Principle: In a healthy, responsible church, these four kinds of growth will find expression.
What types of growth are there?
Four Types of Growth in the ChurchPrinciple: In a healthy, responsible church, these four kinds of growth will find expression.
What makes a church grow?The Key Scriptures on Growth
1 Corinthians 3:5-17
Matthew 16:18
Ephesians 2:19-22
Ephesians 4:15
Ephesians 4:29
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Jude 1:20
2 Corinthians 13:10
How Do We Implement A Growth Strategy?(Use of the Planning Funnel)Develop a Philosophy of MinistryThe Basic Information Concerning a Philosophy of MinistryThe need for a philosophy of ministry:
In other words, the philosophy of ministry for a church is a key foundation upon which every ministry of the church should be built. Howard Hendricks has said, "More failures in the church come about because of an ambiguity of purpose than for any other reason." The use of a philosophy of ministry: Where do you use it?
The goal of a philosophy of ministry:
The Basic Elements in a Philosophy of Ministry—the three lensesScripture/Biblical World What is Scripture calling us to do and be as a Church? 2 Cor. 5:11-21; Eph 4:1-16; 5:18-21; Matt. 20:24-28; 28:18-20, etc. What are the key passages that all churches should heed when they are seeking to discover their mission? (Acts 20:27) What specific passages is the Lord emphasizing in our lives that may be an indication of a specific direction He is calling us to? Caution: Don't isolate yourself from the whole counsel of God. (See Theological Foundations of a Philosophy Remember: The Scripture is our message book and our method book. History Here we observe history and our life from three vantage points—the relational world, the inner world and the church world. Relational World. This is where we live with others. The lessons from this context can be invaluable in determining our future direction. Here are the kinds of questions we might ask as we view this area of our world:
Inner World. This has to do with the whole area of your inner journey with God.
Culture A study of culture will include the outer world you are attempting to reach—Matt. 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2-3; Luke 4:17-21; Acts 17:16ff. We need to ask and look:
We need to ask if we see what Jesus sees. How is the world harassed, helpless and like sheep without a shepherd? We need to break out of our isolated world and rub shoulders with hurts. We do that intentionally! I suggest we pray to have our Lord's eyes and consider the following action steps to help us discern our culture. The Action Steps Needed to Discern Your Culture(Adapted from Beyond Church Growth by Robert Logan, pp. 74-75.) Identify your target group.
Make a commitment before the Lord that you will strive to fill your church with lost sheep (unchurched unbelievers). Is the choice of a target group an option for a philosophy of ministry? Yes, but if we choose to take a broad approach to ministry, then we may have to design some programs and worship experiences focused on the various groups in our church—e.g., contemporary worship versus traditional worship. We'll have to ask and answer: How will we structure our worship services? Will we departmentalize our ministry? Did Jesus adapt His ministry approach to individuals? What do the following passages tell us? (Luke 19:1-10; Mark 6:30-44; 8:22-36; 9:33-35;10:17-22; John 4:1-30; 8:1-11; Matt 9:27-31; 23:1-28; John 20:24-29; Luke 11:37-43). Cultivate your passion for listening and reading.
Take a walking tour of your community/neighborhood—places where people are—and listen and observe (hospitals, rest homes, missions, resturants, retail stores, malls, etc); Matt. 9:1-37; Acts 17:16-34 Take a ministry walk through your community—Ask, how might our church minister the Gifts of the Spirit in the Marketplace (Acts). The Basic Design of a Philosophy of MinistryWhere does the above material come from, and once you gather it, what do you do with it? Collect and consolidate the Scriptural, historical and cultural information outlined above from the following possible sources:
Ask these questions:
Write a concise summary of your philosophy of ministry. Example: "Hillcrest Chapel is to be a dynamic force of people (Body of believers) filled with God's Spirit, meeting people's needs in Jesus' name." How will this be done? By enjoying God's presence through a lifestyle of worship, by being equipped for service, by encouraging healing fellowship through love, acceptance and forgive-ness, and by being enlisted and sent out as salt and light to the Bellingham area and the world. Describe your philosophy of ministry in one or two pages. There is no set format for doing this. (See Appendix.) Example: (web site) Bethany Christian Assembly, Everett Write a description of a generic target person, or a description of a typical person from the geographical area of your ministry—e.g., Bellingham Bob, Unchurched Harry (Bill Hybels), or Saddleback Sam (Rick Warren), Wenatchee Willy, George George. Test your description with people in the area—Christian and non-Christian, other pastors, school teachers, city officials, Chamber of Commerce. Describe how you will structure your worship, programs and ministry to meet this person's and your church family's needs. Ask questions like, what major activities will we use in our church to communicate and advance our growth strategy? (e.g., small groups/large groups, care center, adult equipping seminars, School of Discipleship.) Remember, the goal is to work toward the point where everyone in the church can understand and state their individual and collective uniqueness as a church gathered and scattered. Measure your philosophy of ministry with these questions:
In addition to the need to develop a philosophy of ministry, there are several more steps if we are going to have an effective Contemporary Growth Strategy. Once the Philosophy of Ministry is developed, continue on to the next step in the Planning Funnel: Pray for ministry, leadership and outreach development and deploymentI don't think we are feeling compassion or praying like we should, because we aren't seeing the world and its needs. Jesus had to tell the disciples in John 4:35, "Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest?' I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." Let's pray that we have our Lord's eyes!
What does Jesus see in people? Look at Matthew 9:35-38:
Jesus described the people He saw as:
Is this view of people obvious to you? Can a person look together on the outside and yet be falling apart on the inside? Yes! That's why we need to pray for our Lord's eyes, because we don't see as we should. Jesus' description makes it obvious what these people need—a Shepherd (9:36b). This is profound truth. Our mission is not to go out and shape up the world, or just meet physical needs. Our task is to look through the eyes of Jesus and see the helplessness of people without a shepherd—their depression, their suppression, their mangled, flayed, lacerated, weary, exhausted and cast down spiritual state. When Jesus saw the crowds, He asked His disciples to pray for workers—Matt. 9:37-38. Make this a continual prayer of your heart as a leader. Provide opportunities for leaders to see the harvest and to get together to pray for other workers—e.g., take them with you as you minister. Bathe your philosophy, goals and strategy in prayer, for only then will you know which direction you should take—Mark 1:35-39. Then as you are praying... Project goals/vision for the future in keeping with your calling/philosophy.Leadership implies there is some direction given that people might follow. Gandhi was reported to have said on one occasion, "There go my people, I must catch them for I am their leader." (See Proverbs 11:14.) This whole area of goals brings up a lot of concerns. To lessen those concerns, ask and answer the following questions about the whole process of planning.
Once you have prayerfully determined your goals, the next step is: Wise implementation of your philosophy and goalsHow do we plan to get there? A goal planned is 50% achieved. According to Lindgren and Shawchuck who wrote Let My People Go: Empowering Laity for Ministry, "A plan needs to be written and comprehensive enough to serve as a road map to achieving goals." A good implementation plan according to Lindgren and Shawchuck will give information regarding the following:
Evaluation of the progressHow close did we come to our destination? Perry and Shawchuck's Revitalizing the 20th Century Church suggests the following list of questions: Evaluation of Goals and Objectives
Evaluation of Programs and Activities
Problem Solving and Future Planning
This concludes the work on our planning funnel. It is designed to be used repeatedly. It's a wonderful tool in "The Design of a Contemporary Growth Strategy," but remember, it is God who makes things grow. Assess the climate for growth (your growth)(by Al Broom)Circle the number representing the degree that these exist in the life of your church/ministry. Climate for Growth |
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The Big DreamEffective church growth planning requires at least three ingredients: a clearn mission statement, a big dream, and specific goals/vision statement: After the Philosophy of Ministry comes the dream. "Not much happens without a dream. And for something great to happen there must always be a great dream. Behind every great achievement is a dreamer of great dreams. Much more than a dream is required to bring it to reality; but the dream must be there first," says Robert Greenleaf. An effective pastor helps his church dream big dreams, and enables members to discover and act on God's dream for their church. (An obviously important assumption is that the pastor believes God has a great dream for that church!) Where does the energy come from that moves a church and its leaders forward in growth? It comes from the shared dream of that church and its leaders! Believing that God has given your church a unique opportunity for ministry—right where you are—is the foundation upon which the dream begins to form. Are you tapping into the energy source that a dream can provide? Behind every great church are dreamers of great dreams!
Appendix
Philosophy of Ministry—Bethany Christian AssemblyOur objectives are four-fold: To Reach Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Just as a fisherman uses a net, or hook and bait to catch fish, so we must attract the lost to Jesus Christ by how we live, by what we do, and by what we say. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this point when he says, "By all means that I may save some." Our methods of ministry must zero in on reaching the lost. Introducing children, young people, and adults to Christ will require that we understand them and their needs. Before we can win them to Christ, we must reach them with the gospel. Our prayers and efforts must always center on outreach to the lost. We need to always be reaching! To Win Jesus said, "Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..." Once we have reached the unsaved with the "good news," we must win them to the Savior. Much prayer and love must be directed toward our non-Christian friends. Follow-up must be ongoing, and personal relationships must be established so that others can see Jesus in our lives. "There will be no impact without contact!" Only as we take time to truly care for the unsaved and befriend them, will they understand what it means to be a Christian. We must be soul winners in our church and in our community. We need to always be winning! To Train Jesus said, "...and teach them to obey all I have commanded you." To reach the lost with the gospel and to win them to Christ is only part of our mission. We must also disciple them, or train them to follow Christ. We must teach them how to pray, how to study God's Word, how to overcome temptation, and prepare them for their call to Christian service. We need to always be training! To Send Jesus said, "...GO...!" God's people are to be trained for ministry and then sent into ministry. Every believer has a God-given gift and must be enabled in discovering it, developing it, and using it for God's glory. Jesus also said, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Send forth laborers..." We need to ways be sending! This is full-circle discipleship. God has called us to reach the lost, to win them, to train them, and to send them into Christian ministry.
I. The Motive: 2 Cor. 5:11-15
II. The Message: 2 Cor. 5:14b-21
They are made in His image—Gen. 1:27; 9:6; James 3:9
III. The Ministry: 2 Cor. 5:18-20
IV. The Method: the enablementHow will our ministry be effective?
V. The Measure: Eph. 4:12b-16
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