Podcast Episode #327
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Warren Bird joins us today to talk about how your church can break growth barriers at any level.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- People are in your community. Are you ready to reach them?
- “Pastors shouldn’t be the only minister in a church. They should be the minister maker.”
- “Hire developers before you hire doers.”
- “It’s not how many seeds are in an apple, but how many apples are in a seed.”
- We will lead change, or it will lead us.
- “In anything you do in ministry, are you taking someone with you and teaching them?”
- The Great Commission cannot be dichotomized into evangelism or discipleship. It’s both.
The seven myths about breaking growth barriers we discuss are:
- It can’t be done here
- I could do it if I could work longer hours
- We could break the 200 barrier if we could hire a _______.
- The people God has given us are afraid to grow.
- I’m not wired to develop and coach the leaders we need,
- God’s got us in a different season right now. I don’t think he wants us to grow.
- We could do it if we were in different facilities.
About Warren Bird
Warren Bird is research director for Leadership Network, the nation’s leading catalyst for helping innovative church leaders move from ideas to impact. An ordained minister, he teaches at Alliance Theological Seminary. He is also author or coauthor of twenty-eight books, including Next: Pastoral Succession That Works. He and his wife, Michelle, live in a suburb of New York City.
Episode Sponsors
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Who Moved My Pulpit?
Thanks I enjoyed your podcast. This was very encouraging. I am Bi-vocational pastor of a church appox. 2 year old with about 30 members. Presently reading your book”Simple Church”, and I purchased” I am a church member and 12 things about dying churches”. Open to any additional Ideas.
This podcast was amazing. Thank you for sharing your insight and knowledge regarding this subject matter of growth barriers. I’m a bi-vocational pastor who desires for the church to grow. I read Thom’s article entitled: Six Metrics for reaching people it too was great and it confirmed things that God was impressing upon my heart. Thank you again for this impactful podcast and word. Be blessed I will be purchasing the resources listed.
Thank you so much, Andre.
This is great material. Sometimes I think church leaders get discouraged when one thing does not work the first time. Instead of pushing forward and adjusting tactics, they just let things die too early. I think if the heart is focused on really reaching, and helping, and making a difference then growth with be a result, but we need to persevere!