strategy
THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
09/02/10 10
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”--Acts 17:6 (NKJV)
The first century believers turned their world upside down. I’ve been spending time this year looking through the Book of Acts, seeing how the early believers turned their world upside down and wondering how we can too. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of tenacity-- they knew how to shake off adversity--even the worst situations. The way they handled conflict also spurred them on. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 11 outlines that key:
“Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God,
but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.
And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people.
(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”
--Acts 11:19-26 (NLT)
Acts 11 is one of those fairly obscure but amazingly significant turning point chapters in the Bible. In this passage Christianity changes from a Jews-only sect to a worldwide movement; it transforms from a Jerusalem thing to an everywhere thing; from contained to viral. The author, Luke, notes that it was here in Antioch that Christianity really got it’s liftoff--the believers weren’t called Christians in Jerusalem, it was in Antioch that things exploded. Read More...
The first century believers turned their world upside down. I’ve been spending time this year looking through the Book of Acts, seeing how the early believers turned their world upside down and wondering how we can too. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of tenacity-- they knew how to shake off adversity--even the worst situations. The way they handled conflict also spurred them on. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 11 outlines that key:
“Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God,
but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.
And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people.
(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”
--Acts 11:19-26 (NLT)
Acts 11 is one of those fairly obscure but amazingly significant turning point chapters in the Bible. In this passage Christianity changes from a Jews-only sect to a worldwide movement; it transforms from a Jerusalem thing to an everywhere thing; from contained to viral. The author, Luke, notes that it was here in Antioch that Christianity really got it’s liftoff--the believers weren’t called Christians in Jerusalem, it was in Antioch that things exploded. Read More...
THE PREVIEW
05/20/09 09
For many years new churches have launched using a “preview” strategy. The idea is to use the movie industry idea of the test screening, or sneak preview--giving a glimpse of what is to come. Most new churches now hold a series of preview services as they move toward a launch.
Previews are an effective approach because:
But the effectiveness of preview method isn’t limited to church launches. At the church I serve as Lead Pastor, Discovery Church in Elk Grove, we’ve used previews in many scenarios:
Going to two services
One of the most difficult growth steps in church life is when a church moves from a single service to two. In the first two church plants I led, this move was almost traumatic for a lot of folks. The usual complaints of, “we’ll not get to see everybody” and “it’s too much work” fought hard against outreach. But at Discovery this move went smoother because we used a preview approach--just like when we launched. We picked typical high attendance Sundays and did a preview of two services. The transition went very well. People saw that we had the resources to could pull it off, and some even realized that if they wanted to see everyone, all they had to do was stick around for both services--serving in one and attending another.
Adding additional services
When we moved from two to three services, we used the same preview approach. Easing people in made it easier.
Determining service times
One of the issues we faced with holding three Sunday morning services had to do with service times. The preview method allowed us to try a host of different service time options without getting stuck. We discovered that an 8:30/9:45/11am schedule was by far the best for us.
Moving venues
Our church has moved a lot--so much so that we realize how tough a move can be--but the preview option has lessened the blow. When we were meeting in a school and a hotel opened up right near property we were in the process of buying, we thought about a move. But what would it be like to meet in a hotel? We did a preview. We picked a holiday Sunday--Memorial Day weekend and did “A holiday Sunday at the Holiday Inn.” That preview helped us--and the hotel--realize what needed to take place to make a move happen. Later when we moved to a theater complex that had recently reversed its opposition to holding church services, we were able to give it a try with a preview. We also held several preview services outside on land we were considering purchasing --like I said, we’ve moved a lot!
Going to multi-site
As we consider moving toward a multi-site ministry--one church in more than one location--we’ve used the preview approach. We enlisted a potential leader to gather a group, multiply to a gathering, then move to “party” and “services” stages. At our first preview we recognized some major issues and realized we are not ready yet. The preview saved us from a myriad of problems.
Changing formats
When we moved to using a “Big Idea” teaching method on Sundays, we introduced the concept (the children, youth and adults using the same teaching and one central main idea) through a preview approach.
We’ve made other changes by previewing the change first.
I like how leadership expert Warren Bennis puts it: “Innovation by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires courageous patience.”
Bennis is on to it regarding change, resistance, testing and patience.
One caveat: I’m not sure “endless demonstrations” is the answer. For new churches there is a shelf-life to the preview phase: two previews might not be enough, six might be too many. Leaders need to read this carefully. I enjoy a few previews while waiting for a show to start, but there have been occasions when I thought, “Hey, when are we going to get to the feature presentation?”
But the use of previews can make a big difference in implementing something new. Actually this article might be a preview of a better one later!
Previews are an effective approach because:
But the effectiveness of preview method isn’t limited to church launches. At the church I serve as Lead Pastor, Discovery Church in Elk Grove, we’ve used previews in many scenarios:
Going to two services
One of the most difficult growth steps in church life is when a church moves from a single service to two. In the first two church plants I led, this move was almost traumatic for a lot of folks. The usual complaints of, “we’ll not get to see everybody” and “it’s too much work” fought hard against outreach. But at Discovery this move went smoother because we used a preview approach--just like when we launched. We picked typical high attendance Sundays and did a preview of two services. The transition went very well. People saw that we had the resources to could pull it off, and some even realized that if they wanted to see everyone, all they had to do was stick around for both services--serving in one and attending another.
Adding additional services
When we moved from two to three services, we used the same preview approach. Easing people in made it easier.
Determining service times
One of the issues we faced with holding three Sunday morning services had to do with service times. The preview method allowed us to try a host of different service time options without getting stuck. We discovered that an 8:30/9:45/11am schedule was by far the best for us.
Moving venues
Our church has moved a lot--so much so that we realize how tough a move can be--but the preview option has lessened the blow. When we were meeting in a school and a hotel opened up right near property we were in the process of buying, we thought about a move. But what would it be like to meet in a hotel? We did a preview. We picked a holiday Sunday--Memorial Day weekend and did “A holiday Sunday at the Holiday Inn.” That preview helped us--and the hotel--realize what needed to take place to make a move happen. Later when we moved to a theater complex that had recently reversed its opposition to holding church services, we were able to give it a try with a preview. We also held several preview services outside on land we were considering purchasing --like I said, we’ve moved a lot!
Going to multi-site
As we consider moving toward a multi-site ministry--one church in more than one location--we’ve used the preview approach. We enlisted a potential leader to gather a group, multiply to a gathering, then move to “party” and “services” stages. At our first preview we recognized some major issues and realized we are not ready yet. The preview saved us from a myriad of problems.
Changing formats
When we moved to using a “Big Idea” teaching method on Sundays, we introduced the concept (the children, youth and adults using the same teaching and one central main idea) through a preview approach.
We’ve made other changes by previewing the change first.
I like how leadership expert Warren Bennis puts it: “Innovation by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires courageous patience.”
Bennis is on to it regarding change, resistance, testing and patience.
One caveat: I’m not sure “endless demonstrations” is the answer. For new churches there is a shelf-life to the preview phase: two previews might not be enough, six might be too many. Leaders need to read this carefully. I enjoy a few previews while waiting for a show to start, but there have been occasions when I thought, “Hey, when are we going to get to the feature presentation?”
But the use of previews can make a big difference in implementing something new. Actually this article might be a preview of a better one later!
NETWORKING
08/25/07 07
The more time I spend with church planters, the more I see the incredible need planters have for networking. The notion that church planters are independent individualists who prefer to be left alone is more myth than reality. Most church planters, most gifted planters, and certainly the type of planters that we’re assembling in the Growing Healthy Churches Network are leaders who see and need and exhibit a strong desire to connect with like-minded folks.
King Solomon felt the same way:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”--Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
The need for a network is a Bible principle, and it meets at least four practical needs for planters:
Networking is God’s solution for loneliness
Ministry can be lonely. And front-line ministries such as church planting can lead to isolation. One of the reasons the GHC Network exists is to remind planters that we’re not alone--we’re in this kingdom work together.
I love this Orson Welles quote: “My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
Let’s stop eating alone and ministering alone.
Networking is God’s solution for fatigue
Saint John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.”
We get tired and cold because we try to do it all, and we try to do it all by ourselves. But God meant for us to serve together. There is something rejuvenating about meeting together with others doing similar work. Sharing ideas (It’s not stealing if you get permission!) can refresh us, it can restore our fire.
Networking is God’s solution for discouragement
Michael Jordan concluded, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”
To win, we’ve got to work together.
We all have had losses and downright disasters in ministry. Finding someone to weep with us or finding someone further down the road who admits to making a similar mistake can take the edge off that temptation to get down. And when we move from talent alone to teamwork, we see success.
And Networking is God’s solution for fear
Robert Lewis, in his book, “The Church of Irresistible Influence” noted, “Isolation breeds and multiplies fears, propelling the imagination to envision the world as even more threatening than it really is.”
We’re called to be people of faith, to take risks and to chase the opportunities. But it can be scary on our own. Sometimes just seeing what others have done or simply being around other risk-takers gives us the courage to take our next step of faith.
There’s an old story about a professor who heard about an actual dinosaur still alive in the rainforests of South America. So, the professor launched a scientific expedition. After several weeks he stumbled upon a little man wearing a loincloth, standing near a 300 foot long dead dinosaur. The scientist couldn’t believe it. "Did you kill this dinosaur?" he asked. "Yep," replied the rainforest native. But it's so big and you're so small! How did you kill it?” the professor inquired. With my club," the primitive fellow answered. "How big is your club?” asked the scientist? The little man answered, "Well, there are about 100 of us..."
Let’s keep networking and keep adding to our network
King Solomon felt the same way:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”--Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
The need for a network is a Bible principle, and it meets at least four practical needs for planters:
Networking is God’s solution for loneliness
Ministry can be lonely. And front-line ministries such as church planting can lead to isolation. One of the reasons the GHC Network exists is to remind planters that we’re not alone--we’re in this kingdom work together.
I love this Orson Welles quote: “My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
Let’s stop eating alone and ministering alone.
Networking is God’s solution for fatigue
Saint John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.”
We get tired and cold because we try to do it all, and we try to do it all by ourselves. But God meant for us to serve together. There is something rejuvenating about meeting together with others doing similar work. Sharing ideas (It’s not stealing if you get permission!) can refresh us, it can restore our fire.
Networking is God’s solution for discouragement
Michael Jordan concluded, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”
To win, we’ve got to work together.
We all have had losses and downright disasters in ministry. Finding someone to weep with us or finding someone further down the road who admits to making a similar mistake can take the edge off that temptation to get down. And when we move from talent alone to teamwork, we see success.
And Networking is God’s solution for fear
Robert Lewis, in his book, “The Church of Irresistible Influence” noted, “Isolation breeds and multiplies fears, propelling the imagination to envision the world as even more threatening than it really is.”
We’re called to be people of faith, to take risks and to chase the opportunities. But it can be scary on our own. Sometimes just seeing what others have done or simply being around other risk-takers gives us the courage to take our next step of faith.
There’s an old story about a professor who heard about an actual dinosaur still alive in the rainforests of South America. So, the professor launched a scientific expedition. After several weeks he stumbled upon a little man wearing a loincloth, standing near a 300 foot long dead dinosaur. The scientist couldn’t believe it. "Did you kill this dinosaur?" he asked. "Yep," replied the rainforest native. But it's so big and you're so small! How did you kill it?” the professor inquired. With my club," the primitive fellow answered. "How big is your club?” asked the scientist? The little man answered, "Well, there are about 100 of us..."
Let’s keep networking and keep adding to our network