Get People Back into Church

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? - Luke 5:4 (NKJV)

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?. . .  - Luke 5:8 (NKJV)

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” - Luke 15:31-32 (NKJV)


It's hard getting people back into church.  It is certainly no easy work. 

You can lose things along the way.  You can lose focus.  You can even lose some degree of faith.  Unfortunately, you can also lose people.

There is a way to get some people back into church.  You can get them back with some effort. 

Recover those who you lost.  Get men back into church.  Keep youth engaged in service and Sunday school.  Turn those hangers-on into holly rollers.

If you fail to make the effort, you can hardly expect them to return.  Make the effort.  Get people back into church.

 

Here are some simple starting points for getting them back into church:

• Develop a Hit List:
• Identify those who signed up and have never shown up
• Identify those who no longer show up
• Identify those who show up every now and then
• Make Contact
• E-mail the group with an appeal to return to church
• Phone those who no longer show up or who show up every now and then
• Schedule a home visit for those who signed up and never showed up
• Measure Your Progress
• Measure your contacts
• Who
• When
• What resulted from the contact. . . message, conversation, etc.
• Make connections
• See who shows up (measure over a month or two)
• Follow up with those who said they would but never did

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

- Luke 15:10 (NKJV)

Special Events and Beyond

"I shape my own destiny." - Laurie Beth Jones

Your special events are only as special as you make them.  Sadly, if your approach and attention to your special events resemble your regular routine, then you need to assess your readiness to make it a success.  You make special events a success by making them special.  You make them special by adjusting your approach to them.

• Preparation: How you prepare will impact how you perform.  If you are lackluster in preparation, don't expect to tap into some hidden gem of enthusiasm and energy that wasn't present before it is time to perform.  Go full strength with your preparations.
• Promotion: You have to talk it up and take it up a notch. You are to talk it up to get others talking about what's coming.  If you don't show any enthusiasm about what you are putting on, then you won't see many people rushing to get there.  Talk it up and take it up.  Introduce something new.  Innovate it.  Put a new spin on an old idea. Let it wow your audience.
• Presentation: Small budgets don't have make your events small-scale ventures. Get others to partner and support your efforts.  Look at your vendors for discounts.  Do you always use the same caterers or order from the same local restaurants? Ask for a discount and offer premiere signage.  See where you can cut costs without cutting corners.  Keep your presentation flawless and fantastic.

Remember: You shape your own destiny.

Answering a Fool

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.- Proverbs 26:4 (NIV)

Yes, it is true that Jesus said that we are not to call our brother a fool. The caveat to that teaching is a study of context that speaks about the anger in which we use such words rather than simply inserting some euphemism that says what we meant in code. Jesus was teaching about judgment and anger in Matthew 5:22. However, the Proverbs are clear about identifying the foolish actions that separate the fool from the wise and prudent. Obviously, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, we see it as a duck. If it acts foolish and sounds foolish... It is what it is.

The words of Solomon teach us that fools act differently. In fact, Solomon teaches us through Proverbs that a fool is wise in his own eyes. Answering a fool according to his folly requires you to get on that fool's level. In other words, what you are doing is addressing the fool by the same foolish ways that he uses. I picture it like this: a wise man and a fool get into a verbal argument, hurling insults at one another and calling each other fools. How do you identify the wise man from the fool? Exactly! The precise problem is what it projects to others, especially the fool himself. You just justified his argument to some degree by what you did in response to him. Such actions on our part kill the power of our witness.

With those who choose to go about things foolishly, I say simply show them another way by example. If they are foolish, they'll keep doing what they've always done just for the sake of it. If they have any degree of common sense, they'll see how you go about things differently and at least inquire of what makes you different. Keep in mind that you can win someone over by killing them with kindness, showering and smothering them with lovingkindness. Catch more flies with the sweet honey of your lips rather than poisoning them with the venomous vinegar.

Quality before Quantity

As for church membership, the statisticians of the religious bodies often depend for their figures on the unchecked estimates of local pastors. As for church attendance, so confidently said to be increasing, no real statistics exist at all. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,807867,00.html#ixzz0df51wDgu

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What is staggering is that this Time article addresses the stats and figures of churches that may be inflated to some degree in order to establish a "movement" among houses of worship in America. We call it the "mega-church movement," but growth by numbers alone doesn't mean that our people are growing. My opinion is that some larger congregations make good hiding places for those who simply follow the crowd. Jesus had the mutlitudes following Him as He headed towards Jerusalem. Yet, He taught and trained twelve and in some instances as many as seventy whom He sent out to conduct the work. I guess the 80-20 rule still applied in biblical times. What we learn is that churches need to captialize on the opportunity to provide and promote quality rather than simply seeking to imitate "mega-church"movers and shakers with quantity.

Quality leads to sustaining quantity. If there is no quality, the quantity will eventually depart. Then, church leaders will either have to gather more to replace the departed or rethink their approach to how they manage and lead their flock. I believe quality is the key. Provide quality by offering the truth and the whole truth. Teach and train people based upon biblical principles and empower them to reach out to others. Based upon their quality experience, these individuals wil become your spokespeople for your worship services, small groups and Sunday school. If you lack quality, do not expect the large numbers to hang around long. They'll be gone when the next big thing hits town.

Recruit through Relationships

We often recruit people who are like us. It just seems natural. We draw peolpe who look or dress like us. In fact, we really get those people who share our personal opinions and viewpoints. They say great minds think alike, but that means little when these minds are geared towards selfish gain.
Look at recruitment in the New Testament. In John, Andrew and John are led to Jesus by John the Baptist, essentially Jesus' cousin. Andrew gets Simon Peter his brother and brings him to Jesus. Nathanael tries to get one of his homeboys to go and meet Jesus. Based upon this type of example, we can learn to recruit through relationships.

Starting Small

If you starting a new venture in business or ministry, here are a few things to keep in mind. The size of your new baby can grow over time. Starting small should not be connected with anything shameful. Start and stay in it for the long haul.

Focus on a "small"start by:

• Starting small
• Starting smart
• Starting smooth

Try it this way and expect to take your next venture all the way to the next level.

More to Think On

Set your mind on the things above. . .
-Colossians 3:2

It can be said that many of us look to the Lord for guidance on how to manage and maneuver our way through the day-to-day mess that we have before us. However, the words of Paul share with us that we should think on the "things above," not merely earthly matters. Earthly matters can busy and bother us, but those things above give us something to look forward to beyond our daily lives. When we focus on the things above, we also agree with the Holy Spirit that there are matters that are far more important than what's for dinner or what may be on t.v. tonight.

Ask yourself whether your thoughts are upon the things that God wants you to think about daily? Think about where you have placed your thoughts and concerns. Your thoughts, just like your steps, ought to be ordered by the Lord. Was that last thought that flashed in your head meant to direct you or distract you? Is that image that went through your mind what God means for you to focus upon for the day or what is meant for you to discard for the remainder of your days? Think over those thoughts, images, ideas, and notions. Keep on with what's from God. Discard what is not about the kingdom of God.

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Keep your mission in mind. Know why you do what you do. Your purpose speaks about your pursuits and should speak from your passion. I oftentimes refer to those who teach on leadership and business such as John C. Maxwell, Peter Drucker, and Bob Briner. Visit www.sba.gov or www.biz.gov for more guidance.
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Never give up on a sincere prayer. Jesus taught that men should always pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). In fact, Paul even stated:"Pray without ceasing"( 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Continue in prayer and focus your efforts on keeping abreast of those prayers answered by God. Keep holding on. He may still deliver more blessings.