A. The starting point for every church

1. "Why do we exist?"

a. Until you can answer this question, you have:

1) No Foundation
2) No Motivation
3) No Direction in Ministry

2. If your church has plateaued, declined, or discouraged, The most important task is to redefine your purpose.

a. Nothing will revitalize a church faster than rediscovering its purpose
b. Growing and healthy churches have a clear-cut identity

1) They understand their reason for being
2) They are precise in their purpose
3) They know exactly what God has called them to do
4) They know what is and what is not their business

3. Your Church's driving force must be biblical

a. Without a biblical driving force your church will never be healthy and grow as God intended
b. Strong churches are not built on programs, personalities, or gimmicks
c. Strong churches are built upon the eternal purposes of God

1. Purpose statements reduce frustration and keeps the church from getting side-tracked
2. A clear purpose defines what you do, and what you do not do
3. The secret of being effective is to know what really counts, then do what really counts, and don't worry about the rest

a. The filter must always be: "Does this activity fulfill one of the purposes for which God established this church?"

1) If the activity meets that criterion, then you must consider it
2) If the activity does not meet that criterion, don't let it distract you from God's agenda for your church

b. When a church forgets it purpose it becomes unstable and tends to move in circles

4. A clear purpose assists in evaluation, "Are we doing what God intends for us to do?"
5. A clear purpose attracts cooperation

a. Everybody is looking for something that gives meaning, purpose, and direction in life
b. Tell people up front where your church is headed, and it will attract cooperation
c. Before people join your church, tell them what the purposes of the church are

1) The best time to discover anyone's conflict with your church's philosophy of ministry is before they join
2) This will reduce conflict and disappointment

6. Four questions to ask:

a. Why does the church exist?
b. What are we to be as a church?  (who and what we are)
c. What are we to do as a church? (what does God want done in the world)
d. How are we to do it?

1. Effective purpose statements are:

a. Biblical (reaffirming what the Bible says)
b. Specific (simple and clear)
c. Transferable (memorable)
d. Measurable (to prove you've accomplished it at the end of each year)

2. The five purposes of a church (Matt. 22:37-40; 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47)

a. Love the Lord with all your heart (Worship)
b. Love your neighbor as yourself (Ministry)
c. Go and make disciples (Evangelism)
d. Baptizing them (Fellowship)
e. Teaching them to obey (Discipleship)

3. Key words that summarize Christ's five purposes for His church

a. Magnify (Celebrate God's presence in worship)
b. Mission (Communicate God's Word through evangelism)
c. Membership (Incorporate God's family into fellowship)
d. Maturity (Educate God's people through discipleship)
e. Ministry (Demonstrate God's love through service)

4. State your purpose in terms of results rather than in terms of activity

a. Identify the results expected to see coming from fulfilling each of the five purposes of  the church
b. State it in a way that encourages participation by every member
c. Arrange statement so that the five purposes are in a sequential process

5. Example: "To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christ like maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God's name."Saddleback Valley Community Church

6. Every great church has defined its purposes and then figured out a process or system for fulfilling those purposes

1. Should be done often

a. Sermons
b. Teaching
c. New Member Classes

2. Should be done in a personal way

a. My responsibilities as a believer
b. My privileges as a believer
3. Use mottos or stories that people can remember

A. Making it last

1. There must be a structure for any renewal efforts to last

a. System and a structure are needed to keep the five purposes of a church in balance
b. Without organization  a church will tend to overemphasize only some of the purposes while ignoring the other ones

2. There are no single key to church health and growth; there are many keys

a. The body of Christ has many members (1 Cor. 12)
b. Balancing the five New Testament purposes brings health to the body
B. Recognize the different levels of commitment

1. Jesus realized that every person is at a different level of spiritual commitment

2. The five levels of commitment

a. The Community

1) The unchurched
2) This is where evangelism takes place
3) It is the largest level because it contains the most people

b. The Crowd

1) It includes everyone who shows up on Sunday for services
2) They are regular attendees
3) They are made up of believers and nonbelievers
4) There isn't much commitment, but there is something that you can build upon
5) A good indicator of a church's evangelistic effectiveness is when there are at least 25% more people attending as part of the crowd than you have members in the congregation

- If you don't it means almost no one in your church is inviting unbelievers to come with them

c.  The Congregation

1) The official members of the church
2) They are committed to the purpose of fellowship
3) They need to be encouraged to take the next step and commit themselves to Christ's body
4) Membership should be something of value

a) You should not be interested in having a large membership, just a legitimate membership
b) If you have more members on your church roll than you have in attendance you should seriously consider redefining the meaning of membership in your congregation

d. The Committed

1) Those members who are godly and growing
2) They are serious about their faith, but are not actively serving in a ministry

a) They pray
b) They give
c) They are dedicated to growing in discipleship

e. The Core

1) They are the smallest group
2) They represent the deepest level of commitment

a) Workers and leaders
b) Committed to ministry

3) Without these people the church would come to a standstill

3. Jesus started where the people were, but He never left them there, and we shouldn't either

4. This is a simple strategy that acknowledges that we minister to people at different levels of commitment

a. Each group requires a different approach
b. By organizing your church around the five purposes and by identifying these people in your church in terms of their commitment to each of the five purposes, you will be well on the way to balancing your ministry and producing a healthy church

A. A purpose driven church must rigorously apply its purposes to every part of the church

1. Programming

2. Scheduling

3. Budgeting

4. Staffing

5. Preaching

1. It takes time (weeks, months, or even years)

2. It takes praying, planning, and experimentation

3. Focus on progress, not perfection

1. Assimilate new members on purpose

2. Program around your purposes

3. Educate your people on purpose

4. Start small groups on purpose

5. Add staff on purpose

6. Structure on purpose

a. Organize around purpose based teams (rather than traditional departments)
b. Five purpose based teams for the five purposes of your church

1) Missions Team

a) Its purpose is evangelism
b) Their target is the community
c) Their job is to plan, promote, and oversee all of the church's outreach events (such as evangelism training, evangelism activities and programs, and mission projects)
d) They organize whatever it takes to reach the community and the world for Christ

2) Magnification/Music Team

a) Its purpose is worship
b) Their target is the crowd
c) Their job is to plan and oversee Sunday services, special worship emphases and events They are to provide music and worship resources to the rest of the church

3) Membership Team

a) Its purpose is fellowship
b) Their target is the congregation
c) They oversee all support groups, weddings, funerals, pastoral care, hospital visitation, counseling, and benevolence
d) They are responsible for all major fellowship events within the church family
e) They run a monthly (or as needed) a class for new members

4) Maturity Team

a) Its purpose is discipleship
b) Their target is the committed
c) Their goal is to lead members to deeper spiritual commitment and help them develop to spiritual maturity
d) They are responsible for Bible studies, growth groups in the homes, Sunday School, Bible study curriculums

5) Ministry Team

a) Its purpose it to minister
b) Its made up from your core group of people
c) They assist, train, and supervise the lay ministers of the church
d) Their goal is to help every member of the church find a meaningful place of service that best expresses their gifts and abilities
e) Their job is to turn members into ministers

c. Lay ministers and church staff members are assigned to one of the five teams

7. Preach on purpose

a. You need to keep the purposes before your people so that they do not lose focus

1) Plan a preaching schedule that includes a series on each of the five purposes over the course of the year

a) This would amount to a four week series related to each of the five purposes (20 weeks per year)
b) This still leaves more than half a year to preach on other themes

2) Make the church's purposes personal as how they are related for every Christian

b. Preach with a purpose

8. Budget on purpose

a. Categorize every line item in your church budget by the purpose of the church that it supports or to what it relates
b. The quickest way to discover a church's priorities is to look at its budget and calendar

- This reveals what is really important to us, regardless of what we claim to believe

9. Calendar on purpose

a. Designate two months of each year to give special emphasis to each purpose
b. If you don't schedule your purposes on your calendar, they won't get emphasized

10. Evaluate on purpose

a. Develop tracking tools that will allow you to get an honest look each month at how well your church is fulfilling its purposes

1) This will reveal bottlenecks or problems that will need to be fixed
2) This allows you to constantly be asking, "What is our business?" and "How's business?"
3) You'll be able to make midcourse corrections to hit your target

b. This step needs to be done for the church to remain effective
c. Evaluate for excellence, it is your purposes that are the standard by which you evaluate effectiveness

1. If you apply your purposes to every area of your church you will notice the church growing stronger and stronger

2. Instead of looking for new programs each year, you will be able to focus on the essentials

3. The more your members understand and commit to your purposes, the stronger the church will become

A. Determining your target

1. The biggest problem that churches have is they don't aim at any specific target

a. There is little planning or strategizing behind their efforts
b. Bringing people to Christ is too important of a task for us to have a casual attitude toward it

2. "Who is your congregation trying to reach?"

a. For a church to be effective in evangelism, they must decide on a target

1) Discover what types of people live in your area
2) Decide which of those groups your church is best equipped to reach
3) Discover which styles of evangelism that best match your target

b. Knowing who you're trying to reach makes evangelism much easier
c. Remember that there is not a local church anywhere that can reach everybody

3. Targeting for evangelism begins with finding out all you can about your community

a. Geographically (identifying where the people live that you want to reach)

1) Use a map of your area and mark where your church is located

a) Estimate a 15 to 20 minute drive in each direction from your church
b) Mark the borders of your primary ministry area

2) Population of your area is a major factor in determining what strategy you use

- Just focus on the % of population being reached and not the actual numbers

b. Demographically (knowing what type of people live there)

1) Age (how many are in each age group?)
2) Marital status (single adults, married couples)
3) Income (both the median and average household income)
4) Education (education level of community)
5) Occupation (types of work are predominant)

c. Culturally (the lifestyle and mind-set of those who live around your church)

1) Find out something about their values, interests, hurts, and fears
2) No missionary to a foreign land would try to evangelize and minister to people without first understanding their culture (we don't have to agree with their culture, but we must understand it)
3) The more you know about these people, the easier it will be to reach them

d. Spiritually (discovering their spiritual background)

- Talk to other pastors in the area to find out the community's spiritual climate

4. Create a composite profile of the typical unchurched person your church wants to reach

a. Combine the characteristics of residents in your area into a single mythical person
b. This helps your members to understand who your target is

1. The people your church is most likely to reach are those who match the existing culture of your church

a. Ask the question, "What kind of people already attend our church?"
b. It is unlikely to that your church will attract and keep many people who are very different from those who already attend

1) The first question a visitor asks (unconsciously), "Is there anybody here like me?"
2) If visitors find other people in your church that seem similar to them, they are much more likely to come back again

2. Both paid staff and lay leaders have an enormous impact on your church's ministry

3. When the church no longer matches the community, you have three options

a. Build on your strengths

1) Strengthen what you are already doing and don't worry about what you can't do
2) Keep doing what your strong at, just do it better

b. Reinvent your congregation

1) This is to intentionally change the makeup of the church in order to match a new target

a) This completely replaces all the old programs, structures, and worship styles with new ones
b) This is a painful process and may take many years

2) Do not consider this option in a church with over 100 attendees unless God tells you to

a) If your church has 50 people or less this may be a viable option
b) One advantage for the small church is that it can be completely transformed by having just a few families leave and a few new families join

c. Start new congregations

1) Add another worship service with a different worship style to reach people that are not be reached by the current style
2) Begin a mission, which you intend to become a self-supporting congregation
3) The mark of a truly mature church is that it has babies by starting new churches

4. The best times to reach people

a. People in transition

1) Any time someone experiences major change it seems to create a hunger for spiritual stability
2) People are more receptive to the Gospel when they face changes like:

a) Marriage
b) Babies
c) New home
d) New job
e) New school

3) This is why churches generally grow faster in new communities where residents are continually moving in than in a stable community where people have lived for 40 years

b. People under tension

1) God uses all kinds of emotional pain to get people's attention

a) Divorce
b) Death of loved one
c) Unemployment
d) Financial problems
e) Marriage and family difficulties
f) Loneliness
g) Resentment
h) Guilt

5. The ten most receptive groups of people to reach

a. Second time visitors to the church
b. Close friends and relatives of new converts
c. People going through divorce
d. Those who are trying to recover (alcohol, drugs, sexual)
e. First time parents
f. Terminally ill and their families
g. Couples with major marriage problems
h. Parents with problem children
i. Recently unemployed or those with financial problems
j. New residents in the community

1. The longer we are a believer, the less we think like an unbeliever, so our message to them isn't getting through

a. If you want to advertise your church to the unchurched you must learn to think and speak like they do (not act like them)
b. No matter how life changing our message is, it won't do any good if we're broadcasting on a different channel from the unchurched

2. Five questions to ask unbelievers to help you determine what they are looking for in a church

a. "What do you think is the greatest need in this area?"
b. "Are you actively attending any church?"
c. "Why do you think most people don't attend church?"
d. "If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?"
e. "What could I do for you?  What advice can you give to a minister who really wants to be helpful to people?"

3. Four basic complaints about churches

a. "Church is boring, especially the sermons.  The messages don't relate to my life."
b. "Church members are unfriendly to visitors.  If I go to church I want to feel welcomed without being embarrassed."
c. "The church is more interested in my money than in me."
d. "We worry about the quality of the church's child care."
4. Once you know what they are looking for, are you willing to do what it takes to reach them?
a. Churches who expect the unchurched to show up simply because they build a building and hang out a sign are deluding themselves
b. You must penetrate their culture and than means you must be willing to make small concessions (this does not mean diluting God's Word)
c. Evangelism is never an expense, it's always an investment

A. Attracting crowds like Jesus did

1. A Christ like ministry still attracts crowds

a. You don't have to have gimmicks or compromise your convictions to gather a crowd
b. You don't have to water down the message
c. You just have to minister to people like Christ did

2. Jesus loved unbelievers

a. We must have a passion for the lost

1) This means that we must not only have a love for other Christians, but also the lost
2) People are not looking for friendly churches, but friends
3) The reason some churches remain small is because they aren't loving

a) Love draws people in like a powerful magnet
b) A lack of love drives people away

b. We must create an atmosphere of acceptance

1) Growing churches are nice to people when they show up
2) To make an impact upon a visitor, we must intentionally act in ways that demonstrate our love for those who do not know Christ
3) We are called to accept and love unbelievers without approving of sinful lifestyles

3. Jesus met people's needs

a. Jesus treated each person with dignity and respect
b. People came to Christ because He met their needs (physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, and financial)

1. Most churches rarely attract unbelievers to their services because members are uncomfortable bringing them to church for three reasons:

a. The target of the messages is unpredictable (the mix of evangelistic or edification messages)
b. Services are not designed for unbelievers (so it is not understandable to the unchurched friend)
c. Members may be embarrassed by the quality of the service

2. Plan the service with your target in mind

a. We need to remind ourselves who the service is trying to reach
b. Make the services as easy as possible to attend

1) Offer multiple service times
2) Offer surplus parking
3) Offer children's Sunday school or church simultaneously with the church service
4) Put a map to your church on all advertising

c. Make your visitors feel comfortable

1) Visitors have already formed an opinion about your church within the first ten minutes after they arrive
2) Reserve the best parking spots of visitors
3) Station greeters outside your building
4) Have directional signs everywhere (exits, entrances, nursery, rest rooms)
5) Play taped music when people enter your building, it helps to relax them
6) Don't single out the visitors during the service (its OK to welcome the guests)

d.  C. Print a simple order of service

1) Unchurched people don't know what to expect when they come to your service
2) Describe the service in non technical terms

a) Instead of "Invocation" or "Benediction" use "Opening Prayer" and "Closing Prayer"
b) Instead of "Call to Worship" say "Song"
c) Instead of "Offering" use "Giving back to God"

3) We are more interested in making it clear for the unchurched than impressing those who know the what the formal terms are

e. Brighten up the environment

1) Facilities and physical environment have a lot to do with what happens in a service
2) Look at your facilities as a visitor would and then try to determine what message your building is communicating
3) Lighting has a profound effect upon people's moods

a) Most churches are too dark
b) If you want to wake up your services open window curtains, turn on all lights, and replace all the light bulbs in your worship center with twice the watts

4) Use comfortable seating and arrange it so each person can see another person's face
5) The temperature can destroy the best planned service in a matter of minutes

a) The most common mistake is to allow the building to become too warm
b) Before the service begins, set the temperature several degrees cooler, the body heat will raise the temperature substantially

f. Use plants, trees, and greenery as decorations in your facilities. plants say, "something is alive in this place!"
g. If you want to reach young families, you've got to have sanitized, safe nurseries

1) Don't leave mop buckets in the corners
2) Clean the toys weekly

h. Keep the rest rooms clean

1) Visitors may forget the sermon, but memory of a dirty, foul-smelling rest room lingers on
2) You can tell a lot about the morale of a church by checking out the quality of the rest rooms

A. The pace and flow of the service

1. Most church services move slowly and have a lot of dead time between the different elements

2. Look for ways to save time in your service

3. Keep pastoral prayers short in your seeker service

1. Expectation (the feeling that something is about to happen), produced by:

a. Members praying for the services during the week and during the service
b. Enthusiastic members who bring their unsaved friends to church
c. A history of life changing services
d. The size of the crowd
e. Celebration style music
f. Those who lead the service

2. Celebration

a. Too many churches resemble a funeral more than a festival (one major cause of this is the demeanor of those leading the worship)
b. We need to cultivate an atmosphere of gladness and joy
c. Worship is a delight, not a duty

3. Affirmation

a. Services should be an encouragement
b. Even when the message is confrontational, it can start positive and end positive

4. Incorporation

a. Work hard to create a family atmosphere
b. Greet each other
c. People are looking for a place where they can feel they belong

5. Restoration

a. The church should be a spiritual oasis in the middle of a parched worldly desert
b. One of the purposes of the weekly worship is to spiritually restore and emotionally recharge believers for the new week ahead

6. Liberation

a. Avoid stuffiness
b. Cultivate and informal, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere

1. Train your members to read the bulletin

2. Announce only events that apply to everyone

3. Avoid appeals for help from the pulpit

4. Do not conduct internal church business during a seeker service

1. Unbelievers usually feel intimidated by the Bible

a. The King James Version is especially confusing to the unchurched
b. The Bible is the only book they've seen that puts numbers before each sentence and is bound in leather
c. Unbeliever often have superstitious fear about reading or even holding a Bible

2. Ways to help relieve anxiety and spark interest in the Bible among the unchurched

a. Read Scripture from a newer translation
b. Use pew Bibles
c. Select your Scripture readings with the unchurched in mind

1. Choosing the style of music will be the most critical and controversial decision that your church will have to make

a. It may also be the most influential factor in determining who your church reaches for Christ and whether or not your church grows
b. You must match your music to the kind of people God wants your church to reach
c. The music your church uses positions your church in your community (it defines who you are)
d. It will determine the kind of people you attract, the kind of people you keep, and the kind of people you will lose

2. Rules for selecting music

a. Preview all the music you use

1) Consider both the lyrics and the tune
2) Are the lyrics doctrinally sound?
3) Are the lyrics understandable to the unsaved?
4) Remember that the wrong kind of music call kill the spirit and mood of a service
5) Decide what mood you want in your service, and use the style that creates it

b. Speed up the tempo

1) Make it impossible for people to fall asleep

a) A and C songs are slower and more meditative
b) Unbelievers usually prefer celebrative music over contemplative music because they don't yet have a relationship with Christ

2) Music should have both a spiritual and emotional impact on people

c. Update the lyrics if they are archaic
d. Encourage members to write new songs

3. Use of instruments

a. Make use of today's technology
b. Use a MIDI keyboard instead of an organ (its much more flexible)

4. Don't force unbelievers to sing

5. Make your music count because it is a critical element that cannot be ignored

a. Music has an incredible power on people
b. We should be willing to set aside our own personal preferences and use the music that will best reach the unchurched for Christ

1. Review your sermons and ask, "Would this message make sense to a total unchurched person?"

2. Adapt your style to your audience

a. To evangelize the unchurched, you must start on common ground
b. The common ground we have with unbelievers is not the Bible, but our common needs, hurts, and interests as human beings
c. You must first capture their attention, and then move them to the truth of God's Word
d. Start with topics that interests the unchurched and then show them what the Bible says about it
e. Book exposition works best for edification, and topical exposition works best for evangelism

3. Provide an outline with Scriptures written out

a. The unchurched don't own Bibles
b. It relieves embarrassment in finding text
c. You cover more material in less time
d. Everyone can read a verse aloud together because everyone has the same translation
e. It helps people remember the message
f. People can review the verses later
g. It can be used for small group studies
h. Members can teach the outline to others

4. Plan your titles to appeal to the unchurched

5. Preach in series

a. This helps build momentum
b. Each message builds on the one before, creating a sense of anticipation
c. The best length for a series is 4 to 8 weeks, anything longer can cause people to lose interest

6. Be consistent in your preaching style

7. Choose guest speakers carefully

a. They should match the style and purpose of the church
b. When the unchurched have a bad experience, it's extremely difficult to get them back

8. Preach for commitment

a. Offering a time of commitment is an important element of a seeker service
b. Clearly explain exactly how to respond to Christ
c. Plan out your time of commitment
d. Be creative in inviting people to receive Christ
e. Lead unbelievers in a model prayer
f. Never pressure unbelievers to decide
g. Offer multiple ways to indicate a commitment to Christ
h. Expect people to respond

1. Growing churches should always be asking, "How can we do it better?"

2. Evaluation is the key to excellence

3. Use feedback forms

a. First impression card (feedback from first time visitors)
b. Welcome card (feedback from regular attendees)
c. Worship evaluation sheet (feedback from the church staff)

1. Always ask the question, "Who are we doing this for anyway?"

2. The only non-negotiable elements of a seeker service are to treat unbelievers with love and respect, relate the service to their needs, and share the message in a practical,  understandable manner

A. Membership is not belonging to some cold induction into an institution, but rather it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Rom.12:4-5; 1 Cor.6:15; 12:12-27)

B. Develop a plan to assimilate new members

1. Churches that make new members assimilation a priority and have a plan for doing it are usually blessed with growth

a. Churches that don't have a plan don't grow
b. If you don't have a system and a structure to assimilate and keep the people you reach, they won't stay with your church
c. Baby Christians don't know what they need, it is the church's responsibility to assimilate them into their congregation

2. 12 questions to ask your church

a. "What does God expect from members of his church?"
b. "What do we expect from our members right now?"
c. "What kind of people already make up our congregation?"
d. "How will that change in the next five to ten years?"
e. "What do our members value?"
f. "What are new members' greatest needs?"
g. "What are our long-term members' greatest needs?"
h. "How can we make membership more meaningful?"
i. "How can we insure that members feel loved and cared for?"
j. "What do we owe our members?"
k. "What resources or services could we offer our members?"
l. "How could we add value to what we already offer?"

3. Remember also that prospective members will have their own set of questions that will also influence how you design your assimilation plan

      a. "Do I fit here?" (question of friendship)
      b. "Am I needed?" (question of value)
      c. "What is the advantage of joining?"  (question of benefit)
      d. "What is required of members?"  (question of expectations)

C. Communicate the value of membership

1. Make membership an act of commitment

a. The way you motivate people to join today is to show them the value-for-value benefits they will receive in return for their commitment
b. When people understand the meaning and value of membership, they get excited about it

2. Benefits to membership

a. It identifies a person as a genuine believer (Eph.2:19; Rom.12:5)
b. It provided a spiritual family to support and encourage them in their walk with Christ (Gal.6:1-2; Heb.10:24-25)
c. It gives them a place to discover and use their gifts in ministry (1 Cor.12:4-27)
d. It places them under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Heb.13:17; Acts 20:28-29)
e. It gives them the accountability they need to grow (Eph.5:21)

3. Benefits they cannot find anywhere else in the world

a. Worship helps you focus on God, and prepares you spiritually and emotionally for the week ahead
b. Fellowship helps you face life's problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians
c. Discipleship helps you fortify your faith by learning the truth of God's Word and applying biblical principles to your lifestyle
d. Ministry helps you find and develop your talents and use them in serving others
e. Evangelism helps you fulfill your mission of reaching your friends and family for Christ

1. A number of studies have shown that the way people join an organization greatly influences how they function in that organization

a. The manner in which people join your church will determining their effectiveness as members for years to come
b. The most important class in a church is the membership class because it sets the tone and expectation level for everything else that follows

1) The best time to elicit a strong commitment from your members is at the moment they join
2) If little is required to join, very little can be expected from your members later on
3) A weak membership class will build a weak congregation

2. The class does not have to be long to be good (can be done in as little as 4 hours)

a. The class lets people know what is expected of them as members
b. This class gives them the opportunity to see the church's vision
c. The church can offer different classes for the different age levels (children, youth, adult)

3. Completion of a membership class should be required for membership

a. Those who are uninterested or unwilling to learn you church's purpose, strategy, and the meaning of membership are failing to demonstrate the kind of commitment that membership implies
b. If they don't care enough to understand the responsibilities of membership, they cannot be expected to fulfill those responsibilities after joining and should not be allowed to join

4. What should be covered in the membership class

a. The plan of salvation
b. The symbols of salvation

1) Baptism
2) Communion

c. The church's statements

1) Purpose statement (Why we exist)
2) Vision statement (what we intend to do)
3) Faith statement (what we believe)
4) Values statement (what we practice)

d. The church's strategy

1) Brief history of your church
2) Who we are trying to reach (our target)
3) Our Christian growth development process

e. The church's structure

1) How our church is organized for growth
2) Our affiliation
3) What it means to be a member
4) What is my next step after joining

f. Quiz ?

5. Develop a membership covenant

a. Why do churches have so many people on their rolls who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion?

1) The members  were allowed to join with no expectations placed on them
2) You get what you ask for

b. A church should expect the same thing from its members as what the Bible clearly expects of all believers
c. Their should be at least four requirements for membership

1) A personal profession of Christ as Lord and Savior
2) Baptism by immersion as a public symbol of one's faith
3) Completion of the membership class
4) A signed commitment to abide by the church's membership covenant

NOTE: There will be some who leave your church over this, but people are going to leave your church not matter what you do.  Don't be afraid of people leaving, because people even walked away from the Lord Jesus

d. Example of a membership covenant:

- Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and been baptized, and being in agreement with "YOUR CHURCH'S NAME" statements, strategy, and structure, I now feel  led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the "YOUR CHURCH'S NAME" church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:

I will protect the unity of my church (Rom.14:19; 1 Peter 1:22; Eph.4:29; Heb.13:17)
                   By acting in love toward other members
                   By refusing to gossip
                   By following the leaders
I will share the responsibility of my church (1 Thess. 1:1-2;  Luke 14:23; Rom. 15:17)
                   By praying for its growth
                   By inviting the unchurched to attend
                   By warmly welcoming those who visit
I will serve the ministry of my church (1 Peter 4:10; Eph.4:11-12; Phil.2:3-4, 7)
                   By discovering my gifts and talents
                   By being equipped to serve by my pastors
                   By developing a servant's heart
I will support the testimony of my church (Heb.10:25; Phil.1:27; 1 Cor.16:2; Lev.27:30)
                   By attending faithfully
                   By living a godly life
                   By giving regularly

E. Making new members feel special

1. Completing a membership does not automatically cause people to feel that they belong

a. Members need to feel welcome and wanted once they joined your church
b. You can celebrate the baptism of a new believer
c. You can have fellowships
d. Send out cards on their birthdays, recognizing their 1st anniversaries as members, etc.

2. People need more than a warm handshake at the end of a service to feel like they really belong

a. Relationships are the glue that holds a church together
b. Friendships are the key to retaining members (most people leave churches because they don't feel cared about by its members)
c. Create as many opportunities as you can for people to meet and get to know each other

3. Encourage every member to join a small group

a. Develop a network of small groups built around different purposes, interests, age groups, geography, or anything else
b. New members assimilate best into new groups (they have their "newness" in common)
c. There must be a balance between the large group celebrations and the small group cells

1) Large group celebrations give people the feeling that they are apart of something significant
2) Small groups are perfect for creating a sense of intimacy and close fellowship

d. There are four benefits of using homes

1) They are infinitely expandable (homes are everywhere)
2) They are unlimited geographically  (you can minister to a wider area)
3) They are demonstrations of good stewardship (it releases more money for ministry)
4) They facilitate closer relationships (people are more relaxed in a home setting)

e. Small groups are the most effective way of closing the back door of your church

1. Informed members are effective members

2. Build redundancy into your communications system by developing several channels for dissemination congregational information

1. Continually emphasize the corporate nature of the Christian life to your members

2. We belong together; We need each other; We are family

A. Developing mature members

1. The New Testament is clear that God's will is for every believer to grow spiritually mature (Eph.4:14)

a. The ultimate goal of spiritual growth is to become like Jesus (Rom.8:29)
b. God wants every believer to develop the character of Christ

2. Myths about spiritual growth

a. It is automatic once you are born again
b. It is mystical and maturity is attainable by only a select few
c. It can occur instantly if you find the right "key"
d. It is measured by what you know
e. It is a personal and private matter
f. All you need is Bible study to grow

3. Spiritual growth doesn't just happen, it must developed

4. The six truths to spiritual growth

a. It begins with commitment

1) Churches are often held together by committees, rather than commitment
2) One of the ways to assess whether or not your church is maturing spiritually is if the standards of leadership gets tougher as time passes

a) Focus on raising the commitment of  your leadership
b) This raises the expectations for everyone else

3) You must ask people for commitment, if you don't you will not get it

a) The reason we have so many weak Christians is because they are half committed to many causes rather than being totally committed to the things that matter most
b) A barrier to spiritual growth for many people is over commitment to the wrong things
c) People must be taught to make wise commitments
d) People want to be committed to something that gives significance to their lives
e) Be specific in asking for commitment by telling people what is expected of them
f) Explain the benefits of commitment

4) Build on commitment rather than toward commitment

a) Start with whatever commitment they are able to give
b) Challenge people to make a commitment and then grow into it

b. It is a gradual process
c. It involves developing habits

1) Human beings are creatures of habit, so we must help believers develop good habits
2) This can be done through education programs

d. It is measured by five factors

1) Knowledge of the Word (observe it, reflect on it, and do it)
2) Perspective (seeing it in a larger frame of reference)

a) perspective causes us to love God more
b) perspective helps us resist temptation
c) perspective helps us handle trials
d) perspective protects us from error
e) perspective is what produces stability in people's lives

3) Conviction (values, commitments, and motivations)

a) A conviction is something you will die for
b) The church must teach biblical convictions in order to counter the secular values to which believers are constantly exposed
c) It helps us be diligent in continuing to grow spiritually
d) It has an attractive quality to it which explains the popularity of many cults
e) Without it, churches will never attract the level of commitment that Christ deserves
f) The message of conviction is caught as much as it is taught, its contagious

4) Skills

a) These are the "how-to steps" of spiritual growth
b) Skills are related to doing
c) Whenever  we exhort people to do something, we are responsible to explain exactly how to do it
d) Skill is the secret of effectiveness
e) Teach specific skills

- how to pray more effectively
- how to handle temptation
- how to make time for ministry
- how to get along with other people

5) Character

a) A Christ like character is the ultimate goal of all Christian education
b) Developing the character of Christ is life's most important task because it is the only thing we'll take with us into eternity
c) It is never built in a classroom, but is built in the circumstances of life

e. It is stimulated by relationships
f. It requires participation in the church

5. Five questions you need to ask about your Christian education program

a. "Are people learning the content and meaning  of the Bible?"
b. "Are people seeing themselves, life, and other people more clearly from God's perspective?"
c. "Are people's values becoming more aligned with God's values?'
d. "Are people becoming more skilled in serving God?"
e. "Are people becoming more like Christ?"

1. God expects every Christian to use their gifts and talents in ministry

2. Your church will never be any stronger than its core of lay ministers who carry out the various ministries of the church

3. Teach the Biblical basis for every member ministry

b. People always need to know "why" before your teach them "how"
a. The four principles on which the church's lay ministry is built (Rom. 12:1-8)

1) Every believer is a minister

a) All Christians are created for ministry (Eph. 2:10)
b) All Christians are saved for ministry (2 Tim. 1:9)
c) All Christians are called into ministry (1 Peter 2:9-10)
d) All Christians are gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10)
e) All Christians are authorized for ministry (Matt. 28:18-20)
f) All Christians are commanded to minister (Matt. 20:26-28)
g) All Christians are to be prepared for ministry (Eph. 4:11-12)
h) All Christians are needed for ministry (1 Cor. 12:27)
i) All Christians are accountable for, and rewarded for ministry (Col.3:23-24)

2) Every ministry is important

a) There are no "little people" in the body of Christ
b) Small ministries often make the greatest difference

3) We are dependent on each other

a) No ministry is independent of the others
b) We must depend on and cooperate with each other (we must work together)

4) Ministry is the expression of our spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences

a) Each of us was uniquely designed or shaped by God to do certain things
b) What God made you to be determines what He intends for you to do

4. Keep your organizational structure simple

a. One major reason many church members aren't active in ministry is because they are so busy attending meetings that they have no time for real ministry

1) The most valuable asset people can give to your church is their time
2) We need to use this time wisely

b. The difference between maintenance and ministry

1) Maintenance is "church work" (budgets, buildings, organizational matters)
2) Ministry is "the work of the church"
3) The more people you involve in maintenance decisions, the more you waste their time, keep them from ministry, and create opportunities for conflict

a) Maintenance work also conditions people to think that their responsibility is fulfilled by simply voting on church business
b) The common mistake made by many churches is to take their brightest and best people and turn them into bureaucrats by giving them more meetings to attend

c. Committees vs ministries

1) Committees discuss it, but ministries do it
2) Committees argue, ministries act
3) Committees maintain, ministries minister
4) Committees talk and consider, ministries serve and care
5) Committees discuss needs, ministries meet needs
6) The biggest complainers in any church are usually committee members with nothing else to do

d. The church must decide between man-made organization structures or New Testament principles

1) You do not find these words in the New Testament: committees, elections, majority rule, boards, board members, parliamentary procedures, voting or vote

a) We have imposed an American form of government on the church
b) As a result most churches are as bogged down in bureaucracy as our government is
c) Man-made organizational structures have prevented more churches from healthy growth than any of us could imagine

2) Every church must eventually decide whether it is going to be structured for control or structured for growth

a) This is one of the most crucial decisions your church will ever face
b) This means both the pastor and the people must give up control

- the people must give up control of the leadership
- the pastor must give up control of the ministry (not his, but the ministry of others)

c) The pastor is responsible to keep the church doctrinally sound and headed in the right direction, but the day-to-day decisions are made by the people actually doing the ministries of the church

e. Don't vote on ministry positions

1) This avoids a personality contest
2) New ministries often need to develop slowly
3) New members can get involved more quickly
4) You avoid attracting people who are only interested in a position for its power or prestige
5) If people fail, it makes removal easier
6) You can respond more quickly to the Holy Spirit's leading

f. Establish a ministry placement process

1) This should be an ongoing process and not a special emphasis
2) The placement process

a) Attend training for ministry
b) Commit to serving in that ministry (even have them sign a ministry covenant)
c) Have a personal interview with church staff or lay leaders
d) Have public commissioning

g. Never start a ministry without a minister

1) Never push people into ministry
2) Pray and wait for God to bring you the person best suited to lead a particular ministry

h. Establish minimum standards and guidelines for ministries

1) Don't expect the staff to run your ministry
2) The ministry must be compatible with our church's beliefs, values, and philosophy of ministry
3) No fund-raising is allowed (don't turn your church into a bazaar; budget)

i. Allow people to quit or change ministries gracefully
j. Trust people: delegate authority with responsibility
k. Provide the necessary Support

1) Materials
2) Help promote the ministry
3) Communication: stay in touch with your lay leaders
4) Provide moral support
5) REMEMBER: there are no lay people in a biblical church; there are only ministers

 l. Always keep the vision of ministry before your people