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Archive for April, 2008

Steve Andrews

  1. People are buried under a mountain of debt. – Dave Ramsey
  2. Online giving (automated is better everything that is important for me I automate mortgage, cars)
  3. What do you do about leadership giving…If they don’t give fire them. Imagine if you went to a football game and the linebacker didn’t want to push hard.
  4. People will do exactly what you will do so you have to let them know
  5. What do you do with sizable onetime gifts? Thank them. Spend it.
  6. Teach generosity
  7. Steve and his wife gave 18% last year.
  8. They decided to give their kids two things…an experience of the world and God was calling them as a couple that retirement was not something they would consider.
  9. Next year they are looking to give 25% this year from their income.

Brian:

  1. This is a spiritual journey.
  2. We took our church though a campaign to raise the whole giving of the church.

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Steve Andrews and Brian Tome

When the money isn’t there it can be a desperate place to land. Jesus told his disciples, “You have not because you ask not”. As church planters, we must take responsibility for being the chief resource raiser. Learning how to inspire others to give financially to Jesus’ cause is key to kingdom impact.

Brian Tome:

Going after money is:

  • Instigating Spiritual Formation
  • Embracing Strategic Regression
    • If you decide to go after tithing your attendance will go down.

This is the spiritual fogram. It gets at the heart of very thing.

Do’s of Finances…

  1. Establish your guiding financial principles
    1. Spend Money (we are here to invest it),
    2. Bless People (Staff, Bless People in out church, India),
    3. Budget according to vision not expectation.
  2. 1st Time Thank You Notes
    1. Yes pastor you should know what people give
  3. Have a sexy arm – endues giving (NO general fund-ministry fund)
  4. Sex up your ministry fund
  5. Quarterly vision Statement that contains vision.
  6. Check your leaders’ giving (we reproduce what we’re like not what we like)
  7. Tithe – Pastor needs to lead the spiritual activities of generosity
  8. Money series every 12 to 18 months
  9. Financial anecdote every month when preaching

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Darrin Patrick of The Journey

Bill Hybels said, there are big L leaders. Recently he read Alendar on leadership and as he thought about the Hybels talk and the Alendar book he was struck thinking Paul was a great leader but a broken leader.

Paul was a great leader

  • Reluctant
  • Weak Leader
  • Sin Confessing Leader

Paul was already a leader busy putting the fun back into Pharisee

Acts 9 he is knocked off his horse and told his life will more or less suck.

Leaders are more driven by discontent

Here is why you should resign:

You will be loved one min. and heated the next

You will (given enough time) disappoint everyone

People will put you on a pedestal and then pull you down

You will never be a regular guy

You are constantly working with

  • · People
  • · Systems
  • · Plans

Everything you work with will implode. All the systems will be obsolete in just a few months, the plans will all fail eventually and the people will all feel let down.

You will have to make 1000’s of decision and decision making leaders are all going to be lonely.

The voice in your head will say: No one really understands

Most of the people want you to leave them alone

If you are excited about leading you probably not ready….you should be a little reluctlent because of:

  • Your position
  • Your task

Great leaders follow reluctant leaders. Because great leaders see that the reluctant leader is about the mission not becoming a rock star.

Reluctance is a leader magnet

2 Cor 12:7 (esv)

7So(A) to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a](B) a thorn was given me in the flesh,(C) a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8(D) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, (E) “My grace is sufficient for you, for(F) my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that(G) the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10(H) For the sake of Christ, then,(I) I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For(J) when I am weak, then I am strong.

People follow week leaders

Paul didn’t like the thorn. He prayed 3x for God to take it away. What is the thing in your life that God has given you that you what God to take away. What is the thing that causes you to need to trust God? What is the thing that keeps you humble/dependent?

Dependence is the soil that makes things grows. It grows character.

If you operate in dependence, leading out of weakness it is a pathway to character and it is a leadership magnet

When you only lead out of your strength you become controlling. When you are controlling you chase good leaders away.

Leaders who try to control things the more the leader hides. The more they hide the more they need to control. They will give themselves over to substance, unhealthy relationship,

Why are you even here…you don’t need to learn more stuff that you won’t do. A lot of you are hear because you are hiding. You travel to get away from your job and your family.

You don’t repent of issues, personality types, character flaws. You repent of sin. Christians repent of sin. If you don’t repent daily privately and publicly you need to.

1 Tm 1:8

8Now we know that(A) the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9understanding this, that the(B) law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,[a] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to(C) sound[b] doctrine, 11in accordance with(D) the gospel of the glory of(E) the blessed God(F) with which I have been entrusted.

Don’t use the pulpit and a confessional booth and your sermon as therapy.

James 3:16 KEY VERSE

16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Ambition (we want to make a name for our self).

It is in our hearts…we may as well start confessing it. If you are a control freak, everyone knows, you may as well start confessing it.

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Shawn Lovejoy of Mountain Lake and churchplanting.com

SEE SHAWN’S NOTES HERE>>>

From Day ONE he said, “I have a new level of doubt!”

Planters Doubt:

  • Vision
  • Call
  • Their Ability
  • Their Faith
  • Their Talent
  • We doubt ourselves
  • The list is almost endless.

We begin to compare ourselves to other leaders

When and what worked for them we believe will work for us, so we start to rip off their stuff, their style, their image, their voice for their context.

When we compare, we are caused to either condemn those we try to measure our self against or ourselves.

Study all the spiritual leader was tempted to self doubt. Even Jesus was tempted to doubt the call on his life. When Jesus was tempted or heard others come against him and try to get him to do or be someone or something he wasn’t he said, “Get behind me…”.

1 Samuel 17:38-40

David had a choice to fight like Saul would have fought the battle or go and find his own method.

A lot of leaders are fighting and leading while wearing other people’s methods.

What will set churches apart in the future will be that some are led by leaders trying to imitate and some will be led by leaders who are yielded to the Spirit of God and are themselves being led by God.

David was tempted to: We are tempted to:

Act like a military man rather than Use someone else’s personality

A shepherd

Trust in Saul’s experience Use someone else’s testimony rather than trust how God has used and moved in us in the past.

Fight the giant in his power Miss how God wants us to trust him in our culture

and context

Wear Saul’s armor and uses his Use someone else’s tools and use someone

Sword. else’s ingenuity

What would have happened if David walked out into battle in Saul’s armor?

Maybe God wants us to be secure in our own skin, take off all the artificial stuff pick up

some stones

Seven Questions:

  1. Who am I – Really?
  2. What’s my testimony? What has God been up to in my life up till now?
  3. What are my strengths? Gifts?
  4. What is unique about me, my context, my passions, my calling?
  5. How does all this make me and my church unique?
  6. Am I more of a Soldier or a Shepard?
  7. How does all this affirm or go against the way I am doing ministry?

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Batterson – Continued

Hebrews 1:1  In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various wayselephant-in-the-church

God spoke through people both at specific times and in a lot of different ways.   We need to ask God to help us know both when to speak and how to speak.

 

John 12:49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.

7 steps to sermon branding

1.  Develop a sermon series title

Every ology is a branch of Theology – God created it all

                        John 9 Blind man healed (neurology) Synapses genesis

Example 1st & 2nd Tim = POTENTIAL

LAST WORDS

LOVE YOU HOW

            How to set goals

            How to set boundaries

THE ELEPHANT IN THE CHURCH

THE GAME OF LIEE

2.      Create a series graphic

a.       A picture is worth 10 million words

b.      Jesus used word pictures

              i.      Jesus was in carpentry for years before ministry

1.      he was an artist who did his art with

·        Shapes

·        Color

·        Content

            12 Chapters in the Bible on the esthetic of the Temple

Content is still king…you have to still be able to preach.  But don’t ignore the environment. 

He has read books on Color Theory – it is that important

            Some come at you

            Some move away

            All of it communicates

Go to your environments with new eyes

3.      Design a series invite and evite card

4.      Brainstorm Big Ideas

a.       Book the Big Idea by

b.      What does God want to say in “this” weekend

c.       Preach one point sermons

                                                                           i.      More is less and less is more

Bed of nails – 1000 points defuse penetration and to many points in our messages defuse penetration as well

                                                                         ii.      The most important truth needs to be told in the most unforgettable way

1.      People walk out remembering “the” story you told

Example: theelephantinthechurch.com

Example: chasethelion.com

5.  Create Videos, trailers, photos…I want to become all things to all men so that in doing so I may win some.

6.  Add sermon props

            Nails – Remember the Crucifixion

            Towel – servant hood

People begin to ask, “What is going on this week”

7.      Add sermon staging

 

 Resource: Made to Stick 

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that “stick” and explain sure-fire methods for making ideas stickier, such as violating schemas, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating “curiosity gaps.”

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Short Notes from a four our stint with Mark Batterson:

READ MARK BATTERSON”S NOTES HERE>>>

Reinertson, Batterson, Bjorlo

  • Everything says something about everything.
  • Don’t over promises and then under deliver – under promise and over deliver.
  • Bill Gates said, “We over estimate what we can do in two years and under estimate what we can do in ten years”.
  • If you pour your life into on church for 30 years, who knows what God could do.
  • Overcoming the fear of failure doesn’t come from success; it comes from developing immunity through many small doses of failure.
  • The longer you have to wait the more you appreciate what you get from God… National Community Church in Washington, DC church grew from 19 to 250 over a five year period.
  • Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you.
  • We plant and water but God give the increase…numbers are a tricky thing (don’t get to down or too excited by them).
  • I don’t want anyone from another church…They will have a vision for what our church should look like.
  • NCC has a 40% to 50% turnover ever year…last year it was 44%.
  • They have 83 small groups.
  • My church can find another pastor. My son has only one dad!
  • Church gets one night per week. Mark spends the other night closer to home.
  • Small groups are the heart of what we do.
  • Pulpit announcements are counter productive
  • We market and package small groups and corresponding marketing based on three semesters each year.
  • They do quarterly leadership summits and a yearly (2 day away) retreat for all small group leaders. Cast vision and give some insider info…what is coming up.
  • Final Cut Pro is a great program.
  • 1% of what you say will make 99% of your impact or 99% difference for people. Learn to say the most important thing well (in particular with internal marketing).
  • Don’t spam the congregation – white noise (monthly e-news not weekly)
  • Values out front not beliefs. Jesus didn’t even ask his followers who people thought he was until they had been there for a while. People can by into our values as they learn about our beliefs. They can be part of the community as the develop theological understanding.
  • We MUST turn attenders into inviters.
  • Provide Invite cards and other tools.
  • Church is a tag team sport: When you walk in you tag me and trust that I will provide your guest with a relevant experience that points people to God through a variety of well thought through mechanism. When you leave I tag you and trust you to be inviting the people far from God to join you as you journey.
  • We create selfishness within our congregation as we come to the end of our vision. When we stop looking outward we begin looking inward.
  • Mark sees the Annual Report they create as the best and most powerful internal marketing too (and he should it is great – when have you heard a pastor brag about another pastors Annual Report????).

Recourses:

Psprint.com

Gotprint.com

Overnightprint.com

Hotcards.com

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Every Penny Counts

Every Penny CountsToday, I hired a new church consultant to look over our bookkeeping practices. As church planters we need to know that every penny counts and how these pennies are accounted for matters big time. Over the past four years we have worked hard to keep our books in order and have done better and better every year.

As our fiscal year runs April through March this is a new beginning for us. It is a great time to make sure that we are doing things the “right way”. As The Journey North finance team met it was determined that we can do better at utilizing QuickBooks, but no one on the team new how to take us to the next level.

It is important to understand your personal and group limitations and then decide if the factors warrant some kind of outside assistance or is muddling along and learning as you go good enough. In some areas it probably is…with the funds that people are giving to God and intrusting into our care, we better have “Best Business Practices”.

There really is a difference between “Good” and “Best”. It is time for us to move beyond good. The temptation we have fallen into in the past was to be satisfied knowing that our bookkeeping was improving, we were getting better. The stakes have never been higher for us and the amount that God has given us to manage has continued to go up.

With each new program, initiative, outreach opportunity, staff hire comes layer upon layer of financial complexity. We can have finance teams, finance elders, bookkeepers, auditors or any number of other wise people around us. But listen up Pastor…you are seen by the congregant as the CFO of your church. You better know that the money is being taken care of and managed well. You MUST know!

Don’t settle (as I have in the past with good…start and maintain great financial practices and bookkeeping procedures). If you want to follow my lead in this, get it right before it causes you ANY pain. Thankfully we are a few steps ahead of the game. I am committed to keep it that way.

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Church Health Tool

Based on the 12 Characteristics of a Healthy Church

The following is a tool to help a church evaluate itself in regard to the Twelve Characteristics of a Healthy Church. Remember, no church is a perfect 5 in every area; there’s always room for improvement and progress. Areas of imperfection provide a strong bias for action and change; they give impetus for growth.
Note! This tool is not designed as an evaluation of the pastor; it’s an assessment of the health of the church as a whole. It will give a more accurate picture of the health of a church if several people, both clergy and lay members, participate in the assessment. The pastor(s), governing board, and chairpersons of various committees and ministries, and even the entire membership may fill out a copy of this form.

This assessment tool asks twelve main questions, each of which has a subset of several questions. You are asked to give a numerical value on the linear scale to each of the main questions. Putting a numerical value on the line by each of the subset questions will help you analyze more precisely areas of strengths and weakness. (It may be helpful to answer the subset questions first and then give an overall rating.) In answering the questions, use the following scale:

1. = Never
2. = Rarely/almost never
3. = Sometimes/occasionally
4. = Often/most of the time
5. = Always

1. INSPIRING WORSHIP

Do we as a community highly value, enthusiastically support and consistently offer quality, inspiring worship and can we honestly call ourselves a praying people?

A. Worship


Does our worship focus people’s attention on God and make them more aware of Him?

Is every element of the worship done with excellence?

Is there cohesiveness and flow to the worship experience?

Are the worship leaders gifted in leading people to focus on God?

Have we connected with God when we meet for worship in community?

Do we come to worship with a sense of anticipation?

Is our worship true to our understanding of Scripture?

Is our worship culturally relevant?

B. Prayer


Does the awareness that apart from Christ we can do nothing lead us to utter dependence upon God through prayer?

Do our leaders, both in personal practice and in leadership settings, lead by prayer?

Do we offer a variety of opportunities for corporate prayer?

Are we teaching believers to pray?

Do we encourage family worship and prayer and provide resources to support that?

Does our church pray regularly for the evangelization of our community, nation and world?

Do we affirm our members with a particular calling to prayer ministry and use them well?

Do we regularly unite to pray with the wider body of believers in our community to intercede with God for revival and spiritual harvest around the globe?



2. EMPOWERED LEADERS

Is/are our pastor(s) godly, gifted, equipped and adequately resourced leader?


Have we encouraged our pastor(s) to participate in an in-depth self-analysis process?

Have we given our pastor(s) opportunity to intentionally identify and assess their spiritual gifts?

Do we enable our pastor(s) to minister primarily in areas of giftedness?

Do we enable our pastor(s) to continue education?

Do we enable our pastor(s) to take time for personal retreat and renewal apart from vacation?

Do we have an adequate budget to allow our pastor(s) to pursue professional enrichment opportunities?

Do we hold our pastor(s) accountable for their spiritual well-being?

Do we guard the sermon-preparation time of our pastor(s)?

Do we have well-defined and widely accepted role expectations for our pastor(s)?

3. PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY

Are we caring, loving people who think and behave biblically in contrast to the surrounding culture, while genuinely loving people in the surrounding culture?


Are characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit being experienced and observed by more and more people.

Do we have an intentional growth path for spiritual development?

Does our preaching, teaching and disciple-making translate into people who live a more godly life-style?

Is our church a place where people feel safe to be transparent and vulnerable?

Does our church reach out in tangible ways to needy people to express care and provide help?

Is our primary leadership requirement the spiritual maturity of our leaders?

Are our members being challenged to respond to God’s call to either short-tern or career ministry and mission?

Do people and families feel increasingly valued?

4. GIFT ORIENTED MINISTRY

Is each person in our church equipped and mobilized to use his/her gifts, skills and resources to grow the church?


Do we have a plan to enable each member of our church to know his/her spiritual gifts?

Do we have a plan to help each member exercise his/her spiritual gifts in ministry in the church?

Do we encourage members to exercise their spiritual gifts outside the church to the transformation of the community?

Do we provide teaching on a regular basis that conveys the expectation that each member will actively serve Jesus Christ through the church?

Do we have a plan to develop and use the leadership gifts of those within our congregation?

Are we broadening our leadership base so that more than a few people are doing most of the work?

5. GODLY UNITY

What programs and processes do we have in place to eliminate prejudicial, judgmental acts and attitudes?


Do we intentionally encourage the generations to affirm, value, and interact well in our church?

Do we have a positive method for addressing and resolving conflicts between people and groups within the church?

Does our church congregation reflect the demographic make-up of our community?

Do our governing boards and leadership teams reflect the demographic make-up (race, age, and gender) of our church?

Does our church have a cross-cultural sister relationship with another church?

Do we have a well-thought out philosophy and process of church discipline?

6. INTENTIONAL EVANGELISM
Does the number of our conversion and baptisms indicate an intentional commitment to evangelize the lost?


Do we encourage and provide prayer opportunities to intercede for the lost?

Do we encourage our members to build relationships with unchurched or secular people?

Does our church offer a variety of appropriate entry points/outreach events to attract unchurched or secular people?

Does our church provide regular training in evangelism?

Is our church growing through conversions?

Are we visitor-friendly and do we offer a warm welcome to guests?

Do we have an intentional plan for assimilating and enfolding new attendees into the life of the church?

Are we committed to evangelize our community?

7. CHEERFUL GIVING
Do our financial reports show an annual increase in giving that permits greater ministries being offered to increasing numbers of people?


Do we offer training relative to financial stewardship?

Do we offer training pertaining to personal financial management?

Is financial responsibility in the church seen as a part of total life management?

Is our church being financially challenged on a regular basis to support the mission and vision of the church?

Do we have the financial resources to respond to unforeseen/unexpected ministry opportunities?

Do we consistently meet our projected budget?

Are our financial records above reproach?

Is the church managing and spending its financial resources responsibly in a God-honoring way?

8. CULTURAL RELEVANCE

Is our church involved in meeting people’s needs and better our community as a whole?


Has our church adequately assessed our community to determine its needs?

Do we provide specific opportunities to address those community needs?

Are our people encouraged to bring salt and light to community programs and organizations (parent-teacher groups, civic organizations, ministries of compassion)?

Is our congregation known in the community for positive and relevant involvement?

9. PLANNED REPRODUCTION

How many new churches have we started in the last five years?


Have we parented church plants in the last five years?

Have we partnered with other churches to plant churches in the last five years?

Do we have a plan for our involvement in church planting?

10. BIBLICAL BELIEFS

Do we know and conform to the BGC Affirmation of Faith?


Do we teach the BGC Affirmation of Faith in our new members class?

Are our new members required to affirm the BGC Affirmation of Faith?

Is the content of the BGC Affirmation of Faith central to our teaching ministries?

Does our personal life-style and corporate practice reflect the GC Affirmation of Faith?

11. MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP

Do we have a mutually beneficial connection to the BGC and are we networked with other BGC churches to accomplish common goals?


Do we participate in district and BGC ministries and events?

Does our budget reflect a commitment to our district and the BGC?

Does our church financially support BGC missionaries?

Does our church financially support USA church planters?

Does our church financially support church enrichment ministries?

Does our church financially support Bethel University?

Do we have an intentional plan for informing our church concerning district and BGC matters?

Is our church being resourced by BGC entities (district, Bethel, national)?

Are our youth being made aware of the educational opportunities available through Bethel University and Hispanic Bible School?

Are our youth being challenged with ministry opportunities through the BGC-short-term and/or career?

Do we have representatives from district, Bethel and national address our congregation periodically?


12. HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Do we regularly and intentionally set motivating, God-sized goals and then periodically review the extent to which we’re accomplishing them?


Does our church have clearly defined and widely understood mission and vision statements?

Does our church enter into a regular strategic and ministry planning process?

Do we have specific goals related to the 12 characteristics of a healthy church?

Is there regular evaluation in achieving our goals?

Does all we do reflect dependence on the Holy Spirit because of the bigness and greatness of God?

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…Make Disciples.

There is a huge philosophical danger (if we don’t understand that God builds the church) as we plant our churches. Church Planters need to decide to build reproducing, mature people called disciples.

When we just focus on planting a church we run the danger of having a group of people coming to a Sunday morning event. That’s not a church, that’s a gathering. If we are going to build churches we need to put our focus on making disciples (even better, making disciples from those who are far from Christ).

In preparing for the Exponential Conference, Rick Warren (Direct link to mp3) is featured on the pod cast talking about this very issue.

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Asking for money is a humbling task. I am well aware that when we put our selves out there (in front of family, friends, co-workers and their circles of influence) it goes against the natural inclination of most church planters. Church Planters have an independent streak. They are a bunch of cowboys shooting off their guns, making a bunch of noise. As a group, church planters tend to be incredibly self-reliant. So when we are forced to ask for help, ask for support it goes against our nature.

Over the years, I have walked a lot of planters through the support raising process. In this time I have made a few observations:

  1. Planters will always be seen as the CFO of the church they plant. They will, year after year need to raise funds for all kinds of things (additional equipment, staff, land and buildings). This becomes a very important training ground.
  2. Planters who are able to raise the necessary capital have an enormous leg up. They don’t have the same pressures as their counter parts who neglect this step. Each month they have assurance that their spouse will be able to sleep well and there will likely be food on the table. Also, more of the launch team funds go into start up costs.
  3. Month after month the pay check screams the assurance that others who are sending their sacrificial gifts for the planters support have. They believe in the support worthiness of the planter, the vision and the Kingdom potential of the plant. This is important money because (beyond other things), it reflects just how much others believe in them.  It is an amaizng thing to know you are well supported and the emotional, and spiritual benefits are amazing.
  4. As an additional bonus, the planter is teaching their circle of influence the value of Kingdom generosity. In today’s Church Leaders Intelligence Report it said,

InfoAmericans donate $295 billion a year to charity, with just under a third of it ($97 bn.) going to religious organizations. On average, Christians are giving about 2.5% of their income to churches.

CBS News 3/5/08

That means that we have an incredible opportunity to help other learn to love giving as they invest in church planting. Most of the “Christians” that we encounter in our churches are not giving “generously”. But as they give to a planter they are learning to value sacrificial giving. Here is an often unanticipated truth: Greater generosity results in a happier life. That Kingdom principle has recently been reviled in a new study that was just released in an article, How to Buy Happiness”.

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