Missinal Faithfulness Reprting fr 2012 They gathered the church tgether and reprted all that Gd had dne (Acts 14:27) Tday s sermn is ging t be a bit different then a usual Sunday nt really a sermn at all = Annual Reprting (2012 Missinal Faithfulness Reprting) (TITLE SLIDE) If yu are here visiting, we are s glad t have yu, just keep that in mind: Yu are nt really getting a sense f ur regular Sunday preaching it will be f a different nature, tne, tenr and tpic and it will be lnger than usual, and we will nt have as much time fr musical praise and wrship after Maybe yu will want t cme back again maybe nt (althugh yu will learn a tn abut Reality tday) Tday is a family affair Fr thse f us that call Reality hme and are cmmitted t: Christ, this church, each ther and the missin we are called t We ll be talking abut that missin and trying t assess ur degree f faithfulness t it We re taking ur que frm Acts 14:27 where Paul and Barnabas were with the church in Antich the text says: They gathered the church tgether and reprted all that Gd had dne In that spirit: The elders have asked me t give a srt f State f the Unin address Reveal where we are as a church in terms f measurable biblical practices Reprt what Gd has dne in the last year r s These things will give us much t rejice abut and be thankful fr in light f Gd s grace As well as expse sme areas where we need t grw by Gd s grace We will als talk a little bit abut where we are ging (visin bth shrt and lng-term) We will talk mre abut visin and missin (Wh we are, where we are ging and hw we ll get there) ver the next few weeks (I am scheduled t teach thse weeks) But, tday we ll cncentrate n reprting (and rejicing in) all that Gd has dne The gal is: That thse f us wh call Reality hme, will get a better sense f what we have been ding, hw the missin t make disciples is prgressing, whether r nt we are being faithful, and what is t cme In rder that: We can mre cnfidently cmmit urselves t ne anther as a lcal church and the mutual missin we have been called t by Christ fr His glry Read Psalm 105:1-6 (NLT) and pray Let s start by reminding urselves f what a lcal church is and what a lcal church ught t be ding First, we realize there is actually nly ne church The church universal (The Bride f Christ) Then yu have lcal gatherings lcalized expressins f that ne universal church Yu als have the church gathered and the church scattered (wrship and missin) (it is nt a building) The lcal church is: A cnnected, wrshipping cmmunity f redeemed sinners, saved by Christ thugh grace, indwelt and empwered by the Hly Spirit fr missin, and existing fr the pleasure f the Father The lcal church ught t: Jin with Christ in the wrk f making disciples by every means pssible The lcal church has leaders but is nt merely the leaders nt less than it s leaders (Cf. The Priesthd f the Saints) Ding away with the us, them (laity/clergy) mentality We have a srt f specialized lcal church We are 1 church in 3 lcatins (SB, Carp, Ventura) All metrics given encmpass the 3 campuses as 1 church (unless therwise nted)
2 Being a lcal church, we desperately want t be faithful t Jesus wh is the Head, Chief Leader, Senir Pastr f the Church, surce and centerpiece f ur lives tgether, the reasn we gather and scatter We want t be faithful with ur resurces (gifts, talents, time, $, etc) We want t be faithful in accmplishing with Christ what Christ intends t accmplish in the wrld thrugh His Church fr His glry Here are sme biblical understandings f the lcal church and accmpanying metrics that help us ascertain what and hw we are ding in the missin: In a lcal church Peple ught t be getting saved and baptized The Lrd was adding t their number day by day thse wh were being saved (Acts 2:47) In the last 2 years we have baptized 407 peple! (GRAPHIC) Nt t us, O Lrd, nt t us, but t yur name ges all the glry fr yur unfailing lve and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1) In a lcal church Peple ught t gather tgether en masse t wrship All thse wh had believed were tgether and day by day cntinuing with ne mind in the Temple (Acts 2:44 a & 46 a ) Let us think f ways t mtivate ne anther t acts f lve and gd wrks. And let us nt neglect ur meeting tgether, as sme peple d, but encurage ne anther, especially nw that the day f his return is drawing near. (Hebrew 10:24-25) Our nrmal Sunday attendance (adults and children) is 2,725 (GRAPHIC) Megachurches accunt fr less than ne-half f ne percent f all churches in America 1 In a lcal church Peple ught t gather in small grups thrughut the week And breaking bread frm huse t huse they were taking their meals tgether with gladness and sincerity f heart (Acts 2:46 b ) As ur church gets larger, it als has t get smaller t maintain health. We have 42 cmmunity grups with 76 trained leaders and 1,683 peple registered (74%) (GRAPHIC) Here is an area we need t grw If yu d the math that makes each grup size abut 40 (Our gal is 10) We need t recruit and train mre leaders this year We need t wrk n being cmmitted t ur cmmunity grups fr ding life (drputs) Deep, cnnected, Gd-rdained, lving relatinships are vital t us we are relatinal In a lcal church Peple ught t give themselves t the study f Scripture And they were cntinually devting themselves t the apstle s teaching (Acts 2:42) We have ffered lts f Bible studies thrughut the year fr children, yuth, men and wmen Over 1,000 peple have participated in the last 2 years (GRAPHIC) This year (in additin t the Bible study and preaching at ur regular gatherings) yu culd have studied: James, Jhn, Rmans, Daniel, Esther, Genesis, The Patriarchs, The Histrical Bks, an verview f the OT We ffered an Intrductin t Thelgy curse fr ur H. Schlers that dealt with things like justificatin, sanctificatin, eschatlgy, aplgetics, etc We spent time teaching ur Jr. Highers abut Biblical Creatinism Our kids learned abut int l missins in VBS this summer: Persecutin, Bible translatin, Medical missins and missinary wrk in general (all frm Scripture) We are cmmitted t the study f Scripture we are a learning cmmunity we are thelgical 1 Thm S. Rainer, Seven Updated Trends n Megachurches in America, http://www.christianpst.cm/news/seven-updated-trends-n-megachurches-inamerica-81860/ (January 2013).
3 In a lcal church Peple ught t be praying tgether These all with ne mind were cntinually devting themselves t prayer (Acts 1:14; Cf. 2:42) We have (n average) abut 60 prayer meetings a mnth acrss ur 3 campuses with abut 400 peple participating (GRAPHIC) These include meetings t pray fr: Our yuth Our cmmunity Our church The pr and ppressed in ur cmmunity Our missinaries and the natins The evangelizatin f Muslims The Spanish speaking cmmunity (and mre) Unless the Lrd builds the huse, they labr in vain wh build it. Unless the Lrd guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1) In a lcal church Peple ught t be serving tgether t accmplish missin Gd has given each f yu a gift frm his great variety f spiritual gifts. Use them well t serve ne anther. D yu have the gift f speaking? Then speak as thugh Gd himself were speaking thrugh yu. D yu have the gift f helping thers? D it with all the strength and energy that Gd supplies. Then everything yu d will bring glry t Gd thrugh Jesus Christ. All glry and pwer t him frever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11) We have mre than 950 vlunteer psitins filled by mre than 760 different peple! Abut 1 in 3 adults wh attend n a Sunday serve at Reality (GRAPHIC) Frm setting up, t teaching ur yuth and children, t praying fr and laying hands n peple, t hspitality and cleaning, t leading us in wrship, t caring fr peple and resurces We are s thankful!!! Rm t grw: we need mre Read Psalm 134 as a blessing ver thse wh serve in the huse f the Lrd This is imprtant: The main place we expect each ther t be serving Christ is nt in the church gathering, but rather when the church is scattering (Mnday thrugh Saturday) Cf. Missi Christi As the Father has sent me, I als send yu. (Jesus in Jhn 20:21) We are a sent peple we live life n missin with Jesus we are missinal In a lcal church Peple ught t be getting trained, rganized and sent t live fruitful lives f missin (bth lcally and glbally) Christ gave (leaders in the church) fr the equipping f the saints fr the wrk f service (Ephesians 4:11-12) [The church] fasted and prayed and laid their hands n them and sent them ut. S, being sent ut by the Hly Spirit, they went (Acts 13:3-4) In the last year we have trained 986 peple fr faithful n missin living (GRAPHIC) This training includes: Cmmunity Grup Leaders Lng, medium and shrt-term missinaries A senders schl (getting missinaries n the field and caring fr them) Perspectives n the wrld Christian mvement Training and mbilizing fr lcal missin Educatin and equipping in issues like Islam and Human Trafficking Internships that prduce leaders Wrship ministry training (The Kiln) Yuth and kids leaders Church planters With regards t internatinal missin in particular (2012) Shrt-Term Missinaries (6 ms. r less) = 12 Medium-Term Missinaries (1-2 years) = 2 Lng-Term Missinaries = 20 (supprted) (INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS GRAPHIC) In 2012 we sent r supprted missinaries in these places: Mexic, Nepal, Guatemala, Hnduras, Ecuadr, Venezuela, Tanzania, Australia, Haiti, Thailand, Japan, China, Ethipia, Egypt, Suth Africa, Israel, Turkey, Nrway, England, France, Indnesia Lng-Term is where we are fcusing (Cf. Rn and Merrill and Teresa in Suth America) In ur 10 years we have sent ut and still supprt 11 We are currently preparing 11 mre t g in 2013 (duble!!) Places like: Nepal, Pakistan, Ethipia, N. Africa, Turkey and Mexic
We are cmmitted t ging t the natins t fulfill the Great Cmmissin Our Gd is a missinary Gd wh came t us in Christ t save us we must be a missinary peple that g t thers with the Gd News f Christ that they might be saved 4 A lcal church ught t be reprducing That is the stry f the bk f Acts and the Church thrughut histry Church Birthing Reality is a small church planting mvement Our gal is nt t plant many churches but rather healthy churches (GRAPHIC) Reality LA Brn January 22, 2006 One f the largest churches in LA Reality Stcktn Brn September 2, 2007 Ding very well Visin t reach whle city Reality Lndn Brn August 23, 2009 Frm Reality LA Reality SF Brn January 10, 2010 Pssible the largest prtestant church in SF Reality Bstn Brn September 16, 2012 Just a few mnths ld Ding very well Flurishing 2 nd campus this year Launched anther church in Ldi called Remedy Clsing this year Flurishing Where churches g t die Visin t plant churches thrughut the City Develping leaders Least churched prtin f US Hard Wrk In a lcal church Peple ught t be giving generusly t the Lrd and pling resurces in rder t accmplish missin And thse wh believed were tgether and had all things in cmmn (Acts 2:44) Reality seeks t be abve reprach in ur stewardship f Gd's financial resurces given by the lcal church. We maintain an pen bk plicy, have a CPA staff full time, and chse t be annually reviewed accrding t Generally Accepted Accunting Principles (GAAP) by an independent Certified Public Accuntant (CPA) "We have wrked with many, many churches acrss the cuntry, and after reviewing Reality s financials, bth their financial strength and Kingdm fcus made us cnfident and eager t partner with them financially in ministry. As a bank serving churches and ministries acrss the cuntry, we are blessed t be a part f what Gd is ding at Reality. - Chris Dimnd, Senir Vice President, Cass Cmmercial Bank Our giving is mtivated by Scripture and the Gspel Scripture = Over 2,000 references Gspel = We respnd with genersity t the generus grace f Gd in Christ Yu knw the generus grace f ur Lrd Jesus Christ. Thugh He was rich, yet fr yur sakes He became pr, s that by His pverty He culd make yu rich. (2 Crinthians 8:9) Yu guys have dne very well in this area! Reality is a generus church Yu understand that since we have been given everything in Christ we are free t give much away
Our giving in tithes and fferings this year ttaled $4.9 millin (GRAPHIC) That is up 9% frm last year (frm 4.5 millin) Cmparisn: Recent available data shws churches ur size being up 5% 2 (in 2010) 85% f us gave in 2012 (GRAPHIC) Astunding! Average weekly giving per adult in attendance= $41.54 Cmparisn: Average fr churches ur size = $26.77 3 (in 2010) We are a generus church because we get that Gd, in Christ, has been very generus with us! By campus cmparisn: (GRAPHIC) The Carpinteria Campus makes up 14% f ut ttal attendance and gives 19.7% f ur ttal incme The Ventura Campus makes up 47% f ut ttal attendance and gives 45% f ur ttal incme The Santa Barbara Campus makes up 38.5% f ut ttal attendance and gives 21% f ur ttal incme The remaining 14% (t 100%) was given t missin, church planting, the RVTA building and disciple making events Carp = mre than their share Ventura = abut their share Santa Barbara = less than their share Partially demgraphics (lts f cllege students), partially a nrmal new campus grwth pattern and matter f discipleship Where is that mney ging? We try t mdel biblical faithful giving and s we gave away 17.3% in 2012 (GRAPHIC) Mney that we send utside ur fur walls = Church plants; helping ther churches; lcal and int l missins; benevlence; etc Cmparisn: The average church ur size gave away 13.1% 4 (in 2010) (GRAPHIC pie chart) Disciple Making Events & Outreaches 8.5% Church Birthing & Int'l Missin 11.3% Operatins 12.1% Facilities 25.7% Persnnel 42.5% We are abve average (13.1%) n what we invest beynd ur lcal church and we are belw average (45%) in what we spend n persnnel (Gd, gdly stewardship) Our gal is t steward Gd's resurces accrding t the Spirit's leading and with the wisdm He supplies. We can make ur plans, but the Lrd determines ur steps. (Prverbs 16:9) We can lk at ur plan n a weekly scale t give a very clear picture fr hw much is given per adult each week in tithes and fferings and hw Reality invests thse funds in the Kingdm. (GRAPHIC) When yu give $40 at Reality, hw d we invest it in the Kingdm? Average Giving Per Adult $41.50 Church Csts $21.50 Lcal church staff, missin and peratins Facilities Csts $10.25 Prperty payment and maintenance at all facilities 5 2 Kent E. Fillinger, Is the Church in a Recessin, http://christianstandard.cm/2011/05/is-the-church-in-a-recessin/ (January 2013). 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid.
Church Birthing $2.75 Investments in new Realitys and ther churches 6 Missin $3.75 Investments in lcal and int l gspel-centered prjects Margin $3.25 Psitive margin each week allws us t maintain sufficient reserves and be prepared fr any unexpected pprtunities Gd may prvide As stewards f Gd's resurces, we make adjustments t the plan each quarter based n recent trends in giving and expenses. Since incme and expenses vary mnth t mnth, this helps us t make sure we dn't spend mre than we receive. The numbers shwn here reflect hw we plan t perate in 2013 based n what happened in 2012. Our elders agree that 2012 was just abut the mst challenging year we have ever had as a church Grwth and change issues Staff issues (illness; persnal challenges) Dissensin and divisiveness in the bdy (leadership guilty t) Spiritual attack f all srts (feels like 10 years ag) These challenges, as I said, are reflected in ur giving patterns In 2012 we had 760 new givers But we had 1,166 peple that gave in 2011 and nt in 2012 Net lss f 406 givers Over that last year we had a lt f peple leave ur church and a lt f peple cme t ur church Our attendance ended up the same (2011 t 2012) And yet, we are still up 9% in giving ver all The grace f Gd! We gt t where we needed t be financially, but it was turbulent In 2012, half f the year (6 f 12 mnths) we were in the red with less giving than expense. Octber and Nvember were especially difficult having used up a lt f ur reserve earlier in the year. But, Gd really did a miracle in the last 2 weeks f December thrugh a handful f ne-time large gifts t nt nly make, but exceed, ur annual budget. Praise Gd fr the genersity f His peple! (But there were sme scary times) Analgy frm ur Pastr fr Finance and Operatins: In the past ur financial picture has lked like a realist painting as a year prgressed. Clear, precise, predictable beautiful. This year was like an impressinistic painting: Up clse it lked messy, disheveled and didn't always make sense. But, at the end when yu step back, it is beautiful! Gd prvided, He just did it in a different way this year, with sme different peple lts f change The elders are thankful that a cuple f years ag thrugh prayer and fasting the Lrd had tld us t live within ur means nt t lk fr large increases in incme. We did s, and it has wrked ut well. Cf. Cffee decisin
The turbulent financial picture, the peple leaving, the spiritual warfare all gt the Elders praying hard When we lked at the financial challenges we were quick t realize that finances are never the real issue they are symptmatic We began t ask what the causes may be We lked first t urselves as primary leaders Where have we failed? And we lked at ther factrs We realized these 4 things played a rle: (least t mst imprtant) 1. Macr ecnmic trends 2. Demgraphic changes at Reality 3. A lss f cnfidence in Reality by sme 4. Sin amng the leadership All a factr and we are addressing all 4 1. Living within means 2. Making effrts t better understand wh calls Reality hme 3. Re-asserting ur values and reprting ur wrk 4. Repenting f rts f bitterness With all f this in mind and lking back n what Gd, by His grace and fr His glry, has dne ver the last year, we are very thankful and very excited abut 2013 and beynd. We are cnvinced that Reality s best days are ahead but there is much prayer and wrk t be dne We still need t grw in serving, giving, prayer and missin Here are ur cmmitments fr 2013: Making Disciples Grwing Deeper in Christ Building Reality fr the Lng-Term Seeking the Persn f the Hly Spirit Let me explain a bit: We have recmmitted urselves t giving CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Because: We have felt the real burden abut that day that we will stand befre the Lrd and give and answer fr hw we have fulfilled the Great Cmmissin T make disciples We are als sensing a call t build fr the lng-term t make decisins nw that set ur church up fr health and flurishing 10 years frm nw fr ur children (at year 20) We als feel called t lead the church deeper at this time and nt merely wider The shift frm T expse and explain Jesus t as many peple as pssible t Enjy Jesus tgether and help thers d the same Bth are true (we will explain the latter ver the next cuple f weeks) but we feel called t cncentrate n deeper right nw (ver wider) It invlves a subtle articulatin: We are still wanting t get tell the whle wrld, but we feel a call settle int a deeper life in the midst f it 7 All f this requires a fresh and intense cmmitment by leadership t seeking the Persn f the Hly Spirit Hw d we: lead deeper; make true disciples; build fr the lng-term? Christ knws (as the head f the church) and the Spirit reveals the mind f Christ t us and leads the Church in missin It als, requires that the whle church give new attentin t the Hly Spirit in seeking t g deeper and be mre faithful
Our 2103 Sunday Preaching Schedule reflects ur cmmitment t discipleship, ging deeper, building fr the lng-term and the Persn f the Hly Spirit 8 February: Missin and Visin Reprting and Explratin (me) March: Celebratin and Exegesis f the Resurrectin (Laz) March 31: The Celebratin (Easter) (me) April-May: Ephesians 5:1-18 (Laz) June-August: Summer f the Spirit (With mid-week practicum?) (me) September 8: Reality Turns 10! September-Nvember: Ephesians 5 & 6 (Singleness, Marriage, Family and Wrk with accmpanying ne day seminars) (unclear) December: Advent (unclear) This preaching plan is evidential f hw we are endeavring t g deeper, make disciples, build fr the lng term and give careful attentin t the Persn f the Hly Spirit: Taking ample time n understanding Visin and Missin Spending the whle mnth f March celebrating and learning abut f the Resurrectin Ging deeper n Easter Spending the whle summer diving int the Hly Spirit Using Autumn t learn abut and cultivate faithfulness in singleness, marriage, parenting and the wrk place Celebrating the Advent during the whle mnth f December (Teaching shared between Chris Laz and myself maybe if the Lrd wills it) Well Reality, In many markers we are an abve average church. That is reasn t rejice Gd s grace is n us. All the glry t Gd! Thank yu Jesus! But, we shuld nt settle there because the standard f cmparisn is sub-standard it's the American Church. Our standard f cmparisn must be Scripture and the Gspel f Jesus Christ Himself! Therefre, by Gd s grace and fr Gd s glry, we must allw the Hly Spirit t take us further still. But thus far, gd jb Reality. We are prud f yu. Nt t us, O Lrd, nt t us, but t yur name ges all the glry fr yur unfailing lve and faithfulness. (Ps. 115:1) Let them give glry t the Lrd, and declare His praise in the castlands! (Isaiah 43:12)