Lack of Effective Strategic Planning Hinders Small Churches

Small churches often get most of the equation right when it comes to making progress, but the one major mistake they make is poor planning, according to a recent study.

An overwhelming majority of pastors of small churches (94 percent) say they see the need and problems in their community that the church has been called to address, and eight out of 10 say they share with their congregation a clear and compelling picture of what God is calling their church to look like in several years, LifeWay Research's latest study shows.

But 67 percent of pastors of small churches say they are frustrated with how slow progress is being made at their churches.

"The effectiveness of local church ministry often is jeopardized by poor organization," diagnosed Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. "Understanding God’s calling and the context of the church is important, but leadership requires knowing where you are, knowing where you need to go and knowing how to get there. Most pastors of small churches actively pursue the first two, but many struggle with the third."

LifeWay surveyed 350 Southern Baptist pastors of congregation that average fewer than 100 in primary worship attendance.

Many pastors openly admitted that they do not know how to lead their churches to achieve their goal.

Only 29 percent of pastors of small churches strongly agreed that they had a clear plan to transform their churches into what God wanted them to be.

But a significantly higher number of pastors expressed confusion about their plan and the problems along the way. Forty-four percent of the surveyed pastors agreed (somewhat or strongly) that they often do not understand why things do not work out, while 30 percent agreed that they are confused about where they should invest their own time and effort.
The survey revealed that although 70 percent of the pastors said their church budget was enough to fund current objectives, 40 percent agreed that their church rarely has time to reflect and plan properly.

For instance, two-thirds of the small churches rarely change the person in charge of certain work or responsibilities. And less than six in ten churches regularly review methods and results of events and programs.

"The survey clearly indicates that smaller-membership churches need to stop and evaluate what they are doing and who is doing it," McConnell said. "Leaders need to develop effective plans for carrying out the work God has called their churches to do."

He added, "Pastors who candidly assess their own strengths and weaknesses can surround themselves with leaders who have the talents that they lack.

"Each local church should seek out and utilize members gifted in organizing people and processes while still encouraging each other to desire the greater gifts of faith, hope, and love."

[from The Christian Post RSS Feed by Jennifer Riley]

How will the economy impact Church Planting in America?

Will funding come to an end?

How will mission churches bring in new revenue streams?

Will all church planters become bi-vocational?

Existing church offerings are down. This may limit their ability to fund new church plants.

Numerous people have been laid-off that were once church staff.

Attendance at Church Planting conferences are down sharply, which may be a sign of the inability to afford the cost to attend or in a decrease the number of plants.

How does this new economic reality change the way churches are planted? Are church planters moving to more organic and decentralized models? Will more church doors close, consolidating Christians into larger churches?

What do you think? Click "comments" below.

God Bless Our Veterans

A Visit to Iglesia de Dios de la Profecia

Billy Graham will no longer work with the president.

Billy Graham's work as a pastor to presidents is coming to an end, but he is praying for Barack Obama as the next U.S. leader begins his work, Graham's son said Friday on the ailing evangelist's 90th birthday. Franklin Graham said in an interview that his father's mind remains sharp even as his body continues to fail. But the preacher who has counseled every president beginning with Eisenhower is not in line to mentor Obama.

Billy Graham the man is frail, the legacy strong, "My father feels like his time and day for that is over," Franklin Graham said. "But he would certainly like to meet (Obama) and pray with him."

Graham's views of the world are still respected in White House circles. Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited Graham at his mountainside home during the campaign, and Obama tried to meet Graham but wasn't able to do so because of the preacher's poor health.

Though never partisan in his preaching, Billy Graham is a registered Democrat. His son expressed concern about Obama's views on abortion and gay marriage — an issue Franklin Graham raised in a meeting with the Illinois senator — saying that he and is father are conservatives who believe the Bible speaks clearly on those issues.

"President-elect Obama heard our position," Franklin Graham said. "And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It's a moral issue that we just can't back down on."
"But he's our president-elect, and those positions that he holds that are contrary to Biblical teaching, I hope that God will change his heart," said Graham, who now heads the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Obama favors abortion rights, and does not support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marrage. He supports civil unions and believes states should decide their own laws about marriage.

About 160 of Graham's close family and friends celebrated his birthday with an intimate gathering Friday at his home in Montreat, featuring fried chicken, barbecue and sweet tea. His ministry had received some 100,000 greetings — including a video from President George W. Bush — from people who told stories about how he changed their lives. Graham's son said they would be bound so that someone could read a few dozen letters to him each day.

Encouragement is partly what Graham needs. He still struggles with the loss of his wife, Ruth, who died last year, and notes his father has more friends in heaven than on earth.

An avid consumer of news, Billy Graham still listens to television — he has macular degeneration and has can't read more than the headlines of a newspaper — and follows the events of the day. He spends much of his day napping and resting, and Franklin visits on Sundays to try and coax him to make the 100-yard walk to the barn next to the mountainside home in Montreat.

Graham's health is fragile. He was hospitalized overnight last month after falling over his dog while trying to pet it. He had elective surgery earlier this year to update a shunt that controls excess fluid on his brain. The shunt was first installed in 2000 and drains fluid from through a small tube, relieving excess pressure that can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease.
Graham was hospitalized last year for nearly two weeks after experiencing intestinal bleeding, and he has also had prostate cancer. But Graham has still outlived doctors' expectations and some of the doctors themselves.

Exit Interview

Now we know how people in America vote. But, do you know how they vote in church?

It has been said that people in church vote with their feet and their purse. If giving drops, shouldn't you figure out why? If people do not attend, shouldn't you find out why?

Have you ever bothered to do exit polls or follow-up to ask why they did not attend? You will hear many coded answers. Here are some examples and what to do about them:

- "I had something else to do." Translation: "Your event had no value to me." Next Step: Increase the perceived value of the training. Bring in an "expert" to encourage them. Provide a meal. Give them a book or CD when they show up. Another simple strategy is to make sure the room looks like you prepared it for them. Provide bottled water and some hard candy on the tables. Set up a couple of flip charts or whiteboards. Drop some pens and pads on the tables (in case someone says something worth writing down).

- "I can't give one more night (or Saturday) to this." Translation: "I am committed, but I have boundaries." Here is a potential solution: you may need to lessen their overall load by giving them permission to drop out of another responsibility. Some who are gifted to shepherd others may need to pass up on committee assignments and nursery duty to allow others a chance to serve. This can be painful to the individual (and to the church) as ministry priorities begin to shift.

- "I don't need no stinking training." Translation: "I already know it all." This one presents a double challenge. First, determine if their answer is out of arrogance or honesty. If arrogance, they have an unteachable spirit and may need some 1:1 time with a coach or pastor to check their heart. They may not be leaning into the Holy Spirit for interactive guidance on how to lead their members. On the other hand, they may honestly believe that they have been well prepared for leadership by previous training, self-study, and experience. If this is the case ... challenge them to come help you train others. By sitting in on training directed at "others" they may learn a lot... and may help you at the same time. If they are gifted a helping others learn to be leaders, they may be Coach material.

What are you hearing? Do your leaders provide excuses for not attending your training events? What are you doing about it?

[By Dave Treat]

What if Starbucks Marketed Like the Church?

A boy and his boat.

Once upon a time a little boy build a little toy sailboat. He would take it to the park every day and sail the little boat on the pond. He liked watching it coast around in the breeze. Because he loved the Boat, he was pretty careful not to let it go too far out in the pond where he could not get it back.

But one day, the inevitable day came when the boat sailed beyond where he could reach it. He got himself soaked trying, but the boat had gone out too far for the boy to rescue it. He went home heartsick, expecting he would never see the boat again.

But a few weeks later, he was walking through town when he saw his boat in the window at the little secondhand shop. He was so excited! He went into the store and said, "You've found my boat! I made that boat! It's mine and I'd like to have it back! But the man behind the counter said, "Well, maybe it was your boat once, but its my boat now -- and if you want it, you'll have to pay me $20.00 for it."

"TWENTY DOLLARS!" The boy said. It seemed like an enormous amount of money. He had no idea how he could come up with that much cash. He started to hang his head and walk out of the store, but the man said, "If you'd like to earn a little money, I could use some help around here."

And so it was agreed. Every week the boy would come and sweep floors and tidy up the shelves, and the man would give him a few dollars. Finally, the day came when he brought this pocket full of crumpled bills to the store and brought his boat back. He was thrilled.

As he walked out of the store, holding his boat like a long lost friend, he said, "You're mine twice now! You were mine the first time I made you; and now you're mine again because I bought you!"

Be a Leader That Reproduces Leaders

1. View yourself as a leader-maker and your group/team as a leader-making laboratory. After hearing from God the next most important task of every leaders is to find and develop another leader. As a group/team you should always be thinking about how you can develop the next leader for the next group or team.
2. Be on a constant talent search. As a leader you should always be on the look for another person who has the potential to be a leader. Ask yourself the question, "who around you could be a leader if someone would just encourage and invest in them?"
3. Develop an apprentice through process and not through a hand-off. You don't just hand-off leadership to someone, you intentionally develop them through the following apprenticeship process:

Vote Today

Today's Quote

"Aspire to inspire before you expire . . ."

Catalyst

Rules To Live By

- Always use soft words, even when you don’t feel well.
- Always display kind actions and joyful attitudes, even if you have been mistreated.
- Have the right response by quickly forgiving others in your heart even before they ask.
- Always be enthusiastic and look for opportunities to praise others' character.
- Always deflect praise and be grateful to God and others for the ways they have benefited your life.
- Always use manners and be respectful of others and their belongings.
- Always do what is right, even when others may not, or when no one is looking.
- Thank God for how He made you, for what He has given you and everything He allows you to go through. (Romans 8:2)
- Don’t mock or put others down.
- Develop compassion and pray for others.
- Never argue, complain, or blame.
- Quickly admit when you have done wrong and ask for forgiveness (even if you were only 10% at fault).
- Don't wait till you’re caught. Be sure your sins will find you out. He who covers his sin will not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes it shall find mercy.
- Have a tough accountability/prayer partner to daily share your heart with and to keep you in line (your parents, spouse). The power of sin is in secrecy.
- Be attentive and look for ways to serve others with sincere motives and no thought of self-gain.
- Think pure thoughts (Philippians 4:8, Romans 13:14).
- Always give a good report of others.
- Don't gossip!
- Never tale-bear unless physical harm will come to someone. (Use Matthew 18.)
- Never raise a hand to hit.
- Never raise a foot to kick.
- Never raise an object to throw.
- Never raise a voice to yell.
- Never raise an eye to scowl.
- Use one toy/activity at a time. Share!
- Do your best to keep your surroundings neat, clean and organized.
- Never let the sun go down on your wrath. (Don’t go to bed angry or guilty.)

Interview Questions

Military.com came up with these potential interview questions. I sincerely hope that NO one will ever subject me (or anyone else) to these types of questions ... but I should be ready to answer them, anyway. Here they are:

- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Who was your favorite manager and why?
- What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
- Why do you want this job?
- Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
- Tell me about your proudest achievement.
- If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?
- If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?
- Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
- How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
- There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
- How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
- Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
- What's your ideal company?
- What attracted you to this company?
- What are you most proud of?
- What are you looking for in terms of career development?
- What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?
- What do you like to do?
- Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.
- What are your lifelong dreams?
- What do you ultimately want to become?
- How would you describe your work style?
- What kind of car do you drive?
- Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
- What's the last book you read?
- What magazines do you subscribe to?
- What would be your ideal working situation?
- Why should we hire you?
- What did you like least about your last job?
- What do you think of your previous boss?
- How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
- Do you have any questions for me?
- When were you most satisfied in your job?
- What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
- What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
- What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
- If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
- What salary are you seeking?
- What's your salary history?
- Do you have plans to have children in the near future?
- What were the responsibilities of your last position?
- What do you know about this industry?
- What do you know about our company?
- How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
- Are you willing to relocate?
- What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?
- What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?
- Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
- Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
- Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
- What is your personal mission statement?
- Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
- What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
- What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
- What is your greatest fear?
- Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
- What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
- What's the most important thing you've learned in school?
- What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
- What will you miss about your present/last job?
- If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?
- List five words that describe your character.
- What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
- Sell me this pencil.
- If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
- Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
- What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years?
- What do you like to do for fun?
- Why are you leaving your present job?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- How do you feel about taking no for an answer?
- What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
- What is your favorite memory from childhood?
- Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
- Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know.
- Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.
- Why did your choose your major?
- What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?
- What is your biggest regret, and why?
- What are three positive character traits you don't have?
- What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
- If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?
- How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?
- How would you weigh a plane without scales?
- What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
- If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or exposure, what would she suggest?
- If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
- What's the best movie you've seen in the last year?
- Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
- What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
- If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of, and why?
- With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.
- If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?
- If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?
- Who are your heroes?
- Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.

[From Phil Hoover]

Attachment Disorder

Pastor, if your people won't follow, it may be the result of past abandonment.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, several families I know have adopted children from Eastern Europe. As they grow, some of these children exhibit a set of extremely troubling symptoms: hostility, inability to form close relationships, and distrust of people, particularly authority figures. These children can become self-destructive, highly sensitive to rejection and anger, and blame everyone close to them for the problems in their lives.

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