 It Takes Time…  New Construction Is Different Than Renovation…  The Challenge: Where to Start!

 Vision And Mission Can Become Normative Lifestyle Choices Of Our Members.  Sharing Christ Does Not Have To Be Frightening  Jesus Is Best Introduced By Our Changed Lives Of Service

 Key Systems Must Be Healthy To Start  People Often Visit A Church For The First Time From Deep Spiritual Need.

 Excitement Breeds Excitement  New Life Spawns New Life.  Allow Others To Illustrate And Celebrate The Vision And Mission

 Website Should Readily Show What Is Important To A Congregation

 Advertisement Gives Unbelievers A Reason To Pay Attention To Your Church By Addressing A Felt Need.  Advertisement Will Be Secondary To The Other Forms Of Presence A Congregation Has In The Community.  Big Accomplishments Come From Big Events.

 Visitors Meeting Visitors [And New Members]  Visitors Who Form Relationships Will Join The Church

 Set Expectations For Church Life Among Visitor Prospects  It Is Less Likely That Members Will Change Their Church Lifestyle Than It Is For Visitors To Adopt A New Lifestyle.

 Make Evangelism a Congregational Value.  Meet present member’s spiritual needs.  Increase contact with your community.  Be intentional about visitors.  Integrate vision and mission into membership process.  Design ways to share the excitement and spiritual growth of new comers.

 Parents Have Felt Spiritual Needs Related To Their Children And Their Parenting Role.

 Youth Have Great Unmet Spiritual Needs In Our Culture.

 People Who Decide To Come To Church Do So Out Of A Specific Sense Of Need Or Crisis.

 Spiritual Formation Best Happens In Whole-Life Relationships Within The Faith Community.

 Involving People In Small Groups Requires Intentional Planning And Teamwork.

 Forming Small Groups Must Be Voluntary

 Sporting Events Offer Great Opportunities For Ministry.

 Meet the basic expectations for “church”.  Cultivate excellence in the basic functions of the church.  Change “Pastoral Care” into “Congregational Care”

 Effective Leadership Happens With The Marriage Of Responsibility, Authority And Accountability.  Effective Leadership Happens When Gifts Match Area of Responsibility.

 Effective Leadership Structures Look Different in Every Church.  Effective Leadership Structures Accomplish Mission.  Effective Leadership Structures Provide Important Feedback to the Pastor.  Appropriate Names For Leadership Functions Help Clarify And Elevate Those Functions.

 God Gifts Members For All Levels Of Ministry.  Stewardship Of Money Provides A Way To Affirm Missional Ministry.

 Leaders Run On Inspiration More Than Anything Else.  Stories Set Expectations.

 Think Of Your Church Primarily In Terms Of Leadership Groups.  Begin Your Leadership Structures Small And Lean, And Let Them Evolve.  Ensure That The “Foundation Of Trust” Gets Assembled.  Evaluate Through Stories.  Model The Lifestyle That Fulfills The Values And Mission Of The Church.

 The Sunday Sermon Is The Single Most Significant Event In The Life Of The Church.  Composing The Sermon Is A Daily Activity.

 Effective Sermons address the natural seasons of life.

 Wholistic Worship Experiences Inspire And Challenge.  Wholistic Worship Experiences Require Creativity.  Worship Begets Worship.

 Effective Teaching Results In Greater Commitment To Discipleship.  Greater Commitment To Discipleship Always Results In Action.

 Good Sermons Fuel The Imagination And Motivation Of The Congregation For Mission.

 Good Pastors Constantly Improve Their Preaching.

 Make forms, texts, stories etc RELEVENT to life experiences.  Multiply skilled worship leadership.  Involve creative, worshipping people in worship planning.  Use liturgies carefully and sparingly.  Create new rituals that are relevant, then change them.  Cluster the worship experience around one extended reading.  Preach for action, personal and public.