Watering the Vine (Pentecost 9C)

 [NOTE: This is an outline only. I am preaching on Carey Nieuwhof's book Lasting Impact)

I. Why Are We Not Growing Faster? 

A. Sensitive Subject

1. It's the subject everyone wants to know about, but no one wants to talk about. 

        2. Focus is not on growth for growth's sake, but for the sake of being effective in our mission and vision of reaching people who need to know the love of Jesus Christ in their lives. 

3. Understand that most of us carry an innate sensitivity  about certain subjects

a. defensiveness on part of small churches 

b. "focus on quality, not quantity"

c. Don't be cynical about growing churches

d. As a rule, healthy things grow. (Jurassic Park - "Life Finds a Way")

B. Church growth is a mystery... or is it? Is church growth just up to God leading people to our door, or is it on us to share what we love about our community and invite people to be a part of that? 

C. Ten Reasons Your Church isn't growing (or growing as quickly as you like)

1. You're in Conflict

a. I know we don't battle each other at our meetings, but it could be that there are disagreements that have been around for years or even decades that no one wants to handle because of the conflict. Maybe it's that trust is in short supply on how we can most effectively get the work done. Maybe that avoidant conflict is something that has driven people away in the past. I don't really think that's the case here at Bethany, but I'm just listing what Carey Nieuwhof wrote. 

2. You're more in love with the past than you are with the future. 

a. People love to remember the good old days, as this has been relevant in our political messaging for the last decade or so. But sticking with the past makes no connection with those who would be able to carry it into the new generation so that the legacy will continue. 

3. You're not that awesome to be around

a. Many times when people talk about Christians (of all stripes), they use the words FAKE, JUDGMENTAL, ANGRY, NARROW-MINDED, UNKIND. Those stereotypes exist, and as much as whether our church fits that, we still have to overcome these barriers to bring new people into the church. We all know people who are warm, loving, and energizing to be around as well. Which one reflects Christ? 

4. You're focused on yourself. 

a. Churches can sometimes be self-fulfilling organizations that only want to do what they want to do. Outsiders are never really welcomed, or even valued. If we want to reach out, focusing on ourselves is the last thing we need to do. 

5. You think that culture is the enemy. 

a. This is a big one these days. People are rejecting the larger culture to the exclusion of outsiders. If you expect non-Christians to act like Christians because this is a "Christian nation", then we have lots of work to do. When we treat our neighbors as the enemy, and paint ourselves as victims, who in their right mind would want to join a victimized group? 

6. You're afraid to risk what is for the sake of what might be. 

a. We have plenty going for us - we are paying our bills, we have successful programs, and a faithful congregation that enjoys at least each other, if not, hearing me speak every Sunday morning. Mr. Nieuwhof says that the greatest enemy of your future success is your current success. 

7. You can't make a decision.

a. To be an effective business of any sort, decisions need to be made timely. When there is bureaucracy or large-scale approval for major changes, it can really hamper that process and excitement tends to wane. How courageous can a church be if big changes can be implemented if there's a vote once a quarter? Again - I know that's not here, but just making the point. 

8. You talk more than act.

a. I have to admit, I am guilty of this one. My own intentions sometimes get in my way of action. But when we have a mission field that is ripe with people wanting to hear about Jesus, overthinking doesn't get the gospel into anyone's heart. Carey says  B-plus plan brilliantly executed beats an A-plus plan that goes nowhere, every time." 

9. You don't think there's anything wrong with your church. 

a. If you're thinking that there's nothing wrong with Bethany and that everyone walking through our doors should be as excited about attending as any of you are, that's a problem. We are one of at least a dozen churches within a one-mile radius! It's not a competition, but at the same time, there are many different options for people who are looking. 

10. You're more focused on growth than you are on God. 

a. This one might seem a little backward based on the other nine, but if we are losing our minds to growth, thinking that it's an answer to our problems, aren't we missing the whole of the Gospel? God brought Bethany into existence. We go out to tell the world about God. If we are more focused on our own growth, that seems like our priorities are out of whack too. 

So, there are ten things that Carey Nieuwhof thinks are barriers to growth in the church, which ones do you think fit? Which ones don't? 

The important thing is, does this book have any solutions? Yes! Of course... well - maybe not of course, but it really helps that he joins us on the other side of just tearing us down. 

Here's Carey's first set of suggestions on how to build the structure to grow bigger; 

1. Rethink the pastor's role. 

a. I think this is something we would want to talk about if the workload was becoming overwhelming, but it's not, so I'm just going to skip over this. 

2. Develop a strategy. 

3. Let leaders lead. 

4. Empower your volunteers. 

5. Stop micromanaging. 

6. Simplify your programming.

E. So There's No Silver Bullet?

F. Three Causes of Decline

1. Internal dysfunction that is sapping the community of its life, such as conflict; wrong people in the wrong places, and unrealistic expectations of staff, boards, and volunteers. 

2. Structural issues, such as boards that micromanage or pastoral care being vested in one or a handful of leaders. 

3. An inward focus that refuses to acknowledge the need to change to be effective with outsiders. 

Has the subject of why churches grow seemed mysterious to you? Why or why not?

Of the ten reasons, churches don't grow, which (if any) resonate as being true in your context?

II. How do we respond as people attend church less often? 

A. Eleven Reasons Why Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Less Often

1. Greater Affluence

2. Increased Focus on Kids' Activities

3. More Travel

4. A 24-7 Culture

5. Blended and Single-Parent Families

6. Online Options

7. The Cultural Disappearance of Guilt

8. Self-Directed Spirituality

9. Failure to See a Direct Benefit

10. Valuing Attendance over Engagement

11. A Massive Culture Shift

B. Characteristics of Today's Unchurched Person

1. They don't all have big "problems". 

2. Most are "spiritual". 

3. They are not sure what "Christian" means. 

4. You can't call them back to something they never knew. 

5. Many have tried church, even a little, but left. 

6. They want you to be Christian. 

7. They're intelligent, so speak to that.

8. They hate hypocrisy.

9. They love transparency. 

10. They invite their friends if they like what they're discovering.

11. Their spiritual growth trajectory varies dramatically.

12. Some want to be anonymous and some don't. 

C. Developing a Better Approach to Infrequent Attenders and Unchurched People

1. Show empathy. 

2. Separate the mission from the method. 

3. Celebrate wins.

4. Elevate personal relationships.

5. Love people. 

6. Create a culture of serving.

7. Prioritize kids and teens. 

8. Create an irresistible experience.

9. Create an awesome online presence. 

10. Offer offline surprises. 

11. Start measuring outputs. 

D. Your Relevance is at Stake