Vital Congregations Can Make a Difference!!

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Vital Congregations Can Make a Difference!!

• An overview of vitality for congregations

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Have you Noticed-Its not 1955

• Back when..

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In 1955.

• The culture of church and community matched
  well.
• It was an age of attraction
• We could do in-house programs and worship
  services and people just came.
• We often remember this as the golden era when
  our churches were full

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But since 1955 a lot has changed!

• Sustainability levels
• Generational Changes
• Population shifts
• Birth rates
• Cultural factors

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Sustainability Levels
1930/30 avg. worship
2000/130 avg. worship attendance
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Generational Issues

• Boomers/Older Younger Generations
• 2/3 of the church 2/3 population
• Spiritual as place Spiritual as journey
• Committee structure small groups
• Sameness One size doesnt fit all
• What is good for the group Good for individual
• Traditional worship Indigenous worship
• Membership orientation Belong, not join

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Population Shifts

• Toward metropolitan areas
• 1960 50/50
• 2000 20/80
• Toward south and coasts
• Fluid-5 years is a long stay
• So many congregations are in
• declining population areas

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Birth Rates

• Anglo population
• 1960 24/1000
• 2002 11/1000
• Other racial/ethnic group birth rates are much
  higher.
• By 2050 there will not be a majority population
  in this country.

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Cultural factors

• Boomers left all institutions
• Now have 2 generations who have no context for
  church.
• What image(s) does public see?
• 65 of the population cannot remember a time when
  clergy were respected.
• Denominational loyalty is non-existent
• Between 1990 and 2000 100,000 churches closed
  in the United States.
• Only 17 of the population attends church
  regularly.

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So is the sun setting on churches?
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Well there is good news as well

• The not-yet-churched public is very spiritually
  hungry
• They are looking for 2 things
• An Experience of the Holy
• Doing something significant with limited free time

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Existing Churches that turnaround and new church
starts can reach this yearning public

• There are several dynamics that need to be in
  play for churches to reach out in powerful new
  ways.
• This is what we will now look at today.
• And those dynamics will be the topics of
  workshops following this time together.

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Spiritual Leadership

• Most churches turnaround when there is a new
  pastor.
• Have to be intentional about raising up/nurturing
  spiritual giants in your congregation.
• Our churches will only go as far as the
  leadership takes them.

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Spiritual Leadership

• Leaders are involved in
• Keeping the focus 5 years ahead

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Spiritual Leadership

• Growth and Change

New
Loss
New Energy and Vision
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Spiritual Leadership

• Looks at Organizational Change

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Vision and Values

• Vital churches have a sense of how and to whom
  God is calling them.
• Vision is discernment of the Spirit-To put a
  cosmic scaffolding around the passion we feel.
• Vision becomes the litmus test for everything we
  do.

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Vision and Values

• Vision team
• Scripture
• Understand the neighborhood
• History
• Values
• Growth Areas
• Energy

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Vision and Values
Waterfall of Gods Grace
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Core Discipleship

• Martha Grace Reese
• I still cant believe-how the liberal church
  that knows so much about Gods grace doesnt
  understand the power of what it has to share.
  And they dont share it!

Gospel Constipation!
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Core Discipleship

• How to pray
• How to share faith
• A discipleship system
• Inform Need/grow
• Committee Gifts and calling
• Supervise Train
• Happy/faith? Team

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Core Discipleship

• Also look at
• Small groups
• Hospitality
• Stewardship
• Transformation in worship

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Community
The Belly Button syndrome
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Community

• Align with your community
• Knowing the hopes, dreams and needs of
  people
• Caring more about those outside than inside
• Learning how to design events, programs and
  worship that is on target
• Learning how to have excellent hospitality
• Inviting, Inviting, Inviting.

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All of these vitality dynamics

• Revolve around our experience of Jesus Christ

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Its all about our being in love with Christ

• Everything else is just strategies and tactics
• If our hearts are open..
• If they arent then no amount of keynotes or
  workshops will help.
• Resurrection

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Which path do you want for your congregation?

• Complacency
• Fear of change
• Angst over the future
• Downward Spiral

Action Discomfort Passion Change Excitem
ent Kingdom Growth
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Choice is Yours

• Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC, is here to help
• Workshops in this past year and today
• Hal Youngblood
• The Vision of Tom Rehling
• Vitality Coaches are coming!!!
• New Church starts are being encouraged.

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We are at the threshold!!
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Your Comments, Questions and Reflections