Bell curve

BOOMING DECREASING

ACCELERATING TANKING

As the weekend service goes, so goes Willow.

There have to be

Explorers
+
Beginners
Growers
christ-centred people

Build a weekend service that is catalytic across all 4 segments.

However fast you may be climbing up the left hand side – here’s the problem: What’s AWESOME now, will get tired, some time from now. The cycle is happening faster these days! We need to re-invent ourselves, if not, we will go into decline, and tank.

You must start the NEW curve, (that’s putting you down bottom left again).

More important than where you are, is agreeing where you are.

Do people know what’s going to come this Sunday already? This is not reinvention to be cool. Do it to be spiritually catalytic to the whole spectrum of people you’re trying to reach and disciple.

ENERGY BURSTS

What to do when you don’t know what to do next about a big issue: methodically, prayerfully –
Anything biblical you want your church to become – you’re likely to do it if, you put in the focus and devote an energy burst to it.

Then –
put the name of it on a piece of paper.

Read – get some great material on the subject. Devote the next three wednesdays between 11am and 1230am and don’t bail, don’t let yourself on the hook till you’re progressing.
What people do I know who’s heart would also be engaged in this? – to lead to a course of action (new evangelism strategy? new staff member?). Who’s done this before I can lead from or model?
Plan some more planning meetings devoted to it. Name the team. Get the solutions and work them.

One of your best friends in leadership is your calendar, because YOU get to put on it what you want to see happen.
If it’s full – disappoint somebody!
Tell Fred you can’t meet with him – for a year, use that time.

Breathe energy into the right stuff.
You don’t have time for reports – send me an email.

Tell us about REVEAL and how that’s changing church.

The Reveal data was a painful pill.
He wanted to get every pastor to go through the survey to discover how effective they are being. But hardly anybody wants to do that survey. Why?
It’s easier to just do good Sundays.

Eg – how many explorers are there in the church? Should there be?
What our % of our people are beginners, growers & Christ centred people.

The power of it all is the move from being a grower into a FULLY converted, live or die Christian. You can change the world with those people, they give, serve, pray and bring their people. GOAL therefore – bring as many people as possible to THAT. (Full surrender). Saying ‘all I want between here and the grave is to hear God’s voice and obey it’ – you can’t stop that. Not afraid to die, cos they no longer count their life worthy. ‘Does our church have a need? If it’s an ongoing need, it’s in my heart to serve because all I exist for is God’s glory advancing in the world.”

Everyone else has a value proposition going on – ‘If it’ll benefit me…”

They don’t do it by merely attending your services.

The highest predictors of whether this happens are NOT number of services attended but…
Engagement with the Bible.
Prayer
Community
Servanthood (especially with the poor).

People engaged like that, it doesn’t matter about the buildings you meet in.
So – what if we leverage our services toward these kind of spiritual practices?

When they are finishing the services now, time and again he says,
“We can’t read your Bible for you this week. Will you pledge to do that.
We can’t pray your prayers for you… will you plan to do that? etc…”

On the world scene – what do you see that cheers you or breaks your heart?

There are so many pockets around the world where the Kingdom of God is advancing with power. The Acts 2 deal. Lots of great stuff. BUT

Very few congregations have figured out the twenty-something generation. Most pastors are scratching their heads over that, and unwilling to take the risks associated with trying to do that.

More and more churches are actually being led by leaders. This is encouraging! Otherwise, those who are leaders in the world come to church and shut their brains off. Their talents are not engaged.

There is nothing like the local church when the local church is working right!
You only have from this day to that day to be in the fight, day to day, advancing the purpose of God against the evil forces of this world – one shot. With all eternity to talk about it.