Cally Parkinson who is the brand manager for REVEAL at Willow Creek Association, utilizes research tools and discoveries to help churches better understand spiritual growth. She wrote about 4 principles to help deepen spiritual growth in REV magazine. She gives the secret for getting the people in your church to evangelize 60% more often than they do today, tithe 60% more, and to serve the under-resourced 20% more of the time.
PRINCIPLE #1: Get People Moving
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” - Colossians 1:28
“We’re not here to make you a Baptist. We’re here to make you a disciple of Christ.” – David Uth, senior pastor, First Baptist of Orlando, Florida
Growing churches make it clear to first-time visitors that they intend to grow everyone in their congregation into fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. These churches offer and heavily promote either membership or newcomer classes, many modeled after the Purpose Driven Life four-step process. They position these classes as “not optional” and the senior pastor is typically directly involved in teaching at least one of the classes. Some churches offer 8 or 4 week new member orientation. Some churches teach during Sunday School to get members and guests coming before worship. Other churches use 3 hour orientation on Saturday AM or Sunday afternoon. I know of one church that used only one hour of Sunday School to help new members and guests to understand his church and even invited them to join the church during this class. One Sunday during this class 28 people came and 17 joined the church. Every church and congregation has to find what works for them. Remember these classes are for new members and interested guests. What time works for them, not you? The average retention rate of new members in American churches is 35%. If a new member class is offered, it jumps to 72%.
PRICIPLE #2: Embed the Scriptures in Everything
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Church leaders have got to bleed the Bible when they’re cut.” – Todd Wagner, senior pastor, Watermark church , Dallas, Texas.
The REVEAL research found that the most influential catalyst of spiritual growth is personal time spent in reflection on Scripture. I heard David Waggoner last week when he taught his book “The Shape of Faith to Come” say the same high priority about reading the Bible. Churches report Bible engagement levels that are 50% higher than database average, inspirited by church cultures that embed the Bible in everything – from weekend preaching to personal interactions around the church water cooler. Whether their strategy is as simple as verse-by-verse Bible teaching or as complex as a customized Web-based devotional program, churches have to be single-minded in their determination to embed the Bible as the central influence in their church culture. For Baptists, Sunday School/small groups are at the heart of helping people make the Bible the blueprint of their life. Many tools can be used for creating a church culture that walks the talk of being centered on the word of God.
PRINCIPLE #3: Create Ownership
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelist, and some to be pastors and teachers…so that the body of Christ may be built up.” – Ephesians 4:11-12.
“Church isn’t something you go to…it’s who you are.” – David Bish, senior pastor, Tri-County Church, DuBois, Pennsylvania.
To own the vision of a church is to posses it on a personal level, to embrace it as a part of your identity. This goes well beyond a sense of belonging, of “fitting in,” to a church community. The ministry vision tends to be shouldered by a team of dedicated lay leaders who help the pastor unite the church body in a common purpose. The congregation must believe the vision, understand it, and live it. Evidence of ownership is the extraordinary about of time the congregation dedicates to the church, as well as the low number of stalled and dissatisfied people in the church. Through these strategies of preaching, testimonies, training and corporate challenges, churches intentionally create the expectation that ownership of the church vision – and the mantle of church leadership – is shared across the church body.
PRINCIPLE #4: Pastor the Local Community
“You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16.
“Christianity is not a spectator sport.” – John Sullivan, senior pastor, Spirit of God Fellowship, South Holland, Illinois.
“Take the city for Jesus” is the cry of many churches. Their people are in the thick of their communities – sitting on local boards, canvassing blighted neighborhoods to identify and serve needs, going into corners where you wouldn’t normally find the church. Creativity abounds in their outreach efforts. From busing hundreds of disadvantaged kids to Sunday services, to cooking hot dogs on city streets to break up drug deals, to refurbishing a bankrupt hospital in a needy neughborhood – churches are the hands and feet of Christ in their communities. Partner with other churches to do community ministries. This is kingdom work not just my church looking good – It is Jesus looking good! Build bridges to the people in your community. They will not just walk into your church. Find the book “The Church of Irresistible Influence” by Robert Lewis to ignite your community outreach.
The good news is that the key to all of these objectives is found in Luke 10:27, in which Jesus tells us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and love your neighbor as yourself.” If you challenge your people to grow spiritually – in other words, to grow in their love for God and for others-then behaviors like evangelizing, tithing and serving develop naturally as a result.