The Future of Our Church
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Future of Our Church
Future of Our Church
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Culture has changed!
Most people in most areas don't go to church or even consider it.
The church has very little impact on the community or the culture because we are not a part of it.
The conservative church has taken the position that to be a part of the community is to be influenced by sin and such has removed itself from the community it tries to reach.
Separation from the world ment separation from those we are trying to reach
There are times in every church life when they get comfortable and don’t move forward.
It happens, but you must keep pushing.
Churches have to be outwardly focused or their kingdom impact will be minimal.
For churches, inward focus is natural.
Outward focus requires supernatural power.
The tyranny of the urgent often keeps us from fulfilling the Great Commission
The seven traits of healthy churches that we discuss are:
We Must truly believe in the power of the gospel.
We must be have courageous leaders.
WE must embrace change.
We can not be nostalgic.
WE must see reality.
We must intentionally intersect their lives with non-Christians.
WE must take prayer seriously
The reality
The reality
Nursery empty in 3 years
Children's program empty in 5-6 years
elementy empty in 5-6 years
Teens 5 years and almost none stay in Erie
20-30 will leave Erie for another location
It doesn't take a very discerning person that our church will die out or at least exist in a much different form if we don't reach people input community
What No longer Works!
What No longer Works!
What No longer Works!
RELYING ON AN AUTOMATIC RETURN TO CHURCH
RELYING ON AN AUTOMATIC RETURN TO CHURCH
RELYING ON AN AUTOMATIC RETURN TO CHURCH
There was a day when you could fairly safely assume that once young adults got married and had a child, they would automatically come back to church.
Those days are gone or largely gone.
The average unchurched person doesn’t think about going to church anymore than the average Christian thinks about going to synagogue. It just doesn’t cross their mind.
Having an exceptional next generation ministry that reaches out to the community is critical.
Want a better way to impact families? I know of no better approach than this.
AWANNA - parenting SS class, marriage conference etc....
You can’t assume families will reach out to you, so you need to reach out to them.
You can’t assume families will reach out to you, so you need to reach out to them.
You can’t assume families will reach out to you, so you need to reach out to them.
APPEALING TO PEOPLE OUT OF GUILT OR OBLIGATION
APPEALING TO PEOPLE OUT OF GUILT OR OBLIGATION
The number of people who feel guilty about not being in church on Sunday shrinks daily.
The three to thrive will not work
Ditto with the number of people who will serve at a church because they feel they should.
Interestingly enough, Jesus never appealed to people out of guilt or obligation.
He invited people.
The number of people who feel guilty about not being in church on Sunday shrinks daily.
GIMMICKS
GIMMICKS
GIMMICKS
When people went to church, being a better church than other churches got you mileage.
Most people no longer go to church.
Come to our revival- what is a revival come to a place to meet people I don't know to sit in a service for 1 1/2 hours with a bunch of people in suits and dresses - no thank you
Saying “we have a better church” is kind of like saying “we have better, organic, locally grown watercress” at a burger cook-off.
Most people just aren’t going to buy.
Better isn’t going to get you the mileage it used to.
Pack a pew
Different will.
The church is an alternative. And an alternative, clearly and effectively presented, will do far better than simply saying we’re better than something you weren’t interested in in the first place.
When it comes to church, BETTER isn’t going to get you the mileage it used to. DIFFERENT will.
Food fellowships
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4. GIMMICKS
4. GIMMICKS
‘Gimmicks’ every week get old fast.
We also built elaborate sets for every series hoping it would captivate people.
And all of this did. For a season.
But I also came to realize that whatever you use to attract people is what you need to use to keep people.
‘Gimmicks’ every week get old fast.
Whatever you use to attract people is what you need to use to keep people.
A SELF-CENTERED MISSION
A SELF-CENTERED MISSION
We’ve stripped down our services and moved back to more of the basics: the Gospel, engaging moments and engaging messages.
In addition, eventually people ask “So what? So what if next Sunday is a little bit better than last Sunday? What’s this all about anyway?”
Don’t get me wrong. We still have fun moments, powerful moments, surprising moments and memorable moments, but they’re moments.
We’ve stripped down our services and moved back to more of the basics: the Gospel, engaging moments and engaging messages.
We can sustain that.
And the basics, done really well (with a little extra from time to time) really do engage people.
Why? Because Jesus, authentically and clearly presented, engages people.
Jesus, authentically and clearly presented, engages people.
People’s fake detectors are set at a higher level than ever.
In a culture that markets everything to death, people are longing for authenticity.
Fortunately, that’s the at the heart of the Gospel.
What has to die, of course, is the leader who acts like he or she has it all together: the plastic veneer we put on hoping nobody sees the real us.
Well, none of us has it all together. And while there shouldn’t be any gaping unaddressed character holes in your life, letting people see the real you (even if it scares you) is essential.
These days, letting people see you’re human is a prerequisite for ministry to fellow humans.
These days, letting people see you’re human is a prerequisite for ministry to fellow humans.
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A SELF-CENTRED MISSION
A SELF-CENTRED MISSION
You have to be careful not to make the mission about your church.
When your church has had a little success, it’s easy to become self-centred.
The people you’re trying to reach aren’t interested in your church.
What they’re interested in (whether they realize it or not) is Jesus.
And his mission.
Churches that are obsessed about , how many programs they offer, and how much better they are than other churches have a limited shelf-life.
The true mission isn’t about your church. It’s about THE church. THAT resonates.
What Are we to do
What Are we to do
Why?
Because people demand them.
Leaders—afraid to disappoint people or lacking an alternative strategy—cave and allow dozens (or hundreds) of random programs to emerge in their church.
These programs can be counter-productive for numerous reasons:
They compete for money, time and attention.
They lead nowhere in particular.
They cause more division than unity (ever try to shut down a women’s ministry or men’s breakfast?).
They become their own mission and compete with the overall mission of the church.
Why does random programming not work?
programming pleases insiders but rarely reaches outsiders.
Random church programming pleases insiders but rarely reaches outsiders.
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Instead, be strategic and focused. Do whatever helps move people the most clearly and deeply into a growing relationship with Jesus, and do whatever advances your mission into the city.
Make no mistake: What people become involved in becomes the mission. So choose carefully.
Make the mission your mission.
What people become involved in becomes the mission. So make the mission your mission.
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8. ASSUMING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEIR NEXT STEP IS
8. ASSUMING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEIR NEXT STEP IS
A decade ago, in a more churched culture, it was commonplace to assume that most people knew what they needed to do to become a Christian or to grow as a Christian.
That era is gone.
Now the average unchurched person arrives knowing almost nothing about Christianity, what to do to become a Christian or how to grow as a Christian.
To understand how radically things have shifted, imagine you converted to Hinduism.
How would you know you’ve actually become a Hindu?
What’s your next step?
Exactly.
Just remember that the next time a completely unchurched person begins to attend your church.
At Connexus Church, where I serve, we reorganized our approach to new people around two key phrases: “I’m New” “Take a Step”.
We’re doing everything we can to ensure people understand how to become a Christian, how to engage in spiritual growth and what steps they can take to help them grow.
We even set up two hosted kiosks in the foyer under the phrases “I’m New” and “Take a Step”. Our trained guest services people help orient guests around what step might be best for them to take next.
Leaders, if you’re not clear, no one else is clear either.
The average unchurched person arrives knowing almost nothing about Christianity. Remember that.
9. RELYING ON WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE PAST
9. RELYING ON WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE PAST
I suppose at one time there was a day when seminary adequately trained church leaders for what was ahead.
That day has long since passed.
The basics—biblical knowledge, theology and the likes—don’t change dramatically. And shouldn’t. That foundation is reliable years, even decades later.
But there’s a growing gap between what leaders need to know about the culture and what they actually know.
Some seminaries are catching up, but with change happening faster than ever, every leader needs to become a self-learner.
So how do you keep up?
Love Our community - we most look at our community with the gospel eyes.
1. Love Our community - we most look at our community with the gospel eyes.
1. Love Our community - we most look at our community with the gospel eyes.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
That is more than words
Pray for an impact
If our church disappeared today would the community miss us?
Does our community know who we are?
2. We Must be a part of the Community?
2. We Must be a part of the Community?
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
acts 2.4
The church of the last 50 years has attracted the community through programs and guilt.
Those days are over
That mean getting to know them.
Sports progrmas
Volunteering
Meal trains for people hurting
3. We do Some Serious Self-Evaluation
3. We do Some Serious Self-Evaluation
3. We do Some Serious Self-Evaluation
3. We do Some Serious Self-Evaluation
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
How much of what we do is self focused
How much of what we do is outward?
We must accept change
I am aware that change will case trouble and some may decide to leave.
If my kids are happy, I am happy then why change
Time of service change
Location change
Day of the week change
BTW what we are doing has worked for 50 years
We have masked trouble by embracing technology , goggle FB etc …
AIG - SS
Words of the screen -
AWANNA -
This has a lest put us in the field of relevance
We dont need the screens
We dont need a new childrens program
The SS progrmas are ok
Why spending all those resources on FB,Google etc....
Operation Christmas Child opened up serving opportunities
Some people love giving advice and direction but will not be responsible for results.
What if I listen to you and do nothing? Will you be responsible for the results
Culture is Changing
With all that is changing in the world the church is still the same:
same programs
same church smell
same services and times
What do you worship in the church that has become your idol?
4.Recognize Peoples time and Busy Lives
4.Recognize Peoples time and Busy Lives
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
People will do what they want to do
Leadership must be very sensitive to peoples time.
Practices
Services
Special programs
Are people so occupied with doing church they don't have any time for the community?
5. Initiate Small Groups
5. Initiate Small Groups
Bring Accountability and Maturity
Bring Accountability and Maturity
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Sunday School
Sunday School
Men’s
Ladies
6. Bionically Prioritize Programs
6. Bionically Prioritize Programs
Programs are not in place to keep the converted happy -
Programs are not in place to keep the converted happy -
1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Teens
Children Ministry
SS
Music Ministry
Nursery
7. Evaluate Hot Button Cultural/Christian Topics
7. Evaluate Hot Button Cultural/Christian Topics
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Stop making ridiculous statements - WWW is 666 Crown College 1996
End Times
Translations
LBGT
Culture
The Gospel Changes lives
Lets have testimonies of changed lives
Lets leave this community in better shape for the return of the Lord than when we came.