It is tough for congregations to transform if their leadership and many of their members are not spiritually maturing. If they have become stale in their spiritual formation and see issues from a church culture perspective more than a Christ-centered perspective, it is difficult for them to be open to the new thing God is […]
FaithSoaring Churches engage in transitions and changes. There is no way to avoid this. Congregations cannot move forward without them. Transitions and changes inevitably raise the intensity of conflict in congregations. It is a “ready or not, here I come” experience. If congregations do not have the capacity to handle conflict, then their conflict is […]
The longer a congregation is in existence the more baggage it develops around its governance processes. This is symbolized by the number of committees and the steps necessary to get a new idea approved, funded, and moving forward. More resources are spent on management than ministry, and on doing things right rather than doing the […]
Part of the transformation of congregations is the creation of a culture of generosity. Too many congregations are stuck in a pattern of raising a budget. People are asked to pledge a certain amount to raise the budget goal. The focus is on the budget, loyalty to the church, and obligations that must be met. […]
Mediocre congregations believe it is sufficient to be faithful. Good enough is good enough for them. Visible progress is not the goal. Successful congregations realize they must not only be faithful, but they must also be effective. They must be able to show progress and continual improvement in fulfillment of God’s vision for their congregation. […]
FaithSoaring Churches know to whom they are sent. They are clear about the people with whom they have the best spiritual gifts, life skills, and personal preferences to engage in a spiritual conversation. They understand these people and their life needs and find it easy to identify with their life opportunities and challenges. This is […]
Some congregations need a radical transformation. Anything less will be insufficient. Few congregations can engage in a radical transformation without giving authority over to an outside third-party with the wisdom to focus the congregation on effective actions for transformation, and the authority to compel the congregation to act. Congregations in need of radical transformation have […]
Congregations needing to transform are often in denial about reality. They do not clearly understand the challenges of their current situation. They typically believe their situation is better than it really is. They believe it will take less efforts or a simple fix for them to transform. This is almost never true. But, because it […]
Membership is less important than it once was. The number of people connected with a congregation through various types of involvements is more important than how many people are connected. FaithSoaring Churches count at least four types of involvement. First, is regularity of attendance in weekly worship. Second, is involvement in some type of ongoing […]
Welcome to the Columbia Metro Connection, a podcast where you can go to get valuable, relevant, and quality resources for you and your congregation. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes| RSS | Stitcher | TuneIn Radio | Google Play The Columbia Metro Connection is sponsored and supported by the Columbia Metro Baptist Association and the almost 100 partner churches that support the ministry of the […]