HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT TELEVISION ADVERTISING

Gilbert Thurston and Chad Chute pastor a Churches of God, General Conference congregation in Harrisburg PA that meets in a Regal Theater. TV advertising is one of their tools:

OUTWARD-FOCUSED CHURCHES YOU WANT TO MEET

From time to time I will be highlighting churches that I encounter, especially through the Bridgebuilders Seminars that I believe are generally outward-focused.  They are often traditional churches that have made an intentional decision to reach their unchurched neighbors.

There are two I want to introduce today and I will be adding them to the links on the home page.

The first is the Newville Church of God in Cumberland County PA which presents itself as "The Connection Place." It is led  by Pastor Wayne Good.

View their web site.

The second is the United Community Church of God in Ursina PA.  Dean Hay is the pastor.

View their web site.

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

BY STEPHEN DUNN

About a year ago we made a fundamental shift in the language of the congregation that I serve as Lead Pastor. We began speaking of disciples instead of members.  The latter tends to be an exclusive and organizational word.  And thanks to Mastercard and other marketers, membership has come to connote privileges rather than responsibilities.

Disciple on the other hand is a more organic term and it infers lifestyle and learning.  A disciple has not arrived, they continue to become as they learn to think, act and be like the One of whom they are a disciple.  It was in a Finance Commission meeting where we were discussing how to get members to give their fair share, to measure up to the expectations and needs of the Church.  Tithing, of course, was part of this conversation.  It was then when one of our older members said, "This is not a membership issue, it's a discipleship issue." He went on to note that members think in terms of what is necessary to be in good standing. Disciples give. It is who they are.

Profound, isn't it?

It's more than semantics.  It is a religious world view.

Now at the church we teach discipleship and form groups of people on mission with Jesus.  We have Membership Orientations to describe the formal needs of the organization.

We also use this definition of disciple.

A DISCIPLE IS A PERSON WHO LIVES IN DAILY OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL AND PURPOSE OF GOD, COMMITTED TO BEARING FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM.

This linguistic change is helping us make a cultural shift from membership to discipleship.  It is moving us beyond maintaining the organization to mobilizing for mission.

(C) 2012 by Stephen L Dunn

This was originally published on my blog IMMEASURABLY MORE  (Discipleship Version)

HOW CHURCH LEADERS CAN MOBILIZE THEIR CHURCHES FOR COMMUNITY MINISTRY

This is an excellent blog for pastors of kingdom focused churches.  Here is a sample. It is especially good on self-care and leadership assessments.  Check it out. - Steve

 How Church Leaders can Mobilize their Churches for Community Ministry

Jun 21st, 2010 by Charles Stone

Some of the kids in Operation Helping Hands

It’s exciting to see many churches embracing community and missional ministry more than ever. When I grew up, I can’t remember being challenged to go out into my community to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the poor and under-resourced. Perhaps that’s why it took me so long to personally ‘get it.’
The church where I now serve really ‘gets it.’ We are a church with a weekly attendance around 1,200 and after an intentional effort the last four years to become more missional, we’ve seen this fruit.

• last year we gave more money to missional causes than we ever gave in a year’s time
• 1500 participated in some way in local missional efforts, many multiple times
• 100 went on a short-term missions project overseas
• we just completed our annual Helping Hands project in the community and nearly 500 people from four different churches served

We even coined a term that has helped capture the spirit of our church: serving the Least, the Last, and the Lost.
So, what have we learned and what are some principles to keep in mind if you want your church to become more missional?

1. Find a champion. One of our pastors had a vision 10 years ago for us to become more missional. He has persisted for those 10 years.
2. Build missional ministry into your annual church objectives.
3. Keep the vision before the church often. Repeat it in messages. Encourage small groups to do missional projects together. Celebrate victories and tell lots of stories.
4. Offer multiple, small steps for your church. Stay persistent and don’t look for just one big thing to comprise the extent of your community ministry, although a big event can catalyze your church.
5. Develop partners. Find local city our community agencies that need help and offer to help them. We’ve worked with over a dozen city agencies, the local United Way,  the city of Aurora, IL and several other churches.

"Volunteer of the Year" Award

Persistence will pay off. This year our church actually won the community “Volunteer of the Year” award from the local United Way.  We didn’t apply for it in any way. Rather, the committee that makes those choices had seen our extensive work in the community and made the decision.
So, as you lead your church, consider how to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the community.
Some great resources:

• Ed Stetzer’s book, Breaking the Missional Code.
• Rick Rusaw’s book, The Externally Focused Church.

For more Ministry Help and Resources for Pastors, visit Pastor Stone’s main site.

This is an excellent blog for pastors of kingdom focused churches.  Here is a sample. It is especially good on self-care and leadership assessments.  Check it out. - Steve

GOD AT WORK - BAPTISM STORIES

Today Friendship Community Church of God in Dover PA baptized three people. On the church's Video Channel they posted these stories. Read and rejoice.