ACTS 1:8

Growth Workshop

UNIT 3WHERE DOES GOD WANTUS TO GO FROM HERE?

Barriers to moving to the next level: Spiritual Issues

• Unconfessed sin hampers the Spirit's work.• Unconfessed sin consumes growth energy.• Unconfessed sin hinders body life.• Neglect of devotional life. • Ignoring the reality of spiritual warfare.• Failure to put on the whole armor of God.• Question: How are we going to deal with

this issue in the life of this church?

Leaders tied to unproductive work.

• Pastor/Planter and church members' time is limited.• Pastor/Planter and church members' time and

energy often misspent.• Pastor/Planter and church members' time use should

be analyzed, appropriately invested.– Whatever the church does must be evaluated on a

regular basis, and this takes place under the lens of its vision/purpose –Aubrey Malphurs

No growth mentality

• Don't expect church to grow• Will not work here

• Don't want church to grow• Comfortable

Leadership imbalance• Class I , volunteers turned inward• Class II, volunteers turned outward

Ratio and Ministry Mode

• In Effective Church Leadership, Kennon Callahan says

• 70% C I (turned inward) to 30% C II Maintenance ministry mode

• 30% C I (turned inward) to 70% C II Missional mode

Two critical questions:

• 1. How many C I and C II leaders do we have? What is the ratio?

• 2. How many C I and C II leaders do we need to enlist and train?

RiskTakers

CareTakers

UnderTakers

31%

On Average, the last Five yearsOklahoma Baptist Churches,

23%

46%

No plans for growth.

• Churches with no plans• Budget just for inflation

• Churches with maintenance plans

• Churches with growth plans

Churches tend to fall into three groups.

.Organization and program

limitations.

• Organization fixed• Resistant to new units, • Unrelated to vision, values, mission• Doors closed to outsiders

Members not mobilized or equipped to be on mission.

• Mentality that sees ministry is for clergy.

• Giftedness of members ignored

• Members seen as spectators and supporters.

Normal patterns and plateaus of growth.

Organizational Issues.

Organizational Issues.• Cells division (See Appendix A)(See Appendix A)

– Cell (s)– Congregation (s)– Church

Organizational Issues.

Single Cell, Single Congregation Church

Appendix A

Organizational Issues.

Multicell, Single Congregation Church

Organizational Issues.

Multicell, Multi-congregation Church

Internal structure of a single cell church

Key Family or FamiliesKey Family or Families

Deacons Youth

Mission group

Sunday SchoolChoir

???

Mid – size rubber band effectrubber band effect

Key familiesor families

Disconnected groups

Churches in transition

SmallChurchCharacteristics Medium Church

LargeChurch

Characteristics

Transition period begins

Rubber Rubber Band effectBand effect

McIntosh’s Typology of Church SizeFactors Small Church Medium Church Large Church

Size 15-200 75-400 100 +Worshipers

• Orientation Relational Programmatical Organizational • Structure Single cell Stretched cell Multiple cell• Leadership Resides in Resides in Resides in key families committees select leaders• Pastor Lover Administrator Leader• Decisions Made by made by made by staff

congregation committees and leaders Driven by Driven by Driven by

History changing needs vision

Decision Making ClimateSmall Church Medium Church Larger ChurchSmall Church Medium Church Larger ChurchEmotional (a mixture)

RationalSubjective

ObjectivePopular MeritInformal FormalFamily

Leaders

McIntosh’s Typology of Church SizeFactors Small Church Medium Church Large Church

Size 15-200 75-400 100 +Worshipers Staff Bivo or single pastor and Multiple staff pastor small staff

• Change Bottom up Middle out Top down through key through key through key

people committees leaders• Growth Attraction Program Proclamation Patterns model model through through key

through ministry word of mouth relationships

McIntosh’s Typology of Church SizeFactors Small Church Medium Church Large Church

Size 15-200 75-400 100 +Worshipers

• Growth Small Church Inadequate Poor assimilation Obstacles image facilities - Ineffective Inadequate Increased

evangelism staff bureaucracy- Inadequate Inadequate Poor

programming finances communication - Downward Poor admin- Loss of vision

momentum -istration - Ingrown Increasing Lack of member

fellowship complexity care

• Important questions• 1. Are we willing to keep groups growing?• 2. Do we see need to begin new cells?• 3. Are we willing to begin new groups--

formal and informal?

Normal patterns & plateaus of growth & decline (Appendix B)

Appendix B

800

400

750-850 6 or 7 cong.

200

350-400 3 cong. 450-700 mem.

115

175-225 range 2 cong. /6 cells 301-450 mem.

65

90-150 range 1 cong. /3 or 4 cells 176-350 mem.

35

45-86 range 2 cells small cong. 100-175 mem.

15

5-50 range 1 cell 0-99 mem.

3-25 range

PLATEAUS OF GROWTH AND DECLINE cong.=congregation/s mem.=membership

Normal patterns & plateaus of growth & decline

• 3 -25 Range (Breaking the 15 Barriers )• 5 – 50 Range (Breaking the 35 Barriers)• 48 – 86 Range (Breaking the 65 Barriers)• 90 – 150 Range (the 115 Barriers)• 175 - 225 Range (the 200 barrier)

Discussion Questions

• Which of these barriers, organizational issues and/or leadership issues need to be addressed in your setting?

• What issues are priority for your church’s health and growth?

• How will you address these issues?