Do you really know how to grow churches?

[Rhoni]

I have observed many churches in the past decade and I know for a fact that not many people know how to grow a church, mentor leadership, and empower the people into taking pride in their church through exercising their gifts. I see so much potential but not enough people willing to give up control enough to let God move? What is this about? How do you think churches should be grown? How do you grow your church?

Blessings, Rhoni

[whollyHis]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

I have observed many churches in the past decade and I know for a fact that not many people know how to grow a church, mentor leadership, and empower the people into taking pride in their church through exercising their gifts. I see so much potential but not enough people willing to give up control enough to let God move? What is this about? How do you think churches should be grown? How do you grow your church?

Blessings, Rhoni

There's a hint in these few words that will tell us the reason that some churches are NOT growing...*smile*
YES, I AM being bad....

Originally Posted by Rhoni

I have observed many churches in the past decade and I know for a fact that not many people know how to grow a church, mentor leadership, and empower the people into taking pride in their church through exercising their gifts. I see so much potential but not enough people willing to give up control enough to let God move? What is this about? How do you think churches should be grown? How do you grow your church?

Blessings, Rhoni

Paul planted, Apollos watered but it was God who gave the increase. I think that is the best model for church growth.

[AmazingGrace]

BINGO!!!! One of the first things is to remember its not YOUR church in the first place...

And ohhhhhhh shall I count the ways!!!!

DO NOT go do a fancy fancy decor job and all the goodies on a building if your a small church.... start out small but nice. Yes a church can be nice without going overboard... in a couple of years then go thru and redecorate and make it look better but dont spend tons of money you dont have and then get in financial messes...

I know this wasnt the kind of things Rhoni was asking for but thats the one that rings loudest in my mind right this moment...

The rest I will keep to myself for now... (yall so dont want into this brain of mine LOL)

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by whollyHis

There's a hint in these few words that will tell us the reason that some churches are NOT growing...*smile*
YES, I AM being bad....

Yes, you are intuitive...what I was thinking was built on the word: CONTROL

The John Maxwell series on leadership was an excellent example of how to grow churches...it is to grow LEADERS.

Momentum is lost if you have to go through more than one supervisor to get anything accomplished. When you structure the church so that no person has any authority to utilize their gifts/talents withouth going to one leader, who has to go to another leader, who has to go to another leaders, who has to go to one more leader to get permission to accomplish something that could have happened in 5 minutes with the right person.

Another thing: A 6-7 level leader cannot have any leaders above them who are 8-10 leaders. 6-7 level leaders need people working under them that look to leadership as a God and can't move without asking persmission, and who pat the leader on the back constantly,; whereas, a 10 leader will not have CONTROL issues, will not want to be indisposable but will mentor leaders and trust them to do what they are gifted to do with little to no supervision.

Good leaders mentor leaders who will eventually replace them. Good leaders want to be replaced. It reminds me of a Missions class I took at JCM, The Indigenous Church. I practiced this when I went to my first church post Bible College...I grew them a deaf ministry that would continue in my abscence. I grew gifted and talented leaders to take my place so that when I left they still had an active Deaf Ministry.

With this said, many church leaders feel and handicap people into dependence so that if they leave people cannot continue on...this is sad. We should get ego out of the way, relinguish control issues, and mentor leaders that take our place in the future or leave and grow their own leaders...

Blessings, Rhoni

[AmazingGrace]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Yes, you are intuitive...what I was thinking was built on the word: CONTROL

The John Maxwell series on leadership was an excellent example of how to grow churches...it is to grow LEADERS.

Momentum is lost if you have to go through more than one supervisor to get anything accomplished. When you structure the church so that no person has any authority to utilize their gifts/talents withouth going to one leader, who has to go to another leader, who has to go to another leaders, who has to go to one more leader to get permission to accomplish something that could have happened in 5 minutes with the right person.

Another thing: A 6-7 level leader cannot have any leaders above them who are 8-10 leaders. 6-7 level leaders need people working under them that look to leadership as a God and can't move without asking persmission, and who pat the leader on the back constantly,; whereas, a 10 leader will not have CONTROL issues, will not want to be indisposable but will mentor leaders and trust them to do what they are gifted to do with little to no supervision.

Good leaders mentor leaders who will eventually replace them. Good leaders want to be replaced. It reminds me of a Missions class I took at JCM, The Indigenous Church. I practiced this when I went to my first church post Bible College...I grew them a deaf ministry that would continue in my abscence. I grew gifted and talented leaders to take my place so that when I left they still had an active Deaf Ministry.

With this said, many church leaders feel and handicap people into dependence so that if they leave people cannot continue on...this is sad. We should get ego out of the way, relinguish control issues, and mentor leaders that take our place in the future or leave and grow their own leaders...

Blessings, Rhoni

This is so so true.... The church we worked at in La... this was the case and horribly so. The pastor was mentoring the men... he was growing up leaders he thought... my husband always felt so bound there though because he just didnt seem to want them to be able to go outside of those 4 walls... to the point of when my husband would get calls to come preach out he would be very very hesitant to tell him of the calls... as he was with all of the young men...

When we were there this last time...for a visit I was informed that they had no services the week prior to us coming and when I asked the pastors wife why she said oh we had to go to Dallas on business...

Rhoni.... as she told me this he had 5 young preachers 2 newly licensed sitting on his platform..... but he keeps them so much under lock and key and such a control freak that they didnt feel they could conduct services on their own with him away?!?!?!

These people need to be mentored and it needs to be done in a way that these things will carry on when the one mentoring in whatever area leaves... but not just that... they need to be used before that person is gone so that they have that confidence in their ability....

Just as I noticed and I was so glad to see that when you spoke to your sign class yesterday you spoke it with much confidence that you were leaving..... in charge of the interpreting while you were gone for your sons wedding... A ministry you can leave in the hands of someone else for long or short tterm with confidence is a ministry well built and founded!!!!

[Rhoni]

I'd love to be turned loose in a church that really wants to grow...*sigh*

[whollyHis]

Originally Posted by AmazingGrace

This is so so true.... The church we worked at in La... this was the case and horribly so. The pastor was mentoring the men... he was growing up leaders he thought... my husband always felt so bound there though because he just didnt seem to want them to be able to go outside of those 4 walls... to the point of when my husband would get calls to come preach out he would be very very hesitant to tell him of the calls... as he was with all of the young men...

When we were there this last time...for a visit I was informed that they had no services the week prior to us coming and when I asked the pastors wife why she said oh we had to go to Dallas on business...

Rhoni.... as she told me this he had 5 young preachers 2 newly licensed sitting on his platform..... but he keeps them so much under lock and key and such a control freak that they didnt feel they could conduct services on their own with him away?!?!?!

These people need to be mentored and it needs to be done in a way that these things will carry on when the one mentoring in whatever area leaves... but not just that... they need to be used before that person is gone so that they have that confidence in their ability....

Just as I noticed and I was so glad to see that when you spoke to your sign class yesterday you spoke it with much confidence that you were leaving..... in charge of the interpreting while you were gone for your sons wedding... A ministry you can leave in the hands of someone else for long or short tterm with confidence is a ministry well built and founded!!!!

If a lay minister is spiritual enough for you to use him to go to prisons and nursing homes, why isn't he spiritual enough to handle a Weds. night Bible Class while pastor is out of town??

Our church dismisses when Pastor and/ or Assistant (his son) is out of town. We have no less than 5-6 'lay' ministers in our congregation...I don't get it...

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by AmazingGrace

This is so so true.... The church we worked at in La... this was the case and horribly so. The pastor was mentoring the men... he was growing up leaders he thought... my husband always felt so bound there though because he just didnt seem to want them to be able to go outside of those 4 walls... to the point of when my husband would get calls to come preach out he would be very very hesitant to tell him of the calls... as he was with all of the young men...

When we were there this last time...for a visit I was informed that they had no services the week prior to us coming and when I asked the pastors wife why she said oh we had to go to Dallas on business...

Rhoni.... as she told me this he had 5 young preachers 2 newly licensed sitting on his platform..... but he keeps them so much under lock and key and such a control freak that they didnt feel they could conduct services on their own with him away?!?!?!

These people need to be mentored and it needs to be done in a way that these things will carry on when the one mentoring in whatever area leaves... but not just that... they need to be used before that person is gone so that they have that confidence in their ability....

Just as I noticed and I was so glad to see that when you spoke to your sign class yesterday you spoke it with much confidence that you were leaving..... in charge of the interpreting while you were gone for your sons wedding... A ministry you can leave in the hands of someone else for long or short tterm with confidence is a ministry well built and founded!!!!

Thank-you! Notice I left her in charge and gave her resources if she needed them! I will not go back and bug her about it either...she'll do fine...I trust her to do the best job she can do. Another might do it better but with less enthusiasm and have to be begged!

Blessings, Rhoni

[Rhoni]

Other opnions welcome