FOR WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL?

To understand why I ask that question, click on the link and read my post on

Jo-Joe Politico

And have a beautiful, Christ-filled Thanksgiving Day!

PROVIDE THE SPACE

We come to the third of Arthur Flake's five principles of growth: PROVIDE THE SPACE.

There is an "unwritten" rule (even though it has been written by many people) of attendance: When a space is about 80% filled, people will consider it crowded and will tend to go somewhere else.

This rule can be seen working in almost every church, large or small. When all the seats are filled one Sunday, the next week many will not return.

After we have done our survey properly, found our "prospects," invited them to come, and trained our workers, we must have a place for them to go.

The man who developed The Action Plan, Andy Anderson, was pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Florida.

After implementing the first steps of the plan, his Sunday School more than doubled in size in one week.

To accommodate the increase, Andy had rented a large, circus style tent, divided it up into classrooms and filled it with people, many of whom were first-time guests and heard the gospel for the first time in their lives.

They used the tent until they were able to build additional education space.

As an aside, keep this in mind: Although it is not the reason we strive to grow, growth results in an increase in income to the church, as visitors and new members learn to give tithes and offerings. Thus, the larger crowds yielded greater income to the church which enabled them to build education space.

As another aside, keep in mind that God's word NEVER speaks of maintaining the status quo, but ALWAYS notes the growth of the church.

God wants us to grow.

If we are to grow, we must provide the space for growth, either by use of tents, doubling up worship and Sunday Schools or whatever means God make available to you.

EQUIP THE LEADERS

The second of Arthur Flakes principles for growing a church is: "Equip the Leaders."

One might think that one should find out who's going to be attending before leaders are selected and trained.

WRONG!

If people show up and there are no adequate leaders to lead, they'll go home and not come back.

How are leaders equipped?

Many denominations have training centers where there is training for Sunday School Directors, Teachers, and other offices in the Bible Study Ministry.

The picture at the top is the lake at the training center for my denomination in Florida. It is Lake Yale at Lake Yale Baptist Assembly between Eustis and Leesburg, Florida.

Let me tell you, the training is second to none and the facilities are 5-Star.


Here are a couple of leaders in front of the motel style rooms at LYBA. They have real beds and everything!

If your denomination does not have such facilities, you can probably send leaders to one of the camps operated by another denomination.

If you cannot send leaders to such a facility, there are hundreds of training resources available online, some cost, some don't.

Consider a banquet to kick off a leadership series, or perhaps some

The Bible says that we should study to show ourselves approved unto men, workmen who can be proud (in the good sense) of our work.

Training can take the form of learning to use Bible Study literature, the effective use of technology to facilitate leadership, interpersonal relationships, and of course, how to understand and teach the Bible.

Another essential is evangelism training...not so much the cold-call type, but how to integrate the plan of salvation into EVERY Bible Study lesson, for children, youth and adults. Then it is necessary to train leaders to witness one-on-one.

If we take seriously the concept of Equipping the Leaders, when folks show up, they will have an enriching, spiritual growth experience and will more likely show up again.

FIND THE PEOPLE

Some churches, as I noted in my previous post, are content to muddle along, never growing, baptizing few and mostly just fussing with each other and with other denominations.

If we are to be like Jesus, as we are clearly told to be in Scripture, then we have to care about the people of our communities, saved or not.

As a matter of fact, we should care whether or not they are saved.

If your church is on a busy road, stand outside your church someday and watch the cars go by.

Most of the drivers and passengers in those cars are unsaved and unchurched.

How do we know which ones need a church?

How do we know which ones have financial, health, emotional, mental and other needs?

The answer is we go find out.

The highways and byways are where we have been instructed to go and BRING them in.

Years ago there arose an outreach ministry called "The Action Program."

The thrust of "The Action Program" was an unusual "survey."

In the survey, pairs of Christians went into assigned neighborhoods door-to-door.

At each home, they introduced themselves, and asked permission to do a brief survey.

If given permission, they took the following action:

1. They asked whether the occupants regularly attended any Bible study program.

2. If the answer was, "Yes," the occupants were thanked for their time and the surveyors went on their way to the next house.

3. If the answer was, "No," the surveyors said, "We have a really good Bible study that meets on Sunday mornings (or, if there were weekday Bible studies, those times were given), may we enroll you in it?"

4. If they say, "No," the surveyors thanked them and went on their way to the next house.

5. If they said "Yes," the surveyors took down pertinent information, thanked the occupant, told them that they looked forward to being with them on Sunday (or at the weekday Bible study), left some materials about the Bible studies and went on their way.

6. The surveyors were trained in evangelism and always ready to share Jesus with anyone who volunteered an interest, but they did not seek out opportunities to do so.

It was interesting that the majority of homes gave them the few moment each step took.

Also interesting was that about half of those who said they were not a part of any Bible study allowed the surveyors to enroll them in one of theirs.

Of those, between 40% and 60% actually showed up at a Bible study.

Using that ministry approach, one church I served doubled its Sunday School attendance in two weeks.

The plan of salvation was made an integral part of every Bible study class.

What I learned from "The Action Program" was that being short and honest was an asset.

I also learned that all most potential Bible study members want is just to be engaged with "good people" for brief moments, not for some long winded, complicated witness program (think Evangelism Explosion or F.A.I.T.H.)

Don't misunderstand me. There is a place for these, but they should probably be reserved for those homes that have been contacted in advance and expect somebody to come spend a lot of time with them.

In the end, it is important for churches to get to know the people around them, and to find the ones who are likely to see the need for a good church to attend.

The best way to accomplish this is to conduct a survey.

As Arthur Flake said in 1922, FIND THE PEOPLE!

LET'S GET ORGANIZED

In 49 years of ministry, I have served in very small churches, and some fairly large ones.

I have served in stagnant churches and growing churches.

Some churches have been very satisfied to stay small, muddle along and present uninspiring, second rate ministries and programs.

They suffer from what I call "The Small Church Syndrome."

Their attitude is, "They know we're here. If they want to come, they will."

Typically their workers (Sunday School leaders, etc.) represent about 20% of the congregations, do most of the ministering and love to point out "how God is blessing," though there is little evidence of that.

Now, not all small churches are like that.

Some are in very rural areas with little opportunity for growth.

Others are brand new churches and are "destined" to grow and minister to many more people in their future.

Some churches are large and stagnant.

They got big by virtue of location or the strong personality of a preacher and then just "gave up" on growth.

One "medium sized" church I know stays "medium sized" by starting new works.

Every seven years they take their best Sunday School teachers, their best deacons, the the best of their other leaders and start a new church.

To date, there are 11 churches that they have started, each of which is growing pretty well.

Then there the so-called, "mega-churches."

Some of those got where they are on the strength of the personality of their pastor.

Most, however, got there another way: they organized for growth.

Way too many Christians are afraid of or offended by the word, "organization."

I have heard the phrase "we're over-organized," far more often than I have heard, "let's get organized."

People who are put off by the concept of organization do not believe the Bible.

"What? Where did THAT come from?" I hear you objecting.

From the Bible.

Check out Genesis, Numbers, Nehemia, Romans, 1st Corinthians and many other Scriptures and you will find that God teaches, and is the epitome, of organization.

The universe is organized from the tiniest Hydrogen atom to the grandest solar system. Scripture tells us it reflects the handiwork of God.

In the book of Numbers we find the organization of the tents of the tribes of Israel.

God led Nemiah to assign groups to each section of the wall of Jerusalem when he went to rebuild it.

In Romans, Paul tells us that the plan of salvation was from before the foundations of the earth and that it unfolded in precise order.

We are told, "Let all things be done in order" (I Corinthians 14:40).

Titus 1:15 says: "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:"

May I suggest that God is a God of order?

In 1922 Arthur Flake wrote Building a Standard Sunday School.

In it he set forth Biblical principles of growth.

Here they are:

1. Find the People

2. Equip leaders and teachers

3. Provide the space

4. Enlarge the organization

5. A program of visitation

In future posts, I will expand on each of these and will teach you, if you are willing to learn, how God wants your church to grow.