WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
As I thought about that question, I wondered what churches were “flourishing” economically in the amount of money they were receiving and instantly I thought about how Pastor Steve Bentley and The Bridge in Flint, Michigan, city that went from 70,000 General Motors workers to 8,000, received $400,000 from 2 atheists who didn’t attend the church. I also thought of Paul Taylor in Cincinnati, Ohio who even though the church is only 4 years old, raised nearly $2 million for a building project. In addition, Paul Mints at The Community at Lakeridge purchased property for his 5 year old church in a time when banks aren’t typically lending to churches. Brian Burman at Rock Harbor in Portland increased church giving by 20% in 2011.
As I thought about those churches and a flood of others I questioned, even though these churches are in different parts of the nation, in different cultures, and having been affected differently by the economy, is there a common denominator, other than their dedication to Jesus Christ, that has effected their success? Is there a common thread that leads to the results they are experiencing? The answer is yes. Five words explain it all.
They had a financial coach. Many pastors have coaches, but few have a financial coach. The ones that do are very pleased with their results. They get help approaching members who give nothing to the church (Barna says this is 39% of people who attend church), those who are very significant contributors, members who are tithing and who aren’t, how to raise money from outside the church, receive large estate donations, take up the offering in a motivating way, negotiate raises for pastor and staff, communicate the budget and church finances, find what financially needs to be in place in the church, etc.
In GHC, the financial coaching process starts with finding the tangible goals which need money and planning to achieve or put another way, finding what would need to be in place 1 year, 2 years and 5 years from now in order for the pastor to feel that the church has made significant progress. Next, we write a step-by step plan of action leading the church to accomplish its goals. This plan includes strategies which fit that particular church in its context, not a “cookie cutter” off the shelf plan. Finally, we provide 1 or 2 (depending on the situation) 30 minute coaching calls each month to make sure progress is being made or to make mid-course corrections as necessary. We have found that people need to be clear on what they want, have a plan, and be held accountable to follow through on what they said they would do. Consider financial coaching. Everyone needs to consider obtaining a financial coach.
GHC provides financial coaching and we would enjoy scheduling a 1 hour, free, private, confidential call to introduce pastors to this process and determine whether or not financial coaching makes sense for your church. Most find this first call to be beneficial whether or not they engage in the formal financial coaching process. To schedule a call, e-mail Michele Prater at michelelprater@aol.com.
TOP TEN WAYS TO SPARK MOMENTUM
TOP TEN WAYS TO SPARK MOMENTUM
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
—Romans 12:11-12 (NIV)
One of the issues we talk about in our network on a regular basis is momentum. Paul tells us to create and keep momentum, zeal, fervor in our ministries. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a responsibility. The direction the ministry takes—regardless of the circumstances—is the responsibility of the leader.
At a recent Church Planter Cluster Karl Roth did a great job of defining momentum: “Momentum equals the attitude of the leader plus the atmosphere of the organization plus the accomplishments of the people.” (I’d suggest you contact Karl for his notes.)
But how does momentum get started? How does momentum happen? We can feel momentum. We can even see it. In a ball game one team is cruising along, all of a sudden the momentum shifts, and the other team has the hope. We see it in a relationship. Things are pretty bland between two people. Then boom, something happens and they start dating and they are an item, they are on a roll. An organization or church is rolling along harmlessly, stagnating, maybe even declining. Then it turns. All of a sudden it has this incredible energy behind it.
What happened? What created the momentum?
It’s really not very complicated. Momentum begins or changes because one simple thing happened: Somebody made a play.
An interception, a homerun, a three-point basket--someone makes a play and momentum is sparked.
Okay, someone has to make a play. But how do we do that in the church? What are the plays we can make that turn things around? I’ve been ruminating on that question for a while and have come up with my top list of plays for sparking momentum in a church:
1. Hold a Major Giving Emphasis
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
--Luke 6:38 (NIV)
The number one way I’ve seen momentum come to a church is through some sort of giving promotion. The pattern is: God moves, we move, God moves. God has already blessed us with a ton, but when we give back to him, he opens the floodgates. I’ve been involved in numerous giving campaigns, vision times and most recently, an “everybody tithe day” and God seems to move amazingly after each faith and financial commitment we make.
2. Plan a Big Day
“Jesus replied with this story: ‘A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.’”
--Luke 14:16 (NLT)
Putting together some big event--at the church, on a Sunday (or whatever day you meet) is a great way to spark momentum. Advertising, invitations, special guests and big-time promotion can turn momentum in your favor. There are some natural big days: Easter, Christmas Eve, maybe Mother’s day, but we can also plan big days at other time that ignite momentum.
Sure, attendance will drop from the big day numbers, but we most certainly will be ahead of where we were. I suggest always having that next big day event on the calendar.
3. Multiply Leaders
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”--2 Timothy 2:2
When we expand our leadership base, we expand our potential and expand our momentum. Bringing on a new staff member can encourage enthusiasm. Even adding leaders to the depth chart in any ministry can generate hope.
(Note: We offer a one-day conference that focuses more in depth with these top three keys to momentum called, “Excellerate.” The next “Excellerate” event is scheduled for September in Hunstville, Alabama--stay tuned to the GHC website for details.?
4. Find a Better Location
“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Some, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. ..They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work.”—Nehemiah 2:17-18
Moving to a better meeting location can be an enormous boost to momentum. The key is “better location.” Moving to a similar or worse location doesn’t help! Research suggests we have six weeks in the new location to show folks that it is better than the old one…But this can make a giant difference in the life of the church.
Building a new worship center can immediately cause a 20-30% spark in attendance as well.
5. Add a Service/Site
“Jesus said, ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’”—John 20:21 (NIV)
Adding a second service will generally add at least a 15% increase in attendance. It is similar for adding an additional site. Of course, issues like critical mass and staffing are critical when expanding services, but this is a great play for momentum.
6. Celebrate Wins
“And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’”-- Luke 10:18 (ESV)
When Jesus sent out his disciples, he gathered them together again to celebrate what God had done through them. Often we are so focused on the next thing that we haven’t stopped to celebrate the victory.
Here are a couple ways to celebrate wins: 1. The Team Party (See last month’s article) 2. Frequent Testimonies. We try to have at least one testimony--usually in an interview format--each Sunday at our church. God is moving, we can miss it if we don’t stop and celebrate.
7. Have a Baptism
“One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized.”--Luke 3:21 (NLT)
There is something amazingly powerful that happens in a baptism service. I cannot explain it. But momentum happens. So the more public the baptism--the more people we can get to see it, the more powerful the enthusiasm.
8. Hold a Prayer Emphasis
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
--James 5:16 (NLT)
When we get a lot of people praying that something good would happen, typically something good happens. Some of our GHCN Church Plants are incredible at holding church-wide prayer and fasting campaigns of 21 days or 40 days. We have done major prayer emphases in our church during our giving campaigns. James says prayer prodices wonderful results. It is a great play.
9. Launch a New Ministry
“See I am doing a new thing.”--Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Sometimes starting a new ministry in the church: youth, children’s, small groups…can be the play that sparks momentum. We use Grand Openings every time we move, start a new service or even start some new ministry. We have found that people in our culture like Grand Openings. People who would never buy a new car go to the Grand Opening at the new car dealership to get the hot dogs and free stuff. Openings work.
10. Community Outreach Events
“Making the most of every opportunity.”—Ephesians 5:15 (NIV)
Doing something for the community: buying backpacks for everyone in the local elementary school, serving at a city festival or parade, opening your doors to alternative sentencing folks, providing uniforms for a local sports team can often be the spark the church needs. Being outward focused--giving--leads to God giving us positive momentum.
HOW TO TAKE A STAND
Personally we often find ourselves needing to take a stand. It might be boundaries at home, curfews for the kids, communicating what we can and can’t do with the boss, or holding those who work for us accountable. As church leaders taking a stand is simply a regular part of life and ministry. We often find ourselves in the unenviable position of taking a stand.
Malcolm X is credited for the line: “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
And Martin Luther put it this way, “Here I stand; I can do no other.”
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND.
The question is how? How can we take a stand?
One of the best examples I know of properly taking a stand is the prophet Daniel. In the first six chapters of the book of Daniel we see some great examples of how to take a stand. Daniel is presented with customs outside of his culture and faith, so he takes a stand. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have to take a stand against worshipping a gold statue, and Daniel has to take a stand about to whom he can pray.
Sometimes we have to take a stand. Here some suggestion on how from Daniel:
1. Be Careful
Be bold in what you stand for, but be careful what you fall for.
The story of Daniel gives us great insight on what to stand for—and what not to stand for. King Darius, in chapter 6, makes a huge mistake by taking a political stand on something silly.
All of your officials, leaders, advisors, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next thirty days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions. Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed." So King Darius made the law and had it written down. —Daniel 6:7-9 (CEV)
When the king realizes his political stand had endangered Daniel, we read:
The king was deeply troubled—Daniel 6:14 (NLT)
Sometimes we have to take a stand, and sometimes we don’t.
Winston Churchill put it this way: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
And Thomas Jefferson had a great line: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
The book of Daniel suggests we be very careful about taking stands. Here’s some issues to watch out for:
Darius’ stand was purely political, spurred on by insecure politicians and it ended up making the king look bad. I understand that we have to be aware of politics in our world and in our organizations, but whenever I have taken a political stand, I have made myself look bad.
There’s an interesting note in Daniel 5 where Daniel has an opportunity to take a stand on money. But he passes:
Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.—Daniel 5:17 (TMV)
I have taken a stand on money a few times in my life. And I have regretted every one of those stands. I have looked foolish, selfish and even a bit ridiculous.
I got a kick out of the NBA lockout negotiations when a few weeks ago it came out that the owners were taking a stand at wanting 50% of revenues and the players were taking a stand at 52%. It became so heated that talks broke down, both sides left and terms like “nuclear winter” “cancelling the season” were being thrown about. Hmmm, 50 vs 52, what could possibly be a solution? It was clear neither side was smarter than a fifth-grader because it took them several more weeks to agree on 51%.
Jim Rome concludes, “As soon as you say, ‘It’s not about the money,’ we know it’s all about the money.”
I don’t see ultimatums from Daniel, or even his friends. Daniel’s tone is very soft when he takes a stand on vegetables in chapter 1. And in chapter 6 he doesn’t say a thing before being thrown into a fiery furnace. He shows that we can take a stand without laying down ultimatums. The kings who throw down the gauntlet in the Daniel story are the ones who look bad.
Be careful!
Dumb joke #1: Two unemployed guys are talking. One says, "I'm going to become a lion tamer." The other replies, "That's crazy, you don't know nothing about no lion taming."
"Yes I do!"
"Well, OK, answer me this. When one of those lions comes at you all roaring and biting, what you gonna do?"
"Well, then I take that big chair they all carry, and I stick it in his face until he backs down."
"Well, what if the lion takes that big paw, and hooks the chair with them big claws, and throws that chair out of the cage? What do you do then?"
"Well, then I take that whip they all carry, and I whip him and whip him until he backs down."
"Well, what if that lion bites that whip with his big teeth, and bites it in two? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, then I take that gun they all carry, and I shoot him."
"Well, what if that gun doesn't work? What will you do then?"
"Well, then I pick up some of the poop that's on the bottom of the cage, and I throw it in his eyes, and I run out of the cage."
"Well, what if there ain't no poop in the bottom of the cage? What you gonna do then?"
"Well, that's dumb. Cause if that lion comes at me, and he throws the chair out of the cage, and he bites the whip in two, and my gun don't work, there's going to be some poop on the bottom of that cage, you can bet on that."
Be careful, when we take a stand, there is often, well…poop. So, proceed with caution!
Abraham Lincoln advised, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.
2. Ask for Permission
Daniel 1 shows that a great way to take a stand is to ask permission to take that stand:
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods….
Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.—Daniel 1:8-13 (NLT)
Often we can accomplish more with a “suggestion” than with an ultimatum.
“Boundaries” authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend say that a great way to get started on boundaries is to simply ask for permission: “Do me a favor, let me say “No’ this time.”
We don’t have to announce to our in-laws, “We are never going to your house for the holidays again!” We can simply ask, “Do us a favor, let us say ‘No’ for this year.”
3. Value the relationship
When Daniel was protected from the fiery finance we read:
The king was overjoyed—Daniel 6:23 (NLT)
It is amazing to me that in both cases where Daniel took a stand, the authorities he took a stand against ended up on his side. Daniel was able to take a stand without losing the relationship.
I guess I always felt that taking a stand must mean that the relationship was now on the line.
Winston Churchill said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
But Daniel shows that taking a stand doesn’t necessarily mean creating enemies. He took a stand and made friends in the process. Which leads to the next point:
4. Get some friends
The story of Daniel reminds us that it is a lot easier to take a stand when we have friends like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego taking a stand next to or near to us.
Dumb joke #2: A rather well-built man saw an advertisement for a job at the zoo. When he went there, he was horrified to find that the only job they had open was for somebody to play the part of a monkey. A lot of children were coming in the next few days, and the zoo, having no monkeys, needed someone to impersonate one. Since money was tight, the man decided he would take the job. He arrived before sunrise, got into the monkey outfit, and slipped into his cage. Finally, day dawned, and the children came. All he had to do was pensively pace the floor, look rather adept at swinging between trees, and eat the peanuts and bananas whenever they were fed to him. After eight or ten hours, he became thoroughly exhausted. The bananas were getting the better of him. As he swung from one tree to another, rather nauseated, he slipped and fell into the lion's den next door. He shouted, "Help! Help!" The lion leaned over and said, "If you don’t keep quiet, we'll both lose our jobs."
That great theologian Eminem says, “I'm not afraid to take a stand. Everybody, come take my hand. We'll walk this road together, through the storm, whatever weather, cold or warm. Just lettin’ you know that, you're not alone. Holla’ if you feel like you've been down the same road.”
I must admit that I don’t often quote Eminem and I don’t even know the tune to that rap, but he packs a point—taking a stand works best as a team sport.
That is why we have a GHC Network: We are here to support each other, to help each other, and to take a stand with each other.
5. Let God Be God
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”—Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT)
Too often we make demands on God when we take a stand. These men knew God was able to do anything. He could save them, but even if he decided not to, they were okay because they trusted God to do what he wants.
Recently the St. Petersburg Times reported the death of a Ukrainian man who was mauled by a lioness at the Kiev Zoo. He encountered the animal on purpose, believing that God would protect him. A zoo official said the man lowered himself by a rope into a concrete enclosure holding four lions. Shouting, "God will save me, if he exists," the man took off his shoes and strode toward the animals. One lioness came to meet him. She knocked him down and quickly severed his carotid artery. Zoo officials stated that the incident—which occurred in front of a large crowd—was the first of its kind.
God has my back, he has your back. But let’s recognize that taking a stand may end up with us in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace, or in bigger trouble. God can save us and protect us, but that’s his choice, not ours.
6. Go for it.
I like this quote from Lynne Twist: “When you take a stand, it actually does shift the whole universe and unexpected, unpredictable things happen.”
Daniel’s stand on what he would eat set him up for a promotion, and his stand on trusting God only set the pace for future greatness. We all face situations where we have to take a stand, it might not be comfortable, but we have to do it.
Sometimes we have to take a stand, when that time comes, go for it.
COACHING CHANGES
Here are some of my favorite quotes about coaching:
“Coaching is not easy. It's like a nervous breakdown with a paycheck.”--Pat Williams
“Coaching is easy. Winning is the hard part.”--Elgin Baylor
“All coaching is, is taking a player where he can't take himself.”--Bill McCartney
“Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired.”--Lou Holtz
“Players suffer coaching changes all the time; it's life.”--Michael Wilbon
From time to time teams need to make some coaching changes. The Growing Healthy Churches Network has decided to streamline our coaching system. We’re putting the bulk of the burden on the client to make sure he or she is getting what they need from the relationship. I will be talking further about these coaching changes at our upcoming GHCN Clusters.
In the meantime, here is a new Job Description for GHC Coaches and Planters/Clients:
THE COACH
● Contact the church planter/client at least once per month
● Ask these questions: How are you doing? (family, physically, spiritually, emotionally...) What are your wins? Where are you struggling? What will you do about it? (Accountability and starting point for next meeting) How can I help you? How can I pray for you?
● Consistently attend clusters and events to promote face to face contact
● Be available to the planter
● Communicate special needs to the GHC Network staff
THE PLANTER
● Choose your coach
● See that the coach is paid (Let the GHCN staff know who you have chosen as a coach, or fulfill your “Pay as you go”, or other contract arrangement.)
● Consistently attend clusters and events to promote face to face contact
● Take the initiative to contact your coach
● Communicate special needs to the GHC staff
● Change coaches when needed
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH
1. Credibility
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”--1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul did not say, “Follow me as I try to fake my way through this…” Credibility is key.
Scott Adams quipped, “Consultants have credibility because they are not dumb enough to work at your company.”
But credibility takes more than that!
There’s an old saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” Nice saying, but it doesn’t work. The best coaches have been there, done that and are further down the road than the people they coach. Read More...