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Growing A Healthy Church

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Title: Growing A Healthy Church


1
Growing A Healthy Church
by Ed Gilman
2
A Healthy Church Is
  • A center of spiritual reproduction.
    (new
    believers, new groups new churches are being
    born)
  • A community of life transformation.
    (peoples lives
    are being measurably changed).

Bob Bumgarner
3
Studies Show
  • Church health cannot be achieved or maintained
    without
  • The work of the Holy Spirit and.
  • High caliber pastoral leadership.
  • Gary Mcintosh- One Size Doesnt Fit All

4
A Servant Leader
A servant leader is one who has been called,
transformed, gifted, and empowered by God, to
serve Him and the needs of others, before their
own concerns. Ed Gilman- 2004
5
A Servant Leader
Leadership in the church is not like leadership
in any other place- not
like corporate America,
not like the military, not like athletics.
Leadership in the church
is not demanded or commanded.
You get it the old-fashioned way- you earn
it. You earn it by the hard work of being a good
pastor. You earn it by holy sweat.
Paul Powell Shepherding the Sheep in Smaller
Churches
6
Nine Habits of Churches that
Reach and Keep the Unchurched
Dr. Thom Rainer
1- Habit of Intentionality. Simply put, for a
church to be successful it intentionally must be
trying to reach the unchurched. Examples
Outreach program like Sunday Schools
F.A.I.T.H., friendly greeters, clean restrooms,
modern nurseries, etc. 2- Habit of Cultural
Awareness. Rainer said. "It does not mean they
compromised with culture, but they understood
culture. There are some things we can do to be
culturally aware." 3- Habit of High
Expectations. Rainer said there is a direct
correlation between how much is demanded of a
new member and how long the new member stays
active in the church.
7
Nine Habits of Churches that
Reach and Keep the Unchurched
Dr. Thom Rainer
4- Habit of Clear Doctrine. Rainer said the
formerly unchurched told the researchers, "We
want to hear about the doctrine on the front
end. We're not going to make a commitment to a
church where you will tell us about what you
believe later." 5- Habit of Risk Taking.
"The risk-taking attitude of these churches is
obvious by their willingness to lose members,"
Rainer said. "They do not make decision based
upon who might leave as a result of this. They
make decisions more on Who will we reach?" 6-
Habit of Dynamic Small Groups. 68 percent were
involved in Sunday school. Rainer said unhealthy
Sunday schools are inward focused -- healthy
Sunday Schools are constantly looking beyond
themselves."
8
Nine Habits of Churches that
Reach and Keep the Unchurched
Dr. Thom Rainer
7- Habit of Effective Leadership. "Once
unchurched persons visited churches, they said
the pastor and the preaching were the most
important factors in their returning." Among
effective churches, the pastor spent five hours
a week involved in personal evangelism. 8-
Habit of Effective Preaching. Among effective
churches, pastors spent an average of 20 hours a
week on sermons -- including the task itself.
They gained time by delegating and give away
ministry assignments." 9- Habit of Prayer.
Rainer said that churches that prayed together
and prayed often kept their new members. Often,
he said, church members would call up the new
members and say, "We are praying specifically for
you."
9
Sizing the Church
Experience continues to say that the size of a
congregation is the most critical variable in
determining how it behaves, and that
congregations of very different sizes behave in
very different ways. Gil Rendle
Congregations May-June 1997
10
Sizing the Church
  • Groups, like individuals, develop through
    predictable stages of growth over time.
  • A predictable pattern of group dynamics emerges
    in which each stage has certain definable
    characteristics.

11
Sizing the Church
All churches, no matter the size, must deal
with certain organizational issues if they are
to experience the ongoing quality growth that
stems from Christs commission
to go make
disciples.
12
Church Size in the United States
SMALLER- size 15 to 200 in Worship- 80
MEDIUM- size 201 to 500 in Worship- 10
LARGE- size 500 in Worship- 10
13
Sizing the Church in Florida
Tier 1 35 or Less in Worship 328 Churches 15
1,666
78
Tier 2 36 to 75 in Worship 577 Churches 27
Tier 3 76 to 200 in Worship 761 Churches 36
Tier 4 201 to 350 in Worship 255 Churches 11
353
16.5
Tier 5 351 to 500 in Worship 98 Churches 5
Tier 6 501 to 800 in Worship 69 Churches 3
Tier 7 801 to 1000 in Worship 14 Churches .06
120
5.5
Tier 8 1001 to 3000 in Worship 33
Churches 1.5
Tier 9 3001 to 6000 in Worship 3
Churches .14
Tier 10 6001 to 12000 in Worship 1
Church .04
14
Observations
  • 78 of Southern Baptist churches in Florida have
    less than 200 in worship.
  • 22 of Southern Baptist churches in Florida have
    more than 200 in worship.

15
Every church is a bundle of strengths and
weaknesses. Most weaknesses are strengths pushed
to an extreme.
Every pastor is a bundle of strengths and
weaknesses. Most weaknesses are strengths pushed
to an extreme.
16
Leadership Styles
A good pastoral leader will use many leadership
styles over the course of his day. An effective
leader will grow in his ability to use varying
leadership styles.
AUTHORITATIVE Instructs, Precise, Initiating
COERCING Dominates, Compels
Weaknesses
Strengths
CONSULTATIVE Persuading, Inspiration
MANIPULATING Control, Exploit
17
Leadership Styles
FACILITATIVE Trusts, Shares, Team Member
PATRONIZING Condescending, Overbearing
Strengths
Weaknesses
DELEGATIVE Affirms, Supports, Coaches
AVOIDING Withdraws, Evasion
18
Five Guiding Principles
of Church Growth
1- The Principle of Visionary Leadership.
A church
grows when decisions are made based on the
intention of bringing new people into the church.
Churches that make decisions based only on how it
will affect their current members are generally
not growing churches. 2- The Principle of Human
Resource Utilization.
A church grows when
decisions provide the staff, leadership, and
resources needed to focus on outreach.
(One full-time staff for every 150 worshippers
60 of the people have a ministry in the
church.)
19
Five Guiding Principles
of Church Growth
3- The Principle of Open Doors.
A
church grows when decisions create opportunities
for new people to enter into the life of the
congregation. Doors can be anything from worship
to need-oriented ministries and programs. 4- The
Principle of Incorporation.

A church grows when decisions spawn ways to
incorporate new people into the social circles of
the membership. The feeling of being wanted,
having a sense of identity, belonging to a
group are strong pulls for a newcomers
involvement. 5- The Principle of Finance.

A church grows when
decisions adequately finance local outreach
activities. Growing churches spend from 5 to 10
percent of their budget for outreach.
20
200
Growth Barriers
200 is the most predictable of all growth
barriers.
The most difficult churches to grow
are between 100 and 250 in attendance.
This represents moving from a single-cell to a
multi -cell church. Rick Warren
21
The Pastors Role
  • In every church, people place their
    trust in what
    is constant
  • Smaller-size the key family or
    long-term
    leaders.
  • Medium-size the programs provide
    the continuity.
  • Large-size the senior pastor (sometimes
    staff)
  • The longer a pastors tenure, (continuity) the
    more likely the church will follow his
    leadership.

22
The Pastors Role
  • The central idea of leadership is standing
    before people leading them in some direction.
  • Second only to the empowering work
    of the Holy
    Spirit, pastoral leadership
    is the most determinative
    factor in
    growing churches.
  • Strong pastoral competence is a
    decisive factor for
    the vitality and
    outreach of a congregation.

23
Empowerment The Growth Secret
Growth, evangelism, the expansion of the
church depend as much on a leaders ability to
develop an expansive infrastructure as on any
other factor except prayer The church that grows
beyond the 200 barrier is the church that decides
to minister to its people in a comprehensive
organization rather than a family-type
fellowship. Bill Sullivan- Ten Steps to
Breaking the 200 Barrier
24
Empowerment The Growth Secret
In a smaller church of up to 200 members the
pastor can do all the work, and many do. But such
a church will not be able to grow past that point
without lay ministry. Pastors of growing
churches, whether they be large or small , know
how to motivate their laypeople, how to create
structures which permit them to be active
productive, how to guide them into meaningful
avenues of Christian service. Peter Wagner-
Your Church Can Grow
25
Empowerment The Growth Secret
No church can grow beyond the ability of the
pastoral leader to delegate responsibilities to
staff lay ministers Lay ministers must become
a mobilized force in the church if significant
growth is to occur The pastor in a growing
church is always a central figure, but he is
careful to surround himself with gifted,
responsible, work-oriented laypersons who
function as lay ministers.
Chaney Lewis Design For Church Growth
26
Empowerment The Growth Secret
An effective leader accomplishes the work
through others. The task is too great for one
person. It is more important for the leader of a
growing church to produce other leaders than to
perform personal ministry. Carl George How to
Break Growth Barriers
27
  • Born from vision or church split.
  • Everything is new to the church.
  • High expectation and excitement.
  • Pastor is the key to success.
  • Pastor is entrepreneur/risk-taker.
  • Pastor/Family burnout high-risk.
  • Minimal trained leadership present.
  • Financial base is limited.
  • Usually dependant on sponsor.

New Church Start
28
  • A Family Chapel Church.
  • High ownership by membership.
  • New members adopted into church.
  • Most growth is biological.
  • Bi-vocational pastor is the norm.
  • Pastor tends to be the chaplain.
  • Matriarch/Patriarch usually present.
  • Leadership style is relational.

Tier 1 Church (Under 35
at Worship)

29
  • Pastor is center of everything.
  • Pastor recruits most new members.
  • Pastors family easily neglected.
  • Pastor tries to be all-things to all.
  • High expectations on Pastor/family.
  • Pastor ministers/Church leaders administer.
  • Church plateaus at the level of the
    pastors competency, time, energy.
  • Pastor must learn to do shared ministry raise
    the quality of all church ministries.

Tier 2 Church (36-75 at Worship)
30
  • The 75 Barrier is broken.
  • Church becomes more organized.
  • Lay ministries increase with growth.
  • Intentional outreach program starts.
  • Pastor still central but roles shifting.
  • Near 150, burden great for pastor.
  • Pastor must learn to delegate.
  • Church staff is added as needed.
  • Constitution/bi-laws becomes issue.

Tier 3 Church (76 to 200 at
Worship)
31
12 Qualities of Good Leadership in Smaller
Churches
1- INTEGRITY it is the quality of being able
to be trusted. We dont lie, we do what we say,
our affection is genuine, our praise is
honest. 2- VISION a leader is in tune with
the future, knows where God wants him to go, and
is focused on a clear purpose. (When the pastor
doesnt dream, the church is a nightmare.) 3- WI
SDOM wisdom is different than intelligence,
wisdom has to do with judgment. It is knowing
what to do, who to listen to, what to attempt,
and what to leave alone. 4- COMPASSION if you
put their best interest first, they will follow
you. If they sense you are serving your own
interests they will turn from you.
From Shepherding the Sheep in Smaller
Churches- Paul Powell
32
12 Qualities of Good Leadership in Smaller
Churches
5- COURAGE you have to the courage to speak
stand for your convictions, with sensitivity. If
you are wishy-washy on hard issues dont expect
followship. Always remember, leadership, not
lordship is the goal. 6- ENTHUSIASM if you
cant get excited about your dreams and goals,
dont expect anyone else to either.
7- INITIATIVE good leaders are proactive, not
reactive. They get their vision from God, develop
a strategy for fulfilling it, challenge the
people to go forward. 8- HUMILITY every pastor
needs a servant spirit like that of Jesus. A
pastor who exercises control over people through
fear intimidation makes a mockery of Christs
leadership style.
33
12 Qualities of Good Leadership in Smaller
Churches
9- SENSE OF URGENCY these are urgent
demanding times. We must be persons of urgency.
We must have a sense of urgency about what we are
doing. 10- PERSISTENCY a leader must have a
tolerance for criticism rejection. Leadership
is the ability to keep going even when we have
little or no support. 11- SENSE OF HUMOR
dont take yourself so seriously , relax, enjoy
yourself enjoy the people enjoy the Lord.
Lighten up, youll be a better leader. (Dont be
like the preacher who thought he was so holy that
he only took St. Josephs aspirins) 12- EXAMPLE
leaders lead by example. Practice what you
preach. Show others how to do it. People follow
examples.
34
From One Size Doesnt Fit All, by Gary McIntosh
General Characteristics Of The SMALLER-SIZE
Church.
15 to 200 at Worship
35
The Church Orientation Is
RELATIONAL.
  • Each member knows all the other members.
  • Meals are a family affair, a time of fellowship.
  • Meals are included with almost all occasions.
  • It has the feel of a large or extended family.
  • There is a high premium on relationships.
  • Preferences, decisions, choices, judgments,
    elections, conclusions, resolutions, and votes
    are influenced by this orientation.


36
The Church Orientation Is
RELATIONAL.
  • In the relational community a group consciousness
    provides a framework of values, beliefs,
    commitments, against which the members measure
    their lives.
  • The past is always present.
  • Hence, words like change and creative are
    enemies
    since they could not imagine doing anything
    differently.
  • Its goal is not so much to change the world as it
    is to know each other
    better.
  • On workday at the church everyone attends.

37
The Church Structure
  • The smaller-size church is a single cell church.
  • They have a close, face-to-face fellowship that
    extends beyond Sundays.
  • They have the feeling of being a
    large,
    loving family.
  • Values, style, history, memories
    concerns are
    commonly held together.
  • They have one or two families that hold
    the
    key positions make most decisions.
  • Newcomers find it hard to be accepted.

38
ALL PROGRAMS, MINISTRIES, DECISIONS, ARE
CONNECTED TO THE KEY FAMILY(s).
39
Who Sets The Direction?
Four Ingredients of Effective Leadership 1-
POSITION those who are elected perceived by
the church as
responsible for getting the job done. 2-
AUTHORITY those who have the power to make
decisions rarely just
one person. 3- INFLUENCE those who are able
to sway people to follow
a proposed direction. 4- CONTROL those who
have the ability to get something accomplished
they just do it.
Discover Your Leaders Work With Them.
40
Who Sets The Direction?
  • For any size church to grow the Leaders must
    lead.
  • The Leaders Attitude is the Key
  • If they think the church can grow or think
    it cant, theyre probably right.

41
The Pastors Role
  • In a smaller-size congregation people customarily
    see their pastor from a relational point of
    view.
  • They may describe him as loving, warm, caring,
    etc
  • You may hear some of these phrases used
  • Our minister loves everyone.
  • The kids all like our pastor.
  • He cares for us knows us all by name.
  • He treats everyone the same.

42
The Pastors Role
  • A church is most likely to attract a pastor who

    fits its perspective. (ie a relational person. )
  • This viewpoint should provide an objective
    evaluation when
    considering a call for a pastor
    or when a pastor
    considers a call by a church.
    (does he have strong
    relational skills?)
  • This helps prevent mismatches of pastor and
    people.
  • To lead effectively pastors need to adjust
    their ministry skills to fit the
    church where they serve.

43
The Pastors Role
In the smaller church arena, more than any
other, leadership grows out of relationships. If
people know you, love you, trust you, are
convinced you have their best interest at heart,
they will listen to you follow you. So, the
quickest surest way to establish yourself as a
leader is to go to work at your pastoral
duties. Be among the people. Get to know them. Be
interested in them. Be a loving shepherd. Thats
the most important things any preacher can do. We
cant all be eloquent preachers. We cant all be
dynamic leaders. But we can have caring hearts.
We can all be good ministers. And that, after
all, is what weve been called to be. Paul
Powell Shepherding the Sheep in Smaller
Churcbes
44
Decision Making
  • Decisions are made by the congregation with heavy
    influence from a single person, family, or
    families.
  • Sometimes real decisions are made informally in
    the parking lot or around the kitchen table.

45
Decision Making
  • Driven by tradition custom, the main concerns
    are keeping people happy, keeping building use
    down, keep expenditures as low as possible,
    maintain status-quo of relationships, and
    minimizing dissent.
  • For the pastor to lead successfully,
    he must
    take initiative influence

    the process by developing trust

    through building relationships

    one-by-one.

46
Decision Making
  • The smaller the church the more likely the
    decision will be emotional subjective.
  • Choices are determined on the basis

    of the speakers popularity ties
    to
    the main families of the church.
  • The larger the church becomes, the more the

    probability increases that judgments will be made
    rationally and
    objectively.
  • Whether or not the issue has merit becomes the
    deciding factor rather than popularity
    of the speaker.

47
Team Ministry
  • The staffing dynamic is fairly simple when there
    are only two parties pastor and congregation.
  • The leadership team is like a duet.
  • Planning takes place informally.
  • A direct line is available to all church members,
    which
    smoothes the communication process.
  • This continues to be the best understood form of
    staffing a church one in which many people feel
    more comfortable.

48
Church Growth
  • Church growth is about making disciples, not
    just adding numbers to the church.
  • We must focus on seeking saving the lost,
    and church growth with be a natural by-product.
  • When a church reaches its maximum potential, it
    can continue to grow by multiplying new churches.
  • Church growth is as much about planting new
    churches as it is simply enlarging a single
    church.
  • Older churches can grow, but it is hard to break
    out of old patterns to establish a new vision for
    growth.

49
Church Growth
  • Most churches could grow at least

    5 a year if they retooled

    refocused their resources on

    making disciples.
  • Small-size churches grow through

    the attraction model.
  • Growth through attraction occurs when a church
    exudes so much warmth love that newcomers are
    attracted.
  • If relationships in the church are healthy, the
    church stands an excellent chance of growing
    through attraction.
  • Usually there is plenty of love care in the
    small-size church, the challenge is to get them
    to direct it towards new people.

50
Obstacles To Growth
  • 1- The small church image.
  • Sometimes there is a low self-esteem

    as a church. (We Cant do that.)
  • 2- An ineffective evangelism.
  • Sometimes they feel they are too small to be
    effective, when in reality they can be extremely
    effective.
    (have care
    loving atmosphere that is difficult in larger
    churches)
  • The unchurched have many relationship concerns
    about fitting in, acceptance, etc,
    relationship is the small-size church strength.
  • To overcome the obstacles the church must
    develop a sense of mission, a sense of
    urgency, and an open fellowship.

51
Obstacles To Growth
  • 3- Inadequate programming.
  • People go to another church who has

    a better program in their need
    area.
  • 4- A downward momentum.
  • Once a church starts declining, cutting
    back, turning inward, it is difficult for the
    church to focus on anything but survival.
  • 5- Ingrown fellowship.
  • People tend to develop their relationship
    skills during their younger years. The longer a
    church is in existence the more likely the people
    are to be older ingrown.
  • Indicators of an ingrown church more than 50
    have been members 12 years. Fewer than 10 have
    joined in the last year.

52
Strategies For Growth
  • The best way to prevent fighting fires in a
    church is to have an effective strategy for
    growth.
  • We cannot cause growth we can only create a
    climate in which growth can take place.
  • Ultimately only God causes

    the growth. (1 Cor. 36)
  • As workers we are called to
    plant
    water, God ripens

    the crop, then He uses us to

    work the harvest.

53
Strategies For Growth
  • 1- Renew a sense of purpose.
  • The first step is to help the

    congregation see that Jesus Christ

    passed on His purpose of

    seeking saving
    the lost to His church.
  • Focusing on a renewed sense of purpose restores
    a healthy, outward-focused viewpoint.
  • 2- Begin new ministries.
  • Most people prefer to be in on the ground
    floor of a new venture, beginning new ministries
    attracts holds newcomers. (1 per year)
  • Perhaps the number one way that a smaller-size
    church breaks out of a single cell orientation is
    to add a second worship service.

54
Strategies For Growth
  • 3- Cultivate evangelism.
  • Find 1 or 2 two key lay people who are

    interested in reaching new people

    train them in a small peer
    group to lead
    this ministry.
  • Develop an evangelistic consciousness through
    sermons, retooling ministries to be more
    evangelistic, praying for lost by names,
    training, outreach events.
  • 4- Celebrate victories.
  • One solution to improve self-esteem in the
    smaller church is to call attention to positives
    in the church.
  • Talk about your strengths rather than your
    weaknesses. Give God praise for each victory.

55
Strategies For Growth
  • 5- Start new groups classes.
  • New people often leave if after several

    years they have not been accepted into

    the
    inner circle of the church.
  • Rather than trying to fight their way into

    being accepted by people
    who have been
    together for
    years, new people prefer to join a new group,
    class, etc.
  • 6- Involve new people.
  • It takes significant involvement in the life
    of the church before new members and attenders
    feel like they belong.
  • Churches need to focus on involving newcomers as
    quickly as possible, but always within six months.

56
From One Size Doesnt Fit All, by Gary McIntosh
General Characteristics Of The MEDIUM-SIZE Church.
201 to 500 at Worship
57
Medium-Size Churches
  • The 200 Barrier is finally broken.
  • Most difficult barrier to break/sustain.
  • High priority on Worship and Youth.
  • Pastor learns delegation skills.
  • More time on sermon preparation.
  • Multiple staff members added.
  • Lay leadership increases.
  • Leaders cast vision, generate energy.
  • Church council/deacons assume greater leadership
    responsibility.

Tier 4 Church (201 to 350 at
Worship)
58
The Churchs Orientation Is
PROGRAMMATIC.
  • The medium-size church functions as

    a collection of
    families, classes,

    organizations, etc.
  • Members know some of the people.
  • It is a complex mixture of numerous influential
    groups.
  • The organizing principle is the programmatical
    orientation attached to the various groups.
  • Influence on decisions is driven by what will
    perpetuate the program.

59
The Churchs Orientation Is
PROGRAMMATIC.
  • To some extent the medium-size church is in a
    transitional phase, moving from a smaller to a
    large size church.
    (It feels like a
    growing family)
  • As they grow, if they dont make appropriate
    adjustments to their ministries, they will either
    plateau or decline back to a smaller-size.
  • Mens group organizes

    and supports workday.
  • Meals usually are built

    around programs.
  • The church focus is on the present.

60
The Church Structure
  • The medium-size church will become a stretched
    cell if it does not add new leadership as the
    church grows.
  • If it does add new leaders, decision-making is
    spread among a broad base of groups, committees,
    etc, it will become a strong medium-sized church,
    with a good chance of growing to a large-size
    church.
  • Growth typically comes from new ministries,
    classes, etc, that have opened doors for
    newcomers.
  • A stretched cell church is like a rubber band,

    it can stretch so far it breaks.
  • (For a church this would mean going down in

    size, probably back to
    smaller-size.)

61
Deacons
Missions
Pastor/Staff
12- Step Program
Key Family or Families
Youth
Sunday School
Choir
Preschool
If a medium-size church becomes a stretched
cell when it grows, it means the key leaders
are the same as when the church was small.
62
The Pastors Role
  • The medium-size congregation perceives their
    pastor from a functional viewpoint.
  • You may hear him described as a good organizer,
    administrator, teacher, etc.
  • Common phrases are used like
  • He is a great planner.
  • Our pastor is a good teacher.
  • He is always well prepared.
  • He has put together a great leadership team.

63
Decision Making
  • In the medium-size church decisions are made by
    the congregation after they have been hammered
    out and agreed
    upon by a committee, team, or board.
  • Most of the decisions are driven by need
    since the church
    is usually adding volunteers,
    hiring
    staff, motivating stewardship, coordinating
    facility use,
    establishing policies.
  • For the pastor to lead successfully, he must
    develop trust by building a relationship with the
    chairman of his key committees, teams, or boards,
    and working through them rather than initiating
    ideas himself.

64
Team Ministry
  • The leadership team in a medium-size church is
    like a complex quartet composed of pastor,
    small staff, lay leaders, congregation.
  • Communication dynamics increase sixfold, making
    it a high risk stage in staff development.
  • Since more parties are involved, there is a
    greater risk that one member of the team will not
    carry through his or her responsibilities,
    causing the rest of the team to suffer.

65
Team Ministry
  • Each size has its challenges, but the crucial
    question is, is the church staffed for growth,
    plateau, or decline?
  • Churches that place their priorities in the order
    of staff, programs, facilities are usually the
    growing ones.
  • Bivocational ministry is an effective way for
    very small, financially strapped,
    geographically isolated churches to carry on
    their mission, but its extremely rare to see a
    bivocational church growing.
  • The best way for a church to stay in a growth
    pattern is to add staff just before the church
    reaches each 150 attenders mark.
    (ie 150, 300, 450, 600, etc)

66
How Does Change Take
Place?
  • Change in the medium-size church
    comes from the
    middle-out.
  • It must come from key committees,
    boards, or teams.
  • If the pastor wants to initiate change
    he must
    work through this key group in the church.

67
Church Growth
  • The medium-size church grows through the
    program model.
  • It grows best as it develops new ministries to
    meet relevant needs of the new people they are
    trying to reach.
  • Typically the medium-size church has one or two
    star programs that effectively reach new people
    for Christ.
  • They should concentrate on their stars.
  • Remember the Pareto Principle 20 of your
    programs or ministries bring 80 of the results.

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Obstacles To Growth
  • 1- Inadequate facilities.
  • Growth will place pressure on all ministries
    to fit everything in a small facility. Funds are
    often not there yet to build or remodel the
    facility.
  • 2- Inadequate staff.
  • Todays expectations for high quality
    diverse ministry will often not be met with
    adequate staff to lead them.
  • A related issue is motivating recruiting
    volunteers for ministry. (women in the work force
    today)
  • 3- Inadequate finances.
  • The need for facilities, staff, programs,
    resources, make Christian stewardship crucial for
    this size church.

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Obstacles To Growth
  • 4- Poor administration.
  • As a church grows into the medium-size

    church, the pastor/staff, and leaders must

    care effectively for the increasingly
    complex
    functions of the church.
  • 5- Increasing complexity.
  • This is one of the factors that may cause a

    church to revert back to smaller-size,
    as
    leaders recall the simple
    atmosphere of
    the past.
  • After a few years of growth, the medium-size
    church must make the necessary adjustments to
    move to the next size church or it will plateau.

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Strategies For Growth
  • 1- Develop A Distinct Identity.
  • Studies have found that healthy churches

    of
    this size usually have at least one ministry


    for which they are
    legendary in their
    community.
  • It should highlight this ministry in an

    intentional effort to reach even more

    people.
  • 2- Add Additional Staff.
  • Failure to do so will eventually result in
    plateau or decline.
  • Call additional staff before the church
    reaches each 150 category. (ie add 1 at 150, 2
    at 300, etc)

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Strategies For Growth
  • 3- Use Facilities Multiple Times.
  • This allows the church reach new people without
    increasing expenses for new buildings.
  • This also allows the church to enjoy the
    advantages of a smaller-size church of knowing
    members more intimately doing church-wide
    activities.
  • 4- Offer Multiple Worship Services.
  • Delay building until the church has 3-4 worship
    services in the present building.
  • This assists the church in developing a multiple
    cell orientation of the large-size congregation.

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Strategies For Growth
  • 5- Write A Long-Range Plan.
  • Plans give a church direction motivate members

    with a sense of purpose.
  • Develop the plan based on the churchs
    strengths.
    Ask What do we do best?
  • 6- Improve the Quality of Ministry.
  • Most people want to attend a church that is
    slightly above
    their socio-economic level.
  • They expect good child-care, sound system,
    facilities,
    worship experience, etc.
  • Sometimes pastor and/or staff who helped the
    church grow from smaller to medium-size may not
    be able to take it any farther.

73
Why Break Through These Tiers?
The Lord Demands It - Matthew 2818-20
The Bible Teaches It - Acts 241-47
The Lost Depend On It - Romans 1014
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RECOMMENDED READING
  • Sizing Churches in Florida- Research done by
    Jim Chavis Bob Bumgarner
  • One Size Doesnt Fit All- Gary McIntosh
  • How to Break Growth Barriers- Carl George
  • Shepherding the Sheep in Smaller Churches-
    Paul Powell
  • Pastoring the Single-Staff Church- D.G.
    McCoury
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