"Good to Great," Book Review

Principles in “Good to Great”

“Good to Great” by Jim Collins is a secular book on what makes companies go from being “good” to “great.” The main premise of the book is that being “good” is the greatest enemy of being “great.” Collins and his twenty-person research team studied 126 companies to find the best examples of going from good to great. The criteria was to find companies that had an average or below average profits for fifteen years, then they hit a place of increase and grew consistently for the next fifteen years with a minimum of 3x greater profits than the stock market. Some of the companies profiled are Kroger, Gillette, Wels Fargo, and Walgreens.

Collins developed a graph to display his concepts that he believed showed why eleven companies went from good to great. His main concern was to document what the great companies did that good companies did not do. The graph is based on three key foundations to a great company, (1) Disciplined People, (2) Disciplined Thought, and (3) Disciplined Action. The three foundations are seen within a “flywheel” which is a large wheel used to produce energy. Lastly, the phases of growth “buildup” and “break through” are placed in the wheel on top the foundations to show the right way to grow. Thus, this graph is helpful to see the main concepts that make a company go from good to great.


Here is a quick overview of the three foundations, (1) Disciplined People: a company needs to have a “Level 5” leader that first builds a team and then develops with the team a simple action plan, (2) Disciplined Thought: the leadership team must be able to have faith for a greater future, but also be able to confront the brutal facts. Plus, the company needs to find what they do better than anyone else and avoid any distractions, and (3) Disciplined Action: the company needs to stay disciplined and on track towards their goals and use technology and new ideas to get there.

The basic idea of the “flywheel” is that good companies become great not because they do “one thing right” or have a “miracle moment,” but that over time they keep making small yet focused pushes that eventually gain great momentum. The flywheel was used in the 1800’s to produce energy by rotating at a fast speed. However, the speed was not reached by just pushing the wheel one time, it had to be manually pushed until it had enough momentum to be self-sustaining. Collins uses this example to show that it is not “over-night” success that makes a company sustain growth and become great over 15 years, but the continual pushing and simple steps that make a company great and stay great for many years.

Lastly, “build up” and “break through” are based on the “flywheel” concept that describe the phases in which the company becomes great. Buildup: First, the leadership develops the right team and then they make the right plans. Second, the changes begin to gradually take place and they find a rhythm. Breakthrough: Third, at some point the breakthrough begins to take place. The company begins to grow from being good to great. Lastly, the company needs to maintain the breakthrough by using fresh ideas and technology.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: “Good to Great” had a few strengths to apply to ministry: (1) Collins’ “flywheel” concept reinforced the idea that Paul said in Galatians 6:9, “let us not grow weary in well-doing,” (2) The book did a good job of encouraging people not to “settle” for second best, (3) It did a good job of emphasizing the importance of good leadership, and (4) Collins’ “hedgehog concept” of doing your best thing with all your effort was a good idea.

Weaknesses: The book had many weaknesses- here are just a few, (1) It deals strictly with the business world, thus “worldly” ways are not necessarily the ways of the Kingdom, (2) Some of the companies the book highlights have recently gone bankrupt, “Fannie May” and “Circuit City,” (3) The book does not deal with integrity and servanthood, which is a key part of leadership, (4) Collins makes no mention of companies that were started great and remained great, like “Micro-Soft” and “Starbucks,” and (5) The book is boring to read, nothing exciting or cutting edge.

My Personal Thoughts

I enjoyed learning about what makes businesses great, but I wish it would had been written by a Christian leader so that the places of similarity and differences could have been outlined clearly. Can I as a pastor really only focus on “one thing?” “Excuse Mr. Jones, we do not do marriage counseling here- it is not our ‘one-passion.’” I can understand how a drug store does not have to get into the movie rental business, but does that really relate to the church? I do not think so.

Also, has anyone heard of “revival?” Do we as Christians believe in revival anymore? I understand that we should be faithful in the church to “preach, pray, and plug away,” but is that it? I still believe God can change a person in a moment, bring revival instantly, and do more in one minute than man can do in a lifetime of effort. I wish leadership classes would focus more on what God can do than what man can do.

Lastly, Jesus used the worldly concepts of work and success to illustrate His principles, not as the basis. Meaning, we as Christians do not need to read the research of secular businesses to know how to have a powerful, Pentecostal, soul-winning, disciple-making on-fire church! May we as pastors turn back to pray, God’s Word, and Biblical mentorship to grow our churches and ministries!

"Simple Church," Book Review

Basic Overview of “Simple Church”

Simple Church,” by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger is a must read for all “cutting edge” church planters, youth pastors, and senior pastors. The subtitle says it all, “Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples!” The whole idea of the book is to remove the clutter and unnecessary trappings of the church and return back to the simple, yet powerful strategies of Jesus to make disciples.

The book provides great research by contrasting thriving churches and dying churches. They define a thriving church as one that grows a minimum of 5% a year for three years in a row. The comparison churches are either not growing or are losing members. The research is impressive and is included in the book with easy-to-read graphs. The most powerful stat is the overall research that shows 999 out of 1000 churches have a “simple church” strategy (p. 14).

The authors do an impressive job of making the “simple church” strategy, well… simple. They give four steps that define the simple church strategy, they are: Clarity, Movement, Alignment, and Focus. Here is a simple breakdown of each part:

Clarity: a church should have a clear, simple, and concise purpose. This purpose should be made into a short, easily understood statement. For example: Metro Praise’s vision is to “Love God and Love People.” As a result, every ministry, staff member, service, and function must line up to the clear purpose.

Movement: the growing church possesses a simple strategy to “move” people from “a to b.” This movement is to be seen in every aspect of the ministry. For example: Metro Praise’s movement is, “Connect, Mentor, and Send.” Thus, the children, youth, and every adult should know how to move in the church the same way from conversion to mature soul-winning leader.

Alignment: the simple church moves every leader and ministry onto the same path to maximize their efforts. The church should be aligned the same with the children, youth, and adults. For example: Metro Praise aligns every leader through the same discipleship process.

Focus: the simple church has to say “no” to anything that causes division to the unified vision. If the church’s purpose involves small groups, there can never be a function or ministry that takes people away from everyone’s focus on small groups. For example: At Metro Praise a person cannot be in the worship band unless they are faithful to small groups.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: “Simple Church” has the following strengths: (1) It proves through its statistical analysis of over 500 churches that simple is better, (2) The book offers practical ways to become more effective and focused in making disciples, and (3) The authors do not force “one way” of doing church, they give the parameters of what they believe is effective and allow the leader to pray and develop a God-ordained plan.

Weaknesses: Even though the book is great, there are some weaknesses, (1) The authors do not define discipleship and true Christianity enough, therefore, each reader may differ on what they consider a “true disciple,” (2) The book does not address what happens when a “simple church” fails, meaning, “what else” is import to a healthy “simple” church other than being “simple,” (3) There is not enough mention of the Holy Spirit- His gifts, His power, and the moving of His presence in the church, and lastly, (3) The Bible can feel at times to be reduced to more of a “support” to the “proofs” of the research instead of the stats being “support” of the Bible.

My Personal Thoughts

I loved the book because it supports so much of what I feel as a church planter. After my first church plant in New Orleans I have learned the importance of keeping things simple. Some of the best things we have done in our present church are remove mid-week services, eliminate unfruitful outreaches, have a “one-size-fits-all” discipleship process, and focus everyone in small groups. Thus, I am totally in agreement with keeping the movement in the church simple and to the point.

I would love to add a section to this book called, “Anointing: Keep it Simple!” I believe that too many churches make the Holy Ghost out to be the “helper” of their plans, instead of the “power” behind God’s plans. At the same time, there are churches that make the moving of the Spirit so “spooky” that it does not build the church, but it divides. I believe there is a powerful lesson in learning the balance between being wise in God’s eyes and being totally dependant on His plans and the freedom for God to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, and for whatever reason He wants.

Jesus simplified the Jewish religion by making a mess of the temple, He took longer paths to destinations to make accidental meetings divine appointments, and He turned people’s simple understanding of God into a eternal mystery by coming in the flesh as the “God-Man!”

Simple.

"The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry," Book Review

Overview

“The Seven Deadly Sins of a Small Group” by Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson is about teaching churches and small group leaders how to have a successful small group ministry. The book is based on the experiences of the Willow Creek Association of Churches and specifically Willow Creek Church in Chicago. The authors both work for Willow Creek Church and have a passion to reach other churches with their knowledge and experience in small group leadership.

The information found in the book is neither new nor inventive, however, it is concise and to the point. The authors use everyday examples to help the reader understand the points and grasp their importance. The book is not deep in theology or spiritual principles and is far from being “power packed.” Therefore, it sometimes was very boring to read and not very “cutting edge.” On the other hand it does a good job of presenting the seven mistakes common to small groups and teaches how to avoid them.

Here are the “deadly” seven sins of a small group: (1) Unclear Ministry Objectives: not having a clear vision for small groups and their multiplication, (2) Lack of Point Leadership: unable to place the right person over a small group, (3) Poor Coaching Skills: lacking in training of new small group leaders, (4) Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development: not continuing the process of growth in the leader’s life, (5) Closed Group Mind-Set: not open to new people, (6) Narrow Definition of a Small Group: making all the small groups the same, and (7) Neglect of the Assimilation Process: dropping the ball in connecting new visitors to the group.

After each “sin” that is listed the authors take the time to give helpful instruction to avoid the pitfalls mentioned. The instructions are clear and tested, thus they serve as good “cures” for the above “sins.” Here is a brief summary of the cures: (1) Unclear Ministry Objectives: decide how your church will use small groups, make a plan to multiply, and remain faithful, (2) Lack of Point Leadership: spend the majority of the time choosing the right people and then train them effectively, (3) Poor Coaching Skills: develop relationships with the small group leaders, (4) Neglect of Ongoing Leadership Development: continue to give the small group leaders materials, retreats, and conferences, (5) Closed Group Mind-Set: teach the small group to “fill the empty chair” every week, (6) Narrow Definition of a Small Group: develop small groups according to people’s spiritual and real-life needs, and (7) Neglect of the Assimilation Process: have a simple and clear process to follow with every visitor so they can easily get connected with a small group.

How it Made Me Feel

While reading this book I was reminded of my beginnings with small groups in my first pastorate. I was still a student in Bible College and was co-leading an inner city ministry in New Orleans called, “When Warriors Dream.” We were instructed on the importance of small groups and were even given examples of the type of materials we were to make. The ministry was very effective at getting the young urban youths to attend the outreaches, but we could not get them to gather during the week.

I then began to develop a strategy to get the youths to come, “free food!” This solved our problem with numbers, but made many more problems in its place. First, we suffered from “unclear ministry objectives” because we did not have a plan; we were just going with the “flow.” We simply had another “large group” on a different day.

Secondly, we suffered from “lack of point leadership.” When we finally enough leaders to make the break out groups smaller we soon realized they were unqualified to manage their group effectively. And lastly, we had no “assimilation process” in place, we just were happy if at the end of the day everyone was safe and still alive! We had no way of keep track of the new people.

In contrast, when I started the church I know pastor here in Chicago with a small group I did things much differently. I made sure I had a clear goal to the small group, which was the vision of the church. My wife and I were the leaders so we made sure everything we did was well planned. And lastly, we had a “follow-up” process from the start that involved phone calls, letters, emails, and coffee talks.

As a result, the outcome was a successful church plant. Today we have three adult small groups and two youth small groups. My wife and I also lead an elders small group once a month and our discipleship process is based on small group principles. Therefore, I believe this book can keep our church on track and help us not make the same mistakes I once made.

Personal Reflection

I liked this book for its main points and applications, but I disliked it because of its lack of passion and anointing. I pray that more people like the authors will realize that the church is just not a business. I know they believe this in “theory,” but how they “practice it” is very lacking. For example, the author makes mention of a time at a leadership retreat when guest singer Alvin Slaughter came and God moved in a special way. He noted to Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek, that this never happens in Willow Creek services. I was shocked to hear this! Why not?

How can we as Christian leaders really desire to follow pastors that do not have a strong presence of God in their services? How is this acceptable? I believe if the services are weak, how much “weaker” are the small groups. I know people will say, “We get ‘deeper’ in the smaller meetings.” But what is the point if you cannot express it in the larger meetings? How can a church really grow disciples if they have to adjust to two different types of services? This is not true to the Bible; Jesus was Jesus wherever He was. Jesus always loved being with the Father, both in small and large groups. I sincerely hope that more people get tired of just having “clubs” and start getting closer to God by the Holy Spirit!

Personal Application

Here are some of the things I learned from this book that can be applied to Metro Praise Church in Chicago:

(1) Become a small group church, not just a church with small groups
(2) Promote small groups from the pulpit and at every announcements in both adult and youth services
(3) Make small attendance a must for all leadership positions
(4) Take time in choosing the right leaders and do not rush the process of appoint leadership
(5) Develop simply yet power training materials for leaders and apprentices
(6) Activate the same follow up process in all small groups
(7) Coach small group leaders, keep them accountable, and have continued leadership training
(8) Set a goal for every small group to multiply every six months!

"Now That's a Good Question" - Book Review

Overview

“Now That’s A Good Question” by Terry Powell is a short-power packed book with funny stories, great insight, and easy to use principles for leading a small group discussion. The basis of the book comes from the need to teach small group leaders how to ask the right kind of questions and make an open learning environment for small groups.

Powell shares from his own personal experience that bonds formed in small groups can positively impact a person’s life forever. Therefore, Powell’s desire in writing the book is to facilitate a caring environment for believers and their guests by “asking the right questions.” He gives the following verses for the basis of good Biblical-group discussion: Galatians 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 6:18, Romans 12:10, Romans 15:7, and 1 Peter 4:10.

The principles Powell gives for creating a climate for discussion can be remembered in the word C.L.I.M.A.T.E (p. 19). Here is short description of each one: Caring: showing the members you love them by calling them when they miss, remembering important things in their lives. Laughter: using humor to open up the meetings to make everyone feel comfortable and more open to share their heart. Intercession: making time in every meeting to pray and lift up the member’s needs to God. Methodology: use solid materials and strategy so the group can grow and be organized. Assimilation: make the visitors feel welcome and have things in place to follow up on them to make it easy to come back. Transparency: help people to take of their “mask” and feel comfortable in their own skin and share their lives in an open and honest way. Environment: keep the meeting place clean, free from clutter, loud noises or distracting elements, and offer free snacks and refreshments.

The climax of the book is when Powell shares the “O.I.L” concept for asking good questions from Bible lessons (p. 37). Observation: questions that come from observing the passage, such as, “How did Nehemiah discover the plight of the Jews?” Interpretation: questions that come from the meaning of the passage itself, such as, “What prerequisite for effective intercession does Nehemiah’s inquiry illustrate?” Life-Related: questions that relate to the reader’s life, such as, “In what ways can we stay informed concerning the needs of people in this group or in our church?”

It Reminds Me of When...

This book took me back to the times when I was in Bible College and the Dean of Student Affairs Rev. Anthony Freeman invited us to his house for food, fellowship, and worship. I had attended small groups in other churches prior to coming to Bible College, but they had never really brought me closer to God. However, the times I had at the Freeman’s house forever changed my life and filled me with many heavenly gifts.

At the start of these times of fellowship with Professor Freeman he would lighten the mood with humor and funny stories about his children. Despite the hard times I was facing in school and the feelings of loneliness from being hundreds of miles away from my hometown, I would soon feel so comfortable that I felt like I was home.

The time of welcoming would lead to sharing a wonderful meal together, which was cooked with love and great skill by his wife Sister Melanie. After the meal he would skillfully play the guitar and sing beautiful worship songs that with we all loved. Afterwards, he would share a portion of Scripture and then begin to teach us a simple, yet powerful lesson. Within the lesson he would give great illustrations and ask interpretive questions. In the end he would ask for our thoughts and prayer requests, he then would council us and make intercession to God on our behalf.

It was because of those times in his home that I was able to feel loved, welcomed, and challenged to grow closer to Christ. Though Professor Freeman had not read this great book by Powell, for it wasn’t even out yet, he showed great skill in asking questions and relating the Word of God to our lives. I am very greatful to God for his family’s kindness, hospitality, and love in those formative years of my life and ministry.

Personal Reflection

I personally liked this book because it made me laugh and think about how I lead small groups, ask questions, and host discussions. I have always been able to ask good questions naturally, but I have never been able to distinguish what makes a good question “good” and what makes a bad question “bad.” Powell teaches the differences by noting “bad questions” are: (i) long winded, (ii) unclear, (iii) run-together, (iv) speculative, (v) irrelevant, (vi) usurp Biblical authority, (vii) too personal, (viii) unrealistic, (ix) yes/no questions, (x) too obvious, and (xi) leading questions (p. 53).

Therefore, good questions are the opposite of bad ones, they are: (i) short and to the point, (ii) clear and easy to understand, (iii) given one at a time, with proper time to answer, (iv) not based on personal opinion, but obvious to everyone, (v) relevant to the subject, (vi) come from sound doctrine, (vii) not too personal, (viii) real and useful for discussion, (ix) short sentence answers, (x) require an amount of thought, and (xi) probing.

Action Points

Here is a list of the most important actions I derived from this fun book:

1. Use humor, funny stories, or fun group activities to open up small groups

2. Make a group open for good discussion by following the C.L.I.M.A.T.E principles

3. Learn the difference between good and bad questions

4. Design great questions in each lesson from O.I.L (Observations, Interpretations, and Life-Related)

5. Avoid bad questions and common pitfalls to bad discussions

Therefore, I would recommend the book to all small group leaders and you can get the book here.

Purpose Driven Church Evaluation

Principles in the “Purpose Driven Church”

I truly enjoyed the many principles given in this classic book on church growth by Rick Warren because they are easy to understand, based in Scripture, and highly functional. I will note five principles on church growth and development that stuck out to me; (1) The Five Dimensions of Church Growth, (2) Eight Things that Drive Churches, (3) Five Circles of Commitment, (4) The Five Purposes of Saddleback, and (5) Saddleback’s Life Development Process

(1) The Five Dimensions of Church Growth: (i) Churches grow warmer through fellowship, (ii) Church grow deeper through discipleship, (iii) Churches grow stronger through worship, (iv) Churches grow broader through ministry, and (v) Churches grow larger through evangelism (p. 49).

(2) Eight Things that Drive Churches: (i) Churches driven by traditions, (ii) Churches driven by personality, (iii) Churches driven by finances, (iv) Churches driven by programs, (v) Churches driven by buildings, (vi) Churches driven by events, (vii) Churches driven by seekers, (viii) Churches driven by purpose (pgs. 77-80).

(3) Five Circles of Commitment: (i) Community-Unchurched, (ii) Crowd-Regular Attendees, (iii) Congregation-Members, (iv) Committed-Maturing Members, and (v) Core-Lay Ministers (p. 130).

(4) The Five Purposes of Saddleback: (i) Magnify: We celebrate God’s presence in worship, (ii) Mission: We communicate God’s Word through evangelism, (iii) Membership: We incorporate God’s family into our fellowship, (iv) Maturity: We educate God’s people through discipleship, and (v) Ministry: We demonstrate God’s love through service (p. 107).

(5) Saddleback’s Life Development Process: (i) 1st Base: Committed to Membership-101 Classes, (ii) 2nd Base: Committed to Maturity-201 Classes, (iii) 3rd Base: Committed to Ministry-301 Classes, and (iv) Home Plate: Committed to Missions-401 Classes (p. 130).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: “The Purpose Driven Church” had many strengths, here are just a few: (1) Warren does a great job of dispelling “mega-church” myths, (2) The book notes some of the key mistakes to church growth, (3) He encourages the smaller churches to start where they are to begin to grow, (4) Warren spends much time trying to avoid compromising or “lowering the standard,” and (5) The book gives overall strategies for every major function of the church.

Weaknesses: Despite all the strengths I do see some major weaknesses and concerns, namely, (1) Warren seems to think that Jesus intended the church to have “two-types” of services, one for believers and one for unbelievers, thus I believe this contradicts the depiction of the church found in Acts and in Paul’s letters, (2) The book does not do a good job of describing Christian conduct or the outcome of true discipleship, thus as the reader I am left wondering, what does Warren define as a mature Christian, (3) Warren’s methods seem to emphasize too much on what “man” can do and does not teach enough how to rely upon God for strategies, (4) Some of the methods mentioned such as how to preach, lead worship, and offer small groups seem manipulative and not Spirit led, and (5) Warren does not prepare the “would-be-purpose-driven-pastor” enough for failure or disappointment, it seems like he presents his strategy as “fail proof.”

My Personal Thoughts

I have overall negative feelings towards Rick Warren’s book because I do not believe his strengths are enough to overcome his weaknesses. For example Warren says concerning methods for preaching, “Select your Scripture readings with the unchurched in mind. While all Scripture is equally inspired by God, it is not all equally applicable to unbelievers (p. 297).” He states that Psalm 58, “break the teeth in their mouths, O God” should be saved only for “your own personal quiet time (p. 298).” I believe it is verses like these that display the wrath of God that should be used with unbelievers!

Jonathon Edwards, an 18th century theologian and revivalist, preached the exact opposite in his world famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Which in his day had proven success and not only grew “a church” but transformed Christianity in America. Therefore, I believe Warren’s overall “soft” approach to sinners can be very dangerous and lead to their eternal destruction (See Ezekiel’s warning to the “Watchman” in Ezekiel 33).

Also, Warren tends to treat the Holy Spirit, the source of the church’s power, as an “embarrassing family member.” For example, Warren says concerning worship services, “God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang-ups, and needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services(p. 243.)” And, “We must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present.” He uses 1 Corinthians 14:23 to try to prove that Paul was the first “seeker sensitive” preacher. However, Warren chooses to overlook vs. 24-25, “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Therefore, when “visitors” see Christian worship and hear prophesy they should be made to feel “convicted,” “judged,” “laid bare,” and exposed as a “sinner.”

In conclusion, though Warren offers great strategies for church growth left alone they could lead to a greater destruction than having a “small church.” I would rather see “small churches” preaching the Gospel the way Christ did, than “mega-churches” compromising the message of Jesus. Therefore, I believe Warren falls under the category of preachers that Paul talks about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Successful Strategic Planning in the Church

Definition of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning in the church is “the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal” (Webster). It is clear from the Bible God loves using strategic plans to accomplish His goals, for example: Creating the universe in six days, Building the nation of Israel, Worship in the temple, The Davidic line, Jesus and the twelve, and End times prophecy.

Therefore, it is equally important in the church age that God’s leaders use plans and strategies to accomplish the Great Commission. This paper will (1) Give the essential people needed to make a strategic plan, (2) Demonstrate a clear strategic planning process in the church, and (3) List the most common mistakes made and how to avoid them.

People Needed to Make a Strategic Plan

When making a strategy for the church there needs to be certain people present. First, the senior leader or pastor needs to be present to guide the process. God works through a chosen leader, not a “committee” (Galatians 1:15-17). Second, team leaders or department heads need to be present because “dictatorship” is not Biblical. James, the leader of the church of Jerusalem was seen relying on Peter and other experienced leaders (Acts 15:13-14). Lastly, outside experts, these are people that come only for certain parts of the meeting to offer their expert advice in areas the leader and team do not have quality insight (Jethro to Moses – Exodus 18:24).

The Strategic Process

Here is a clear example of strategic planning in the church from Dr. Rod Dempsey’s article “Core Elements of a Ministry Plan.” First, the senior pastor should open the meeting with prayer and a short word about fulfilling the Great Commission. Second, he should begin by stating the rationale or reasons for the church to exist and operate according to Scripture. This should be the “heart” of why God has called the church to exist.

Third, a team leader should give some information on the current needs of the community through demographic studies and surveys. Demographic studies are easy to gain from the county, however surveys need to be developed by team leaders and done throughout the community. Also, such books or articles by George Barna can give great general overviews of worldviews within generational and social groups.

Fourth, the pastor should give a basic vision statement that can encompass the purpose of the particular church. The team can then add their insight and agree upon a simple yet big statement. For example, “Metro Praise’s vision is ‘Loving God, Loving People.” Fifth, the team should develop a mission statement, something that gives “teeth” to the broad vision. For example: “The mission statement of Metro Praise is to “Connect the lost to Jesus, Mentor believers in ways of Jesus, and Send disciples to share Jesus.’”

Sixth, the team should develop the core ministry values from the Bible. These ministry values are how the vision and mission statement will be given action. For example: “Metro Praise’s ten core ministries values come from Acts 2:42-47, which are, (1) Services, (2) Small Groups, (3) Evangelism, (4) Discipleship, (5) Fellowship, (6) Community Service, (7) Prayer Meetings, (8) Fulltime Ministry Training/Bible College, (9) Church Planting, and (10) Mission Trips.

Seventh, each team leader naming the expenses they will incur for the next year doing their ministry should develop a budget. The pastor then should use an expert in finances to help develop an overall budget and projected earning for the next year.

Eighth, the team should develop goals for each ministry and for the church as a whole. For example: Elevate youth ministry will grow to 40 disciples, the adult small group will multiply to four groups with 80 disciples, and the church will grow to 250 people in Sunday attendance. Ninth, the team should plan a calendar for the year. The events must work within the vision, mission statement, core ministry values, and budget. The pastor should have the last say to what is in the official calendar.

Lastly, an evaluation system should be placed in order so the team can see their strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary changes to insure success of the goals. For example: Metro Praise will have monthly meetings with the team leaders where budgets will be evaluated, disciples will be counted, leaders will be held accountable, and calendar events will be judged as “wins or losses.”

Common Mistakes

Stephen A. Macchia in his article, “Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Church,” lists the most common mistakes leaders make when trying to make a strategic plan:

(1) Making Planning Too Complex: Stick with 2-3 ideas when coming up with options, making long lists can frustrate the leadership and never lead to a point.

(2) Not Reaching Conclusions and Making an Action Plan: Tie up loose ends along the way, and outline appropriate action steps. Leaving things unresolved to future meetings takes away the teams momentum.

(3) Not Keeping the Action Plan Simple: Action plans are designed to help each ministry reach their goals. These should be simple. For example: Elevate will grow to 40 disciples by (a) Evangelizing every Friday at the schools, (b) Monthly E-Nites, and (c) Small Groups.

(4) Not Revisiting the Plan: Never be afraid to change plans, strategies, and steps. Vision statements and mission statements should be stable, but plans can change to insure success.

(5) Taking Too Long: Make planning meetings efficient and to the point, do not let “rabbit trails” get your team tired and distracted.

(6) Trusting Your Instincts apart from Prayer: Planning alone is okay, prayer is better, but praying with your planning is best! Encourage prayer before meetings, seek God in meetings, and after decisions are made keep an open heart in prayer to let God speak through the process.

Application

Today God is working through leaders that plan to do great things for His Kingdom. Whether it is through Reinhardt Bonke planning for a million souls to be saved in one evangelistic meeting or Cho starting a church in a tent proclaiming his church will be the biggest church in the world- God is giving vision to win the world!

Make time today to apply these principles to your ministry so you can get “God-ideas” and start “visioneering” with your team! The end result should be doing whatever is good to “your team and the Holy Ghost!” Here is what you can do today if you are a pastor or senior leader: (1) Prayerfully seek out your team, (2) Begin to recruit and start praying about your strategic meetings, (3) Consult other leaders that have had successful strategic meetings, (4) Plan your first meeting, and (5) Encourage the team to pray and prepare for great things!

"Leading a Small Group" Book Review

Overall Book Review

“Leading a Small Group” by Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey is a powerful and informative book on the tools needed to lead a multiplying small group. The authors list 52 ways to help start a small group from scratch and develop it to 1,520 small groups in just ten years! The uniqueness of this book is the fact that it combines many different structures and ways to build a small group. For example: It gives the “G.R.O.U.P” structure, the “Five Practices of Healthy Small Groups,” the “L.I.F.E Group” structure, and the “Eight Effective Habits of a Small Group.”

The basis of all the great information presented is because “learning to lead a healthy, growing, multiplying small group effectively is a little like eating an elephant. You can’t ‘get it’ all at once. You have to ‘eat it one bite at a time,’ learning a little more regularly and putting it into practice.” Thus, the book offers “high octane equipment, empowerment, and encouragement” for the beginner and “practical guidance” for the veteran.

The authors Dr. Dave Early and Dr. Rod Dempsey have a wealth of experience from many combined years of church planting, leading small groups, and teaching on church building. Dr. Early currently pastors the church he planted with over 2,000 attendees and over 100 small groups. Dr. Dempsey teaches all over the nation on discipleship, small groups, and effective church growth strategies. Also, both are highly respected in the academic world with teaching positions at Liberty Baptist seminary.

Therefore, combining the experience of the author’s ministries and the massive amount of today’s best small group strategies and methods, “Leading a Small Group” is a tremendous book for every leader. This paper will outline some of the best methods and habits noted in this book and how I received them.

What the Book Meant to Me

This book took me back to the time I pastored my first church in New Orleans. I had been doing a form of “home mission” inner city church planting, which was basically raising money from the suburb churches and spending it in the “hood.” I likened this method to “Robin Hood,” taking from the rich and giving to the poor. However, the problem with this method was two-fold, first, we did not develop a church that was self-supporting, and second, the depth of the members was lacking in both spiritual and social maturity. As a result, after four years of “blood, sweet, and tears” we only had a “crowd” that lacked serious discipleship.

Facing the discouragement of never having an indigenous church, I began looking for better methods than our “Robin Hood” method. During this time of searching for better methods I came into contact with the “G12” cell group movement. G12 is a cell based church growth movement from Columbia under the leadership of Cesar Castellanos. Though this movement had proven strategies, it was very one-sided and inflexible. Therefore, when I tried to mold the inner city church I was pastoring into the “exact” G12 model, the result was devastating. We basically crushed the church and lost all of our “crowds” and did not even have disciples!

I wish I had this book before I joined G12. If I would’ve had this book and some maturity we could have started small groups one step at a time. I believe we could’ve had both a great inner city outreaching church and a strong discipleship based small group ministry.

Reflection

I personally loved this book because it was written in a way that I like to receive information- short and to the point. Also, I prefer books that show a variety of strategies instead of just “pushing” one idea. This is because most of today’s church growth and strategy books come from a church that found “their way” worked and now they want everyone to “do what they did.”

“Leading a Small Group” gives you the impression that God has many tools to use to building a strong small group based church. Such chapters as, “Jesus Was a Small Group Leader,” “Personal Growth: The Fountainhead of Long-Term Effectiveness,” and “Leader Burnout: Healing and Prevention” come with great life lessons and deep truths to base one’s ministry on.

I thought the strongest two strategies mentioned were the “Five Practices of Healthy Small Groups: Welcome, Worship, Witness, Word, and Works” and “Eight Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders: Dream, Pray, Invite, Contact, Prepare, Mentor, Plan, and Personal Growth.”

Application of the Book

Here is a list of the most important actions I derived from this powerful book:

"Five Practices of Healthy Small Group:"

1. Welcome: I believe that every small group meeting must have a time to “meet and great,” a time of snacks, fellowship, and light conversation.

Metro Praise Church Application: Make time to have snacks, games, and small talk before the group starts. This can work in the summer by first meeting the group in the back yard with some activities or by meeting in house with music playing.

2. Worship: The best way to start a small group meeting is to begin with worship. Worship is important because it focuses everyone’s attention on the Lord and opens their hearts to receive what God has for them.

Metro Praise Church Application: If there is a guitar or keyboard player available have them choose 2-3 songs that are easy to learn and sing until everyone can enjoy singing the choruses. If a musician is not available, then play 2-3 songs on the stereo with a song leader praying and encouraging worship during the songs.

3. Witness: Every week there should be a time when the group meets and spreads the word throughout the neighborhood the group meets in. Also, the group should teach practical witnessing tips for the members to use doing the week with co-workers and friends/family.

Metro Praise Church Application: The group should go out witnessing in the neighborhood of the meeting place, local parks, and schools.

4. Word: The small group must honor the Word of God and make it the center of the group’s focus. The leader should be gifted in making the truths of the Bible plain and applicable to the member’s lives.

Metro Praise Church Application: Have a 10-15 time of teaching the Word of God. Illustrations, icebreaker questions, and stories can help teaching the Word of God practical. However, the focus should always be on finding truths in the Word through prayer and prior study by the leader.

5. Works: The small group should be a place where leaders can train other leaders to fulfill their purpose in the ministry. Small groups should take specific ministry opportunities to work together for the growth of the Kingdom of God.

Metro Praise Church Application: The small group can “adopt-a-block” and take time once a month to go together outside of their small group meeting time and minister together, the group could visit the “weaker” members of the church and have home prayer and Bible study with them, or the group could host retreats and special events such as: “men and women's meetings, “couple’s retreats,” and “conferences at other churches.”

Resources

1. Here is the link to buy the book, a most for all small group leaders!

2. Link to the day and times of Metro's adult small group

Strategic Planning For Churches!

Part of my desire to blog is to post the papers I write in seminary. I am currently in four leadership classes and I have been doing tons of research on great subjects concerning the church and its ability to fulfill the Great Commission.

Here is a paper on "Strategic Planning for the Church,"


Definition of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning “determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how it's going to get there and how it'll know if it got there or not.” Therefore, strategic planning is used for all types of organizations such as businesses, governments, schools, and non-for-profit organizations.


Description of Strategic Planning

Good strategic planning will contain the following components:

(1) Strategic Analysis: This includes conducting some sort of scan, or review, of the organization's environment- for example, of the political, social, economic and technical environment.

(2) Setting Strategic Direction: This section contains; vision statements, mission statements, core values, and goals.

(3) Action Planning: Such things as; organizational charts, tactics, budgets, timelines, and evaluation systems.


Benefits for Strategic Planning in the Church

Here is list of reasons why using strategic planning in the church can be useful in fulfilling the Great Commission:

(1) Clear Purpose: The church will gain a clear vision, mission statement, and core values to impart to all its members.

(2) Unified Efforts: The church can give “easy to follow” steps to its workers in the form of flow charts, strategies, and timelines.

(3) Accountability: The church leadership will have a better grasp of all the leaders, ministries, and functions of the church through evaluations and specific monitoring of each area of ministry.


Strategic Planning is Biblical

Strategic planning was utilized in many different forms throughout both the Old and New Testament. For example:

(1) Jethro: God sent Moses Jethro, his father-n-law, to give specific plans to organize the leadership of the tribes of Israel which made a functioning flow of authority and task management- Genesis 18:17-23.

(2) Nehemiah: Nehemiah was a God-appointed leader who used a strategy. When God laid it on his heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah began to establish and then work through a well-planned strategy to accomplish the vision God had given. He assessed the damage. He secured the resources. He established leaders and distributed the assignments among them- see the book of Nehemiah.

(3) Jesus: He used the twelve to build His church, groups of 100’s to feed the fish, and the strategy of multiplication to spread the Gospel around the world- Matthew 28:18-20.


My Personal Thoughts on Strategic Planning in the Church

I am fully convinced that strategic planning is both Biblical and essential for all churches and Christian ministries to succeed. Here are some reasons to support my belief from the Bible and personal experience:

(1) Paul’s Ministry: Paul’s mission trips were planned with a strategy- Romans 15:23-25, his design of the church’s infrastructure in the offices of Elders and Deacons- 1 Timothy 3, and Paul’s letters to the churches were a form of evaluation and further training- Galatians and Titus.

(2) My Personal Experience: I started my first church at the age of 22 years old, 6 months out of Bible college, and with only 3 years of Christian experience. Therefore, the effort had massive amounts of passion and good ideas, but very little in the areas of discipleship programs, flow charts, budgets, and timelines. As a result, the work needed to be merged with another church after only 4.5 years to survive and I was forced to take a youth pastor job in another city.
However, the second church I started was when I was 28 years old, over 8 years after Bible College, and with 10 years of Christian experience. Therefore, I started the church will clear vision statements, goals, and strategies. As a result, the church has grown at a rate of 30% or more a year. We have just passed the five year mark and are making timelines for growth that predict 40% growth for each year in the next five years!


How to Make a Strategic Plan for a Church Plant

Here are some ten helpful steps to make a strategic plan for a new church:

(1) Prayer: Prayerfully consider the “Type A” person the church desires to reach.

(2) Strategic Analysis: Do strategic analyses to find the best location to reach the people desired, such studies as demographic studies and “on the street” interviews.

(3) Location: Determine the location of the new congregation based on the “type A” person the church desires to reach.

(4) Leadership Structures: Write out a clear flow chart, job descriptions, and recruitment plan.

(5) Leadership Gathering: Begin gathering the right leadership through meetings and interviews. After the desired leadership is found begin holding weekly meetings and start designing the church’s strategic direction.

(6) Strategic Direction: With the leadership team design the following: (a) Name, (b) Vision Statement, (c) Objectives, (d) Core Values, (e) Strategies, (f) Timeline for Growth, (h) Measurable Goals, and (i) Budget.

(7) Promotion: Begin to promote and evangelize the area desired to reach and to start the church.

(8) Small Groups: Have a planning small group once a week with the leadership and a open small group to invite the visitors being reached.

(9) Launch Service: Plan a launch service when the church begins meeting once a week and the ministries planned start to function.

(10) Quarterly Review: Every three months review the churches (a) Leadership, (b) Strategic Direction, and (c) Goals in relation to the timeline.


Great Web and Book Sources:

(1) How to Start a Small Business: Great for churches as well, put out by the government, cool slide show

(2) Definitions of Strategic Planning: Great insight and easy to read articles

(3) Simple Church, by Rainer & Geiger: Well written book on simple yet powerful strategies for planting growing churches

(4) Metro Revolution: Here is the vision and plan for our movement