do breakout churches place a high priority of creating new groups, they often emphasize the importance of the groups themselves growing. Leaders attempt to instill a Great Commission mindset not only for the church as a whole, but also for each group individually.
6. They Truly Serve the Community.
Many churches break their cycles of decline or plateau by providing means for members to serve the community. This service is far more than inviting persons to come to the church facilities. It involves such activities as painting public school classrooms, resourcing indigent school children, providing free refreshments at community events, and being a force for mobilization to meet needs expressed by community leaders.
These six breakout suggestions are not some quick-fix formula to reverse decline. Inherent in each of them are changes in mindsets and attitudes. Some churches have succeeded by implementing only one of them. Others have successfully done all of them and even more.
Indeed you can help both the readers and me by sharing other breakout approaches your church has used. Your response may very well make the difference in the life of a church and thus the lives of many people.
1. They Enter a Time of Corporate Prayer and Fasting.
Sometimes the period is a short duration, such as 24 hours. But in that time, many members of the body agree to pray and fast to seek God's face for His will for His church. In some churches the number of members who participate is relatively small compared to the whole membership. In other situations, a large number may participate. In each case, those who do pray and fast understand that only God can ultimately give the increase to a congregation.
2. They Start New Groups.
Churches that start new small groups, new Sunday school classes, new home groups, new discipleship groups, and a plethora of other possible groups often experience turnaround growth. More often than not, the approach to starting these groups is more strategic than haphazard, and more intentional than incidental.
3. They Start New Worship Services.
These worship services may be on Sunday morning, but they could be on other days and times as well. They could be new campuses or new venues. Like those that start new groups, many of the breakout churches strategically and intentionally make the starting of new worship services a vital part of the present and future of the congregation.
4. They Emphasize the Power of Inviting.
The pastor emphasizes it from the pulpit. Printed and web information constantly reminds members to invite others. The leadership of the church seeks to make the act of inviting others part of the DNA of the congregation.
5. They Emphasize the Importance of Groups Growing.
Not only do breakout churches place a high priority of creating new groups, they often emphasize the importance of the groups themselves growing. Leaders attempt to instill a Great Commission mindset not only for the church as a whole, but also for each group individually.
6. They Truly Serve the Community.
Many churches break their cycles of decline or plateau by providing means for members to serve the community. This service is far more than inviting persons to come to the church facilities. It involves such activities as painting public school classrooms, resourcing indigent school children, providing free refreshments at community events, and being a force for mobilization to meet needs expressed by community leaders.
These six breakout suggestions are not some quick-fix formula to reverse decline. Inherent in each of them are changes in mindsets and attitudes. Some churches have succeeded by implementing only one of them. Others have successfully done all of them and even more.
Indeed you can help both the readers and me by sharing other breakout approaches your church has used. Your response may very well make the difference in the life of a church and thus the lives of many people.
Thom S. Rainer
Copyright © Christianpost.com. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Finds Room on Dem Platform
Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Finds Room on Dem Platform
This is a very insightful, enlightening article based on solid facts and accurate history records.
This is a very insightful, enlightening article based on solid facts and accurate history records.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
REACHING FOR THE SUMMIT
REACHING FOR THE SUMMIT
I look to the summit of
ministry Everest and recognize familiar faces, my heroes, the previous
generations, who paved a way and a path I have yet to climb.
It will be easier for me
because they went ahead. They are in no wise insignificant or of less
importance to us because they came before and represent the previous moves of
God, leadership roles and positions. Actually,
they inspire awe because their mettle is something seldom seen nowadays.
I look back down the slope
from about mid-way, and there's a generation or two coming after me. I look at
them with the same depth of affection that I do with the generations that came
before me – it’s a sacred brotherhood, fraternity. I am hoping to offer some help, impart inspiration,
maybe some strength from my personal struggles unique to this elevation that I
have experienced along the way.
I hope they don't try to
rush past me. This culture's trends, fads and crush of life screams out for
instant everything. There are real
dangers on these slopes, some they have not stumbled upon as of yet. There are traps and pitfalls along the
way. They cropped up around this
elevation and I can see more ahead from this vantage point – pitfalls, traps
that they can’t see from where they are!
Lord, help them! They just can't afford to rush it or be
impatient. I'm fearful that if they do, and if they are even able to reach the
summit, their time there will be jeopardized because we are conditioned for
each new landing along the way and, for that, there is no shortcut or
substitute.
Young Ministers, let's
link hands with these older, wiser heroes and clasp hands together with a grip
of honor, respect, trust, vulnerability and unity. Let’s create a life-giving environment in the
rigors of these hostile elements of ministry mountains, Everest. We’re reaching!
Bishop Freddie Steel – 04-26-12 © All Rights Reserved
Giving Up?! Good!
Ready to give up? Good!
Those who have been to
this place and are still around to talk about it know the value and benefit
that this terrible / great place brings to our life and ministry.
As I listened to Dr.
Raymond Culpepper’s powerful message presented at the General Assembly this
week, I was particularly moved and touched as Dr. Culpepper paused near the end
to give a timely, prophetic word to those who felt like giving up. It stirred great memories in me of a time
when I felt the same.
You could call it the
‘end of self.’ If that is one means of
learning to deny one’s self, then one can rejoice because it is the
uncontrolled or ill-controlled self that grieves the Holy Spirit and stifles
life and our ministry.
Associated with reaching
this point and place in life or ministry are the wounds and disappointments
that not only knocks the wind out of your sails but goes much deeper to bring
real pain and hurt that makes life hard and successful ministry and leadership
even harder.
If there is anything that
makes this place even harder, it is in being convinced that you have done
something wrong to wind up here and that God is against you. I believe that it is the highly principled
men and women of God who go to this depth of regret or despair because they
will not shrink or diminish the importance of the role they feel they played in
coming here, to this open grave, this open-ended hell and self-torture.
If someone is not highly
principled and governed by this degree of self-management and accountability,
one can more easily (I imagine) work through these upsets, setbacks and tests
of life and ministry and just shove the mental and emotional alarms, threats
and attacks under the carpet and move on to the next assignment.
To understand how God works
and to minimalize the grief these certain seasons bring, one must understand
the operations of the Kingdom of God by referencing the course of life of seed.
I have a belief and a
conviction that every Promise of God, every calling, every gift, talent, grace
or ability will have a season of death in order to enable it to be resurrected
and sustained by the miraculous Power of God rather than by human
efficiency. Let me explain.
Scripture (John 12:24)
says that ‘unless the grain of wheat (seed) falls into the ground and dies, it
abides alone and remains as only one.
But, if it dies (just like Christ, Himself, the Seed of God), it is
resurrected and sustained with God’s Power and His abilities.
I
assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the
earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by
itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich
harvest. (John 12:24)
Additionally, it is,
ultimately, a testing and a trying of one’s faith, as Abraham’s faith was
tested and tried. One will find
himself/herself wrestling with the quandary as to whether or not they really
did hear from God or not. The enemy will
frequently use the line, ‘has God really said?’
You will find yourself
questioning your move or action or step of faith, made only after you were
absolutely certain that it was, indeed, God Who promoted you and sent you.
Just as Christ, when He
was in the grave and it appeared the Promise would not be kept and just like
Lazarus who died and it appeared that Christ had missed the opportunity to heal
him, this hopeless impasse is where you are on the very verge of stepping into
the absolute miraculous provision of God – sustained and resourced by the
supernatural ability of Father God.
Giving up? Go ahead and enter into the rest of God,
ceasing from the mental, emotional and spiritual struggling. If you don’t, you will try to make it in your
own strength and abilities. It is not
time to give up on your ministry, it is time to give up the struggling and
enter into the Promises of God which will produce the results that each and
every Promise holds.
Bishop Freddie Steel - 04-28-12 © All Rights Reserved
Monday, July 23, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
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