Five Missional Misfires

Every church would say they are in it for the mission. Which is why misfiring on that mission is something to be avoided at all costs. Yet it happens all the time.

Here are five of the most common misfires:

1. Seeing other churches as the competition.

When I started Meck in Charlotte over twenty years ago, there was a large and once-thriving church experiencing stagnation and severe financial struggles. In an interview, the pastor was asked why the church was facing such difficulty, and his response was telling: “When we started, we were the only good Bible-teaching church around. Now there are more to choose from.”

I remember being stunned at the complete orientation toward transfer growth from existing believers, and the complete blindness to the vast numbers of lost/unchurched people.

But even more, I was taken by how strongly so many people involved in local churches view other local churches as the competition, as if it’s McDonald’s against Burger King.

I remember saying to our earliest core group, and have continued to say ever since, “We could have a hundred churches around us, and it wouldn’t matter. We’re not after churched people!” I would often go further and add, “We’re not even primarily after people looking for a church…we’re after the person who, right now, the last thought on their mind is being in a church this weekend.”

Bottom line: If you see other churches as the competition, you are reducing the mission to reaching the reached. That is not the Great Commission. Instead of being fishers of men, you’re just keepers of the aquarium.

2. Criticizing “seeker” churches for being all evangelism and no discipleship.

It used to make me mad, now I just sigh at the ignorance. First, that they would bring out the tired moniker “seeker” when it is so passé, even among those churches that once consciously wore the label. Second, that they insist that if you prioritize the lost or unchurched in your outreach, you are somehow de-prioritizing the existing believers in your community or those who have moved into your area and are in need of a good church home.

Why the insistence on a false dichotomy that it either has to be evangelism, or it has to be discipleship?

The Great Commission makes it clear that we are to do both. Why can’t people see that if a church prioritizes the lost with outreach, as Jesus said we are supposed to, it doesn’t mean they aren’t strengthening existing believers for life in Christ and the cause of Christ? And why insist on taking shots at churches that are oriented toward the unchurched in their outreach as if they don’t care for the believer, or discipleship?

It’s such a straw man.

Bottom line: If you can’t make evangelism and discipleship a “both-and” instead of an “either-or,” you will never fulfill the “both-and” nature of the Great Commission, which was to “make” disciples and then “teach them everything.” And if you insist on this misfire, you will end up dropping the ball with one or the other side of Jesus’ marching orders.

3. Saying you’re after the unchurched, but clearly targeting the already-convinced.

For most churches, this isn’t conscious. They talk about reaching the lost, or going after the unchurched, but when you examine their “front doors” – meaning their weekend services, website, mailings, ads – they are targeting the person actively looking for a church home, or someone already in one. Regardless, it is clear that it is assumed they are a Christ-follower.

“Dynamic preaching!”

“10-week series on James!”

“Communion this weekend!”

“Looking for a good church home?”

“Fifty-voice choir!”

Really, who is attracted to any of this? Only the already convinced, and often already-churched.

If you think touting that your church is bigger, better, more dynamic, has better Bible study or its own worship band with CD’s is going to reach the “nones” that are now the second-largest and fastest-growing religious segment in the country, then you need to get out and meet a few.

Bottom line: If you say you’re after the unchurched, and want to reach the unchurched, then for heaven’s sake (literally), try targeting them.

4. Substituting social justice for evangelism.

In what is arguably a reaction against the previous generation’s emphasis on social morality – namely abortion and same-sex marriage – young Christians (and now older ones as well) are giving renewed emphasis to matters of social justice, including a new interest in public policies that address issues related to peace, health and poverty.

This is all well and good.

The misfire is when the mission of the church is reduced to social justice. In other words, we’ll buy Tom’s Shoes, but not witness to Tom.

Bottom line: Social ministry should not be paired against evangelism. We should extend the Bread of Life as well as bread for the stomach. But we must never begin, and end, with the stomach alone. The scandal of the cross – and humanity’s desperate need for it – doesn’t play as well as the hip work of IJM or supporting Bono in Africa. Yet think how tragic it would be to have compassion for the immediate needs of this life, but not the eternal needs of the life to come.


So yes, buy a pair of Tom’s Shoes.

Just don’t forget Tom.

5. Thinking outreach is offering them what they already have.

A flyer recently arrived in my mailbox from a new church plant, promising me relevant and practical messages; contemporary “urban” music and great coffee. The idea is that if you offer such things, people will come who wouldn’t normally come.

It’s a subtle and enticing temptation. All we have to do is encourage casual dress, offer Starbucks coffee, play rock music, and then deliver a “felt needs” message in a style similar to the popular speakers of the day and we will automatically grow.

And if you want to guarantee your growth comes from a younger demographic, just throw in skinny jeans, designer t-shirts, and a noticeable tattoo. It will instantly turn the most middle-of-age pastor into a Millennial magnet.

Stop.

Think.

People already have those things. They do not need to go to church to find them. If they want Starbucks, they’ll go to Starbucks; if they want to hear contemporary music, they have iTunes and their iPod. They may appreciate those things once they attend, but it is not what will getthem to attend.

This approach may have worked back in the 80’s and 90’s, but that was because the typical unchurched person was a Baby Boomer who had been raised in a church, just starting to have kids. They had the memory and the experience; once they had kids, they actually wanted to find a church. When churches took down the cultural barriers associated with attending (eliminating stuffiness, boredom, irrelevance, empty ritual, outdated music), Boomers were attracted.

And yes, back then, if you built it, they came.

But this is no longer our world, and hasn’t been for quite some time.

As uber-marketer Seth Godin notes, “The portion of the population that haven’t bought from you...is not waiting for a better mousetrap. They’re not busy considering a, b and c and then waiting for d. No, they’re not in the market...As a result, smart marketers don’t market to this audience by saying, ‘hey ours is better than theirs!’”

Bottom line: The foundational way that people divorced from the church and a life in Christ will come to church and find that life in Christ is if a Christ-follower does three things: build a relationship with them, share how Christ has intersected the deepest needs of their life, and then invites them into the community to see, hear, taste and explore.

And actually, that’s pretty much the bottom line for all five.

James Emery White

Editor’s Note

 

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which he also served as their fourth president.  His newly released bookis The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity (Baker Press).  To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log-on towww.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world.  Follow Dr. White on twitter @JamesEmeryWhite.

The Seismic Shift in Outreach

 

The Seismic Shift in Outreach

 

There has been a seismic shift in outreach that few church leaders are understanding, much less pursuing.

 

From the 1950’s to the 1980’s, the vanguard of evangelistic outreach was direct proclamation of the gospel.  Whether the crusades of Billy Graham or the creative approaches of Willow Creek Community Church, presentation led the way.

 

This led to joining a community, and eventually, being discipled into participation with the cause.

 

From the 1990’s thru the 2000’s, community took the lead.  People wanted to belong before they believed.  Skepticism was rampant, and trust had to be earned.  Once enfolded, Christ was often met in the midst of that community.

 

Cause, again, was the last to take hold.

 

From the 2010’s forward, “cause” has become the leading edge of our connection with a lost world, and specifically the “nones” (and it is increasingly best to replace the term “unchurched” with the “nones”).  Consider the recent Passion Conference in Georgia.  What arrested outside media attention was the commitment to eradicate modern-day slavery, not the 60,000 students in attendance much less the messages related to the Christian faith.

 

In a word, “cause.”

 

This made the gathering of 60,000 college students in the Georgia Dome for that cause become attractional.  In other words, then and only then did “community” come into play.  Then, after exploring that community, Christ could be – and was – introduced.

 

Think of this shift in terms of moving people through stages of introduction:

 

1950’s-1980’s:

 

Unchurched >>> Christ >>> Community >>> Cause

 

1990’s-2000’s

 

Unchurched >>> Community >>> Christ >>> Cause

 

2010’s -

 

Nones >>> Cause >>> Community >>> Christ

 

It is important to note how far the message of Christ is from the mind and sentiment of the average “none.”  It’s not that the church should “bury the lead” in terms of putting Christ at the end of the line – remember, we’re talking strategy.  It’s just that leading with Billy Graham’s simple “The Bible says” was a strategy designed for people in a different place spiritually than many are today.

 

The more post-Christian a person is, the more evangelism must embrace not only “event/proclamation”, but “process” and “event/proclamation.”  Earlier models were almost entirely “event/proclamation” oriented, such as revivals, crusades, or door-to-door visitation.  As I’ve written about in other places, this is only effective in an Acts 2, God-fearing Jews of Jerusalem context.

 

“Process” models are needed in Acts 17, Mars Hill, nones/skeptical contexts.

 

Like the one we live in today.

 

The presentation of Christ must remain central to our thinking, to be sure.  That is the only reason we are even talking about strategy; the goal is to present Christ and Him crucified.  But is that where we start?  On Mars Hill, the spiritual illiteracy was so deep that Paul had to begin with cultural touchstones, lead in to creation, and work his way forward.

 

It took him a while to get to Christ.

 

And community?  It matters, but the average person has tastes of that already.  Maybe not functional, but they don’t seem as drawn to it as they used to be.  Perhaps it is because of the lure and illusion of social media, or because they’ve simply given up on it, but it’s not the great “search” it once was.

 

So there has been a great, seismic shift.  Today, it is cause that arrests the attention of the world.

 

Which brings us to the challenge.

 

First, to recognize the seismic shift, and begin to strategize accordingly.

 

Second, to realize how difficult this will be.  If cause is in the lead, and community close behind, the church is at a deficit.  In the minds of many, our causes have been mundane (let’s raise money for a fellowship hall!) or alienating (Moral Majority!).  And the close second of community?  Our reputation for dysfunction in that area is legendary.

 

But there is great irony in the challenge.  Jesus wed mission and message together seamlessly, proclaiming the Kingdom that had come while healing the leper and feeding the hungry.  He mandated concern for the widow and the orphan, the homeless and naked, the imprisoned and hungry, while speaking of the bread of life and a home in heaven.

 

In other words, we should have been nailing this all along.

 

And if community is lurking in the back of the minds of people as a felt need, that should be a calling card as well.  Jesus challenged his followers about the importance of observable love toward one another as the ultimate apologetic for His life and ministry and message.

 

And even if it takes a while to get to Christ, He should be presented raw and unfiltered in all of His scandalous specificity.  As Moltmann proclaimed, “the crucified God.”

 

So as we ponder the rise of “cause” as the cultural bridge over which to walk, perhaps the greater truth is more elemental:

 

Do all three.

 

Imagine a church that had community, cause and the undiluted message of Christ in the vanguard of its efforts.

 

It might just become the church Jesus had in mind all along that would reach the world.

 

James Emery White

 

 

Editor’s Note

 

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which he also served as their fourth president.  His newly released book is The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity (Baker Press).  To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log-on to www.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world.  Follow Dr. White on twitter @JamesEmeryWhite.

The Cost of Outreach

Recently, it was reported that 82 percent of the churches in my denomination do not have a soul-winning program and that last year more than 11,000 of the churches did not report a single conversion!

I believe one of the reasons so few churches engage in outreach is because they ask the wrong question. Too often, the first question asked is, “How much will it cost?” The right question is, “Who will it reach?”

How much is a soul worth? If you spend $500 on a newspaper ad that reaches one unbeliever for Christ, is it worth it?

If your church gets serious about developing a comprehensive evangelism strategy, it will cost money! With this in mind, let me share some insights about financing your strategy, based upon my experiences as Saddleback Community Church grew from four members to over 15,000.

First, money spent on evangelism is never an “expense”; it’s always an investment. The people you reach will more than repay the cost you invested to reach them. Before we held the first service of Saddleback, the people in our small home Bible study went $6,500 in debt preparing for that service. Where did we get the money? We used our personal credit cards! We believed the offerings of the people we reached for Christ would eventually enable everyone to be paid back.

One of the “miracles” of our dress rehearsal service was that a man who had not attended our home Bible study came to that first service and gave a check for a thousand dollars when we took the offering. When the woman in charge of counting the offering came up and showed me the check, I said, “This is going to work.” Sure enough, we paid everyone back within four months. (Please note: I’m not advocating that your church use credit cards to finance it. I’m just trying to illustrate how willing we were to pay the cost of reaching people for Christ.)

Often when finances get tight in a church, the first thing cut is the evangelism and advertising budget. That is the last thing you should cut. It is the source of new blood and life for your church.

Second, people give to vision, not to need. If “need” motivated people to give, every church would have plenty of money. It is not the neediest institutions that attract contributions but those with the greatest vision. Churches that are making the most of what they’ve got attract more gifts. That’s why Jesus said, “It is always true that those who have, get more, and those who have little, soon lose even that.” (Luke 19:26 TLB)

If your church is constantly short on cash, check your vision. Is it clear? Is it being communicated effectively? Money flows to God-given, Holy Spirit-inspired ideas. Churches with money problems really have a vision problem.

Third, when you spend nickels and dimes on evangelism, you get nickel and dime results. Do you remember the story about the time Jesus told Peter to go find money in a fish’s mouth in order to pay the Roman taxes? In Matthew 17:27, Jesus told Peter “...go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open it’s mouth and you will find a four drachma coin.”

I believe there is an important lesson in that story; the coins are always in the mouth of the fish. If you’ll focus on fishing (evangelism), God will pay your bills.

Fourth, remember that “God’s work done God’s way will not lack God’s support.” This was the famous motto of the great missionary strategist, Hudson Taylor.    

Adapted from Rick Warren’s Ministry ToolBox, a free e-mail newsletter available through Pastors.com. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church.

Creating 'Textable' Content

Matt McKee


We now live in a culture that reads, responds, and reacts in 140 characters or less. I'm not trying to make the point that as pastors we should or should not be on Twitter, or that teens use Twitter at all. The point is that we now share information with family, friends, and fake friends faster than we have ever done before. This information mostly is shared via text message. 


According to Sprint and other reports, mobile phones are used for talking less than 50% of the time. So if people aren't talking on the phone, what are they doing? They're sharing, liking, tweeting, texting, searching, and updating. They are doing this all the time.


Why in the world then don't we try to leverage this power that people already know how to do to spread the gospel? Why are we so opposed to asking people to spread the message of hope, love, forgiveness, and salvation in the means that they are already doing? Furthermore, why are we not giving them ideas and content that would fit in 140 characters or less so that it would be the easiest to share?


This is not an article that is saying that I think we should keep our heads buried in our phone. This isn't an article saying we shouldn't have time where we're still and reflective on what God is doing. This isn't an article that thinks if we all used iPhones that our world would be a better place.  


This is an article about content and what we want people to live with and do. Let's just take a possible subject for example. Let's say you taught principles behind effective prayer. Each principle comes from the Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6. This would be a great topic and one that needs to be taught, but what would you have people share from this? The principles that you are teaching, are you stating them in a way that phrased in a way to be shared? 


The takeaway and application, are they communicated in a way that your audience would be compelled to send to someone else? Why not? Why are we not even taking this into consideration?


Here's what I believe:


Breaking down ideas that are complicated to principles that are easy to understand is much harder than keeping things complicated.


Understanding a topic is one thing, telling people to do something with what they understand is much harder.
People only do hard things when they are a priority and processed over time.


So the next time you teach, preach, lead a small group, or share the gospel in any form, make it "textable." Ask yourself when preparing the message or lesson, what in here is "textable" and what do I want them to share?  


By the way, if you were going to share this article or principle, you might say, "I'm being challenged to teach in "textable" ways. If you want to know what that means just ask."

The Evangelistic Script That Has Been a Tool to Save Thousands

"Just read the script. Everything within you...is going to scream to want to ad lib. But just read the script." -Pastor Dan Mickelson


Many salvation testimonies continue to come in about people being led to the Lord by Christians who have witnessed to them with this script. All it takes is a willing heart to reach out to a hungry soul.


You can made it into a bookmark, with your church contact info on the bottom, so that it's easy for your Church members to carry and distribute. Here is the text:


Has anyone ever told you that God loves you and that He has a wonderful plan for your life?


I have an important question to ask you. If you were to die this very second, do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would go to Heaven?


(If yes, great. Ask how they know and if it's because they're a "good person" or anything other than Jesus, proceed with this script. Also proceed with script if their answer is "No.")


Let me quickly share with you what the Bible says. It reads, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Bible also reads, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."


You are a "whosoever," right? Of course you are! All of us are.


So, I'm going to say a quick prayer for you. Lord bless (FILL IN PERSON'S NAME) and his/her family with long and healthy lives. Jesus, make Yourself real to him/her and do a quick work in his/her heart. If (FILL IN NAME) has not received Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, I pray he/she will do so now.


(FILL IN NAME) If you would like to receive the gift that God has for you today, repeat this after me, both out loud and in your heart: 


Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive me of my sins. Wash me and cleanse me. Set me free. Jesus, thank You that You died for me. I believe that You are risen from the dead and that You're coming back again for me. Thank You for saving me and forgiving me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Make me a new creation in Christ Jesus. I trust You as my Lord and Savior. Give me a passion for the lost, a hunger for the things of God, and a holy boldness to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm saved. I'm born again. I'm forgiven and I'm on my way to Heaven because I have Jesus in my heart.


As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I tell you today that all of your sins are forgiven. Always remember to run to God and not from God because He loves you and has a great plan for your life.


[Invite them to your church and get follow up info: name, address & phone no.]


Note: If the person does not understand what sins are, use the Ten Commandments to explain to him. The purpose is to use the Law to convict and the Grace of God to save. The Holy Spirit is the One who provides the conviction of sins... not you. Repentance is the result of this conviction. The person cannot change or be transformed until he or she encounters Christ personally. Never expect the person to change first because salvation and transforming power are provided by Christ. 

Leader of the Pack

Cesar Millan - The Dog Whisperer

By Albert Kang, Pastoral Advisor

Cesar Millan, the famous 'Dog Whisperer' has such great talent in spotting the behaviors of dogs - so much so that he is able to direct them and provide the leadership that dogs need. In his TV programs, Cesar keeps informing the dog owners to become 'leaders of the pack'. The reason is obvious, dogs like wolves live in packs. They respond to pack leadership. When a dog owner surrenders her pack leadership to her dog, then the animal will instinctively take control and become the leader of the pack. In the shows, Cesar is able to take control of the dogs and change their behaviors by positioning himself as the leader. 

One dog, heightened by its insecurity, has on many occasions, even bites its owner. The owner is a very nice person and even though she scolds her pet, she is very gentle. In just a few hours, Cesar takes control by becoming the dominant pack leader. The misbehaving canine backs down and submits completely. Cesar then teaches the owner to take charge and the dog submits willingly. It looks like a miracle but according to Cesar, the poor dog has been looking for leadership. When given that, it readily submit and be a part of the pack.

Human beings are not like dogs but we also look for leadership in organizations. Our decision to follow someone is more complicating than that of animals but the basic truth is that good leadership gives direction, hope, future and security to the group. 

For example, Moses was able to lead a whole group of very frightened people from the slavery of Egypt because he took hold of the responsibility that God gave him. His leadership provided direction and the people moved towards the Promised Land. It also provided hope because they moved away from slavery to freedom. The people continued in spite of so many challenges because they and their children clung onto a future. As a large united group, the Children of Israel had security and even became a threat to the other established surrounding nations.

Yes, Moses fumbled and became discouraged many times throughout his forty years of leadership. It was tough for Moses to be a leader because the Children of Israel were not really good and obedient followers. Later, we read about how this group of former slaves even dared to challenge the leadership of God Himself. Like most leaders, when trouble boiled, Moses wanted to give up. However, being a responsible leader, he bit the bullet and took charge. 

Today, modern leaders can echo after the motto popularized by Harry Truman and declare, "The buck stops here". This means that the leader takes full responsibility and does not 'pass the buck'. Pastors who take full responsibility over their flocks, not only have appreciative church members but dedicated ones too. 

People are more willing to win souls and do the works of the Lord when they are challenged by the clear vision and strong commitment of good leadership. Do not surrender your leadership if you are placed in the position of "leading the pack". If you do, then be ready for a take-over from a secondary leadership. 

One of the reasons why many churches suffer from church quarrels and splits is because the pastors are too 'nice and kind' to take charge. The truth has nothing to do with being nice or kind. It is just sheer weak irresponsible leadership. When a secondary leadership provides the vision and strategy for growth, it naturally undermines the primary pastoral leadership. Therefore, before this happens, pastors should learn how to take charge and be responsible leaders. Here are some ways you can be a responsible 'leader of the pack' and provide clear leadership direction to your church.

1. Be Responsible. When you take charge and be responsible, your leadership will change the attitude of the church. Your example will challenge the other leaders in your church to serve responsibly. Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, is a very good example of responsible leadership. Even though he is not yet a Christian, his responsible leadership style is worthy of our study and examination. 

In the 1960s, Singapore was going through much political upheavals but this man took charge. It was not a good time to be a leader. Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia and the British military that protected Singapore for many years was leaving for good. The Communists were confrontational and threatened to take over the young fledgling nation. There were racial, religious and labor strives. There were 153 major strikes between July 1961 and September 1962. The 1964 racial riot was among the worse. Indonesian saboteurs were planting bombs in Singapore. No, it was not a good time.

Without the peninsular of Malaysia as a good hinterland for natural resources, little industries, no military defense and a hostile political environment, Lee had to act. Added to all these, he had to lead a new country of different and often disharmonious races that were not used to being a nation. Most were loyal to their home countries and Singapore was only a platform for financial gains. With little education and not much of future prospects, Singaporeans were deemed to fail and become the debris of modern civilization. However, because, Lee was a strong and responsible leader, he and his dedicated team of young leaders turned the situations around and made Singapore to become one of the most prosperous and admired nations in the world. 

2. Be Innovative. People look for innovative leadership in a changing environment. Once again, Lee stepped forth as a brilliant innovative strategist of change. He was able to size up the situations in Singapore accurately and came up with practical solutions. He refused to allow Singapore to be a victim of her circumstances. Lee took the bribery culture at its horns and radically transformed it into a culture of honesty. In spite of its unpopularity, National Service was introduced. Young men were trained as soldiers for two or more years after they reached 18 years of age. Thanks to that, today, Singapore has one of the strongest defence forces in Asia. She can raise half a million soldiers if the need arises. Large swamps were filled and transformed to become industrial hubs. Explosive growth in population is curbed by harsh laws. Families are moved to high rise government-subsidized apartments. Drastic measures were needed during those drastic time.

To bring your church into the next level of growth, you have to be courageous enough to challenge the status quo and be innovative.  You may need to change the way you use to do things. Watch and learn from other forward-looking church leaders. They have gone through much hard knocks to get their church moving and going. You do not need to experience all those adverse experiences if you were to study carefully how innovations are being introduced into churches that used to be mired in traditions and ineffectiveness. Anyway, it is proven that forward-looking leaders do attract other quality people. 

3. Be Positive - King David was able to attract his mighty men because he was a leader who was exceptionally positive about his vision from the Lord. Since the time of his anointing by Prophet Samuel, David had challenged the status quo. Not any fault of his own, David had to become a fugitive. However, the wilderness did not rob David of his vision. He reinvented himself and his team of followers. For about 15 years, David was hunted down like a wild animal. King Saul made sure that David would have no chance of taking his throne. 

Rejected by the king, David knew that he was not rejected by God. In spite of great difficulties in taking care of 600 families in the wilderness, David did not give up. He was positive because he knew that he had a God who would help him overcome all hardships. He took responsibility to provide strong leadership. When his followers had doubt about God and their future, they just needed to look at their leader To survive, David had to be creative and used multiple means to get supports and rations for the thousands under his care. Prosperous people like Nabal, not only did not support these refugees but were hostile. Thankfully Abagail provided the support that David and his men needed.

This is the typical experience of responsible leaders - many may not give you instant support but this will come in time. Being positive and innovative means looking beyond the methods and approaches of the past. Learn to try new things and be brave enough to challenge the church to move forward. Take charge and say, "This is what we are going to do to achieve this or that!" In spite of the tough situations, your strong leadership will provide the positive motivation that your church needs in order to grow.

4. Be Consistent. Nothing makes the members more irritated than the inconsistent approaches of the pastor. For example, the pastor preaches much about evangelism and winning souls but provides no leadership, strategy and infrastructure to do so. Thus, the pastor is known for being a 'NATO' which stands for 'No Action, Talk Only'. When a vision is supported by related trainings, programs, and finances, the people will soon be challenged to respond. Such a definite action is endemic and will motivate every department and member. Evangelism and soul-winning will soon become the core values adopted to be part of the church's culture.

Leader of the Pack. Today, many church members are not so sure about the leadership provided by their church leaders. Indecisiveness and fear of being perceived as proud, many pastors back down as being the 'leader of the pack'. Any organizations that do not have responsible leadership will stagnate and then slide down the drain. As a responsible leader and pastor, you need to provide the framework for confidence to be restored. 

Work on these four aspects of your leadership - responsible in leading, Innovative in creating, positive in motivating and consistent in supporting - and you will see affirmative changes in the attitudes of those who are serving with you. Over the years, quite a number of pastors have discovered and applied these four aspects of leadership approach. They have gone on to motivate thousands to become more dedicated to the Lord, win souls and multiply the disciples in the kingdom of God. 

Finally, even though you may not be looking to pastor a mega-church but the least you can do is to have the willingness and desire to be responsible for a healthy growing church.

Rewarding Your People

By Rev Albert Kang

 

When you plant a Church, you are not planting a building but a congregation. Congregation is made out of people. This immediately tells you how important people are to your church growing healthily and bigger.

For the pastors who are reading this article - remember this cardinal rule: Programs do not keep people in your church, people keep people. In as much as people bring people, they also stay because of each other. The fact has a way of  deflating our pastoral ego - more than 80 percent of the congregation will stay because of somebody in the congregation and not because of our great preaching and teaching abilities. Humbling isn’t it?

Not Just Friendly But Learn How To Make Friends

Weekly emphasis from the pulpit is made on the importance of evangelism. Encourage your members not only to be friendly but to make friends. Many congregations are friendly especially towards other existing members. However, when a new person or family turns up at church, few members actually befriend them. Before the month is over, the new person or family would have moved on to try out another church.

Evangelistic Aids

Supply all kinds of relevant tracts so that your members can give them out freely. You can buy very cheap tracts from bookstores or if you are a good writer, create your own tracts. Nowadays, printing cost is quite reasonable. 

Conduct regular workshops to show members how to evangelize and share the Gospel. Many church members are willing to reach out to their own communities if only they knew how to do it.

Reward Your People

Reward the members who bring friends by recognizing their efforts in front of the congregation or by giving them a certificate of appreciation. Show everybody in the church that the leadership approves and rewards evangelistic efforts. Believers who donate money for evangelistic efforts should be recognized too. Small groups or cells that win souls are also mentioned in the weekly bulletins. During the baptism of the new converts in water, the cell leaders whose cell has won the most people to Christ, should be asked to participate in the actual baptism. In some churches, the cell that produces the best annual result in term of winning souls gets sponsored to attend a church growth seminar in other countries. We do all these not because believers only serve for the sake recognition. The purpose is to encourage the evangelism culture. Once this culture has a firm foothold in the church, then winning souls will become second nature to all who join the church later.