Breaking the "200" Barrier

1

Welcome! From The Office of Leadership
Department Florida Baptist Convention 1230
Hendricks Ave Jacksonville FL 32207 800.226.8584
extension 3018 www.FLBaptist.org BBumgarner_at_FLBap
tist.org
2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
Navigating the 200 Barrier
Tailoring Your Leadership Strategy and Methods To
Fit Your Churchs Size
6
Workshop Objectives

• As a result of this workshop you will be able to
• Explain why the 200 barrier exists
• Identify causes of the 200 barrier
• Develop a strategy for leading your church beyond
  200

7
So What?!

• More people can be exposed to the gospel message
  (Matthew 419)
• More people can choose to become fully devoted
  followers of Christ (Matthew 2818-20)
• More corporate opportunities for God to use our
  lives as platforms on which to display His glory
  and goodness (Matthew 516-18)

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Laying The Groundwork For Navigating Barriers

• The size of a congregation is the most critical
  variable in predicting how it behaves.
• Leaders must take seriously the importance of
  their churchs size, if we mismatch size and
  leadership systems, it will likely lead to
  conflict, dysfunction, and paralysis of the local
  body of Christ.

11
Laying The Groundwork For Navigating Barriers

• Leadership systems
• The way change is initiated
• The way decisions are made
• The way the church is organized
• The way staff is called
• The way the pastor is expected to lead

12
Laying The Groundwork For Navigating Barriers

• Growing congregations, like individuals, develop
  through predictable stages over time.
• Releasing the potential of your church to make
  disciples requires a willingness by the pastor
  and people to address organizational issues that
  will hinder their disciple making ability.

13
Laying The Groundwork For Navigating Barriers

• The Journey to the church of the future that is
  the longest, hardest and yet most important
  begins in the pastors heart and mind.

14
What Are Barriers And Why Do They Exist?

• A barrier is any non-biblical obstacle that
  limits your churchs ability to expose people to
  the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ.

15
A Growth Barrier
Worship Attendance
Growth Barrier
Interdependence
16
What Are Barriers And Why Do They Exist?

• Physical Barriers
• Parking limitations
• Lack of educational or worship space
• Too few new units
• Too few leaders
• Ministries that do not match community needs

17
What Are Barriers And Why Do They Exist?

• Attitudinal Barriers
• Small church attitude
• Ineffective evangelism
• Inadequate/unevaluated programming
• Negative momentum
• Ingrown fellowship
• Low passion or energy in key leadership

18
What Are Barriers And Why Do They Exist?

• Barriers exist because congregations of different
  sizes have different value systems. A value that
  is a strength at one size becomes a weakness at
  another size. Our values drive our behavior.

19
3 Basic Church Sizes

• Small Under 200 in worship
• (82.)
• Medium 200 to 400 in worship
• (12.2)
• Large Over 400 in worship
• (5.8)

20
Sizing the Church in Florida
Tier 1 35 or Less in Worship 664 Churches 24.5
Tier 2 36 to 75 in Worship 719 Churches 26.6
Tier 3 76 to 200 in Worship 844 Churches 31.2
Tier 4 201 to 350 in Worship 237 Churches 8.8
Tier 5 351 to 500 in Worship 83 Churches 3.1
Tier 6 501 to 800 in Worship 93 Churches 3.4
Tier 7 801 to 1000 in Worship 17 Churches
.6
Tier 8 1001 to 3000 in Worship 44 Churches
1.6
Tier 9 3001 to 6000 in Worship 5 Churches
2
Tier 10 6001 to 12000 in Worship 1 Church
.04
Total Baptist Churches in Florida 2,707
21
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
22
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
23
The Small Church
Missions
24
The Truth About Churches Under 200 In Worship
Small churches are unique. They are not
multi-celled organizations with a common base.
Small churches are a single, caring cell
embracing the whole congregation. Carl Dudley
25
The Medium Sized Church
26
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
27
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
28
How Churches This Size Describe Their Pastor
Our minister loves everyone. He is such a warm
and kind hearted person everyone loves
him. Everyone in our community respects
him. Hes got a real sense of humor.
29
How Churches This Size Describe Their Pastor
The kids all like him. He cares for us and
knows us by name. He treats everyone the
same. I would like you to meet our new pastor.
(after you been there 5 years)
30
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
31
Decision Making Climate
Small Medium Large
Emotional Rational Subjective Objective
Popular Merit Informal Formal
Family Leaders
32
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
33
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
34
What Needs To Be Embraced To Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?
35

• A Family Chapel Church
• Single Cell with matriarch/patriarch
• High ownership by membership necessary for
  survival
• New members adopted into church
• Most growth is biological
• Bi-vocational pastor is the norm
• Pastor tends to be the chaplain
• Leadership style is relational
• Considered 1st Call church
• Very high pastor turnover
• Informal worship
• Rarely grows beyond this size

Tier 1 Church (Under 35
at Worship)
36

• Pastor is center of every project
• Pastor recruits and shepherds most new members
• Pastors family easily neglected
• Pastor tries to be all-things to all
• High expectations on pastor/family
• Pastor ministers/Church leaders administer
• Growth often depends on the popularity of the
  pastor
• Church plateaus at the level of the pastors
  competency, time and energy
• Pastor must learn how to share ministry by
  empowering other leaders
• Music usually lacks quality
• This church often develops poor self- esteem

Tier 2 Church (36-75 at
Worship)
37
The 75 Barrier is broken Church becomes more
organized Lay ministries increase with
growth Intentional outreach program starts Pastor
still central but roles shifting Pastor is
motivator and trust builder Pastor helps generate
commitment / consensus Assimilation becomes
intentional Guest follow-up becomes
strategic Pastor is very clear about the churchs
mission Pastor begins leading leaders Multiple
staff begins Deacons usually act as a board of
directors Constitution and by-laws are emphasized

Tier 3 Church (76 to 200 at
Worship)
38
The 200 Barrier is finally broken Difficult to
move from previous tier without a crisis Most
difficult barrier to break/sustain High priority
on Worship and Youth / children Pastor learns
delegation skills Pastor spends more time on
sermon preparation Multiple staff members
added Lay leadership increases Leaders cast
vision, generate energy Church council tends to
be more active in determining church
direction Greater leadership responsibility Guest
follow-up and assimilation becomes very
intentional
Tier 4 Church (201 to 350 at
Worship)
39
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate
The 200 Barrier?

• Embrace the fact that healthy things grow
• Go to school on healthy leaders and healthy
  churches that are one or two tiers ahead of you
  and in a similar setting
• Lead your church to focus on becoming healthier
  not just bigger

40
Studies Show

• Church health cannot be achieved or
• maintained without

• The work of the Holy Spirit and.
• Highly competent pastoral leadership
• Gary McIntosh
  One Size Doesnt Fit All, p.
  67

41
Your Job Is Not To Make Your Church Grow, But To
Remove The Barriers That Keep It From Being As
Healthy As Possible
42
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate The
200 Barrier?

• Pray for and communicate a sense of urgency that
  answers the question, Why should I use my time,
  talent, influence and resources to help our
  church move past the 200 barrier?

43
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate The
200 Barrier?

• Pray for God to surface and help you identify
  people in your ministry who have the influence,
  passion, skills and energy to come along side of
  you and help your church navigate the 200
  barrier. Unite and commission these people to be
  the team that will help you create a vision
  path that will guide the church through the 200
  barrier.

44
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate The
200 Barrier?

• Use a proven process that will equip you to
  systematically create a vision path to help lead
  your church through change.
• In the change process you will need to move
  toward shaping the values of your church from a
  small church value system to a medium church
  or large church value system.

45
Your Vision Path
1. Cultivate a sense of urgency 2. Identify and
empower the transition team 3. Establish your
change process 4. Preach, lead and equip with
the goal of helping shape the values of your
church toward a broader ministry

• Positive Momentum
• Healthy Culture
• Servant Leadership Skills
• Functional Structures
• Welcome Open Fellowship
• Effective Evangelism
• Transitioning Team Development

46
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate The
200 Barrier?

• As you lead your church through change, the
  vision path you develop will be uniquely yours.
  We certainly learn from other ministries but we
  cannot copy our way to effectiveness. There are
  however, some basic steps that many churches have
  used as a launching point in the creation of
  their vision path

47
How Can I Help My Church Effectively Navigate The
200 Barrier?

• Renew a sense of congregational purpose
• Begin new ministries
• Cultivate an evangelistic/outreach focused
  mindset
• Celebrate victories along the way
• Start new small groups/classes
• Involve new people in all areas of church life