Bethel s Family Baptist Church 12660 Sandpiper Street Houston, Texas 77035 (713) 729-0125 Fax (713) 729-0378 www.bethelsfamily.org July 14, 2018 Family, The church is everywhere in the world. In every nook and cranny, villages and places that may have nothing else. I could take you to a million villages around the world they don t have a school, they don t have a medical clinic, they don t have business, they don t have a fire department, they don t have a post office. They don t have anything. Except they ve got a church. In millions of villages the only thing they ve got in the village is a church. The church is more widely spread, more widely distributed than all Walmart s, Starbucks, McDonald s, Subway s and every other franchise put together. It is the biggest franchise, the biggest network in the world. It s in places where you find nothing else. It is the center of the community for many, many villages. The church has been around for over 2000 years. That s not exactly a fly-by-night operation. I don t know anything else that s lasted 2000 years, any other relief organization. The church has been here, it has a track record over the years. In spite of dictators and wars that have tried to destroy it and persecution and skeptics who ve scoffed at it, the church is bigger now than ever before in history. Why? Because it s God s! It s God s. And it is indestructible. The Bible calls it an unshakable kingdom. Jesus said this in Matthew 16:18b: I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it Anything that s ever been accomplished started with a dream. All churches and ministries are born out of a vision it s the first task of leadership. And every ministry leader must lead that vision with faith. But as soon as you believe, as soon as you dream, as soon as you step out in faith obstacles arise. You don t see the finances coming in. You don t know where the staff and volunteers will come from. Critics can discourage your forward-movement and change is just plain hard. Today I want to share with you a dream. A dream to reignite your passion for ministry, restore your belief in God s miracles, and rediscover the joy of leading and growing our church through positive change for God s kingdom. Always in His service, Pastor Walter August Jr. Galatians 2:20 1
Bethel s Family Baptist Church Commissioned By Pastor Edward L. Lott True Light Missionary Baptist Church Houston, Texas 77004 On January 21, 1994 1 st Location of Worship Service Huntington Place Apartment 6310 Dunfries Street Houston, Texas 77096 On March 6, 1994 2 nd Location of Worship Service Elrod Elementary School 6230 Dunfries Street Houston, Texas 77096 On August 14, 1994 3 rd Location of Worship Service Strip Center 6261 Willowbend Street Houston, Texas 77096 On April 16, 1995 4 th Location of Worship Service Foerester Elementary School 14200 Fonmeadow Drive Houston, Texas 77035 On May 14, 1998 5 th Location of Worship Service Bethel s Family Baptist Church 14442 Fonmeadow Drive 12660 Sandpiper Street (Nov. 2011) Houston, Texas 77035 On January 2, 2000 Bethel s Family Where have you been and where did Pastor August come from? 2
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means rock ),[c] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[d] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 16:18 (NLT) Over 17,000 Church Members Over 55,000 Souls Saved Over 13,000 Baptism Locally & Globally Over 1,700 People Sent on International Missionaries Over 10 Million People Received Food Over 8,000 People Received Clothing, Shoes, etc. Over 500 Marriages Performed Over 10,000 People Received Families Counseling Over 20,000 Students Attend Bethel s Annual Summer Camp Over 80,000 People Attend Bethel s Annual Harvest Fall Festival Over 200 Students Received Scholarship Money Over 500 Families Received Financial Assistance Over 6,000 People Benefitted from our Quarterly Job Fair Over 11,700 People Volunteer Locally & Globally Over 13,000 Students Impacted in Louisiana Through Our Pathway to Success Program Over 20 Million Dollars of Medical Equipment, Medicine & Supplies Delivered Overseas Over 8,000 Sermons Preached/Taught by Pastor August Over 50 Churches Received Financial Assistance Built Bethel s Birthplace of Faith One of a Kind Church Owns 20 Acres of Property Bethel s Family What have you accomplished over the last 24 years under Pastor August s leadership? 3
Church Facilities Consists of Over 100,000 SF Church Property Fair Market Value is 15 Million Dollars Church Debt is 5.5 Million Dollars...Debt Free by March 2024 BACK TO THE BASIC The Great Commandment Bethel s Family Where are we headed now under Pastor August s Leadership? 37 Jesus replied, You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. [a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT) The Great Commission 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) The Believers Form a Community 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord s Supper [a] ), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity [b] 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Acts 2:4247 4
OUR GOALS 1. TO ENCOURAGE OUR SPIRIT "Encourage each other and build each other up." -1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT) Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don t get discouraged and give up. -Galatians 6:9 (LB) 2. TO STRETCH OUR MIND "Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper." -Proverbs 19:8 (TEV) "How can you teach others if you refuse to learn?" -Romans 2:21a (CEV) "The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them!" -Proverbs 18:15 (LB) 3. TO SHARPEN OUR SKILLS "If the ax is dull and its edge is unsharpened, more strength is needed. But skill will bring success." -Ecclesiastes 10:10 4. TO STRENGTHEN OUR CHURCH "Under Christ's direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. -Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) WHAT WE'VE LEARNED There is no correlation between the size and strength of a church! There is more than one way to grow a church so never criticize what God is blessing! It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people! If a principle is biblical, it is trans-cultural. It will work anywhere! We must never confuse our methods with God s message! 5
The message must never change, but the methods must continually change! BUILDING A PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH Establishing The Foundation For A Healthy Church THE RIGHT QUESTION: What is KEEPING our church from growing? Growth comes from being HEALTHY. Health comes from BALANCE. Every church is directed (driven) by some force By tradition By personalities By finances By buildings By programs By events By the unchurched A Biblical Alternative: Become a PURPOSE driven church! "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 Jesus said, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it!" Matthew 16:18 (NIV) "By the grace of God, I laid a foundation as an expert builder But each one should be careful how he builds for his work will be shown for what it is. The fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives. he will receive his reward. 1 Corinthians 3 10-14 1. God uses skilled people to build his church an expert builder. 2. Your ministry will be tested by God. 3. The test of your ministry will be: Does it LAST? 4. Built to last requires the right FOUNDATION 6
WHAT MAKES A CHURCH PURPOSE-DRIVEN? Exploding some misconceptions and stereotypes IT S NOT ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR CHURCH Purpose Driven churches come in all sizes and shapes. Our strategy is based on Jesus trained his disciples for 42 months to start his church focuses on balance, health and strength, not size. Our strategy is a church health strategy, not a mega-church strategy. IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING CONTEMPORARY. IT'S ABOUT BEING ETERNAL! Every "style" of ministry eventually goes out of style! The only way to always be relevant is to focus on what s eternal! And the purposes of God never change! (See Psalm 33:11) What matters is being biblical & being effective. Any church that fails to fulfill the purposes that Jesus established for his church is not really a church! IT S NOT ABOUT OUR DENOMINATION OR DOCTRINAL DISTINCTIVES There are Purpose Driven Churches in literally every Christian denomination and association around the world - including Pentecostal, Reformed, Catholic, Evangelical, Protestant, Orthodox, Fundamental, Charismatic, Mainline and many, many others. We work WITH denominations to strengthen their churches, encouraging congregations to maintain their heritage uniqueness, and convictions. Instead of focusing on our differences we focus on helping churches do what Jesus called every church to do: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. Everyone agrees with these purposes. IT IS NOT ABOUT WORSHIP STYLE Purpose driven churches worship in thousands of different styles around the world - using charismatic, traditional, contemporary, country, casual, and other formats. What matters is that worship is offered to God "in spirit and in truth" (authentically and accurately). 7
IT S NOT ABOUT BEING SEEKER-SENSITIVE Purpose driven churches are committed to the purpose of evangelism, not any particular method of evangelism. FIRST, YOU MUST DEFINE YOUR PURPOSES! WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? 1. It builds MORAL. Let there be real harmony, so there won t be any splits in the church Be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. -1 Corinthians 1:10 (LB) Where there is no vision, the people perish. -Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) 2. It reduces FRUSTRATION. You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm -Isaiah 26:3 (GN) The double-minded man can never keep a steady course. -James 1:8 (NEB) I ve labored to no purpose. I ve spent my strength in vain and for nothing. -Isaiah 49:4 3. It allows CONCENTRATION. (Paul) I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. -Philippians 3:13 (LB) 4. It attracts CORPORATION. Tell us how to proceed in setting things straight, and we will fully cooperate. -Ezra 10:4 (LB) You have helped me in the work of the gospel -Philippians 1:5 (GN) If your goals are good, you will be respected. -Proverbs 11:27 (GN) 5. It assists EXAMINATION. 8
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. -2 Corinthians 13:5 Five Purposes For The Church 1. "Love God with all your heart" WORSHIP 2. "Love your neighbor as yourself MINISTRY 3. "GO...make disciples" EVANGELISM 4. "Baptize them in the name of FELLOWSHIP 5. "Teaching them to DO DISCIPLESHIP Jesus ministry modeled these 5 purposes: John 17:1-26 Vs. 4 "I have brought you glory on earth " (WORSHIP) Vs. 6 "I revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. (EVANGELISM) Vs. 8 "I gave them the words you gave me." (DISCIPLESHIP) Vs.12 "While l was with them, I protected them and kept them safe." (FELLOWSHIP) Vs.18 "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world " (MINISTRY) The first church fulfilled these 5 purposes in Acts 2:41-47 "Those who accepted his message were baptized They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together they gave to anyone as he had need Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Paul explained these 5 purposes in Ephesians 4:11-16 "God gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up In love, as each part does its work " 9
THE CHURCH EXISTS TO: 1. Celebrate God's PRESENCE (Worship) Exalt our Master" "O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together." -Psalm 34:3 (RSV) (GN) "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the Lord house. -Psalm 122:1 2. Communicate God's WORD (Evangelism) Evangelize our mission field" The most important thing is that I complete my mission the work the Lord gave me to do to tell people the Good News about God s grace. -Acts 20:24 (NCV) "You will be my witnesses -Acts 1:8 (NIV) 3. Incorporate God's FAMILY (Fellowship) Encourage our members" 4. Educate God s PEOPLE (Discipleship) Educate for maturity building up the church the body of Christ to a position of stress and maturity until we all attain full grown in the Lord.. Eph. 4:12b 13 5. Demonstrates God s LOVE (Ministry) Equip for Ministry to prepare God s people for the work of Ministry Eph. 4:12b 10
A Purpose Driven Church We believe Bethel s Family must have an intentional process for bringing the lost into relationship with Christ and to encourage members to purposefully move deeper into their relationship with God. The Purpose Driven process establishes a clear and deliberate structure that makes it easy for every visitor to see how to take further steps toward God and helps every member to consistently measure personal progress in his or her own spiritual growth. Our history reveals that to create a healthy, balanced, growing congregation, it takes more than explaining the purposes and more than writing a new mission statement; we must have a deliberate plan to help our brothers and sisters incorporate the five purposes (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, missions) into their lives and to keep those purposes balanced. Healthy, balanced members are foundational to a healthy, balanced church. We use the "concentric circle" model to explain the core Purpose Driven process for bringing people in our community into our congregation and then developing them into core members involved in ministry and missions. In addition, we use a U.S.-styled baseball diamond" to show the steps, or bases, toward spiritual maturity for each individual and the congregation as a whole. Purpose Driven Church draws attenders into membership The concentric circle model helps us identify the different levels of commitment within our congregation. It also helps our leadership team quickly see how people's needs differ at each level and what level members should next move toward. 11
In a sense, you have five different people groups related to our church: Community: Those living around our church who never, or occasionally, attend. Crowd: Those who attend our church regularly but are not members. Congregation: Those who are committed to both Christ and membership in our church family. Committed: Those members who are serious about growing to spiritual maturity. Core: Those members who actively serve in ministry and mission in our church. Each group has unique needs, motives, challenges, and POTENTIAL! Our goal is to support you as you turn an audience into a work force for God. Purpose Driven Church offers an intentional discipleship model The Purpose Driven process moves people -- from being un-churched and uncommitted -- to a deep level of spiritual maturity and commitment, where they are involved in ministry and living out their God-shaped mission in the world. We use a U.S.-styled baseball diamond" to show these steps, or bases, toward spiritual maturity. It is a strong visual reference any church can use, regardless of size or denomination. Purpose Driven Church helps our brothers and sisters move deeper in their walk with Christ through: Fellowship: Our brothers and sisters will learn to love each other and to love the lost. Discipleship: Our brothers and sisters will have a consistent focus on growing deeper in their faith. Ministry: Our brothers and sisters will understand their God-given SHAPE and be 12
motivated to serve within your congregation. Evangelism: Our brothers and sisters will begin fulfilling Christ s command to go into all the world, telling and teaching about Jesus. Purpose Driven Church is a biblically-based model that is healthy and life giving The foundation for the Purpose Driven model is the Bible -- with an intentional emphasis on the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus gave the Great Commandment when he was asked to identify the most important of God s commands. To paraphrase his response, he said, Here is the entire Old Testament in a nutshell. I'm going to give you a simple summary of God's commands: All the Law and all the Prophets can be condensed into two tasks: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Later, as Jesus said goodbye to his disciples, he gave them a Great Commission that included three more tasks: go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything Jesus taught. These two passages, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, combine to create the essential elements of a healthy, growing, biblically-based church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and missions. Our Purpose Driven Church Declaration Today I am stepping across the line. I m tired of waffling and I m finished with wavering, I ve made my choice, the verdict is in, and my decision is irrevocable. I m going God s way. There s no turning back now! I will live the rest of my life serving God s purposes with God s people on God s planet for God s glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word. Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living, and a home waiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying. Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family. Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, we over me, character over comfort, service over status and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most, and I ll give it all I ve got. I ll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today. I won t be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I ll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When times get tough, and I get tired, I 13
won t back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I ll just keep moving forward by God s grace. I m Spirit-led, purpose driven, and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race. I m a trophy of God s amazing grace, so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for every day, and generous with everything God entrusts to me. To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say, "However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost I m ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway. Whatever it takes, Lord; whatever it takes! I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I ll hear you say, 'Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!'" Moments in America for Children Every second a public school student is suspended.* Every 10 seconds a high school student drops out.* Every 17 seconds a public school student is corporally punished.* Every 25 seconds a child is arrested. Every 35 seconds a baby is born into poverty. Every 40 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected. Every 41 seconds a baby is born without health insurance. Every minute a baby is born to a teen mother. Every 2 minutes a baby is born at low birth weight. Every 5 minutes a child is arrested for a drug offense. Every 9 minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. Every 18 minutes a baby dies before his first birthday. Every 3 hours a child or teen is killed by a firearm. Every 5 hours a child or teen commits suicide. Every 6 hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect. Every 14 hours a woman dies from complications of childbirth or pregnancy. 14
Each Day in America 2 mothers die in childbirth. 4 children are killed by abuse or neglect. 5 children or teens commit suicide. 9 children or teens are killed by firearms. 32 children or teens die from accidents. 78 babies die before their first birthdays. 202 children are arrested for violent crimes. 377 children are arrested for drug crimes. 964 babies are born at low birth weight. 1,210 babies are born to teen mothers. 1,240 public school students are corporally punished.* 2,175 children are confirmed as abused or neglected. 2,222 high school students drop out.* 2,060 babies are born without health insurance. 2,692 babies are born into poverty. 4,435 children are arrested. 4,498 babies are born to unmarried mothers. 18,493 public school students are suspended. Each Day in America for Black Children 1 child is killed by abuse or neglect. 4 children or teens are killed by firearms. 5 children or teens die from accidents. 24 babies die before their first birthdays. 103 children are arrested for drug crimes. 104 children are arrested for violent crimes. 236 babies are born at low birthweight. 311 babies are born to teen mothers. 329 babies are born without health insurance. 434 children are confirmed as abused or neglected. 442 public school students are corporally punished.* 650 high school students drop out.* 761 babies are born into poverty. 1,282 babies are born to unmarried mothers. 1,363 children are arrested. 6,916 public school students are suspended. 15
* Based on calculations per school day (180 days of seven hours each) Learn more stats about the state of children in America on our Moments in America for Children page. JESUS SAID 13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. 14 But Jesus said, Let the children come to me. Don t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children. 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. Matthew 19:13-14 GOD SAID 4 Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.[a] 5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Our Way Forward Class 101 - discovering church membership. Learn the keys of reaching the unchurched for Christ and assimilating them in our congregation. This class is divided up into four sessions. 1. Salvation 2. Statement of Faith 3. The three strategies of the church five purposes 4. Structure of the church. Class 201 - discovering spiritual maturity. Learn how to measure spiritual growth in people and develop a practical plan for leading them to maturity. This class is divided into four sessions. Understanding discipleship and overview of the four habits of a disciple, how to spend time with God, study your Bible how to pray in the importance of tithing and community 16
Class 301 - discovering my shape for ministry. This class is divided into four sessions that provide an in-depth look at each component in the shape process: Spiritual Gifts Heart Abilities Personality Experiences Class 401 - discovering my life s mission, this class is a four step into the heart of the purpose driven life. It is designed to equip and empower our core to change the world through missions, and challenge every member to take some kind of mission trip to share their faith and develop a world s mission perspective. A NEW SEASON BRING CHANGES Parking Lot: 1. Attenders: Greeting is Welcome Back 2. Add Visitor s Parking Signage 3. Staff / Members serving in 2 or more services.park in the back parking lot Worship Service: 1. Lights stay on doing entire service, unless for special candle-light or Christmas/Easter presentations 2. Pastor August will make all announcements at the end of the services once the devotional prayer is rendered.the preacher will just have everyone greet the people around them! 3. Immediately stop counting people in the services..we will have someone from the Sound Booth count the empty seats in each service.so we can stay focus on filling seats for Jesus! 17
4. Bring back a 4 th Worship Service 7:00am 8:30am 10:00am 11:30am 5. Young Adults will render their gifts..music, Ushering, etc. 6. Adult Sunday School will primarily focus on Bethel s Family Core Classes Membership Maturity Ministry Mission Magnification 7. Pastor August will facilitate new members orientation twice a month for Thursdays at 10 AM and the fourth Saturdays at 9:30 AM 8. Our youth ministry would do a Sunday school class and then they will be encouraged to come and worship what their parents in the sanctuary. We will also be looking to bring seminary classes to high school students on Sunday mornings. 9. Implementing 300 home groups for adults starting in October 2018 each home group would probably have 15 to 20 people in each one and there will be a minimum of six weeks training for those leaders and host home leaders. 10. We will implement a 40 day fast preparing our mind body and spirit to go to the next level with the Lord. 11. Men s Ministry, Women s Ministry, Single Ministry, Marriage Ministry, will be working in concert with home groups to enhance focusing on our new way forward 18