Step Up: Inspirations for Church Growth Trinity Lutheran Church Oshkosh, WI 8/8/2014 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM WahCher Vang, Ph.D. “ You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things. ”__Mother Teresa

 Hope  Strength  God’s Promises  God’s Love  Dwelling Together in Unity  The Foundation of Church Growth  Conclusion

 Hope is associated with warm feelings about the future, an increased willingness to work toward a goal, and an upbeat mood.  Hope nurtures our spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.  Example people who tend to have more hope:  Tend to have a belief in a higher power.  Are enthusiastic (rau siab, muaj siab).  Are more energetic (nquag, muaj zog).  Are determined (txiav txim siab/tsis thim)  Are persistent (tiv tiag).  Also tend to be more optimistic (cia siab).  Faith, congregation, and leaders= a Family  Scriptures: John (Yauha) 3:16; Hebrews (Hinplus) 11:1; 1 Corinthians (1 kaulithaus) 12:12

 Strength is our ability to effectively deal with the demands in reality.  High Strength:  An individual with strong strength approaches challenges with a sense that he or she can overcome the problem and even grow as a result.  They can handle whatever life throws at them without losing their sense of self.  Low Strength (Weakness):  Those with weak strength view challenges as something to avoid.  Example: Reality can seem too overwhelming to deal with.

 Characteristics of strength:  Hope (Cia siab): Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it.  Creativity (Muaj tswv yim): Thinking in productive (positive) ways to do things.  Open-mindedness (Qhib siab): Thinking things through and examining them from all sides.  Perspective (Pom deb-dav): Understanding and having ways of looking at the world that makes sense to oneself and to other people from different angles.

 Integrity (Meejmom)/authenticity (Tseeb)/ honesty (Siab ncaj): Presenting oneself in a genuine way; taking responsibility for one's feeling and actions.  Love/kindness: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated (two ways). Doing good deeds and favors for others.  Spirituality (Faith): Having coherent beliefs about the higher power and the meaning of life.

 It is the power and strength that comes from God that carries us on. As Christians we need to surrender to the strength that God provides and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  Strength:  Christ  The ability to recognize God’s supreme power or authority  Fear of God  Weakness:  Sin  Applying God’s Word  Admitting problems/sins to God  Accepting God’s grace for mistakes  Trusting God wholeheartedly  Scripture: Isaiah (Yaxayas) 40:28-31

 God has promised His people eternal life  Scriptures: John (Yauhas) 3: 16, 4:14, 10:27-28; 1 Corinthians (1 Kaulithaus) 15:20-24; Mathew (Mathais) 19:29  God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved  Scripture: Mark (Malakaus) 16:16  God has promised to supply every need we have. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation (cawm seej) thru Jesus Christ  Scripture: Philippians (Filipis) 4:19

 Love: a strong affection for another person due to kinship, personal ties, sexual attraction, admiration, or common interests (Weinten, Hammer & Dunn, 2014).  Love is expressed as an action and experienced as a feeling.  It encompasses compassion, determination, tolerance, endurance, patience, support, faithfulness, happiness, peace, and much more.  Scriptures: John (Yauhas) 3:16; Galatians (Kalatias) 5:22

 United we stand, divided we fall  we must remember the bond and blessings we share in Christ  We are unified in Christ  We are in Christ, we are an object of God's love for all eternity. We share this comfort by loving, caring, and supporting each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are a large family.  Scriptures: Ecclesiastes (Tub Lajlim). 4:9-12; 1 Peter (1 Petus) 3:8; Psalms (Ntawv Nkauj) 133:1-3.  When we united together there is:  Christ is with us: Blessing from God  Power (Muaj zog): members  Strength (Muaj chaw cuab zog): gifts  Scripture: Mathew (Mathais) 18:20

 God wants us to be united, of one mind, of one body, of one Spirit, of one faith, and of one Lord for the following three major purposes:  live a life worthy of the calling you have received  example: pastor, police officer, teacher, famer, etc..  live a life worthy as a Christian  Example: we Christians need to exhibit humility, gentleness, patience, endurance, love, and peace.  Utilize the gifts you received  Example: “You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things. ”__Mother Teresa  Scriptures: Ephesians (Efexaus) 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians (1 kaulithaus) 12:12

 Summarized into a three basic standards for church growth led by Holy Spirit as the following (Chan, 2010; Warren, 2007; Werning, 1983):  1. Disciple all members filled with Holy Spirit  2. Praise and worship God, build up the body of Christ through teaching and using their own gifts, and build the community with love, faith, and hope  3. Be witness of Jesus and do all kinds of good things to the world.

 We are united together in a close group as a family  Each of us needs to be doing our part by:  Reaching Up - Seek God in prayer, study, and reading his word.  Reaching In - Look to one another and find needs. People in our church are needy and need love and support, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Visitors need to be welcomed and encouraged.  Reaching Out - The community at large awaits the continued demonstration of our love and commitment to Christ.

Without God’s blessing, I would not be able to overcome the various personal hardships in achieving and obtaining my goals.

 Chan, S. R. (2010 ). Cracking your church’s culture code: Seven keys to unleashing vision and inspiration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  Warren, R. (2007). The purpose driven church: Growth without compromising your message and mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.  Weiten, W., Hammer, E. & Dunn, D. (2014). Adjust: Applying psychology to life. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.  Werning, W. J. (1983 ). Vision and strategy for church growth (2 nd Ed. ). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.  Xyooj, N. X. & Thoj, N. N. P. (Uploaded by Tub Hmoob on December 12, 2011). Ua Vajtswv Num [Video file]. Retrieved From  Xyooj, N. X. (Uploaded by Tub Hmoob on May 26, 2011). Vajtswv Xaiv-Vajtswv Khaiv [Video file]. Retrieved From nzfcVAlqohttp:// nzfcVAlqo