TABLE OF CONTENTS ARC EXCHANGES Foundation of Prayer 05 Life-Giving Church Culture 07 Dynamic Weekend Services 09 Connected on Purpose 13 Answer Key 21 ARC EXCHANGES 3
NOTES 4 ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES
BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF PRAYER TO REACH YOUR CITY Unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain. - Psalm 127:1 IF YOU RE GOING TO PLANT OR RUN A CHURCH: 1. You have to win the war. Church is a but it is not just a 2. Develop the habit of or prayer. 21 days of» Happens at two times in the year - in January includes August can include fasting, but is more focused on prayer» Happens for a week» We suggest prayer times with a culture.» Sample Prayer Time: 2 songs of worship (10 minutes) Devotional teaching (10-15 minutes) Individual prayer time (20 minutes) Corporately-led prayer time (15-20 minutes) Prayer» On Sundays we create experiences for to.» We do small groups for prayer because we can t do everything we. 3. Enlist Have people that know your Have people that know your Have people that know your 4. Be aware of Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV ARC EXCHANGES 5
NOTES 6 ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES
ESTABLISHING A LIFE-GIVING CHURCH CULTURE ATTENTION HAS TO BE GIVEN TO THE AND THE. Our product is simply we do. Our environment is and we do it. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! - Mark 4:8 NLT You can do the in the and it will grow. You can do the right thing in the wrong culture and it. 1. Leadership Is there a system for empowering the people that God sends you? 2. Ministry Are people serving in your church where you need them or where they are passionate and gifted? 3. Spirituality Do your people enjoy the spiritual disciplines of their walk with God? 4. Structures Is there an organizational structure that can allow you to grow and remain healthy? Growing churches are Growing churches are willing to kill what is 5. Worship Are your worship services fun? 6. Small Groups Do they meet the needs of every day life? 7. Evangelism Do you really know the needs of everyday people? 8. Relationships Do your church members get together when you don t get them together? What do growing churches do differently? They focus on for people s lives, rather than. ARC EXCHANGES 7
NOTES 8 ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES
DYNAMIC WEEKEND SERVICES PROVEN MODELS Rick Warren: Imitation beats 9 of 10 times. I would rather be than creative. WHO DO YOU WANT TO REACH? OR? 1. #1 Goal - Get them to! If they don t come back, we can t see anything happen in their life salvation, discipleship, baptism, leadership 2. the unchurched are unchurched. The services are. The members are. The church just wants. What will happen with? 3. Whatever you it on, you must it on. Guest speakers Guest bands Special events- concerts, pot-lucks, picnics Services at off-site venues convention centers, etc. 4. makes all the difference. every Saturday to prepare the way on Sunday. 5. Impress them within the first. What will my location feel like to a first-timer?» All signage needs to be adequate and readable road signs, entrance signs, etc.» Parking Team» Greeters- friendly but respectful, don t over-greet, look for lost people Create comfort - Starbucks» Have a plan to clean up the exterior and interior» Temperature» Visual directives- signs for restrooms, kids, info, etc. 6. In everything, focus on. It creates. ARC EXCHANGES 9
NOTES 10 ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES
7. Service Times Prime Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm Multiple services helps with Dream Team: serve one/worship one Saturday nights 8. should be well-staffed, safe, clean and fun. Good signage Sense of security 9. - seating, lighting, audio, video Dark vs. light Distraction-less environment Not too much movement Enough stage light to see band and speaker People need to see well enough to take notes Appropriate use of smoke 10. Put your energy and resources into great. 11. transitions 12. should be greeted warmly but allowed to remain anonymous (other proven models exist) 13. that are interesting, clear, relevant, entertaining and biblical. Who is my audience? What do I want them to know? What do I want them to do?» Helpful hint: summarize in one statement 14. call ARC EXCHANGES 11
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CONNECTED ON PURPOSE NEXT STEPS DON T KNOW YOU EXIST Marketing FIRST TIME GUEST / REGULAR ATTENDER Assimilation CONNECTED ON PURPOSE Keys to Understand You have to connect a new person God won t send you people you can t This process isn t for, it s for 1. Critical questions to ask yourself when developing your process Have I created or copied a and system? Are these Next Steps:, and for a newcomer? 2. The steps taken through the process Next Steps 1.0 (Membership) The Goal:» Who is the and why did he plant this church?» is this church going? (Vision)» are you planning to get there? (Structure and Strategy)» do you believe and can I? (Beliefs and Culture) ARC EXCHANGES 13
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Next Steps 2.0 (Essentials) The Goal:» Define what discipleship truly is a process» Create a culture of Next Steps 3.0 (Discovery) The Goal:» Help them understand who they were made so they will know what they were made.» Get them with Next Steps 4.0 (Dream Team) The Goal:» Train them in their area of ministry» Connect them relationally with the leaders of the ministry and other people. (People want to serve where their friends serve) Tips for Starting (or Improving the Process) Once you start the process the process. Promote that Sundays Class on that Sunday. Only one. Build and around the life-changing benefits of your classes. Remove potential and. Common Mistakes We can t do it every week because we are portable/small/etc We don t have enough to do it this month so we will wait We want to know how many people are coming so we will do signups We will take a break for the summer/holidays/etc SMALL GROUPS Develop an effective small groups ministry by becoming a church small groups rather than a church small groups. WHY SMALL GROUPS? happens in relationships. happens in relationships. happens in relationships. ARC EXCHANGES 15
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Groups transfer the weight of off the pastor/ staff and. HOW DO I START GROUPS? 1. Let my dream team 2. Groups will never take hold until I 3. Ask people to take what they are and make it a small group 4. HOW DO I RUN SMALL GROUPS? Plan on a Gives new people a chance to and Gives new leaders a chance and new hosts a chance Gives you new opportunities each year to get people excited Plan on a Gives people a chance to gather around felt needs and common interests Allows you to instead of programs If it takes money or an announcement, it s a program - Layne Schranz (Associate Pastor, Church of the Highlands) Create a that can grow as the church grows DREAM TEAM Every person that enters your church desires two things. To be and They become known in a They become needed on a Church is not a, it is. The goal of a dream team isn t about what you want but what you want. The goal of a serving team isn t to plug people in to where we but where they. ARC EXCHANGES 17
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Identify Identify Identify When you are doing what you were made to do it is hard to burn out. When you are doing what someone else was made to do it is hard not too. ARC EXCHANGES 19
20 ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES
ANSWER KEY BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF PRAYER TO REACH YOUR CITY Pg 05: in the spiritual, business, just a business, group, corporate, prayer and fasting, January and August, fasting, prayer, Saturday morning, 1 hour, Saturday morning, pray first, small groups, lost people, come home, know how to do, personal intercessors, schedule, struggles, heart, spiritual warfare ESTABLISHING A LIFE-GIVING CHURCH CULTURE Pg 07: product, environment, what, how, why, wrong thing, right culture, won t grow, Empowering, Gift-oriented, Passionate, Functional, willing to change, not working, Inspiring, Holistic, Need-oriented, Loving, God s best, their worst. WEEKEND SERVICES Pg 09: innovation, effective, Churched, unchurched, come back, Know why, boring, unfriendly, my money, my kids, build, maintain, prayer, prayer, 10 minutes, with environment, excellence, comfort Pg 11: Children s ministry, Room dynamics, praise and worship, Intentional, Visitors, Deliver messages, Altar CONNECTED ON PURPOSE Pg 13: 3 months, take care of, you, them, simple, repetitive, Obvious, easy, helpful, pastor, Where, How, What, belong Pg 15: life-long, self-feeders, to be, to do, serving, effectiveness, do not stop, sermon points, examples, barriers, awkwardness, of, with, Healing, Accountability, Growth Pg 17: pastoral care, to the church, function as groups, lead one myself, already doing, Preach on groups, semester system, enter, exit, to lead, to host, about community, free market system, build people, scalable system, needed, known, small group, a team, service, serving, from them, for them, have a need, have a gift Pg 19: gifts and talents, personality, passion ARC EXCHANGES 21