BREAKING CHURCH GROWTH BARRIERS

I.                   CHURCH GROWTH FACTS

1.     Half of North America’s 325,000 protestant churches are under 80% in attendance

2.     At the 100 mark in attendance your, church has become larger than 60% of your peers; at 140 members you’re larger than 75% of you’re peers. At 200 you’re larger than 85%. At 350 you’re larger than 93%; By 500 you’re larger than 95% of your peers, and at 1000 you hit the 99^th percentile.

3.     Common Mistakes Churches Make:

a.      They have no vision (or at least an incorrect vision)

b.     They communicate to their visitors that they want to remain the same size

c.      They have no method to attract newcomers

d.     They never modify their leadership styles to accommodate new growth

4.     Common Barriers to Church Growth

·        100 Growth Barrier Range is between 0 and 100

·        200 Growth Barrier Range is between 50 and 350

·        400 Growth Barrier Range is between 350 to 600

·        800 Growth Barrier Range is between 600 to 1200

·        1500 Growth Barrier Range is between 1200 and 2500

II.               STRATEGIES FOR BREAKING BARRIERS

1.     Discern your Sphere

Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. ¹⁶ Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. ¹⁷ And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. ¹⁸ But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

2 Corinthians 10:12-13

¹² For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

2.     The 100 Barrier

a.      Small Core of Faithful Leaders

b.     Sufficient team for great Praise and Worship and Children’s Ministry

c.      Definition and Clarity of who you are

d.     Strategize to Obtain Critical Mass

i.                    Invitation Only (Slow Growth)

ii.                 Media (Social and Other)

iii.               Strategic Events

iv.               Servant Strategies

v.                 Power or Gifts of the Spirit Evangelism

3.     The 200 Barrier

a.      Have a burning desire to grow

b.     Understand and Communicate “WHY” there has been growth and what must be done for continued growth

c.      Shift from solo caregiver to mentor and trainer

d.     Establish lay-led small groups

·        Each of the world’s largest churches of 30,000 or more (on every continent) has found that a cell system is vital to the health and continued growth of their church.

4.     The 400 Barrier

a.      Requires an attitude and administrative structure shift

b.     Requires a new mindset

·        Leaders must become managers and handle caregiving roles as they train lay people for such ministry.

c.      Delegation is important at this stage

5.     The 800 Barrier

a.      Use marketing to position as a source to help a susceptible target population

b.     Give age group and life stage assignments to staff; get staff rather than the Pastor to accept responsibility for planning and implementation

c.      Shift the focus from primary caregiver to coach and mentor

d.     Hire staff who will train new lay leaders.

e.      Senior Leader should provide Apostolic Administration

III.            EFFECTIVE OPERATION AT HIGHER LEVELS IS A STRUCTURAL ISSUE

1.     Moses

Exodus 18:13-24

¹³ And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” ¹⁷ So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸ Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. ¹⁹ Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. ²⁰ And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. ²¹ Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²² And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will also go to their place in peace.” ²⁴ So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

1.     He became a man of prayer.

We must live with people to know the needs, but spend time w/God to be able to effectively meet those needs. 

“Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.- Dutch Sheets,

Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for.  -John Piper

2.     He committed himself to communication.

All great leaders communicate effectively – speaking and writing.

Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is](promotes) health.

Proverbs 16:23 - The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and add learning to his lips.

3.     He began to lay out the vision.

Proverbs 29:18

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

4.     He developed a plan or strategy - a big weakness for most.

                                                 

                        Luke 14:28-32

²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

5.     He selected and trained leaders

Luke 6:13

¹³ And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; ¹⁴ Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, ¹⁶ And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

6.     Moses released the people for ministry…

Ephesians 4:11-14

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

7.     Moses only did/ handled what others could not do…

The leader only makes the decision when no one else can.  Decisions should be made at the lowest level possible. Only decisions being made by the leader should be those that have gone through the whole chain of command.

                        Acts 6:2-7

² Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³ Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; ⁴ but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, ⁶ whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. ⁷ Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

2.     Apostles

Acts 6:1-4

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. ² Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³ Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; ⁴ but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

IV.             SIX LEVELS OF DELEGATING

1.    Report the problem and take action.

2.    Study the problem and make a recommendation.

3.    Analyze the situation, propose a course of action that needs to be taken, but wait for my approval.

4.    Analyze the situation, describe your proposed plan of action, and follow through, unless I say no.

5.    Take action and report the outcome.

6.    Take care of the situation. No need to report back to me.

Answer Key: Mistake, Discern, Prayer, Strategy, Trained