Too many congregations are confused about their core values. A major difference exists between a published list of core values and the real core values of congregations. The real ones are often unwritten, unspoken, and hidden. These core values unknown to people not truly “in the know” need to be the subject of open dialogue. […]
The longer a congregation is in existence the greater the tendency for the average age in the congregation to be older. Few congregations incrementally adjust their strategy and style to continually reach the next generations. The clear majority create a gap between their patterns of doing church, and the patterns of church sought by the […]
Greg Atkinson will be the Vision Tuesday speaker for CMBA on February 20th. He leads the emphasis known as Worship Impressions – http://worshipimpressions.com/. Here are his suggestions for following up with your Christmas season guests in your congregation: Wor Imp, Invite Guests Back After Christmas. Checkout his book Secrets of a Secret Shopper.
Three relationships are of great importance in congregations seeking to transform. First is a deepening spiritual relationship with the Triune God through personal and community worship. Second is a deepening relationship within the community of believers. Third is an active relationship with the people of the context where the congregation serves. This can be a […]
The most important thing by which a congregation can be captivated is the empowering vision of God for its spiritual and strategic journey into the future. Our God, who goes before us, has prepared the way for your congregation to reach its full Kingdom potential. Vision is not a 25 word or less statement that […]
Busy-ness is the enemy of excellence in congregations seeking to transform. Often congregations try to do too many things. Their size and resources will not support all they are doing, yet they keep pushing hard hoping they will all work. Congregations who want to transform stop doing things that are no longer working, and start […]
Overly predictable worship that follows the same or similar order or liturgy is for some people a valuable focal point for centering in the worship of God. However, for way too many people it becomes the automatic routine of worship and not the fresh experience of God. The key in worship for a congregation that […]
Guess what? The program-driven congregation in North America started dying in the 1970s. It was replaced with the process-driven congregation. The program-driven congregation was about producing successful programs using–even abusing–people as the currency of success. The process-driven congregation is about empowering people along their disciplemaking journey. The measurement of success is the significance of their […]
Congregations who transform understand the highest priority is the mission of God and not the mission of their congregational survival. They understand the greatest value is being received by those to whom we are sent, rather than an over focus on themselves. They realize they must see beyond themselves to those who need the unconditional […]
Congregations cannot transform with shallow Christians or overly churched culture Christians who are stuck in place with their spiritual formation. Congregations cannot transform with church members who believe they have arrived in their spiritual journey and do not need to continue their spiritual formation as disciples. Congregations can only transform with church members who believe […]