4 Systems Every Church Needs

Comment from Me: "I find this interesting but something they don't mention is the need for spiritual growth in a person. In his article it seems as though he's emphasizing more numbers than souls... the information he provides is nonetheless helpful if my church was in the rut of folks not knowing where our church was."

By Artie Davis

You may or may not be a systems person. You may lead a large or very small church. Regardless the context, systems need to be in place or success will always elude you.

Every church needs to ask and answer these questions in the context of a measurable system they have put in place . . .

1. Attraction

When are we attracting people to the Kingdom?

If we never attract people to us, they will never experience the Jesus in us. So we need a system that allows those on the outside to see what we have on the inside. When do we do that intentionally?

• Sunday morning? How?
• Missional communities? How?
• Personally? How?
• Outreach? How?

2. Assimilation

How are we keeping those God sends us?

We are very poor stewards of the Kingdom, if God brings us people and we don’t do everything possible to keep them. If a new person is introduced to our church, then what?

• Once someone gets to know us or the church what is the next place? Where?
• Do we know how many we have seeking? How do we record it, Where?
• What is our definition of the person who is “committed”?

3. Action

What are we challenging people to do?

We must have a system that takes people from their first steps to equipping them to be productive missionaries in a lost world. If the church doesn’t train them, then Who?

• What do we consider our “roads to outreach”?
• Is a lifestyle of living out our mission expected?
• How do we record new additions? Who contributed to that action?

4. Activation

Where are we sending people?

Once a follower is fully trained, they should be like their teacher, i.e., Jesus. Jesus went from town to town, from person to place demonstrating and communicating the Kingdom. When our people are trained, what opportunities do we provide or encourage them to engage in. Where?

• How are our groups working toward our mission?
• Where do we encourage individuals to make contact with those outside the Kingdom?
• How do we measure how effective our strategy is in accomplishing our mission

Can you add any to the list?

This content is from: http://www.churchplants.com/articles/3298-4-systems-every-church-needs.html 

Does My Wife Need Her Own Call? Part 1

By Dionne Carpenter

You are [Sarah’s] daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ~ I Peter 3:6 

READING: I Peter 3:1-6 

Church planting is so demanding you need to be called to it. But is it enough for just the husband to hear that call? Or must your wife hear her own call? 

No, she doesn’t. A married couple is one flesh and God honors that unity. God won’t genuinely call one without implicitly calling the other. However, your wife’s attitude is one of the most crucial benchmarks and hurdles that will prove whether or not your call is from God. If your call is genuine, she’ll be able to wholeheartedly embrace your call as her own – maybe not immediately – but at least after a season of prayer and reflection. At some point, she may even hear God’s call herself. 

She’s the most important team member you need to win over if you hope for long-term success.

Oftentimes, a man genuinely called to the pioneer work of church planting has married a shy, reserved wife. To her, the very thought of such a crazy life may seem quite daunting; never something she would have chosen on her own. Yet God is wise in uniting such men and women together in marriage. If you will allow your shy wife freedom to find her own ministry within the church planting endeavor, she will bring a much needed balance to your church plant. Quiet wives often spot things – overlooked people, overlooked details, and your own overlooked fatigue – and can bring blessed help behind the scenes. God will bless her willingness to step out in faith as Sarah’s daughter. 

Dear Father, Please bless our marriage and help us to honor and support one another as loving co-laborers. Amen.

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Does My Wife Need Her Own Call? #2

By Dionne Carpenter

Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that               meets at their house. ~ I Corinthians 16:19 

READING:  Romans 6:3, 4 

Even if your wife has received a personalized call to church planting, how that translates into ministry may vary widely. Here’s my story as example. I gave birth to our first child shortly before we launched our first church. I assumed I should follow Priscilla’s example to take a very active role within our new church and be busier than our busiest volunteer. 

It took me awhile to realize that although we usually needed more workers than we had, and even though, like Priscilla, I had plenty of ministry experience, my top priority needed to be to provide a stable home for Jim and our new baby. Many others could teach Sunday school or hand out flyers. But nobody else was in my unique position to support and love Jim, to give him a hot meal, a warm bed and a sympathetic ear.

In time I became comfortable with my unique support role, and evaluated every potential new commitment within the church in light of its impact on my ability to take good care of Jim and our children.

I also learned to periodically reassess my commitments in light of the changing needs of our growing family. When our sons were toddlers, they consumed most of my time, but after they went to school, it freed up time that I could in good conscience spend doing more overt ministry.

I still admire Priscilla, but now see that her biggest contribution was to provide a safe haven within which ministry could blossom. 

Dear Father, Please make our home and our marriage an ongoing source of blessing. Amen.

This interesting perspective is from: http://www.churchplants.com/daily-devotions/3111-does-my-wife-need-her-own-call-devotional-peter-church-planting-dionne-carpenter.html