One In Jesus

Josh Hunt recently sent out a newsletter pointing out how the little things often make a huge difference in church growth. Now, the big things are big for a reason, but even if you get the big things right, the little things can kill you.

Here’s his list of little things many churches need to work on —

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Rick McKinley is the pastor of Imago Dei, the Portland, Oregon church Don Miller writes about in Blue Like Jazz. This link will take you to an interview of him by Christianity Today.

Good reading. It’ll challenge your conceptions about how to do church!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2007/cln71224.html.

Thumma and Travis review the various styles of megachurches, concluding that they fall into four categories, each with a different “what matters most”:

* Old Line/Program Based: Maintaining the witness in the present location. An evolutionary approach to change. Stewards for the next generation of worshipers in this place.

* Seeker: Reaching those that are seeking God. Making church a place that can reach the unchurched.

* Charismatic/Pastor Focused: Getting people in to experience the worship of God through the anointing on the pastor and worship leader. Reaching out to the community through empowered worship.

* New Wave/Re-envisioned: Proclaiming Jesus to their targeted constituency. Influencing and reaching culture in creative ways.

After considering these various approaches to doing church, the authors conclude,

Without debating the technical aspects of vision, mission, and values, let us state that we feel it is important for the leadership to create an essential story of the church. The essential story is the bridge that new attendees can use to become connected with the church. This essential story should be simple enough to be understood and communicated by everyone in the church. This story will be aspirational and inspirational enough for believers to connect with at a heart level and for many unbelievers to identify with enough to want to “check it out.” … This story is not a restatement of doctrine, but rather is a statement reflecting a unique vision for a church in its context and setting. It alludes to what important work God is calling the congregation to do at this particular moment.

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According the Thumma and Travis, only 34% of megachurches have no denominational affiliation. However, far more present themselves as nondenominational. Why?

Denominational names carry with them preconceptions about style, theology, and worship formats. Megachurches want to be judged by what they have to offer, not on the latest announcement by the denomination’s national office. … As such, many of the megachurches are functionally nondenominational; they hold both the national body and the denominational label and identity at arm’s length. (p. 27)

If you read the writings of Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Community Church, you’ll find that he’s a very orthodox Southern Baptist. And yet, even though that church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, they never present themselves to the public as Baptists.

The rationale is not so much theological as marketing. The unchurched assume that Baptist Churches are for Baptists. They assume an LA (Los Angeles) Baptist church will think, worship, and act like an LA (Lower Alabama) Baptist church. Warren wants his church judged as a congregation, not as a branch office of his denomination. And there’s no arguing with the success of his approach. Continue reading →