Connection is Crucial

It's All About Relationships

Are you connecting with people? Are you effectively communicating vision and purpose with church members? Are you intentionally interacting with people in your community? Do you follow up personally with first-time guests? Are you enthusiastic about your church’s ministry? Do your people know that you love and appreciate them?

These are significant issues for a pastor seeking to grow and develop his church, and each of them deal with relationships. Resources I read on church revitalization devote significant attention to the importance of developing significant relationships with members and prospective members. It’s about connecting with people.

I connect with many pastors of churches needing revitalization. Every step we lead a church to take in the revitalization process deals in some way with intentionally creating and building relationships with people. That includes restoring relationships between church members and initiating new relationships with people in their community.

 

Pastors Set the Pace

Pastors, your members and your Sunday morning guests take their cues from you. They feed off your enthusiasm. They adopt your attitude toward the church and your community. They gauge your compassion for them and others, and they eventually will exude that level of compassion. Your people know when you love and appreciate them. I heard this response from a member whose family was in the process of leaving their church, “Our pastor seems very disappointed in us. He rarely lets us know that he appreciates what we are doing.” Are you communicating your love and appreciation? What three steps can you take this month to improve in this area? Whom can you communicate these steps to who will hold you accountable for carrying them out?

Church member, how effectively are you communicating to worship guests how excited you are that they are worshipping with you? How helpful are you to guests who need assistance? Rate yourself on your friendliness on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being not at all friendly and 10 being outstanding. Then find some way to allow your guests to rate your friendliness on the same scale. You might be surprised. What three actions can you take next Sunday to be more welcoming to guests and fellow members as they enter the facility? Do it for a month, and see what happens.

Taking the Challenge Seriously

An older couple in a church I served seriously accepted my challenge to connect with more people on Sunday morning. Each Sunday for six consecutive Sundays, they moved a few pews from their regular seats and interacted with the people in each area. They even sat in the youth section one Sunday and sought to connect with the young people. They settled back into their regular pew but with one difference. People of all ages, when they entered the worship center, made their way to greet and hug them, and that spirit noticeably swept through the room. It made a significant difference in the feel of our worship service and how our people interacted with each other and with guests.

It’s all about people. What will you do this Sunday to connect with the members and guests at your church?

Jack Carver
Church Strengthening Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association
jcarver@nashvillebaptists.com

The Necessity of Church Planting

Hard but Necessary

I’m convinced that church planting is one of the hardest but most necessary activities that we can be involved in as members of Jesus’ global church. From personal experience, I can attest that planting is hard and at times lonely. However, I still agree with the statement that Peter Wagner made in 1987. He famously said: “Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.”[i] This was a groundbreaking statement when Wagner first said it, and it remains so today.

The necessity of church planting (especially in Nashville) doesn’t initially make sense to many. Tim Keller lists some of the common concerns:

1. “We already have plenty of churches that have lots and lots of room for all the new people who have come to the area. Let’s get them filled before we start building any new ones.”

2. “Every church in this community used to be more full than it is now. The churchgoing public is a shrinking pie. A new church here will just take people from churches that are already hurting and will weaken everyone.”

3. “Help the churches that are struggling first. A new church doesn’t help the existing ones that are just keeping their noses above water. We need better churches, not more churches.”[ii]

This may sound like logical thinking, but according to Keller, Stetzer, and others, the statistical evidence points in the opposite direction.[iii]

So Why Should We Plant New Churches?

I believe we should continue to plant new churches for four specific reasons: It’s biblical, it results in the salvation of new believers, it energizes existing churches, and it mobilizes Christians on mission.

First, I believe church planting is biblical. In his famous last statement, Jesus told his apostles to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). Notice, Jesus didn’t say “win converts,” he said “make disciples.” He then outlined what a disciple is in part: it is someone who has been baptized, and taught how to follow Jesus. Discipleship is a church activity. If we want to obey Jesus’ great commission, it will require more and more churches in order to reach more and more people. Additionally, the pattern established in the New Testament is a pattern of continual evangelism for the purpose of planting new churches that gather regularly.

Secondly, church planting results in the salvation of new believers. Church planting is not church splitting. When I say church planting, I don’t mean thirty disgruntled people going down the road to start their own thing because they now hate their previous pastor. By church planting, I mean a missionary (or group of missionaries) like the Apostle Paul and Barnabas intentionally going out to reach new people and incorporating them into a new church. In the book of Acts, we read about the church in Antioch. During a prayer service at the church, Paul and Barnabas felt the call of God to reach new people. They were sent out to plant churches with a God-given desire to see new people come to faith in Jesus. Church planting by biblical standards is an evangelistic endeavor, not a sheep-swapping endeavor.

Thirdly, church planting energizes existing churches. The church in Antioch was energized, not threatened by the work of Paul and Barnabas. It was likely painful for this church to send out their top notch leaders; however, as God led, the church obeyed, and more people were reached as a result. When you read about Paul’s missionary journeys in the book of Acts, you see that he regularly comes home to Antioch to share what God was accomplishing. Paul’s obedience energized his home church. I have seen this pattern firsthand in Nashville. The churches engaged in church planting feel the pain of sending out some of their best people, but in the long run they rejoice to hear about everything that God is doing in these new churches. As a result, both the sending church and the church plant are energized and encouraged. And the people of God are more willing to take risks for the fame of Jesus as a result.

Finally, church planting results in the mobilization of Christians to be more “on mission” than they previously were. As church planters begin their work, they almost always gather a core group to help them plant the new church. Core groups are typically made up of both believers and not-yet-believers. The people in the core group easily feel the weight of helping the church to grow. Where previously they may have been volunteers or attenders at the sending church, now they are being equipped and encouraged to reach their neighbors and co-workers and invite them to the new church. Now, I’m not saying that existing churches don’t encourage their people to reach their neighbors and co-workers — they certainly do — however, there is something about being part of new work that helps everybody really feel the responsibility to help the church grow. Core group members feel the responsibility to reach others more than they ever have. And as a result, they are more mobilized on Jesus’ mission than ever before.

Let’s Keep Planting Churches

I realize that all church planting is not healthy church planting. There are church splits, and there are guys down the street who seem only to want to steal sheep and build their own egos. However, there is also a lot of healthy church planting happening in our city, and we at the Nashville Baptist Association want to continue to be part of mobilizing churches to plant healthy churches in every part of our city. I’ll end with this quote from Ed Stetzer:

The question is not whether the church will reach postmodern people. Clearly, Jesus promised that the church and the gospel will prevail. the question is actually, “Will we (and the traditions we represent) be the groups that reach postmodern culture, or will God have to bypass us and use others?”[iv]

Ben Adkison
Church Planting Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association

BAdkison@nashvillebaptists.com
615-775-6143

[i] C. Peter Wagner, Strategies for Growth, 168.

[ii] Tim Keller, “Why Plant Churches?,” http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/Why_Plant_Churches-Keller.pdf

[iii] Tim Keller, “Why Plant Churches?,” http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/Why_Plant_Churches-Keller.pdf

[iv] Ed Stetzer, Planting Churches in a Postmodern Age, xvii.

Setting a Proper Pace for Change

When it comes to change, many church leaders attempt to do too much, too soon. They set a pace for change that their people simply cannot tolerate or keep up with. I realize that church leaders in a declining situation want to see things turn around quickly; but be wary of getting into the predicament of having to pull your people into change instead of methodically leading them into change.

Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Start small. Before you can lead your people to make big and significant changes, you would do well to gradually create an environment of change by successfully guiding them through small changes. Then they may be open to considering bigger changes.
    
2. Celebrate successful changes. Let your people know you appreciate their willingness to change. A change that seems small to you may be significant for many of your members. Remember that these initial small changes pave the way for more significant changes in the future.
    
3. Develop a team of change agents. These are the people who buy into the necessity for change, openly support change, and actively lead in making the church’s vision a reality. Spend time developing them as leaders, and let them be the champions for change.

4. Relate even the smallest change to the mission and vision of the church. Convince people of the why of a change, then they will focus on the how of it.

5. Pastor, you are the chief change agent in your church. If you are not wholeheartedly convinced that change is needed and are not committed to making happen, it will not happen. If you are not excited about the future direction of the church, no one else will be, either. Simply put, everything rises and falls with leadership — your leadership.

Jack Carver
Church Strengthening Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association

Live the Story in Nashville

Nashville means … my neighbor, your neighbor, my wife, my children, a friend, a stranger, students, musicians, artists, designers, engineers, retail clerks, baristas, parents, and construction workers; people who skate, waterski, do cross-stitch, play in rock bands and read mystery novels; those who have an intimate relationship with God, others who desire to know Him better, and still others who don’t know Him at all. What does it mean to live the story in Nashville and in today’s diverse world?
 

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus teaches,

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

The words “earth” and “world” clearly refer to the “people” of Matthew 5:16. By calling his followers to be salt and light, Jesus discloses his desire for engaging with humanity — being in the world but not of it. We are to be connected with and personally involved with all people.
 
Living the story of God means engaging in life with a sense of INVOLVEMENT, not ISOLATION.
 
Just as salt is useless unless it is in contact with food and just as a lantern is useless unless it is in the presence of darkness, so we are useless to Jesus’ mission unless we are in regular, personal contact with a diverse group of people.
 
Not only are we to be in the world but also, as followers of Jesus, we are to be distinct. Salt does not add flavor by becoming un-salty; light cannot illuminate darkness by covering itself.
 
Thus, living the story is doing so with DISTINCTIVENESS, not ACCOMMODATION.
 
John R. W. Stott states,
 
When society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not reproach ourselves? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. It cannot do anything else. The real question to ask is: where is the salt?
 
See what Jesus calls this in John 17:15-19:

I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify Myself for them, so they also may be sanctified by the truth.

The best way for light to shine out of a church is for its members to be transformed by the gospel and live the story in all of life, whether working as a businessperson in the economic domain of our society, working in the educational or political domain of our society, or working in the arts.

Let your light shine.

For more on living the story and City Reach Nashville, please connect with us.

Gary Morgan
City Reach Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association
gmorgan@nashvillebaptists.com  

* Thanks to Pastor Matt Chandler, J.D.Greear, Gary Delashmutt and Aarron Schwartz for insight and wisdom into Matthew 5 and living the story.

** All Scripture quotations are taken from the HCSB®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. HCSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

God's Vision for Your Church

The writer of Proverbs proclaims, “Where there is not vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Another translation puts it this way, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint” (NIV). Vision, or revelation, comes from God. A church leader’s vision for his church comes from the Lord. We seek His will, and we desire to craft a vision for our church that is true to His Word and will. The vision you have for your church is God’s revelation to your church of what the church will become as you pursue His purposes in your community and your world.
 
Notice the consequences of having no vision: “People cast off restraint.” They have no purpose in their work. A lot of ministry may be accomplished, but it lacks focus and direction. Ministry activity without a clear destination results in confusion, frustration, and eventually despair that anything significant can be accomplished.

What is God’s vision for the church you serve? Many churches fail because they lose their vision. They lack clarity of purpose. They are simply going through the motions of church ministry without making progress toward significant accomplishments.

Allow me to offer a few ideas concerning vision:

Take the time required to develop a significant vision for your church. Pray for God’s direction, discover needs in your community that your church can help meet, and put in writing what your church believes about its direction in the future.

• Develop a workable strategy for accomplishing the vision God gives you and your leadership team.
• Share the vision with church members and ask them to make a commitment to fulfill the vision.
• Consistently recast the vision. Rick Warren suggests that a church leader share the vision every four to six weeks. You can recast the vision in different ways, but you must keep the vision before your people.
• Regularly evaluate your progress, and tweak the vision as circumstances and opportunities change.
• Let vision direct your hiring of staff and recruitment of volunteer leaders.

If you would like some help in evaluating the vision you and your leadership team have for your church, contact me at jcarver@nashvillebaptists.com about having a Vision Evaluation Workshop for your leadership team.
 
Jack Carver
Church Strengthening Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association

21 Days of Prayer for City Reach

Vision

City Reach desires to make it a priority to seek God through prayer and the scripture. Together, we faithfully seek God, trusting in His power alone to create a lasting impact in our lives, in our city, in His churches, and in the world. Join in with CITY REACH, as we give glory to the Father by uniting in prayer & scripture reading during the next 21 days. 

Week 1

• Monday - That God might exalt His name in the community. -- Exodus 34:5; Psalm 46:10
• Tuesday - That God will extend his Kingdom in this community. -- Matthew 6:10
• Wednesday - That God would cause our hearts to break for those in this community without Christ. -- John 4:35
• Thursday - That God will bring together those who will join others in prayer for the community. -- Luke 10:2
• Friday - That God will reveal “persons of peace,” in this community. -- Acts 10 & 16
• Saturday - That God will give “signs and wonders” among those not following Christ. -- James 5:17-18
• Sunday - That the children of God living in the community exalt God and his son Jesus Christ. -- Acts 4:29

Week 2

• Monday - That those in authority in the community may exalt the name of God. -- Daniel 6:25-27
• Tuesday - For the “peace of God” to permeate this community. -- Psalm 122:6-9; 1Timothy 2:1-2
• Wednesday - That God will bring together those seeking God’s glory in the community. -- Acts 10:30-33
• Thursday - For discernment in recognizing God’s hand and leadership in the community. --Philippians 1:9-10
• Friday - That God will propel “workers” into this field. -- Matthew 9:38
• Saturday - That those following Jesus in the community would live in godliness and holiness. -- 1 Thess. 1:9-10
• Sunday - That God will reveal specific areas/human needs needing Divine intervention. --Mark 9:25-29

Week 3

• Monday - That God will enable believers to love lost persons in the community as He loves them. -- Matthew 19:19; Matthew 25:34-40
• Tuesday - That God will raise up believers who are passionate about reaching the community. -- Philippians 1:12-14
• Wednesday - That God will heal and do miracles in the families of unbelievers in the community. -- Acts16: 25-26
• Thursday - That God will show believers how to find favor in the eyes of the un-churched. -- Acts 5:12-24
• Friday - That the Gospel will extend and triumph in this community. -- 2 Thess. 3:1
• Saturday - That God will save unbelievers in this community -- John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:3

Download a PDF of 21 Days of Prayer

NBA Disaster Relief

Our NBA shower trailer team has moved to Richmond, Texas, and is providing showers for mud-out crews and washing clothes for the crews. 

Yesterday we provided 35 showers and washed 15 loads of clothes.

A crew from Sunset Hills Baptist Church is preparing to leave Sunday to relieve the crew that is at Richmond First Baptist Church now.

Please pray that they will have a safe trip as they make the 15-hour drive to Richmond, Texas.

The Unreached

Associational Emphasis Week

May 22-28 is Associational Emphasis Week. Each day this week the Nashville Baptist Association will be sharing a little bit of information about the various ministries we're involved in throughout our city and how you can pray for the continued expansion of Jesus' church in greater Nashville. 

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Sunday:  The Unreached

In Esther 4:14, Mordecai challenges Esther to take a life-threatening stand before the king for the Jews. Mordecai uses the phrase “For such a time as this.” We are living in Middle Tennessee at a unique time. One hundred people a day are moving into the Metro Nashville Area. Everything is changing — traffic flow, the skyline, and our communities.

In the Nashville City Report 2015, George Barna reports that only 20% of the people in Metro Nashville / Middle TN are deeply committed Christians. Only 39% of our population say they pray, read their Bible, and attend church weekly. We estimate that as many as 950,000 of our neighbors need to know Christ as their personal Savior.

We are in Nashville “For such a time as this.”

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How You Can Pray:

1. Pray that every church will be engaged in ministries to serve their community.
2. Pray that God will show us ways to effectively reach our new neighbors.
3. Pray that every church will set goals to be on mission in Nashville.
4. Pray that God will bring revival to our NBA churches.
5. Pray that our churches will have an outward focus more than an inward focus.

Leadership Development

Associational Emphasis Week

May 22-28 is Associational Emphasis Week. Each day this week the Nashville Baptist Association will be sharing a little bit of information about the various ministries we're involved in throughout our city and how you can pray for the continued expansion of Jesus' church in greater Nashville. 

____________

Saturday:  Leadership Development

“For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform by yourself” (Exodus 18:18).

The NBA Leadership Development Team exists to strengthen church ministries by developing effective ministry leaders. We do this by:

• Conducting an annual Regional Sunday School Leadership conference.
• Providing leadership development events for pastors, church staff, and ministry leaders.
• On-site evaluation of ministry programming, organization, and facilities.
• Providing leadership and ministry resources for church leaders.
• Working in cooperation with the Revitalization Team to provide leadership development assistance to churches involved in a revitalization process.

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How You Can Pray:

1. Pray that God will continue to raise up leaders to assist sister NBA churches.
2. Pray that we can train more church leaders so they can be more effective in their church ministries.

We are ready to help you with your personal and church leadership development opportunities. Contact Jack Carver at jcarver@nashvillebaptists.com.