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It is all about our Loving God!

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Biblical Guy

How could you present an argument to your leadership that discipleship is paramount for the church?

It is all about our loving God—longing for Him even in times of waiting and confusion, in times of stress, and in times of joy. We must place Christ first and foremost in all things, both personally and then collectively as we lead a body of believers.

Why would dedication to unity rather than strife and envy benefit your church?

When we get caught up with the sensations of trends, pride, and speculation, we miss the grand point of it all and become the fool of Proverbs’ fame! It is as if we were at a football game arguing over whether we should have hamburgers or hotdogs and never realizing that there is a game going on. God has a plan; He will carry it out. He uses us to do it, but He desires us to be “in play” in the game, to be in Christ, in life, and in church, to love Him and be His lead example to inform others of His love—and to be faithful through thick and thin! This is about your church being in the presence, glory, and holiness of God so that obstacles can and will be overcome. In Him, we are over comers! At the same time, God is communicating His purpose for us. Are we relaying it to those in our care? From the beginning of creation until He comes back, God has sought loyalty and Fruit and the resulting growth of our faith, character, and maturity. As leaders or pastors, we must be the shepherds under His care to lead His flock—and to never fleece His flock!

Why is envy one of the most destructive forces on earth? How can it bring down leaders as well as ministries?

Christ is “the God of Truth.” Did you know that when we say “amen,” it means “so be it,” and “most assuredly?” We are proclaiming affirmation of His Truth and ways. The call is to keep His Word open, studied, taught, and applied as in the Fruit of Righteousness that is expected of all Christians. God’s Word conveys His will; it is His authority, and it is sacred. Therefore, it is not to be altered or manipulated by our will! God’s Word contains His instructions to and His covenant with us; it is most holy and binding. When one seeks to manipulate or distort it, it is more than a slap in the face of God; it is a heinous evil. False teachers and those who use God’s Word for their own personal gain insult Christ and deceive others, and they will be profoundly judged. So, be a good shepherd and do all you can with due diligence for His glory (Deut. 29:20-27; Prov. 30:5-6; Isa. 65:16; Amos 6:12; Matt. 5:20-48; John 15:5; 21: 24; Rom. 1:7; 15:8; 2 Cor. 1:20; 5:10; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 1:6, 12, 14; 2:10; Phil. 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 3:12; 4:10; 2 Thess. 1:3; Heb 12:11; James 1:22-25; 3:18; Rev. 3:14)!

What are the patterns that you and your church take in serving others?

Christ wants us to love Him, not what is wicked and not what will only destroy us!

Remember; your church that you lead is like The Temple of God that represented God’s presence on Earth and hope for His people. This is not where He lives, as He is omnipresent and thus cannot be confined; rather, it is His representative and a place where God’s chosen people can go for worship. Christ is now our Temple; His love fills us and infuses us collectively together. We are in God’s home; there is no need for a building, but if we have one, let us use it wisely. We, the people of God, are the Church as we are His temple (Zech. 14:21; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; Heb. 10:11; Rev. 4:1-5:14; 21:9-27).

How can your church better function collectively, with all of its individual personalities, in unified vision and purpose to glorify God?

The real issue at stake is this: do you, as a leader, reflect His glory and holiness or do you stay in the night and darkness of personal will and misguided trends? Be the light bearer; be His shepherd! This is what our Lord and Savior, who has created heaven for us, asks us to be!

Filed under: Building a Fruitful Church | Tagged: Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Research, Development, Francis Schaeffer, Leadership Development, Research | Leave a comment »

What makes a Church Healthy or Unhealthy?

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Biblical Guy

This comes from a big problem we have in most churches today, that is the tendency of leaders not effectually growing in the Lord and thus do not practice their faith and this dispenses down to the congregation. And the outcome is a church that has missed its point and reason for being; as its people, who Christ has brought in, go without being taught or discipled because the pastors and leaders are not being taught or discipled. Being mature means you know not just Who Christ is, but His impact has gone deep and has occupied all aspects of our life and faith. Life is all about Him and not about selfish ideas or perceptions. We have gone to His throne and His priestly duty has been received, our Milk, and then the meat is feasted upon, His wondrous precepts and Truth. So our faith is real, personal, fully transformed and becoming fully engaged followers of Christ seen by a life well lived. If we want to be an impacting Christian pastor or lay leader in a church that impacts its community and world, we have to be eating the meat of God’s precepts with passion and conviction, in love and in truth and then sharing it with others.

Healthy churches have a deep love and gratitude to Christ and desire to equip and empower the people He brings them!

They seek to serve in humbleness and effectual faith. They value people and do not depend on their programs, rather on Christ; they allow Him to produce what He wants, when He wants. They grow from the inside of their faithful journey before it is exercised outward. Inward faith is formed before outward faith is expressed. The average healthy church is where people feel good about God and others; they display personal, spiritual, and relational maturity and have hope and life in Christ, all because they are growing in the Word and Spirit. Gossip is absent and conflict is dealt with; spiritual growth is glorifying our Lord, and the Fruit of the Spirit is at hand. The pastors and leaders model to the people a faith that endures as they look to Christ.

Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: applicable, Bible, Bible teaching, challenged, Church, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, convicted, cultivate, Development, devotions, disciplines, good works, gratitude, grow spiritually, leadership, Leadership Development, leadership formation, Leading Churches, Research, Results, stimulated, transformed, Word | 1 Comment »

Other Significant Growth Factors that come from these top Seven

Posted on March 6, 2010 by Biblical Guy

That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5: 19

8. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have leaders who focus on Christ and serve Him. Their leadership style is not by will; it is by being a servant. “Servant Leadership” is modeled and practiced.

9. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have people that are disciplined and growing in Christ. This is the reason they are loving and caring, practicing the “one another” passages. They are enamored by God’s presence in their church and life, and thus place Christ first, acting on His character and call! They are not selfish or inwardly focused, but care for others and focus on their community and world.

10. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have a system of pastoral care. They train their staff and leaders to immediately respond when they hear of a church member in need. They hire licensed, qualified people and/or train and assign trained deacons or care workers; also, a key person is in charge.

11. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have effective evangelism, stewardship, and discipleship. These programs come from those top seven factors! As people are transformed, they can be taught and motivated. They also tend to spend at least one-third of their resources of budget and talent in outreach and missions.

12. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have a well thought out, biblically empowered vision and mission statement. This is clearly defined by a purpose that points to Christ, and strategies on what God has called them to do and be. In addition, the people know this and are willing to act on it. It is one thing to write it out, but another thing to act it out. The vision does not lead the church; rather, it s a motto that encapsulates the work of the Spirit and the precepts of Scripture that calls, empowers, and employs the church. A vision is a sign to show what is happening and help others see the direction of the church so they know where to go. A vision will not motivate or lead, just as placing a label for soda on a can of water does not make it a soda.

13. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ tend to organize and mobilize their people according to their Spiritual Gifts! The people are more content and motivated so serve in a team manner when they serve in their area of their giftedness. The quarrels and apathy will dry up as the energies are redirected and channeled in a godly way. People will function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit.

14. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ empower the people in their care. They are training, discipling, recognizing, and encouraging their people, especially those in critical roles. They do not see or use volunteers just as helpers or as people to control and manipulate, but as the essential tools and prime resources with which to glorify God, enablers of the goals of missions and needs to be reached. These churches see the pastor as the trainer for the congregation. If the senior pastor feels they do not have the gifts and abilities to equip and train others to do ministry (what the biblical principle of a “pastor” is), the church hires or build teams around them that do! If the training is not done, the church will fail! Some pastors are great teachers, but cannot do anything else. A pastor must operate in his gifted area, and encourage others who will compensate for him in the areas where he is weak or does not have the time.

15. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ are willing to and do confront sin, evil, gossip, slander, manipulators, and heresy in the church—immediately! The leadership puts down gossip and solves conflict quickly. Healthy churches move ahead in purpose and unity.

16. Healthy churches that are growing in Christ have pastors who are real, joyful, and authentic, and lead healthy, disciplined lives. Their leaders are learning and growing in community with one another, willing to go beyond their prejudices and fears and embrace Christ. They are willing to publicly repent, apologize for past mistakes, make improvements, and change. They do not have thick skin as much as loving hearts, and they give people grace and room to grow. They are not afraid to step on the toes of others, but remain loving, listening, and firmly uncompromising to the Word.

Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: apathy, Bible, biblically, care, character, Church, church and life, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, confront, Development, discipleship, disciplined, discipling, effective, empower, encouraging, evangelism, evil, focus, God’s presence, gossip, growing in Christ, Healthy churches, heresy, Holy Spirit, joyful, lead the church, leaders, leadership, Leadership Development, Leading Churches, listening, loving, manipulate, manipulators, mission statement, missions, one another, pastor, pastoral care, prejudices, quarrels, real, recognizing, reconciliation, Reconciling, Research, Results, Scripture, selfish, sin, slander, Spiritual Gifts, stewardship, training, transformed, vision, volunteers | 2 Comments »

The number one reason a church is effective in its outreach and missions is?

Posted on February 28, 2010 by Biblical Guy

…because of its real, authentic worship.

Why? There is a direct correlation between authentic service and authentic worship! Worship has a real, effectual purpose to discover and glorify God as LORD over all, including our daily lives, even when we do not see it. He is the center and reason for our worship; He is the principle center of attention, the focal point, the centrality, and the Supreme One we reference, acknowledge, and glorify. Worship is our opportunity to commune with Him, to be in union with Him who is the Lord and Creator of all, to come into His presence at His throne room and allow our hearts to be broken so we can give Him our best, our primary attention, and our foremost adoration. And, when we do this with authenticity our gratitude becomes contagious and God uses this as a display for His goodness and thus we become contagious for the faith!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

Worship is seen as a response to God—our gratitude for who He is and what He has done. Thus, people respond with their service, too. Churches that do not have “real” worship have little to no missions, or the people in it are from other churches. These churches do not overemphasize the “seeker,” and ignore discipleship! They do not turn their worship into mere entertainment. Real, heartfelt, God exalting adoration must be the focus of the worship service. These churches never just entertain, lift up the leaders, or become presentation orientated. They see worship as the Bible teaches; God is the audience and we are the performers who praise and glorify Him! These churches are still able to make their services friendly and creative, but the focus is to glorify Christ. In biblical theology, we do church—from faith, fellowship, and outreach on to service—for One and only One reason: TO WORSHIP CHRIST! Effective churches get this; ineffective churches do not (Psalm 100; 138:1-4; Col. 2:9).

Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: authentic worship, centrality, Church, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, Development, faith, fellowship, gratitude, Leadership Development, Leading Churches, missions, outreach, performers, praise, purpose, received Christ, Research, response, Results, rooted, seeker, service, Supreme, worship | Leave a comment »

The number one reason people grow spiritually is?

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Biblical Guy

…by being encouraged to read through the Bible, do devotions, and practice the disciplines of the faith as modeled by the leadership.

From our thirty years of research the churches who equip and disciple their people, not just in the basics of the faith, but also in how to be Christians in their daily lives and to live their lives to His glory thrive! The pastors and leaders teach and model passionate spirituality; they challenge and model for their people how to grow beyond themselves in achieving spiritual passion and conviction and are joyful in doing so. From this pool, new leadership is formed and recruited. Churches that cannot find leadership have people who are not discipled, and who are not willing or do not know how to lead.

We can master the entire Bible and even be totally transformed by the Word, but, if your leadership principles do not come from it, then nothing from your ministry will come from it, it will meaningless and nearly worthless. This is one of the main points of the book of James. True leadership also comes from our faith and maturity which comes from the application and result of a life transformed. You may attempt to lead your church or ministry or life and seek to do good works without Christ, but the results will not be good. In leadership and maturity, we must allow ourselves to be established in the disciplines of the faith. We must get in the Word daily–not just now and then. We cannot allow obligation and guilt to be our response to our Lord. If we do, it comes from our pride and laziness or, in other words, from our sin nature. We need to respond to Christ from gratitude that our sin nature has been covered by Grace thereby creating in us a willing and loving heart to model maturity, the character of our Lord (Matt. 7:24-27; Gal. 5:19-26; Rom. 12:1-3; 1 Tim. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 1:10-14)!

You search the scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me…

John 5:39

The number one reason why people are stimulated to serve is?

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Biblical Guy

…because the Bible is taught in a real, effectual, and applicable way.

They want to be a part of it. The people who leave because of the Bible teaching are the people who do not want to be challenged or convicted. These people will not serve anyway and will not give, but they will cause trouble. We are called to reach and care for them, but as the Bible says, these are the “tares.” God asks us to cultivate His wheat. (John 3:5, 30; Gal 2:20-21; Phil. 3:1-14)

If the Bible is not where you place your trust and leadership formation from, then where is your trust and where will it lead you? We cannot have the Words of Jesus without the Bible! The Bible is the chariot that carries the voice of God!

We as the people of God who have been saved from our sins by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ have a call, a mandate: to preserve His Word, to be led from His Word and to proclaim His Word, the Bible. We must remain steadfast in this call to our individual selves, as well as our neighbor and especially as we lead others for Our Lord and to Him.

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

Hebrews 2:1-3

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:9-12

Acts29.org is about continuing the work of doing Church…

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Biblical Guy

The principle focus of us for the last 15 plus years is seeking why so many churches are failing!

This is what we found, and it is not pretty: Our churches are not glorifying Christ because we are failing at knowing and growing in Him personally. We are not able to teach others when we are failing at following His Word and Christ alone! Remember, it is His Church and we are the caretakers of it. Thus, we must act according to our call and His precepts.

Did you know that it is blatantly evil to twist God’s truths to fit our whims and rationalize our sin. It creates a bad “who” and a bad “how we are.” Do not allow this in your church! We have to be willing to prevent, discipline, and even kick out the manipulative and deceptive people in our churches.

· The Real Issues!

· Patterns that are Visible!

· Opportunities for Growth!

We will fill this Blog with solid research, insightful articles, practical curriculums, essays, tools, and resources to help you prepare your church to grow in Christ and glorify Him! Our articles and studies have been carefully, exegetically prepared with careful, steadfast, inductive analysis and word studies of God’s most precious Word. We do not add anything to God’s Word that is not already there nor do we take away from insights and ideas that are there.

These blog entrees will be the real deal, what God may have to say to us. These are offered to you so you may understand what is in His Word and in your church, to appreciate, comprehend, and to be challenged to grow richer and deeper in your relationship to Christ and be better used for Church Leadership Development and then to others around you.

It is our intention to use this blog as a sounding board for the Schaeffer Institute, to post some of our research findings on what is the Church universal and your church is up too,

See our home site: www.churchleadership.org

The entity of the resources on this blog will be research made practical!

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Acts, Acts 29, apathy, Biblical understanding, Church, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leaders, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, Church Research Findings, comments, Development, doing Church, dysfunction, experiences, faulty trends, Fruitful Bride, Gospel, insights, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Leadership Development, Leading Churches, reactions, reflections, repentant, Research, Results | Leave a comment »

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