LifeWay Press Nashville, Tennessee
2009 LifeWay Press No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to LifeWay Press ; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0175. ISBN 978-1-4158-6510-1 Item 005126423 Dewey decimal classification: 262 Subject headings: CHURCH \ EX-CHURCH MEMBERS CASE STUDIES \ YOUNG ADULTS This book is a resource for course CG-1443 in the subject area Church in the Christian Growth Study Plan. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. To order additional copies of this resource, write to LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0113; fax (615) 251-5933; phone toll free (800) 458-2772; order online at www.lifeway.com; e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com; or visit the LifeWay Christian Store serving you. Printed in the United States of America Leadership and Adult Publishing LifeWay Church Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175
Contents The Authors 4 Introduction 6 Chapter 1 Current Reality 10 Chapter 2 Simplify: Getting the Structure Right 30 Chapter 3 Deepen: Getting the Content Right 44 Chapter 4 Expect: Getting the Attitude Right 56 Chapter 5 Multiply: Getting the Action Right 66 C christian Growth Study Plan 79
The Authors Thom S. Rainer is the president and chief executive officer of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to assuming this position in 2006, Thom was the dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he had previously served as a professor of evangelism and church growth. As the president and chief executive officer of the Rainer Group Inc. from 1988 to 2005, Thom consulted with more than five hundred churches, documenting and reporting on ministry trends in evangelical churches. His books include Simple Church (coauthor), Breakout Churches, The Unchurched Next Door, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, High-Expectation Churches, The Every-Church Guide to Growth (coauthor), Encyclopedia of Evangelism and Church Growth (coeditor), and Effective Evangelistic Churches. A native of Alabama, Thom holds a bachelor of science from the University of Alabama and a master of divinity and a doctor of philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sam Rainer III serves at Sarasota Baptist Church, a multisite church on the suncoast of Florida. In addition, he serves as the president of Rainer Research, a firm dedicated to providing answers for better church health. Sam is a contributing editor to Outreach magazine, and he has written numerous articles for several publications. He is also a frequent conference speaker on church-health issues. Sam holds a bachelor of science in finance and marketing from the University of South Carolina and a master of arts in missiology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently working on a doctor of philosophy in leadership studies at Dallas Baptist University. 4 Tools For An Essential Church
Dan Garland is the director of Pastoral Ministries and Church Consulting at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to coming to LifeWay in August 2007, Dan served for seven years as a team leader of the Church Development/ Evangelism Growth Team at the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Before that he was the senior pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Henderson, Kentucky, for more than 16 years. Dan earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering at the University of Kentucky and a master of divinity and a doctor of ministry from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. the Authors 5
Introduction Why do more than two-thirds of churchgoing young-adult Americans (18 to 22 years of age) leave the church? Or to ask the question positively, why do one-third of churchgoing young-adult Americans stay in the church? Here is the one-sentence premise on which this book is built: Young adults are likely to stay in the church if they see it as essential to their lives. This conclusion, which emerged from several years of research by Thom Rainer and his son Sam, is found in their book Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts. They expanded on this conclusion by writing: The reality is that most churches in America are doing little to become essential to the lives of their members. Indeed, church is seen by most young adults today as but one option among many for their lives. It is no more important than work, leisure activities, or simply doing nothing. But the good news is that we have found churches that are retaining their young-adult members. These churches have communicated clearly that the local church is essential to the lives of Christians. They have demonstrated biblically the New Testament reality that God intended for local congregations to gather, worship, disciple, minister, and evangelize. Their church members see the local congregation as a biblical fellowship that they deem critical for their lives. We called these congregations essential churches. What are churches doing to become essential in the lives of young adults? These essential churches have focused on the four internal practices of simplify, deepen, expect, and multiply to reach and keep young adults. First, essential churches have learned to simplify. Eric Geiger and Thom Rainer s book Simple Church explores this reality. Church has become too complicated and too busy, filled with activities that have little coherent purpose. Many churches have no clear process, path, or structure for making disciples. Churches that are essential to 6 Tools For An Essential Church
the lives of young adults work hard to communicate a clear process for becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Second, essential churches move their members to deepen their knowledge of God s Word and His truths. These essential congregations have done three things to deepen their members discipleship: 1. Relevant biblical preaching is heard from the pulpit every Sunday. 2. Small-group Bible study is a high priority and a core value of the church. An important finding is shown in the chart below: 83 percent of new members who became actively involved in small-group Bible study remained active in the church after five years. Of those who attended only worship, only 16 percent remained active after five years. 100% 80% 83% 60% 40% 20% 0% 16% Worship Service and Small Group Worship Service Alone members remaining active in a church five years after joining 3. Church members are encouraged and expected to study and learn the Bible for themselves. They are taught and equipped to feed themselves from the Word of God. Third, essential churches have high expectations of their members. One key to raising expectations is to have a process that clearly explains the expectations of membership to new members. Essential churches believe they are called to make a difference and to call their members to make a difference in the name of Christ. These convictions are clearly communicated at the beginning of church membership and are expected as an important measure of growth in discipleship. Introduction 7
Fourth, essential churches are committed to help their members multiply spiritually. Evangelism is the heartbeat of the church. Missions and ministry are common practices in members lives. Essential churches have an intentional strategy to reach both the dechurched and the unchurched. In short, essential churches focus on four critical areas: MULTIPLY SIMPLIFY EXPECT DEEPEN Essential churches have simple structures that move believers along a clearly defined process of maturity. The process can be easily communicated and understood. Essential churches make biblical teaching and preaching core values in all they do. Essential churches create an environment of high expectations for members. And finally, essential churches are committed to help their members multiply spiritually. 8 Tools For An Essential Church
The research and findings on which this study is based can be found in Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts. The purpose of this workbook is to walk you, as a church leader, through a process that will help you evaluate your church and community and implement the principles of Essential Church in your church. This manual is intended to help your church become essential to the lives of young adults. The principles and processes included in this manual, if implemented, will help you know how to do this. Although the research and findings relate to reaching and keeping young adults, the principles will help your church become essential to all age groups. A church should be essential to the lives of children, students, parents, and adults of all ages. When a church becomes a vital part of an individual s life, research shows that person is significantly less likely to leave the church. To keep young adults connected, the church must become proactive in investing in their lives when they are children and students. When they become young adults, church is such an essential part of their lives that they can t imagine not being involved. This manual will help your church become an essential church. Introduction 9