churchrelevance.com

Only 22 of the 43,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention could say they-

• baptized at least 26 people per year for 10 consecutive years
• experienced overall worship attendance growth during the same 10 years
• and had a membership to baptism ratio of no more than 20 to 1.

LifeWay Research and Dr. Thom Rainer were fortunate enough to be able to study 19 of the 22 churches and discovered four common elements.

1. Pastors Set the Bar
   Interviews indicate the churches have taken on the vision, priorities, and values of the senior pastor. Staff and lay leaders find it easy to follow the pastor. There are high levels of trust in these pastors.
2. Church Atmosphere
   These churches are consistently described as “exciting,” “dynamic,” “energetic,” “upbeat,” “friendly,” “welcoming,” “warm,” and “positive.”
3. Evangelistic Appeal
   Pastors indicate they seek to include the gospel in most, if not all, of their sermons. They stress the importance of preaching the gospel and providing opportunities for lost people to respond. More than two-thirds indicate they offer a public invitation at the end of every service. The others invite inquirers to fill out a decision card.
4. Intentional Outreach
   The pastors are focused on reaching people for Christ. Whether it’s through focusing the content of sermons, planning the worship services, or simply the nature of church programming, it is clear that everything is designed with outreach in mind.

Although similar in the above qualities, these churches did use different methods regarding preaching, styles of worship, evangelism training, and small group strategies. Participating churches include:

1. Atlee Community Church (Mechanicsville, VA)
2. Biltmore Baptist Church (Arden, NC)
3. Cedar Creek Church (Aiken, SC)
4. Church of Pembroke Pines (Pembroke Pines, FL)
5. Clements Baptist Church (Athens, AL)
6. Fellowship of the Rockies (Pueblo, CO)
7. First Baptist Church of Oviedo (Oviedo, FL)
8. Highlands Fellowship (Abingdon, VA)
9. Hopewell Baptist Church (Gainesville, GA)
10. Jersey Baptist Church (Pataskala, OH)
11. Lenexa Baptist Church (Lenexa, KS)
12. Lindsay Lane Baptist Church (Athens, AL)
13. London Bridge Baptist Church (Virginia Beach, VA)
14. Mandarin Baptist Church (Los Angeles, CA)
15. Miles Road Baptist Church (Summerville, SC)
16. NorthPointe Community Church (Fresno, CA)
17. Northside Baptist Church (Wilmington, NC)
18. Seoul Baptist Church (Houston, TX)
19. Sarasota Baptist Church (Sarasota, FL)

[via ChurchCommunicationsPro.com]

Bubbl.us is a free online resource that allows you to easily map out your ideas with word bubbles. It is an excellent resource for pastors who like to mind map their sermons.

[via Lifehacker]

Project Management Source recently offered seven rules for project management success.

1. Pick the Right Team
   If you can, try to choose the right people for the project team. These team members should be able to provide you with a different perspective and solutions to the problem at hand.
2. Define the Nature of the Problem
   In case of disputes, try to develop consensus on the nature of the problem. The reason you look for the correct problem is that unless you know its exact nature, you’ll end up developing a solution to the wrong problem.
3. Strategize
   Before you begin, you must develop a strategy, or plan of action that will help you meet all the project objectives.
4. Follow the Mission Statement
   Always follow the mission statement throughout the course of a particular project.
5. Stay in Scope
   Ensure that the project stays within the original scope of work.
6. Collaborate
   Work as a team. If all members of a team operate individually, the end product will be as disjointed as the team was.
7. Evaluation
   Do a post mortem review of projects and review both group dynamics and task implementation.

Following these rules will make your ministry more efficient and effective.

Kelton Research recently discovered:

• 65% of Americans spend more time with their computer than their spouse.
• 84% say they are more dependent on their home computer now than they were just three years ago.
• 12 hours the amount of time the average American wastes each month due to problems with their home computer.

Many people often lose track of their priorities amidst the clutter of technology and culture. Consequently, churches must stress more than ever before the importance of maintaining the right priorities.

[via Lifehacker]

Purpose Driven is offering free downloads of Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) ministry tools used for helping volunteers discover their strengths and maximize their potential.

[via Ministry Pastor's Blog]

LifeWay Research conducted a survey among people age 18 to 34 that discovered a major factor causing young adults to leave the church is the church’s inability to minister to them in their transition stage.

Among Young Adults

• 73% of churchgoers
  47% of non-churchgoers
  indicated that community with other young people is extremely important in their lives.
• 71% of churchgoers
  said they want to participate in small-group meetings to discuss life application of Scripture.
• 68% of churchgoers
  45% of non-churchgoers
  said that in small group settings they can find “advice from individuals with similar experiences.”
• 66% of churchgoers
  47% of non-churchgoers
  agree that meeting the needs of others is also an essential element to this generation.

Jim Johnston of LifeWay Christian Resources identifies four needs among young adults:

1. Relationship
   “It just so happens that this generation’s biggest need is relationship. The church ought to be the author and purveyor of the best, deepest, most loving friendships around.”
2. Biblical Community
   “The lost and the saved in this age group are looking for just what the church can provide in Biblical community. They want absolute truth but they embrace the struggle of finding it themselves. They don’t want it to be spoon-fed to them.”
3. Social Action
   “Young adults gravitate to churches that are making an impact. This age group is embracing service, social action and missions. They will embrace the church with a cause as well.”
4. Genuine Church
   “They want to embrace church, but only the genuine, earth-shaking, Christ-powered New Testament church. For some churches, that’s going to mean changing methodology “but not the message of the Bible.”

Do young adults find it difficult to make friendships and find community at your church? If so, they will likely go elsewhere to fill the void.

[via Catablog :: The Christian Post]

The right object lesson can make a sermon principle stick for life. Harold Davis Ministries offers three products that no church resource closet should be without:

1. Snow Powder
   This absorbent powder expands into a snow-like substance whenever liquid is added.
2. Slush Powder
   This powder gels liquids into a solid.
3. Flash Paper
   This highly-flammable paper is designed to instantly burn up and create an exciting “flash” of fire.

Each one can be used to visually explain a variety of spiritual truths. Their only limits are your imagination.

Forget reading about it in your Archaeological Study Bible, now you can actually experience Bible history on an archaeological dig. The Biblical Archaeology Society is now offering you the chance to be an archaeologist with their new site FindADig.com.

They need volunteers to help them excavate more than two dozen archaeological digs throughout Europe and the Middle East. Trip lengths vary, and expenses are affordable. It is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the archaeological aspects of Bible history.

[via Amazing Grey City]