I am happily married to the love of my life, Shalon. We have been married since 1995 and I can’t imagine life without her. We have been blessed with one beautiful daughter named Hannah. She is quite possibly the coolest kid in the entire world. We recently helped start Discover Church in Noble, OK.
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John…
caught your comments on ACTS on the Engage 21 Conf. It prompted me to visit your blog and then your church site. I wanted to give you a couple of thumbs up on all that you are involved with and doing.
I am out in the PNW, and for such a cutting edge society, our COG churches tend to be farther behind the cultural curve than in most other parts of the country. I found myself following the missional track of things long before it was called that have attempted to do so by design as opposed to just being trendy, even back in the day of my youth ministry involvement. Adapting that in the PNW setting has been easier for me probably because I have seen some success, and success often gives you license even when people don’t agree. Now that I am in my 40’s, I am beginning to see an increased influence in younger pastors in our region and even at a Regional Council level who realize that so much of the existing methodology is ineffective. We have a great AB who is from the East but wants to see the church be relevant and has embraced the younger guys and moved them into position to bring change.
All that to say I really think your list of top five growth hinderers articulates the hurdles that we need to jump in order to see effective change.
1. lack of structure in church planting resources
2. TOT (not sure how to fix it though)
3. need to abolish the hospice mentality (sometimes churches just need to die)
4. not allowing for state workers to stay as long as the state approves. (as soon as they get momentum its time for them to leave.)
5. not seeing the USA as a mission. (I’m all for world missions but maybe the US could be a project for a season)
I don’t want to wear you out with the zillion things that are going through my head or things we are attempting to implement, but let me say this. Point 3 is so true. We are even calling the time of death on churches quit trying to resuscitate corpses so we can move on to help those that are just sick, or have just been born. When some of these churches are declared deceased, there is often an amazing amount of financial resources that can be liquidated, that can be used for the a replant (not for administrative underwriting on a state level). It’s funny, so many churches that are dying are asset rich and cash poor, and their asset is one of the things that is killing them. Those finances reinvested can allow for relevant meeting places (leased facilities) and give a new team a running chance to reach that community or a new community. Not requiring TOT for a period until the church can stand on it’s own two feet is also been implemented. And here is a nice feature… results are required. If the team is ineffective for whatever reason, there is no loss in asset, and no anchor of an irrelevant facility – the mission attempt can be put to bed.
Where we really need to step it up is #5. Not only do we need to promote HOME MIssions, but the concept of the replant, not just the church plant. I think it needs to be developed, packaged and promoted at places like Lee, the Theological Seminary, Patten, etc. I believe with a clearly articulated vision, the resources and the support, there would be a greater passion to leave the Cleveland hub and venture else where.
Thanks for your post. It fired me up.
John… good to see you! Love ya man! Brandon Bohannon
John,
I respect what you guys are doing and would like to connect with you when you have a chance. Email me –bill@lacog.org with an email address for you.
No solicitation intended!!!!
Bill Isaacs
John,
I think I lived next door to you for a year at Lee in 1988/89. Either way, I enjoyed reading your blog and seeing that God is blessing your ministry!
Blessings,
John Jett