Founder & Directional Leader

Founder & Directional Leader
By Dr. Tom Cheyney Founder & Directional Leader Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Uncovering some common misconceptions about Rural Church Revitalization and Renewal. Prepared for Lafayette Baptist Association

O R L A N D N O V 3 - 5

Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth!
To get the app, you can go to the Google Play Store or the Apple Apps Store and search for Renovate Conference. You can download a copy of this presentation or subscribe to the Church Revitalizer Weekly Blog from Tom Cheyney.

The Real Realities of Rural Revitalization
Millions of rural people are moving from country to city in a stream that has not slackened from the end of World War II until now. And the strongest force behind this migration, then as now, has been economic challenges on the farm.The farm- to-city migration has obviously produced advantages to the corporate economy. The departure of so many people has seriously weakened rural communities and economies all over the country.

Seven Pillars of Church Revitalization
Realignment Revisioning Renewal Reinvention Restoration Restart & Repotting Rev. 2:1-7 Rev. 2:8-11 Rev. 3:1-6 Refocusing Rev. 3:14-22 Rev. 2: 12-17 Rev. 3: 7- 13 Rev. 2:18-29 Tom Cheyney ©1997

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! The typical congregational church revitalization planning process is overloaded with wishes, dreams, and myths that undermine effective decision-making. Nine common examples illustrate this syndrome:

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 1: If we refurbish it, they will come. “The recent and projected population growth in this community suggests that if we refurbish now we will grow shortly. It is a realistic goal. Therefore we have launched a capital fund campaign to refurbish our physical facilities. We’re convinced that if we refurbish it, they will come.” Reality: That slogan was a great story line for a wonderful baseball movie, but for renewal churches, it overlooks two crucial variables. First, the initial focus on responding to rapid population growth should be on expanding the ministry and raising the quality of what is offered. Adding program staff should come before construction and refurbishment of the facilities. A second issue is the assimilation of newcomers. Unless the process for the assimilation of new people is improved and expanded, a 50 percent increase in membership may produce only a 10 percent increase in worship attendance.

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 2: Don’t make changes in the first year. A Church Revitalizer said: “When I came to this renewal congregation, three veteran pastors advised me to spend the first year identifying the lay of the land and getting acquainted with the people. They warned me to minimize the number of changes I should introduce in the first year.” Reality: That may be wise advice for congregations whose leader left under a cloud and for whom the number-one priority is reestablishing trust in the office of pastor. In most rural churches, however, the new pastor would be wise to take advantage of the honeymoon period to (a) earn trust, (b) build alliances with future-oriented leaders, and (c) initiate overdue changes. It gets harder the longer you are there.

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 3: If we emphasize friendliness it makes visitors return. “We’re a friendly church. We make it a point to welcome every first-time visitor. Less than a fourth of our first-time visitors, however, return a second time, and fewer than half of those join our church. How can we be more effective in persuading visitors we want them to return?” Reality: While some church shoppers, especially those who live alone and those who were born before 1935, place friendliness at the top of their list in evaluating churches, the vast majority have another criterion: Will this congregation appear to be relevant and responsive to my religious needs?

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 4: In renewal money precedes ministry. “If we could solve our churches financial problems, we could concentrate on evangelism, missions, and improving our ministry. Our people, however, are not generous contributors. Every year we have a deficit in our operating budget. What can we do to improve our financial base?” Reality: In one of five congregations, this is a genuine problem. But in most churches, a financial squeeze is symptomatic of a larger issue. The three most common causes of a low level of financial support by the people are (a) a low level of commitment resulting from low expectations, (b) no compelling and unifying vision of what God is calling this congregation to be about, and (c) inadequate internal communication of financial needs. When these conditions prevail, a low level of financial support is inevitable.

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 5: Effective leaders are facilitators. “I was taught in seminary that a renewal pastor should be an enabler or facilitator.” Reality: The enabler style of pastoral leadership is appropriate in perhaps 75,000 Protestant churches in the United States. These congregations average forty or fewer at worship. Most of them want a loving shepherd, not an initiating leader. That may explain why they remain small. Another 75,000 Protestant congregations average 125 or more at worship. In these, the guiding principle is that the larger the size of the congregation, the more important it is for the pastor to accept and fill the role of initiating leader.

+ Myth 6: As the rural community growth it means the church will grow. “The county planners tell us the population of this community will double during the next decade. We must plan to accommodate the influx of newcomers. If the population doubles, our church should at least double in size.” Reality: The number-one consequence of rapid population growth for long- established congregations in need of renewal is usually not an increase in attendance. A more common result is a sharp rise in the level of competition among churches. New congregations are founded. Several existing congregations upgrade their physical plants or relocate to a larger site and construct new facilities. Staffs are expanded, ministries are enriched, and new programs are designed to reach the newcomers. A second result is a rising demand for quality. The long-established congregation that earned a grade of B on the quality, relevance, and scope of its ministry ten years earlier waits patiently for newcomers to come knocking on the door. The church shoppers, after comparing this congregation with the competition, will likely give it a grade of C or D. Rapid population growth means the bar for a grade of above average has been raised a couple of notches.

+ Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Myth 7: Accommodate everyone in one service. “We’re so crowded for space we’ve had to go to four worship services every weekend, one on Saturday evening and three on Sunday morning. Our dream is to build a new worship center in which we can accommodate everyone at one service on Sunday morning. That should reinforce our sense of community.” Reality: That may be the dumbest myth on this list. Cutting back to one worship service on Sunday would mean that most, if not all, of the people would have to change their schedule. That would probably reduce worship attendance by at least 15 percent. A wiser alternative would be to answer two questions: First, how can we sharpen the differences among the four services so that each serves a clearly defined constituency? Second, when should we add a fifth service to the schedule and what people should it reach?

+ Myth 8: Sermons should be shorter. “I’ve been told that sermons are getting shorter. In the 1950s the typical sermon was thirty minutes. In the 1970s it was twenty-two minutes, and now I’m told I should plan on sermons lasting no more than fifteen to eighteen minutes. Television and the faster pace of life have shortened people’s attention span. I noticed at the Republican Convention that most of the platform speeches were ten minutes or less.” Reality: Those are two irrelevant reference points. The number-one context for the length of sermons is the size of the crowd. Three basic generalizations apply. First, the larger the number of people in the room, and the greater the degree of anonymity among the people, and the larger the proportion who have been worshiping there for less than two years, the more time is required for music and intercessory prayer to transform that collection of individuals into a worshiping community. Small congregations take five to fifteen minutes. Very large congregations take twenty-five to thirty-five minutes.

+ Myth 8: Sermons should be shorter. Second, the larger the crowd and the greater the emphasis on teaching, the longer the sermon should be. That also applies to the need for humor, change of pace, revealing personal anecdotes, and redundancy. Third, unless it includes a highly liturgical format built around the Lord’s Supper, the larger the crowd, the longer the service. Forty to fifty minutes may be appropriate when attendance is less than a hundred, but if it exceeds five hundred, the worship experience should be in the sixty-five to ninety-minute range.

+ Renewing Vintage Churches Churches Older than 40 need a plan to stay fit! By Dr. Tom Cheyney

Renewing Vintage Churches
+ Renewing Vintage Churches In his book, What Have We Learned? The Best Thinking on Congregational Life (Abingdon, 2001), Lyle Schaller writes, “While exceptions do exist, the general pattern is that congregations that have been meeting at the same address for more than forty years tend to give a higher priority to (a) perpetuating the past rather than creating the new, (b) taking care of today’s members rather than seeking to reach the unchurched, (c) maintaining the real estate rather than launching new ministries to reach new generations.” He concludes: “Never before in American church history have there been so many congregations that are vulnerable to this ‘forty-year syndrome.’”

+ Renewing Vintage Churches Research indicates that three-fourths of all U.S. congregations are at least 40 years old. Daunting challenges await those of us who would transition long-established churches from decline to health. A few foundational principles are key:

+ Renewing Vintage Churches 1. Don’t dodge the real issues. Effective renewal leaders measure results in terms of changed lives. They are impatient with “playing church.” They know that some churches will be content to discuss change endlessly, if those discussions enable them to avoid taking action they deem risky. Honest doubts and struggles are one thing; there must always be room to hear and respond to those. But when discussions are interminable and data requests insatiable, good leaders point out the pattern of work-avoidance and get people back on track. Determining what matters is something persistent leaders must do continually.

+ Renewing Vintage Churches 2. Patiently keep the heat on. A congregation’s potential is like an egg. You can’t hatch an egg with a blowtorch. You must wait for the egg to mature. But it is also true that unless eggs are warmed continuously, they will never hatch. The process cannot be rushed; neither can it be neglected. Eggs either hatch or go bad. Those whom God uses to renew declining congregations will patiently keep the heat on.

+ Renewing Vintage Churches 3. Connect past to present. Sometimes the way forward is first a creative look back. Take time to research your congregation’s history. Your church’s heritage can be a gold mine with cobwebs strewn across the entrance. You can emerge with nuggets in the form of stories. When these stories are told and retold, corporate identity is enriched. Members of long-established congregations will pursue growth when they sense that what is being asked of them now is consistent with the ways God has been active among them in the past. That is what legitimizes a renewal process in an older congregation.

+ Renewing Vintage Churches 4. Farewells and fruitfulness. Starting a new worship service designed to reach unchurched people was one of the most difficult changes our church ever made. We lost some people over it. But new people joined us soon afterward. Some were new to faith; others came to us as Christians who wanted to share in the outreach.

+ Renewing Vintage Churches Our job as leaders is to focus on one overriding concern: restoring the fruitfulness of our churches. Many long-established congregations have enjoyed wonderful seasons of productive ministry in times past. Renewal leaders are filled with anticipation that there are more such times to come. They respond with hope to Kennon Callahan’s “watershed question” (from Twelve Keys to An Effective Church): Do you believe that your best years are behind you, or do you believe that your best years are yet before you?

+ Renewing Vintage Churches They remember that Jesus said: “My true disciples produce much fruit” (John 15:8, NLT). And they will not rest until their congregations are producing disciples again.

Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow!
+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Why is it that so many smaller churches are not growing? Good question. It rarely has anything to do with how much the pastor and key leaders love God. Some of the most devoted followers of Jesus I know lead smaller churches that are not growing. It also has little to do with whether or not the church is part of a denomination.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! There are rural denominational churches that are growing, and rural denominational churches that aren't. Location isn't a deal killer either. Location is important, obviously, but alone doesn't prevent growth. Let's say, for example, your church is located in a small rural area. That will have a definite impact on the rate of growth and overall growth potential of your congregation. But it doesn't prevent it from growing. We know this from smaller churches in little towns that are doing well. We know this even more so because of the reverse. There are smaller churches in huge cities that aren't growing at all.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! So what is it? Before I offer some thoughts about why smaller churches aren't growing I want to mention something that I have written about a few times. It's "The Big Three". They are prayer, evangelism and leadership (development). This is a given. There is and will always be a direct relationship between the emphasis on these things and the growth of your church. The intriguing thing about these three elements is that they apply to both smaller and larger churches.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! The following five questions are connected to possibilities about why your church isn't growing, or could stop growing. They are meant to serve you as a tool for evaluation that can move to implementation and ultimately change that produces growth. These five ideas are not designed to be specific solutions, but a set of leadership lenses to help you see your church more clearly. I pray that as you consider these five, you may be encouraged about the potential of your church's future.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Has friendship outpaced focus? On of the best things about a smaller rural church is that the fellowship is alive and vibrant. People love and care for each other deeply. People know each others names and connections are tight. That's a good thing, a very good thing, but it can backfire when it comes to growing the church. New people visit and the church is friendly, but friendly like in a hotel where the guests are not expected to stay for a long time.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! It's easy for a smaller rural church to turn inward and invest most of its ministry energy into itself. In time this will begin to shape how decisions are made, how money is spent, and ultimately what the church does and doesn't do in order to reach people. In one way or another, the Great Commission is the focus of your church. It's why your church was started and why you keep it going. A focus on friendship and relationships in general can take your leadership eyes off the goal. So, how about your church, which is truly first? Is your focus on the Great Commission or caring for long established relationships?

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Have you stopped believing its possible? I'm certain that when your church was started there was great passion and hope for its future. That's how all churches start. Years into the journey, however, some or even all the zeal can fade. And when the road has been particularly difficult for some time, it's possible to no longer believe the church will ever grow again. You can talk the talk in the lobby and even on the platform, but deep down inside you may have given up. This sounds bleak, but I'm compelled to say it because it's true in far too many churches. If you are the pastor or a key leader, you must believe your church can grow. You must believe it has a future. And if you can't believe that, then believe that God has imagined a future and He can grow it, but He needs you in the game. God needs you to change your mind to match His. Capturing the mind of Christ about your church is essential.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Kevin Myers, Senior Pastor of 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA occasionally tells the story of when he gave up. Many years ago the church was small and struggling and he lost faith in the church's future. He shared this with a close pastor friend and his friend said; if you've lost faith that your church can go on, borrow mine! Kevin did! Today 12Stone has thousands of people attending. The size of the church isn't as important your belief. Find some leaders close to you who still believe and tap into their faith until yours is once again strong enough to take the lead.

Have you embraced a shotgun ministry style? Over-simplified and exaggerated for affect, there are two approaches to ministry design in your church. 1.) "If you have an idea for a new ministry that might help somebody, do it." 2.) "No new ministries are started here for the next two years." The general vibe of the first one is "Yes." And the general vibe of the second is "No." The second is the wiser of the two. If you and your church team employ a nearly random freedom to start ministries, even though they may be good, you create a busy mess of activity. You inadvertently experience a lack of focus that drains the best ministries, and exhausts volunteers and staff. In the big picture, you are doing more and accomplishing less.

Have you embraced a shotgun ministry style? It's important that you offer fewer ministries in order to accomplish more life-changing ministry impact. To do this, you need to be very intentional in your choice of ministries. No one church can do every ministry, that's an obvious fact. So what you choose to do needs to be selected wisely and prayerfully. Saying no to all other ministry options is not squelching the Holy Spirit, its common sense granted from God. Doing less allows you to do it better and with deeper impact.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Is there a lack of courageous teaching? Loud doesn't indicate truth and thundering away doesn't guarantee courage. Courage comes from the inside. This kind of godly boldness overcomes personal fear. When you know God is speaking to you, there is a quiet confidence that allows you to stand before the people and speak the truth, letting the chips fall where they may. I've been reading commentaries for many years. I respect the hard work the authors put into their craft. But I get frustrated when they get to the difficult verses and glance over them or skip them altogether. I don't need commentaries for the easy verses! People in your church feel the same way about the messages, even if they don't say it. Don't skip saying the hard stuff. I'm not referring only to difficult biblical passages. In fact, I'm really talking about the spiritual leadership contained in your teaching.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Is there a lack of courageous teaching? If you are the pastor, let me shoot straight. Ask God what He wants to say to your people and say it. Don't back down. Say it in love, but say it. People respond to truth, they don't always like it on the first round, but they instinctively know its right. People respond better, over the long haul, to robust vision over nicely crafted scholarly sermons! Don't expect one Sunday to accomplish the big picture. This is a 52 week a year process.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Does popularity override good decision-making? Pressure is part of every leader's life. How you handle it internally and what you do with it externally matters. Pastors have to deal with their issues just like anyone else. Pastors love people. That's a good thing. The bad thing that often accompanies that reality is that pastors want to please people. In a smaller church that can turn into an issue of popularity. If the pastor's desire to be liked becomes unhealthy, that can have a huge impact on decision-making in the church. This does not reflect integrity or morals, just human nature. I'm a pastor and I love people. I prefer that people love me back. But that doesn't always happen. Especially if I have to deliver an answer that goes against what someone wants. But I must choose the right leadership decision over being liked. Candidly, those moments aren't much fun, but they are necessary. And they can make the difference about whether or not a smaller church stays small or grows larger.

+ Why Smaller Churches Don't Grow! Take an honest look at these five questions. I trust that addressing one or more with serious effort will help your church reach its potential!

Here’s why I think locals resist those innovative revitalization ideas
Using outside experts from the beginning sets up resistance. Then they leave… and the plan is shelved, never to be seen again. The wrong townspeople are involved in the planning process from the beginning. In small towns, and by this I mean towns under population 10,000, run on volunteerism. The only way to get stuff done is to organize a group of volunteers to do it. So, many residents feel directly responsible for some part of their towns current success. Too often, the ideas and views of the people with the most influence and understanding of the town’s current situation aren’t heard. Those residents are too busy making the best of the current situation

Here’s why I think locals resist those innovative revitalization ideas
To find these influential people takes a little hunting. Go to your organized clubs, churches and informal citizen gatherings and ask the same question: “If you were working on a project to make our town better, name three people who would have to be on your team.”

Here’s why I think locals resist those innovative revitalization ideas.
Enlisting the support and involvement of these people spreads the word and the good work faster that lightning. You’ll avoid the usual resistance and bring in workers and volunteers who don’t usually step up, because they have been asked to participate by someone they respect.

Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization
+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Keep a positive outlook about growth and renewal. Seek to develop a micro-church in a micro- community. The micro-church in a community of or less is different that most churches! Rekindle the flame in a rural church by working with what you have, refresh the organization and restructure the church to be in pace with the new rural often callled “neral.”

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Add relevant programs and eliminate non- relevant ones. Adding fresh air helps a church get buring again. Add people who are responding to the new ideas and programs. Allow the Lord and the Holy Spirit to gain control and lead his church. Define the roles of the Pastor and the People. The Pastor is the Sphepherd and not the church errand boy. The Laity are the servers and not the rulers of the ministers.

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Take a realistic look at your churches structure and determine if it is part of the reason you are in decline. Develop a new plan for reaching your area and for relaunching your church with a fresh vision. Teach your members how to get ready for visitors. Reminding them that people today are looking for friends not friendly churches.

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Take the church out into the community. Get into the events which are part of your rural area. This will help with visibility for your church. Discover church members with a potential for outreach. Stop living in the past and start preparing for the future. Learn how to create excellence that does not coast much.

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Resist the urge to settle for the every day and mundane. Be a bold leader and seek excellence. Slaughter the sacred cows which are killing your church! Stop puffing up the Status Quo. Remember seeing requires believing. So believe in the impossible and whatch God do it.

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization A spiritual re-birth that comes from a renewed understanding of the purpose of church in general and of this church specifically. This can be fostered by a careful study of Ephesians and the letters to the churches in Revelation. Prayer is key. Appropriate pastoral leadership. Good people skills. A “becoming” vision. Knows how to do church. TRUST. Lay leadership which is accepted by the congregation, shares the vision of the pastor and cooperates with him.

+ Steps for Rural and Small Town Revitalization Rethinking of the church field—from six miles to 30 miles. Encouraging people to form new ministries and use their '”gifts and graces.” Break the less than 40 barrier, and for some the 75 barrier, and still others the 200 barrier. Be blessed by the stork.

+ Adopt and work together on one or more successful projects. Reaching, even being mostly replaced, by a new people group. Finding and implementing a “signature' ministry. e.g. Firewood ministry. Resolving a conflict and moving forward in unity and love. Desperation. What to do when the “bell cow” or the “stud duck” dies?

Founder & Directional Leader
By Dr. Tom Cheyney Founder & Directional Leader Myths About Rural Church Revitalization Growth! Uncovering some common misconceptions about Rural Church Revitalization and Renewal. Prepared for Lafayette Baptist Assocication

Founder & Directional Leader

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Founder & Directional Leader"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Founder & Directional Leader

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Founder & Directional Leader"— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback