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INTRODUCTION
Today we will have different types of messages: Church Health, Church Growth. These messages are a combination of a motivational
speech, a sales pitch, and a business meeting. This web message is a combination of both morning and evening messages.
The New Testament is filled with news about how to do church. Good reason, the church is the Christ ordained vehicle for the gospel
message.
One great text is Ephesians 4:11-16
1. Exposition of Ephesians 4:11-16
A. The Gifts of Leadership for the Church. v. 11
B. The Goals of Ministry for the Church. vs. 12-13
- Equipping the saints for service
- Build up the body of Christ
- Unity of Faith in knowledge of Son of God - as a whole body
- Maturity in the fullness of Christ - as individuals
- Christ is the head of the body. Thus Christ focused in all that we do.
C. The Grave Sins to Avoid in the Church. v. 14
No longer like a child being tossed by:
- Winds of doctrine - all sorts of false doctrines creeping into church
- Trickery of men - all sorts of man centered tricks to manipulate
- Craftiness of deceitful scheming - all sorts of devilish schemes to destroy the church. Take our mind/heart off
our Christ from Bible.
D. The Growth of Love in the Church. vs. 15-16
- Speaking the truth in love -this message seeks to do that.
- Building up itself in love (more later, this is one of our goals)
2. Explanation of the Surveys
- As Pastor I have sought to do some evaluations: Staffing changes, property purchase, I have been here 11 years, NCCBA
is training me.
- Two types of Church Surveys, like a blood test, giving us a sample to discern our church health. This message is only a
broad summary of data.
A. Strategic Analysis and Planning:
- Resource: Nexstep Coaching and Consulting, Dr. Bill Hoyt I attended the CBA summit summer of 2007 - learned
this stuff.
- 4 groups to help this evaluation, this is a summary of the high points. This was a more subjective test,
seeking opinions.
Sought to have an outside group audited - famous “Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.” But they were too
busy working for the government.
- My self evaluation, a little bit above average, good things going.
- Where is God at Work? Top answers
Awana by far, always listed first.
Sunday School - all levels
Youth Ministries
Many young adults and children around here
Morning Service and Mission Emphasis
- What will we never give up? The “non-negotiables”
The Authority, supremacy and accuracy of the Bible
Salvation by Jesus only, Gospel: Jesus Saves. Jesus is Lord.
Clearly Conservative Evangelical in our theology
- How are the various ministries doing?
On a rating of 5 being the highest to 1 being the lowest we are a bit above average, with room for
improvement Of the The Fab Four services: Strongest is Morning Worship then S.S., then Prayer
Meetings, and finally the weakest Sunday Evening. Interesting those who attend Prayer meeting rate
it very high.
- What hinders us from greater growth?
- Various answers: our own hypocrisy, in grown tendencies, structure of our church Constitution,
lack of a youth pastor, lack of prayer emphasis.
- People who took survey believed the church was a spiritual help to them and they to the church. Overall
positive view of life here.
- We have mostly characteristics of potentially growing and vibrant church. The survey said we are weak in a few
areas: loving relationships, inspiring worship, apply our Bible knowledge to serve.
B. Natural Church Development
- Objective testing - scientific sampling with 30 people.
- Resource, Natural Church Development NCCBA, Don Shaw
- This tested 8 areas: Empowering Leadership, Functional Structures, Gift Based Ministry, Passionate
Spirituality, Inspiring Worship Service, Holistic Small Groups, Need-oriented Evangelism, and Loving
Relationships.
- Overall interpretation - a little bit below average
- Place to begin work, loving relationships, hence today’s text.
- Trouble with answering statements like: “I can rely upon my friends at church. When someone in our church
does a good job I tell them. In our church it is possible to talk with other people about personal problems.”
- Other areas in other topics we have trouble: “The music in the worship service helps me to worship God. I
connect with God in a meaningful way in during our worship service. Our leaders clearly believe that God wants
our church to grow.”
- We did well answering: “I understand clearly how the different parts of our church work together. The
tasks I perform in our church match my gifts. I enjoy reading the Bible on my own.”
- Also we did well answering: “I pray for my friends, colleagues and relatives who do not yet know Jesus
Christ that they will come to faith. I know that other church members pray for me regularly. Our worship
service attracts un-churched people. I feel sermon speaks to my personal situation.”
- A lot of good news in this survey, in time we will spend more time sharing this survey results with you, and
researching tools to use.
3. Expectations of What is Next TEXT
- After all is said and done, more is ever said than done. Reports have a tendency to sit on shelves. What must we do
with this information?
QUOTE: Paul Harvey “And now the rest of the story.”
A. Pray - Don Shaw made this clear, Harold Hill does too.
- Acts 4:31; James 5:16b
- Two requests “God, what do You want done here?” “What do you want me to do?”
B. Purpose driven.
- We have a purpose statement. We know what we ought to do.
- I believe several goals of Ephesians 4:12-13 are in our purpose.
- In light of our need for loving relationships, I recommend an update on the statement: “A Family of Faith
Growing Disciples of Jesus Christ”
- Don’t forget the last part of the statement - this is God’s church. In God’s love, by
God’s grace, for God’s glory
C. Promote what we do well.
- Awana, Sunday School (multiple options), Youth, Morning Worship Service.
- Worship service is the gateway to the church. Sunday School is a strong connecting point in the church. Youth
is our service area of our church, and youth ministry is our specialty. Sunday is the main day.
- Thus, Maximize Sunday, increase our quality and let what we do sell ourselves.
D. Potential
- We have great potential - location, facilities, leadership, resources.
- The foundation has been built here for 120 years - Bible based, Christ focused. Salvation only through Jesus
Christ.
- We have a history of growth, successful ministry, faithful leaders. God has entrusted this ministry to us here
now. We have the baton.
- In prayer, according to our Biblical purposes, we need a comprehensive “at this time, in this place”
vision with specific goals.
- Some Vision Hints - three areas:
- Another staff pastor: Our size says we need, our finances wonder how. Fulltime/part-time, job description. The
hours will define the job description.
- Missions and outreach: 2 young adults going out in next few years. Dawn and Matt. Plus continue provide mission
trips and community impact here. Effective evangelism, and discipleship. Healthy churches are not in-grown,
outward focused.
- Property
- keep up-to-date, be attractive, good stewards of what we have been blessed with already.
- Effective use of current space - outside eyes to help us see
- Building expansion (something in place of house)
- Vision challenges: “at this time, in this place” three serious concerns about the context of our ministry:
- During growing economic crises. How can grow our giving? It has affected us already. Fortunately for us, we
didn’t order the corporate jet. As CEO, willing to have salary capped at $500,000.
- In an increasingly non-Christian culture that is more hostile, Issues of sexuality, separation of church and
state,
- With the American church as a whole getting weaker because of our own compromises and sins. What do we need to
repent of?
QUOTE: Franklin Graham - Newsletter March 2009
E. Progress in Love
- Philosophy of NCD is 8 staves in a barrel. Work on the lowest area and that can raise the others. So where do we begin
to work?
- How does our text concluded? Eph. 4:15-16.
- We are friendly, now we need to deepen that into loving. We need to be more intentional and long reaching in our
demonstration of genuine love for one another.
- We have become less legalistic and judgmental more grace oriented.
- We have connecting points through Sunday School other small groups.
- Get to know people in the church, don’t have to know everyone, but know some very well. On Sunday come early, and
don’t be in a hurry to leave. But also connect Monday - Saturday.
- One goal - a new church directory. We have the photographer, but we need task force to organize, schedule, keep
records. Interested???
- We have to address this more in coming months. But for now, look around and take the opportunities that are already
there.
CONCLUSION
I have unloaded a whole grocery cart of health food for you to chew on. I ask you in the next few weeks to diligently and
intentionally pray and think on these two questions:
- What do you believe God wants to do in our church here in Colfax?
- What do you believe God wants you to do to help build Christ’s church?
ILLUS: On the Deacon survey I asked: “What would you like to see different in the church five years from now?”
One Deacon answered: 100 + racecars at the Awana Grand Prix...
That’s vision!
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