Plan, Purpose, Methods and Ways
(Concealed Church Name)
(Concealed City Name)
Engage, Evangelize, Edify, Equip, and Encourage
Introduce, inform, instruct, inspire, ignite
(Reaching the Lost and Making Disciples for Jesus)
Family, Individual and Youth Discipleship and Development
Objectives: Reach the lost and gather the straying sheep, build up the Body of Christ, His Church.
We are to be built up into the priesthood of believers, commissioned and sent as missionaries and ambassadors of Christ, to
(# 1), the lost, and,
(# 2), the straying sheep of God, and
(# 3), for the building up of the Body of Christ.
(In other words, we need to tell and show the lost and remind the straying sheep of God, the Gospel message in word, by our behavior and deed. Then, to make disciples, teaching and training them to also become missionaries (disciple-makers) for Christ. By this we establish the Church (Ekklesia, the called out ones) within our Church Body.
Jesus taught that “Foxes have holes and Birds of the Air have nests”. He is saying that we are to go out and make disciples. We are not to retreat to the comfort and safety of our ‘fox dens’ or our ‘feathered nests’. He never advocated a stationary and static church, i.e., a “legacy type of church”.
We should be careful to not prematurely integrate people into a static church (a legacy type of church). We should allow people to naturally gravitate into God’s fellowship of believers, but, while that occurs, we must provide fertile soil which comes from the mission Jesus gave the Church, the gamelan of ministry and the cycle of discipleship, i.e., the way Jesus taught and demonstrated.
Everything we do should point to making individuals, families (fathers, mothers and children) integral participants in Jesus’ Mission, in our local Body.
We must change what ‘coming to church’ or ‘attend church’ means. We come to Church in order to GO OUT from the Church to reach our community and world, and that is how we are to GROW!
To accomplish this, we probably need to consider reviewing or changing our attitude and paradigm of “coming to church”.
First of all, research shows that people come to church for specific reasons. And becoming an audience or an adherent is not on the list. But, they will leave if thier initial expectations are not met.
Here are the top 10 reasons given by Americans who attend religious services at least once a month, according to Pew. Survey. (For you information, respondents were allowed to give more than one reason.) The percentage refers to people who said this was a “very important” reason for their decision:
- To become closer to God. (81%)
- So their children will have a moral foundation. (69%)
- To become a better person. (68%)
- For comfort in times of trouble or sorrow. (66%)
- They find the sermons valuable. (59%)
- To be part of a faith community. (57%)
- To continue their family’s religious traditions. (37%)
- They feel a necessary obligation to go. (31%)
- To meet new people or socialize. (19%)
- Because the pastor knows my name. (added by author.)
People need to come to church to meet Jesus; to learn about Him, to come to know Him personally and intimately by the Word of God, and by our living example; they need to learn how to follow Him – which is both taught and caught, and learn to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Then, they and we, together, GO and live out our relationship with Him let that be our witness! Go and order to Grow!
(for the full ariticle see Please Don’t Leave).
We need to understand the demographics and discover ways to become more visible and find UNIQUE ways to serve the community – and that boils down to being like Jesus and doing what He did and taught.
GO OUT with activities: Churches tend to hold ‘events’ in order to attract people to Church. So, we invite people to Chruch on a holiday or a speical occasion, maybe once very few months, hoping we will attract some to come back. But unless there is something to keep them coming back, (about 25% will come back a second time if everything goes just right), it’s a one-and-done matter.
It is God who draws people and saves them. We are simply His Hands, Feet and Voice. We go in His Name. But,
#1. We need “Meet them where they live”. We take the Church to them. It can no longer be “Come Grow With Us”. It has to be “Let’s GO and Grow in Christ Together”. Find ways to keep them coming back, every week.
Many church growth programs actually pander to the community, so they attract those ‘already saved’ who are shopping churches. That is, I believe, why baptisms are so low. We aren’t reaching a lost world, we are reaching a saved and straying world!
We can continue to do what is working. PLUS here are some EXAMPLES of IDEAS to go OUT and build:
(1). Build a youth soccer program – A uniquely Christian approach – teach and coach joy, to be peacemakers, kind, good, patient, gentle, self-controlled, yet, proficient, competitive, hardworking, reaching for excellence. Imagine the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Family Youth Soccer Program!
(Just FYI, I have had experience and qualifications as national youth license, 15 + years experience.
Area Demographics known. Here is an examples of another church doing these very things: Shepherds.Org.
(1.a). Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America! Kids love it, Dads and Moms love it and if you try it, you will love it too! It is a perfect FAMILY activity! Build a uniquely Christian approach to this sport and influence our area for Christ!
This is a kid and family magnet. Imagine, the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Family Pickleball Club!!
(And by the way, I have been a pickleball club director and I am currently rated as an advanced player and coach)
(1b.) Bible Quzzing is another exciting and fun ways to get our kids and teens into memorizing the Bible. This is an exciting activity with a purpose! would be greatly surprized how fun this is and how much the kids love it!
Imagine the (Concealed Name) Baptist Church Quiz Team!! (And by the way, my wife has been a Quizzing coach and organizer when our kids were adolecents and teens).
(1c). Offering public neighborhood and citywide conferences on subjects such as
“Is The End Of The World A Possibiliy?” (Eschatology – End Times),
“Is Peace Possible in this crazy world – And How About Me and My Family?”,
“How Can I Kknow That God Really Exists – And How Does That Change Things for Me?”
Future planning: There is a plethora of other means and a multitude of ideas, but the main thing is that we build continuity into our Family, Teen and Children’s ministry. Something parents and kids will come back for, week after week, and not just a seasonal or occasional ‘one-and-done’ activity which repeats quarterly or annually.
ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND MORE, TO INFLUENCE AND REACH YOUR HOME AREA AND BEYOND FOR CHRIST!
(2) We must intentionally ADOPT our visitors and new members as “being part of our family”, from day ONE.
(a). Greeting our visitors and getting to know our new members in ways that make them feel at home, can be intimidating for our MEMBERS. So, perhaps we should hold classes and teach, help and train our MEMBERS the “HOW TO techniques and methods” on greeting, creating conversations and making our visitors feel at home and part of our Church Family. (Improve our ‘meet and greet the people around you’ only to go back to ‘sitting in our own little groups, staring forward and listening to the sermon after our greetings.)
(3). Coming to church AS A VISITOR can be uncomfortable, and even intimidating for most people. We must remember that our visitors are just that: visiting us. And we only get ONE CHANCE at making a FIRST IMPRESSION, and that it is a 25-70 deal at best. So, we must turn that around and make it about them. We need to let them know how important they are to us and to Jesus. We need to make them feel as if they are at home, and it is as if we are the visitors in their house! We have to change the paradigm.
(4). Perhaps we could form Parent-children mentoring (discipleship) sessions early in the visitation process or “new member’s class” process. For example: we begin meeting in special orientation sessions as a way to help them integrate.
(4a). Design short discussion games with parents and kids.
(4b). Separate into parent groups and youth groups. Teach from selected scriptures. Then, discuss achievements and needed improvement in behaviors, activities, family environments, etc., in light of selected scriptures.
Form and Technique: What is meant is that we must build the next generation by TRULY making disciples. I.e., “we must decrease in our influence so Jesus can increase through us and the others among us”. It means that we must teach, train, encourage and send; THEN we must begin to replace ourselves with THE NEXT GENERATION – on purpose!
We will be building a Family Ministry to young families and youth as part of the main Body here at (Concealed Name) Baptist Church, yet separate from the routine – think of it as a Missionary Church Plant WITHIN OUR OWN BODY!
Our focus must be on Jesus’ mission, calling, plan, methods and ways. We should minimize our own creativity. We must constantly be on mission, teaching, instructing, training and inspiring fathers, mothers and children to become mature as living examples, teaching, and training in righteousness, so that they, as servants of God are thoroughly equipped for every good work through the Spiritual Gifts God has granted each one for the building up of the Body: (also see Pastor Vern Collins, UMC Boone).
- Lead them to Christ; disciple them in His Name, His calling, His mission, His purpose and His ways;
- Lead them to become fully involved, inspired, excited, devoted followers of Jesus, and
- Teach them to become disciple makers,
- Executing Jesus’ mission, His plan, using His method for His purpose.
- Then, send them. They, then, ARE the Church. “It is no longer ‘we four, and no more’”.
- Encourage and assist them in building His Church (not ‘our church’), and sending His church out (not ‘our church’). WE MUST DECREASE SO HE, JESUS, CAN INCREASE.
NOW THE BOMBSHELL. Plant a Church within our Church, just like Jesus did it.
We begin with those in our Church whom God has gifted to be disciple-makers. God has alredy Gifted and Equipped them. These will become our Church Planters (Family and Youth Ministry planters) within our Church. This will be and EXTENSION of our Body, new and separate, but fitted together with the Body.
God will provide the gifts and talents necessary, not only for our Church Planters but also for these new believers to – FROM DAY ONE – to become capable of leading the way forward!
God will provide the gifts and talents necessary, not only for our Church Planters but also for these new believers to – FROM DAY ONE – to become capable of leading the way forward! Please take a look at this list of Spiritual Gifts and the linked test below this list.
GIFTS MINISTRIES EFFECTS OFFICES
Romans 12 1 Corinthians 12 1 Corinthians 12:28 Ephesians 4:11
Prophecy Word of wisdom Apostle Apostle
Serving Word of knowledge Prophet Prophet
Teaching Faith Teacher Evangelist
Exhortation Gifts of healing Miracles Pastor
Giving Miracles Kinds of healing Teacher
Overseer Prophecy Helps
Mercy Distinguishing spirits Administration
(Click here for an online Spiritual Gifts Test).
I am providing an example here, of how new believers become “fitted together with the Body” when establishing a Young Families and Youth Ministry by Planting a church within a Church. (see Boone UMC – Vern Collins link below). My son and his family were living in Boone, NC. Their pastor was a man named Vern Collins. I met him at my son and daughter-in-law’s house during a soccer related cookout. (My son and family were moving). Instead of leaving after the cookout, Vern stayed and helped them pack their moving van. Vern lives with and in Jesus’ Church body. They are his extended family. I visited their church after they moved and got to know Vern Collins just a little better. The Boone United Methodist church needed to attract and establish (grow) a youth group.
They started by building a group within the Church and ended up planting a new church INSIDE the existing Church and eventually they GREW TOGETHER and ‘co-mingled’. They are still doing that to this day! (Please view the LINK at the bottom of this page).:
We say that we are ambassadors for Christ which is just another way to say that we are missionaries for Christ. We are on mission, planting churches – first within our own Church Body, then OUTSIDE our walls in the future!
We say we are missionaries and ambassadors for Christ. So, let’s be that!
(And as an addition to my resume and experience: I have had decades experience working with youth, both in the church and outside the church).
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young (Pastor/Teacher/Evangelist/Church Planter).
(Additional resources):
A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS TO GIVE YOU LIFE
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “IF YOU”…
Statistics show that we, the Church, are losing attendance, losing members, losing credibility, and we are losing the next generation to the world’s ways and beliefs. Some are dropping out from boredom, some from disappointment, others dont’ see the relevance. They are being influenced and trained by liberal and pagan social media outlets.
We have to engage them in Biblically sound and exciting ways. It has to be exciting, relevant, active, life challenging and life changing. It has to be the Gosple as Jesus taught it. People, families and kids want to be involved and not just an idle audience.
God is calling, and if we are willing, this is going to happen. We will be that “light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden”.
Your pastor, brother and friend,
Mike Young
PS:
I would not be coming here to perpetuate a Legacy Church. I am called to do the will of God by following Jesus
By proclaiming and teaching His Message, His Methods and His Ways;
To execute His Plan by adopting and following his Purpose, Using His Methods.
I have no doubt in my mind that God is calling me, has commissioned and sent me to bring His Good News to the humble and afflicted;
That He has is sending me to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, and to release the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual captive from their confinement, condemnation and bondage and to set those prisoners free by the will and power of the Gospel of Jesus.
I am here to proclaim the favor of the LORD is to come upon this Church.
I am here to comfort all who mourn, to give them a new hope instead of living in the ashes of the past; I am bringing oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
You would become known as oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
We will rebuild the ruins of the postmodern Church, and we will raise up and restore the former ways of Christ Jesus.
We will renew the ruined sanctuary of God, and the memory of the glories our God to this generation and this in this day.
Henceforth, people you haven’t known up until now, will come and will give to you freely, and they will become your laborers in God’s Work here.
You shall be called the priests of the LORD in this place; people will speak of you as the ministers of God.
You will enjoy a new health and new wealth.
Instead of our former embarrassments or shame we will share in a double portion of God’s Spiritual Blessings; And instead of past humiliation we will shout for joy over this new portion from God.
Everlasting joy will be ours – for those who will trust and follow God in all of His plans, purposes, methods and way.
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