Podcast Episode #419
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If you want to close the back door of your church and keep members longer, these eight traits should be evident in your church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- If you want to lose people out the backdoor of the church, then have a low view of church membership.
- There’s a high correlation of worship attendance and whether or not someone sticks at a church.
- The most meaningful relationships in a church are often built in small groups.
- Someone in a small group is five times more likely to stick in a church than someone who is not in a group.
- Pastor, you should be the biggest cheerleader of small groups/Sunday School in your church.
- Bible intake transforms all other spiritual disciplines and is the primary facilitator of spiritual growth.
The eight traits we cover are:
- Has taken steps of affiliation with the church
- Attends worship on a regular basis
- Identifies with the vision and purposes of the church
- Is pursuing meaningful relationships
- Gives financially
- Serves the body in some way
- Has intentional gospel conversations
- Is maturing in his or her faith
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Our friends at Vanderbloemen Search Group help churches and ministries build great teams by finding their key staff, but did you know they have a ton of resources around team building? Their newest addition is TheCultureTool.com, a free comprehensive staff engagement survey to help you build, run, and keep a great team. It’s brand new and still in beta, so check out TheCultureTool.com to be on the cutting edge of this new tool that will help you improve your church staff culture.
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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 Becoming a Welcoming Church.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
- High Expectations
- InviteYourOne.com
- Becoming a Welcoming Church
- We Want You Here
- Church At Spring Hill invite card
Good morning ! Where are our comments? Is this a barometer- that we know too many that are negatives withing the body that we have/are not actually seeing the assimilated members? Unfortunately-in the body, we do sometimes have to “seek the living among the dead.”
Have a great Resuurection Sunday! Jesus is ALIVE!
At what point does a church need to develop small groups? Some churches are already small. When does small become too large?
The size of the church is not relevant to Small Groups unless it is a new start and meeting in a home. Small Groups normally meet in a home and offer closeness, trust, and common ground to the group members. In many small groups, prayer, Bible study, sharing, confidentiality, fellowship, a small meal, and trust among the small group members, builds a dynamic that is not normally present in a congregational setting. Small Groups give members a deeper sense of belonging and connection to the Small Group and the Congregation, fostering the desire to meet regularly as a congregation. The Small Groups study the Bible and openly discuss ideas and Biblical truths. Many times long held beliefs are challenged in a secure setting where all members are open to dicussion and sharing.
In the small group though is found acceptance if you’re what the group is seeking. However, a close-knit small group can easily become a clique. This is where the outsiders, new people, and those with different opinions find things difficult.
Integration (i.e., assimilation) is one of the four major problems that social systems (like local churches) in open environments must address well each day in order to all the brighter tomorrows for which they have the potential in their settings. Little/no integration = little/no sustaining of the social system (a purposeful people-group–one with a mission to accomplish).
Common purpose: one of six characteristics of the only kind of team able to achieve exceptional results (which God deserves from the church and wants for the neighborhood of it)–attained via integration/assimilation.
Social system major problem #2: Motivation; but integrating is motivating (can address problem #2 by addressing problem #1, but cannot solve problem #2 permanently).
Small groups: a strategic step in organizational administration; do not create frustration for new participants by seeking to involve them in existing small groups that have grown comfortable psychologically and unwelcoming. Instead, create new, vibrant small groups of new, vibrant attendees. All small groups of any kind can be the front door to church participation.
I am sure you have something great to say, as shown in your last paragraph. Unfortunately, your post is unreadable with all the numbers and mathmatical signs that you are substituting for words. You are writing a post for a blog not a graph. You also drop connector words that form complete sentences. I call this “talking in text”. Also, referring to #1 and #2, huh? There is no #1 listed. Just say what you mean. Your post is unintellible! Please just write out what you are saying. Even your name has spaces between letters! It would be beneficial to put the technology down and have face to face conversations with people every day in the real world. I am really not trying to be rude or mean, but nobody can understand what you have posted. Hence, no responses.
Do you have any suggestions for how long small groups should be together? Our church is not large and the same small groups have been together for many years, creating too many “holy huddles” on Sundays. Thanks for your input!