Issuu

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ICOM

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Letter from the Publisher

More than a year ago, I wrote a publisher’s column called “The Tyranny of Numbers.” As a senior pastor, when I review reports of numbers representing baptisms and budgets, and especially attendance, it has a great personal effect on me. Affirming words are a primary love language for many pastors, and since attendance, on its surface, seems to be a measure of affirmation, numbers that represent attendance feel like a metric of worth.

such as the one we feature in this issue. The numbers the minister reports can present contradictory challenges: If the numbers are static or declining, a minister’s feeling of worth can take a blow, but if the numbers are growing off the chart, there is concern it could be a pride trap. In any case, these numbers—or our perceptions of them—are a potential snare . . . not entirely unlike the pursuit of “likes” on Facebook or followers on Instagram.

I think that’s one reason some pastors choose not to report their church’s attendance and baptism numbers (along with other statistics) for annual surveys

But if we can put aside the personal effects of those numbers for a moment and allow room for the higher angels of our character, we’ll see that attendance

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numbers represent very important opportunities. In many cases, the numbers represent people hearing the gospel preached and being given a chance to respond to Christ for the first time; the numbers serve as opportunities to join in a ministry and to walk with Jesus on a deeper level. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are what effect spiritual change, but God desires that we join him in that work by preaching, teaching, and inviting people into fruitful environments. We play a part in this incredible work of God. Numbers represent opportunities . . . and more opportunities are always better than fewer opportunities. If you view your church and its numbers through the prism of opportunity, it might reveal something interesting or, at the least, spark a new way of assessing your church. You might notice that The Crossing—which I serve— is listed as the fastest-growing church among the megachurches and emerging megachurches reporting in this issue, but an asterisk could be added to that statistic. The greatest part of our “growth” from 2017 to 2018 is that we chose to incorporate online attendance into our overall numbers for the first time. I know there’s a divergence of opinion about the legitimacy of online church, and we highlighted that debate in our “In The Arena” articles in the August 2018 issue, but there is no argument that online church presents a very real opportunity. The reason The Crossing started an online campus is because we see opportunity in it. At The Crossing, we measure recidivism rates through our children’s check-in to get a true picture of our monthly attendance. We’ve learned that more than 17,000 different people attend The Crossing

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each month (not counting online). I believe what’s true at my church is true nationwide: Churches are reaching more people monthly and yearly, but the relative impact on attendance averages is muted because churchgoers are attending less frequently. It would make for a great in-depth study. Regardless, if we see attendance as opportunities, we should all want more people present who will hear the Word of God presented. The rules that govern how churches measure important numbers are clearly changing, but let’s not miss the most important thing. Let’s make the most of every opportunity, while still depending on the work that only the Word and the Spirit can do! (By the way, for a good laugh that hits close to home, I encourage you to watch the Creative Church Conference’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” parody on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt-TdW6Gg9o)

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and senior pastor of The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris /jerrydharris

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CHRISTIAN STANDARD —

FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.

The Staff Jerry Harris, Publisher Michael C. Mack, Editor Jim Nieman, Managing Editor Shawn McMullen, Contributing Editor Megan Kempf, Designer Abby Wittler, Designer Renee Little, Operations

Subscription Information To order Christian Standard for yourself, your church, or your group, visit christianstandard.com or contact Customer Service. Bulk pricing is available.

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Volume CLIV. Number 5. Christian Standard (ISSN 0009-5656) is published monthly by Christian Standard Media at 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Periodicals postage paid at Parker, CO, and additional offices. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Christian Standard Media, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Phone: 1-800-543-1353. SUBSCRIBERS: Send address changes to Christian Standard, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Send old and new addresses, complete with zip codes, at least six weeks before delivery date.

Christian Standard is published by Christian Standard Media, www.christianstandardmedia.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS —

20 26 32 36 44 60 64

SPECIAL CHURCH REP ORT, PART 1: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

I N E V E RY I S S UE

by Kent Fillinger

2-3 | L E TTE R F RO M THE P UB L ISH E R Jerry Harris

6-7 | L E TTE R F RO M THE E DITO R

CHARTS: 2018 Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

Michael C. Mack

8-9 | e 2 : E F F E C TIVE EL D ER S

Lea di n g w i th B oldn e ss an d C o n f i den ce Jeff Faull

F E A T U RE ART ICLE ‘if you have a PULSE, you have a PURP OSE’

by mark A. Taylor

10-12 | HO RIZO N S

Taking a Break: Reevaluating the Post-High School Path Emily Drayne

what are you doing NOW?

15-17 | IMAG IN E

compiled by mark A. taylor

Res to ri n g th e Lea s t, th e La s t, a n d th e Lost Mel McGowan

18-19 | MIN ISTRY L IF E

SP OTLIGHT: 2018 for 6 churches

It’s God’s Kindness Vince Antonucci

20-31 | ME TRIC S

Sp eci a l C hurch Rep o r t , Pa r t 1 : Mega church e s an d E m ergi n g Mega chu rch e s Kent Fillinger

changing the SCORECARDS

by jim putman

32-43 | F E ATURE ART I CL E

‘ If You Have a P uls e, You Have a P urp o s e’ Mark A. Taylor

MULTISITE comes of age

by jim tomberlin

78-79 | INTE RAC T 80 | B IB L ITIC AL LY C O R R ECT Th e G rea tes t Sto r y Eve r Strolled After Class Podcast C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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Letter from the editor

Why do some churches grow and multiply, some plateau, and others decline? It’s a question I’ve considered for a long time. As I studied the article and charts Kent Fillinger prepared for this month, it reinforced my theory that growing churches do certain things and have a particular mind-set largely absent in stagnant and declining churches. I’ll try to explain. In my personal life, I’ve seen a direct correlation between my physical health and my tolerance for pain. For years I lived with carpal tunnel syndrome and eventually lost quite a bit of functionality in both hands. I knew having surgery would be painful, inconvenient, and uncomfortable for weeks after the procedure, but I need the use of my hands for work and many other things. I had to weigh the costs, and I decided to have the surgeries. It was difficult at the time, but now, about 18 months later, I sit at my computer and type without pain.

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I’ve experienced something akin to that in my spiritual, emotional, and relational life. Growth in those areas has come about mostly through times of struggle, pain, loss, sacrifice, and surrender. That’s why James said we should consider those kinds of struggles “pure joy”: they result in maturity and completeness. I believe similar correlations exist in our churches. Vitality and growth will never happen without pain, loss, and sacrifice, and we must weigh the costs of joyfully taking on those struggles—and the bigger, kingdom impact of not doing so. (Before moving on, I want to make a couple things clear. In this issue—and in August and October—the statistics we present about attendance and baptisms are, or should be, gauges that reflect how effective our churches are at making disciples. In Acts, Luke provided an ongoing tally of baptisms and believers in the church because those growing numbers

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demonstrated that the church was fulfilling Jesus’ vision in Acts 1:8.) Churches, small groups, ministry teams, and other ministry organizations go through a common progression. They start “up and to the right,” with excitement and growth. Eventually, however, they begin to level off and plateau. This is not necessarily good or bad, at least not at first—it’s just a natural occurrence in organizations; it’s hard to sustain long-term accelerated growth. A brief plateau may be a time for rest—a sabbath of sorts. But over time it can become unhealthy: a comfort zone, a time for maintaining the status quo, focusing internally, and, well, lukewarmness. Churches, groups, classes, and teams can forget their “first love,” the very reason they were started, and settle for something safer and more comfortable. I think one of the saddest things in life is to see a once vibrant person, group, or church now plateaued and remaining there for years upon years. They weren’t created for that! Along the plateaued line, a church comes to countless decision points, and each one represents an opportunity. They can continue with the status quo, or they can push out of the comfort zone, wholly trust God, and focus on his mission to the world around them.

GROWTH

P L AT E A U

GROWTH / MISSIONAL MODE (FOCUS ON GOD + HIS MISSION)

COMFORT ZONE / MAINTENANCE MODE (INTERNAL FOCUS)

have used this chart to teach small group leaders how to get out of maintenance and into missional mode, and the same principles apply for church leaders. One of the first things the leader must do is simply recognize these decision points as opportunities to grow. Leaders should also recognize that each decision point bears an associated opportunity cost. A decision to step out of a comfort zone may bring temporary pain and loss, including the loss of some traditions, programs, and certain people. But missing or ignoring the opportunity has kingdom consequences. We accept pain to achieve progress; we endure loss to embrace real life. We walk through pain, help people grieve loss, trust God’s plan, and strive for his mission. Of course, it’s not enough to just recognize decision points. We must act on them! We unapologetically cast a biblical vision. We refocus leadership meetings from internal to external. We start a new, externally focused serving initiative. We reach out to a neglected group of people in our community with the gospel. We develop young leaders and let them lead, even if imperfectly. We decide and communicate clearly that objects are not sacred and can be moved or changed to help us be more effective in carrying out God’s mission, which is sacred. As a church moves forward in living out God’s mission, it becomes healthier. And healthy things naturally grow, bear fruit, and multiply. Unhealthy things don’t (or we don’t want them to!). Leaders in healthy churches count the cost at each decision point, and they ultimately decide temporary pain will not deter them from becoming the disciplemaking church Jesus established and envisioned.

DECLINE

@michaelcmack @michaelcmack

TIME

@michaelcmack

Recognizing and responding to these various decision points is a vital leadership responsibility. I

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/authormichaelcmack

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e ld e r s

Leading with Boldness and Confidence BY JEFF FAULL

Scripture urges church leaders to lead with humility and confidence. These two qualities are not mutually exclusive. Timidity is not humility, and confidence is not pride. The boldness of the apostles was often displayed and noted. Young Timothy was encouraged by Paul to abandon timidity and to lead with power. Yet, so often as leaders we fail to exhibit the spirit of power and discipline God has given us, and we exchange it for a posture of fear and hesitancy. Consequently, we cripple the opportunity to lead well. Why do we sometimes lack confidence in ministry? Why do we struggle with spiritual leadership insecurities?

Jeff Faull serves as senior minister at Mount Gilead Church in Mooresville, Indiana, and as a board member with e2. / e2elders @e2elders

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Leadership Confidence Busters

Leadership Confidence Builders

Consider these common leadership confidence busters: • comparing ourselves to other people • failing to discipline our time and energy • listening to the wrong voices • trying to be something we are not • being involved in sinful or unwise behavior • failing to spend time with God • placing too much stock in human wisdom or in the flesh • making it about us • measuring success with the wrong yardstick • lingering at the pool of negativity • making leadership more complex than it has to be • forgetting our pastoral purpose • neglecting to care for our physical bodies

What if, instead, we chose to lead with confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit? What if we focused on what God is doing through us? Not closing our eyes to reality or ignoring our leadership weaknesses but choosing to address them and to lead with the kind of confidence and power that comes only from humble submission to the ultimate leader.

All of these can affect the flow of godly confidence into our spirits. Consequently, every offhand comment, every critique, every instance of second guessing, every disgruntled member, departure, or negative thought, real or imaginary, every dropped ball, every new demand, every perceived failure, underbudget offering, fluctuation in attendance, or unexpected setback, every personal insecurity or inadequacy becomes another blow that saps our leadership energy, confidence, and resilience. And on our worst days, even hearing too much praise of another’s leadership and interpreting that as a statement of our own personal deficiency or value sucks the joy and vitality from our hearts. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

Then every act of generosity, every life change, every good work, every unselfish act, representation of Jesus, deeper look into self and Scripture, every move of God, every answered prayer, word of encouragement, budding relationship, every display of spiritual hunger and interest, every inquiry, every expression of love and imitation of Christ, every strengthened family, rededication, decision, baptism, every act of faith, confession and repentance of sin, every restoration and answered prayer, every gift of love, shout of joy, song of praise, tear of gratitude, every child taught, elderly saint blessed, kingdom worker encouraged, every sinner saved, every truth declared and promise claimed, every moment of conviction, surrender, and glory to the Almighty fills us with joy and restores our confidence in the Chief Shepherd himself. We choose the mind-set. We determine our spiritual leadership posture. We choose where we live as leaders. Let’s choose godly boldness and confidence, and let’s do our tasks with joy. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, New American Standard Bible).  - 9 -

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ho riz on s

Taking a Break: Reevaluating the Post-High School Path BY EMILY DRAYNE

Emily Drayne lives in North Carolina and has served with the International Conference On Missions since 2011.

Education is crucial for success in life, but many students just graduating high school, and any number of students already studying at college, have no clear goal or plan for the next 30 to 40 years . . . or even the next 5. Are there other paths available besides a four-year college program? If you know someone who is about to graduate high school or who is struggling for direction in college, a new program starting up later this year might prove a good alternative.

/emilydrayne @edrayne0530 @edrayne0530 www.theicom.org

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“EnterMission is dedicated to doing just that by guiding and coaching young adults in their spiritual development, within the context of community, while also providing practical, hands-on training in disciple-making that will last your entire life.” I am a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996), and it was almost preordained I would graduate high school and enter a four-year college program. As I was leaving high school, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do, as evidenced by my seven changes in major during college. Even after receiving my college diploma, my next step was unclear. I ended up pursuing a love of traveling and missions by spending three months in China. My love for people and new cultures was nurtured during that time. But as I look back, I often wonder, If I would have known about another route besides college, would I have taken it?

A New Venture—EnterMission The International Conference On Missions is partnering with Johnson University and Camp Allendale to launch a new discipleship training school called EnterMission for students ages 18 to 23. EnterMission will be a 10-month training course that begins this August and will run through June 2020. Chris and Nicia Irwin, former missionaries to Ecuador and Spain, are serving as directors of EnterMission, and will be training and mentoring the students. “Like most Christians, you’ve studied the Bible, heard lots of sermons, and gone to camps and conferences,” Chris Irwin says. “Yet many students and young adults still hunger for a deeper experience with God. You don’t want to just believe; you also want to make a difference in the world. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

Students who enroll in EnterMission will have exciting opportunities available to them. Participants will gain experience and knowledge through three avenues of training. The first two months will take place at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee, and then students will spend two months on a mission field in the United States. The remaining five months will be on a mission field in a foreign country. The exact dates, holiday breaks, and service locations will be announced later.

Two Major Benefits In addition to the cultural experiences students will gain, there will be two major benefits to the EnterMission experience: its relatively low cost and the lure of college credit. The cost for nearly a year of training—instruction, housing, travel, and more—is set at $12,000 per student. That’s a smaller price tag than a year at virtually any college . . . and it includes expenses. (The only expense not covered in that $12,000 is international travel costs, and that expense will vary with each student.) Beyond the solid educational and practical training, each student who completes the program will receive from Johnson University up to 12 credit hours toward a degree from that school. That is equivalent to a full semester of college credit. - 11 -

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- HORIZONS -

In addition to the classroom and field training, the low cost and the college credit, there is at least one additional major benefit: Students will learn about themselves. The team putting this program together is made up of passionate, well-educated, missions-minded people from various backgrounds who want to see new recruits who are on fire to save the lost. Team members are looking for dedicated young adults who are willing to invest in a deeper relationship with God and others before they commit to a job and lifestyle after college. A “gap year” has become a popular concept in the past decade or more; it’s when someone takes a year off between high school and college, or during college. A student often spends that year reevaluating the direction of his or her life.

Definitely Worthwhile A few questions may have occurred to you: Is this program safe? Can I trust the people leading this effort? Will it be worth it? The leadership team confidently answers yes to all these concerns. Among those folks planning EnterMission are professors, conference leaders, and former missionaries—all of them are experienced and trustworthy. None of them would ever send students into unstable situations or communities where their security would be at risk. Of course, there is always an element of risk no matter where you travel and who you are with, but every precaution will be taken to ensure a wonderful experience.

EnterMission could serve almost like a gap year, while offering more constructive, productive, and instructive use of your time. It could be a good opportunity for students who are unsure of their career path, or who feel called to ministry or missions, or who just want to grow in their faith.

We trust the experience will definitely be worth it—the insights into mission work and other cultures, the hands-on training, the stories participants will share the rest of their lives . . . it will be enriching, memorable, and life-changing.

Space is limited to 25 students during this first session of EnterMission. Applications are available via the EnterMission website, http://entermission. world/.

You can trust that the student—be they a friend, family member, or young adult in your youth ministry—will come away with connections, opportunities, and a new outlook on world evangelism. 

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AD KORE

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I m ag i n e

Restoring the Least, the Last, and the Lost BY MEL MCGOWAN

Who are the least, the last, or the lost in our society? Most people would say the poor, homeless, or prisoners. Some might even say the sick, elderly, or children. Let me ask another question: What do you think about cafeterias at homeless shelters, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools? I think most people envision cold, stark, institutionaltype places, bad smells, monotonous rows of benchlike seats, and people being herded in an orderly fashion. Given the choice, most probably would avoid eating at that kind of cafeteria on a daily basis. How about you? C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

Mel McGowan is cofounder and chief creative principal of PlainJoe Studios. He is a leading master planner and designer of churches in America. @visioneer /visioneer

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Restoring Hearts and Lives Jesus told us to invite the poor, homeless, and sick to the wedding feast. He said to treat the poor as we would the rich. He said what we do to the least of these, we do to Jesus. So when PlainJoe Studios was asked to remodel the cafeteria called Restoration Café at the Village of Hope, a transitional living facility owned and operated by Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM) in Tustin, California, we considered these things.

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We wanted the 300 guests of the village who eat three meals a day at the restaurant-style café to know they are as important as the richest people on earth. We wanted them to know they are valued and loved. We wanted the last to be first on this side of Heaven too. That’s the mission of OCRM, which is the most unique homeless rescue mission I’ve ever seen . . . and the most restorative. It feels like a college

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- IMAGINE -

campus when you walk into the Village of Hope. Leaders of the rescue mission believe in order to restore hearts and lives, they must surround those they help with hope and beauty. Every person who lives at the village is referred to as a student. They are provided with counseling, education, job training, shelter, food, clothing, and health care. The mastermind behind this unique community is president and CEO Jim Palmer, who has been with OCRM since 1992. Where did Palmer get all these restorative-care ideas? “I just followed God’s prompting and listened to him through prayer,” Palmer says. “I also considered whether I would want to stay here. If it wasn’t good enough for me, then it wasn’t good enough for our students. “I remember one woman who came in with her children. She was so happy that she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said, ‘It’s so beautiful! Are you sure we get to stay here?’ That’s the kind of response we aim for!”

Telling the Story through Design Space without design is functionable. But storytelling in design evokes emotion, shares ideas, and raises a person’s sense of self-worth. That self-worth is invaluable to someone who is poor, homeless, looking to overcome an addiction, or wanting to complete their education or find a job. A space designed by narrative is not limited by culture or trends. I love this because it’s a chance to be unique. Anyone can create a cool environment, but no one has your unique story to share. In Spatial Storytelling, we talk about telling a story in three dimensions—setting, characters, and plot.

and joy. We added the quote, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” because it is so representative of OCRM. Restoration Café does not just hand out food, it changes lives. In partnership with another local firm, Gensler, we designed the space to include porcelain, and faux-wood floor tile with colored walkways. A mix of high and low colored tables and modern aluminum chairs ensure the space does not feel boring or institutional. The exposed beams give the space character, and LED lighting complements the architectural beauty. The 5,500-square-foot space accommodates more than 300 people and includes a stage and sound/video system. The signage now features a variety of materials, from tin ceiling tiles to wood cutouts. Instead of just saying, “Established 1965,” we said, “Serving Up Hope Since 1965.” We added creative art incorporating OCRM values using words such as love, compassion, grow, and inspire. We also included OCRM’s mission and vision statements on the wall and some inspiring verses. The result is a beautiful, engaging, and empowering space—not at all how you’d expect a typical homeless shelter cafeteria to look.

In this case, the setting is the Restoration Café, the characters are the students, and the plot is about the restorative care they receive at OCRM.

Many who are reading this work or volunteer at homeless shelters, prisons, nursing homes, or schools. If people are walking into cold, sterile environments, I believe their restoration or selfworth is seriously impaired. Think about the room where people meet. Is the environment helping or hurting their chances at recovery? If you think it may hinder, turn that space around! Share your story. Then invite them to the wedding feast. 

Our creative team came up with the idea of using bright, yellow stars in the design to convey light

Learn more about the Orange County Rescue Mission at www.rescuemission.org.

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ministry l i fe

It’s God’s Kindness BY VINCE ANTONUCCI

One time after a church service a lady bounced up to me and said, “Hey!”

Vince Antonucci serves as lead pastor at Verve, “a church for people who don’t like church,” in Las Vegas. He is the author of I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, Guerrilla Lovers, Renegade: Your Faith Isn’t Meant to Be Safe, and God for the Rest of Us. He regularly speaks at and consults with churches and blogs at vinceantonucci.com.

I said, “Hey!” “My name’s Sandy,” she said very quickly, “but not for long it isn’t. I’m changing it! It’s been a bad year for Sandys—Hurricane Sandy, Sandy Hook Elementary.” I nodded, a bit confused. “So, hey!” Sandy continued, “I just wanted to thank you for keeping it positive.”

@vinceantonucci

I asked what she meant. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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“I went to church a few times growing up, and I’ve gone a couple times as an adult, and I hate it. Hate it!” Sandy said. “You always feel like you’re being judged. People look down on you. It’s all negative. It’s all about their rules. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. They tell me I have to dress appropriately. I’ve always hated church, but I’ve always wanted to know Jesus. So, when I heard about this church, I decided I would check it out one time, and it was great! Thanks for keeping it positive. I’ll be back next week!”

I greeted her, “Hey, Sandy.”

It was so interesting to hear. I know the churches she had visited had good intentions. They wanted her to live a better life. But telling Sandy she wasn’t living up to the standards didn’t help her want to live up to the standards.

Sandy got baptized, and soon began to change everything about her life. Without anyone telling her to. She broke up with her boyfriend. She quit her job.

Sandy (whom I later discovered was a Britney Spears impersonator who sang and danced provocatively in a casino on the Las Vegas Strip) kept coming back to our church, week after week. She never changed her name and never missed a service. Several months later, I preached a message on having purity in your marriage. I spent half the sermon talking to our single people. I explained that they could have purity in their marriages later by having purity before marriage now. So, I taught them not to sleep with anyone until they got married. In the middle of the message, I noticed Sandy sitting in the second row. I thought, She is never coming back after hearing me tell her she can’t have sex until she’s married. She’s gonna say we’re another one of those negative churches. I wonder . . . is she the type to just storm out, or is she the type to come up and let me have it, then storm out? After the service, Sandy immediately walked toward me. I thought, She’s the type to let me have it and then storm out. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

“Vince,” she paused, “I’m getting baptized!” “Huh?” was all I could get out. “Yes!” she nearly shouted. “Since coming here, my life has completely changed. If I explained it to you, I would start crying.” She started crying. “The way I think about everything has changed. The way I think about God, about myself, life. So, I am giving my life to God, and I am getting baptized!”

Every time I heard a new report from Sandy on the new and better decisions she was making, I thought about Titus 2:11, 12, which says God’s grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness and to choose to live godly lives. I always thought it was a bit confusing. God’s grace means we are loved despite our behavior and can be forgiven of our sins. God’s grace means we don’t have to live a perfect life. But Titus says God’s grace teaches us to change our behavior, stop sinning, and live holy. Sandy helped me to understand why. In fact, later, someone asked Sandy how it all happened. She said, “I heard Vince say, ‘God has so much love for you.’ And I just remember thinking, I never knew that. And I felt it for the first time, and it just opened up a whole new life for me.” 

Submit your own 500- to 700-word essay telling of an experience through which you learned a vital ministry principle by emailing it to cs@christianstandardmedia.com with “MinistryLife” in the subject line. See more information at www.christianstandard.com/contact-us/submit-articles.

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Metrics Spe c i a l C hurch R e p or t par t 1

com i ng i n a u g u st:

part 2 : L arg e and medium chu r ches

com i ng i n octo b er :

Part 3 : S mall a nd very s mall chu r ches

Megachurches and emerging megachurches BY KENT FILLINGER

When I started conducting megachurch and emerging megachurch research 15 years ago, there were a total of 255,179 people attending these churches on a given weekend. That number has grown 52 percent to 388,243 in 2018, which is a cause for celebration!

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

For me, this statistical journey has always been about sharing and celebrating how God is at work in churches of all sizes in many different ways. My focus continues to be on helping churches learn from one another and providing context and clear metrics for church leaders to make better decisions based on research facts and findings.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

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Are These Churches Still Growing? Megachurches had the best growth rate in more than a decade in 2018. The average megachurch grew 6.6 percent, up from 5.7 percent in 2017. The emerging megachurches maintained a solid average growth rate of 4.3 percent last year. Overall, almost three-fourths of the megachurches (74 percent) grew last year. The average growth rate for these 40 growing megachurches was 11 percent. By comparison, the megachurches that declined in attendance last year shrank an average of 6 percent. This is the first of a three-part series. This article and accompanying charts focus on the 55 megachurches (average weekly worship attendance of 2,000 or more) and 70 emerging megachurches (averaging 1,000 to 1,999 weekly) that completed our annual church survey. In August, Iâ€™ll report on large churches (those averaging 500 to 999) and medium churches (250 to 499), and in October, Iâ€™ll look at small (100 to 249) and very small churches (99 or fewer) to see what we can learn and celebrate. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

Among emerging megachurches, 72 percent grew in 2018. This was a healthy increase from the prior year, when only 57 percent grew. Last year marked the largest percentage of growing emerging megachurches since 2011, when 77 percent grew. The emerging megachurches that grew last year added 8.5 percent. The emerging megachurches that didnâ€™t grow last year declined by an average of 7 percent (a slightly higher percentage than megachurches that declined in attendance). - 21 -

M AY 2 0 1 9

- METRICS -

What About Baptisms? The baptism ratioâ€”the number of people baptized per 100 people in average attendanceâ€”is on a multiyear slide for both megachurches and emerging megachurches. In 2013, the average megachurch had a baptism ratio of 8.2, but last year it was 6.7. This may not seem like a big drop, but it equates to about 80 fewer baptisms per megachurch in 2018, or 4,416 fewer baptisms among the 55 megachurches than just five years ago. Likewise, the baptism ratio in emerging megachurches has dropped from 7.1 in 2015 to 5.8 last year. This means about 1,212 fewer people were baptized by the 70 emerging megachurches in 2018 than just three years prior. Again this year, we studied a churchâ€™s finances in relation to its size and number of baptisms. Emerging megachurches spent 34 percent more per baptism last year than the average megachurch. Dividing average general fund giving by the average number of baptisms showed that emerging megachurches spent $29,653 per baptism last year compared with $22,160 for megachurches. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

Not surprisingly, growing churches baptize more people than declining churches. The average growing megachurch baptized 7.2 people per 100 in average attendance in 2018; for megachurches that declined in attendance, the ratio was 5.4. Meanwhile, growing emerging megachurches baptized 6.2 people per 100 in average attendance, compared with 4.7 baptisms per 100 for shrinking emerging megachurches. - 22 -

M AY 2 0 1 9

What Impact Does a Lead Minister’s Age and Tenure Have on Church Growth and Baptisms? In these reports, I’ve noted several times a possible relationship between a lead minister’s age and tenure and his church’s growth rates and baptism ratios. (Ministers often tell me this is the part of the report they like the least. My standard response: I’m just reporting the news, not creating it, and I wish the findings were different.) Over a 15-year span, the numbers seem to indicate the older the minister and the longer the tenure, the lower the growth rates and baptism ratios. In 2018, 53 percent of megachurch lead ministers were age 55 or older, and among all megachurches, the average age of lead ministers was 53. In 2009, the average megachurch lead minister was 49.7 years old. Having noted all of that, this next statistic was unanticipated: Megachurches with lead ministers who were 55 to 59 years old in 2018 grew 13.5 percent, the fastest growth rate of any age category. (It would be wonderful to see these ministers sustain that growth, should they remain where they are over the next several years.) By comparison, megachurches with lead ministers age 60 and older grew less than 1 percent last year. Megachurches with lead ministers ages 45 to 49 grew 11 percent, making it the second-fastestgrowing age category. (This grouping typically leads the way in growth.) Among emerging megachurch lead ministers, only 37 percent were age 55 or older last year. The average age of an emerging megachurch lead minister was 50.8, which has held steady for three years.

In terms of growth, younger ministers led the way among emerging megachurches. Churches with lead ministers ages 35 to 39 grew the fastest, followed closely by churches with ministers ages 40 to 44 (growing 10 percent and 9 percent, respectively). Emerging megachurches led by ministers ages 55 to 59 grew 5.5 percent in 2018, while churches led by ministers age 60 and older saw a decline in attendance, the only category to experience a decrease. Baptism-ratio results were similar. Megachurches with the best baptism ratios were led by ministers ages 40 to 44, followed closely by churches led by ministers ages 55 to 59 (7.7 and 7.0, respectively). Emerging megachurches with the highest baptism ratios were led by ministers in these two categories: ages 45 to 49 (6.7 baptism per 100 in average attendance) and ages 35 to 39 (6.2). continued on page 30

C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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M AY 2 0 1 9

A V E R A G E AT T E N D A N C E

EMERG IN G MEG A C H U RC H ES

MEG A C H U RCH ES

combined average weekly attendance 396,577 (126 churches)

5,416

6.6% (up from 5.7% in 2017) 74% of megachurches grew (up from 71% in 2017)

1,332

4.1% (unchanged from 2017) 72% of emerging megachurches grew (up from 57% in 2017)

MEGACHURCHES

B A P T I S M R AT I O S

EMERGING MEGACHURCHES

G R O W T H R AT E S

number of baptisms per 100 people in average attendance

HIGHEST B A P T I S M R AT I O S

6.7

13.5 Compass Christian Church, Chandler, AZ 12.4 Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ 11.6 Christ’s Church of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ Note: Same three churches and same order as the previous year—the first time this has happened

5.8

GIVING

MEGA CH U RCH ES

Average weekly per-person giving (based on general fund only)

New City Church, Phoenix, AZ Founded 2011

$31.94 (down from $32.28 in 2017)

EMER GI NG MEG A CH UR CHES

YOUNGEST CHURCH

15.7 Eastside Christian Church, Jeffersonville, IN 13.6 Third City Christian Church, Grand Island, NE 11.3 Calvary Christian Church, Bellevue, NE

Hope City Church, Joplin, MO Founded 2014

$33.82 (up from $30.84 in 2017)

F A S T E S T- G R O W I N G

T O TA L B A P T I S M S of churches surveyed

43% The Crossing, Quincy, IL 26% Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ 22.5% Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD

21,824 (average 404 baptisms per church)

40.4% Hope City Church, Joplin, MO 39.5% Crossroads Christian Church, Joliet, IL 31.5% Newberg Christian Church, Newberg, OR

5,522 (average 79 per church)

S TAT E S W I T H M O S T. . .

OLDEST CHURCH

Indiana — 8 California — 7 Arizona & Illinois — 5 each

Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD Founded 1824

Illinois — 10 Ohio — 8 Indiana & Missouri — 6 each

Greenford (OH) Christian Church Founded 1832

OUTREACH GIVING

B U D G E T E D F O R S TA F F

12.5%

49%

13.6%

49.6%

Percentage of total budget spent on ministry “outside the walls”

Percentage of total budget invested on ministry staff

CHURCH

TWENTY EIGHTEEN MEGA— CHURCHES CH U R CH E S T H AT AV ER AGED 2, 0 0 0+ I N W EEK LY WO R SH I P AT T EN DA N CE

5 1

K E Y: 1

= includes nursing home worship service(s)

= includes prison worship service(s)

= includes Internet campus

= includes multisite(s) outside of the U.S.

= includes church plant(s) in the U.S. or overseas

X = did not report in 2018;

numbers shown are from 2017

= indicates a “spotlight” church; see pages 44-59 to read more about this church in 2018

Christ's Church of the Valley Southeast Christian Church Shepherd Church The Crossing 2 3 Northview Church 1 2 Parkview Christian Church 1 Central Christian Church Traders Point Christian Church Compassion Christian Church Eastside Christian Church Crossroads Christian Church 3 2|42 Community Church Crossroads Christian Church Canyon Ridge Christian Church 3 4 Christ's Church of the Valley Mountain Christian Church 3 Eastview Christian Church 3 Real Life Church 1 3 Compass Christian Church 3 The Crossing, a Christian Church 1 Northside Christian Church Real Life Ministries 3 Mount Pleasant Christian Church 3 Indian Creek Christian Church Connection Pointe Christian Church CrossCity Christian Church 3 Northeast Christian Church 3 Manchester Christian Church 3 West Side Christian Church 3 Community Christian Church 1 3 Tomoka Christian Church 1 2 3 4 Pathway Church Eagle Christian Church Pantano Christian Church 3 Compass Christian Church RiverTree Christian Church 5 Crossroads Christian Church Sherwood Oaks Christian Church LifeBridge Church 1 Christ's Church of Oronogo First Christian Church 3 First Church of Christ Harvester Christian Church Southeast Christian Church Journey Christian Church 3 True North Community Church Central Christian Church 3 Maryland Community Church 3 Summit Christian Church Rocky Mountain Christian Church Valley Real Life 5 New City Church StoneBridge Christian Church University Christian Church 3 Central Christian Church Eastpoint Christian Church Southland Christian Church Real Life Christian Church Community Christian Church SouthBrook Christian Church Central Christian Church White River Christian Church C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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M AY 2 0 1 9

AT T E N DA N C E

BAPTISMS

32,065 25,940 10,586 10,156 9,408 8,942 8,795 8,334 8,201 7,976 7,830 7,075 6,785 6,700 6,687 6,276 6,238 5,729 5,537 5,438 5,384 4,668 4,582 4,092 4,018 3,800 3,700 3,634 3,556 3,498 3,386 3,308 3,297 3,231 3,077 3,039 2,992 2,878 2,775 2,600 2,558 2,543 2,517 2,512 2,500 2,425 2,408 2,314 2,291 2,278 2,274 2,150 2,147 2,103 2,052 2,032 .11,928. .6,606. .5,904. .4,004. .3,174. .2,722.

3,729 1,197 986 791 484 688 750 532 692 890 689 424 532 558 527 604 290 490 356 608 310 101 202 365 277 87 215 213 287 206 204 160 401 415 168 157 96 69 44 115 178 93 145 108 81 59 235 146 158 88 110 185 132 197 .825. .632. .228. .255. .87. .173.

L O C AT I O N Phoenix Louisville Porter Ranch Quincy Indianapolis Orland Park Mesa Whitestown Savannah Anaheim Corona Brighton Grand Prairie Las Vegas San Dimas Joppa Normal Valencia Colleyville Las Vegas New Albany Post Falls Greenwood Indianapolis Brownsburg Fresno Louisville Manchester Springfield Ft. Lauderdale Ormond Beach Wichita Eagle Tucson Chandler Massillon Newburgh Bloomington Longmont Oronogo Huntington Beach Burlington St. Charles Parker Apopka Bohemia Mount Vernon Terre Haute Sparks Niwot Greenacres Phoenix Omaha Manhattan Beloit South Portland Nicholasville. Clermont. Naperville. Dayton. Wichita. Noblesville.

AZ KY CA IL IN IL AZ IN GA CA CA MI TX NV CA MD IL CA TX NV IN ID IN IN IN CA KY NH IL FL FL KS ID AZ AZ OH IN IN CO MO CA KY MO CO FL NY IL IN NV CO WA AZ NE KS WI ME .KY. .FL. .IL. .OH. .KS. .IN.

SENIOR MINISTER

WEBSITE

Ashley Wooldridge Dave Stone Dudley Rutherford Jerry Harris Steve Poe Timothy Harlow Cal Jernigan Aaron Brockett Cam Huxford Gene Appel Chuck Booher Dave Dummitt Barry Cameron Drew Moore Jeff Vines Ben Cachiaras Mike Baker Rusty George Drew Sherman Shane Philip Nate Ross Jim Putman Chris Philbeck Gary Johnson John Dickerson David Rutherford Tyler McKenzie Bo Chancey Eddie Lowen Scott Eynon Joe Putting Todd Carter Steven A. Crane Glen Elliott Brian Jobe Jason Lantz

ccv.church southeastchristian.org theshepherd.org thecrossing.net northviewchurch.us parkviewchurch.com centralaz.com tpcc.org compassionchristian.com eastside.com crossroadschurch.com 242community.com crossroadschristian.org canyonridge.org ccvsocal.com mountaincc.org eastview.church reallifechurch.org mycompasschurch.com thecrossinglv.com mynorthside.com reallifeministries.com mpcc.info thecreek.org connectionpointe.org mycrosscity.com necchurch.org manchesterchristian.com wschurch.org communitycc.com tomoka.cc pathwaychurch.com eaglechristianchurch.com pantano.church compassaz.church rivertreechristian.com cccgo.com socc.org lbcc.org cco.church fcchb.com firstchurch.me harvesterchristian.org southeastcc.org journeychristian.com truenorthchurch.net centralnow.com mccth.org summitnv.org rocky.church vrl.church newcityphx.com sb.church uccmhk.com centralwired.com eastpoint.church southland.church real.life communitychristian.org southbrook.org ccc.org wrcc.org

Tom Ellsworth Rick Rusaw Mark Christian Scott Martin Darin Mirante Doyle Roth Don Wilson (Interim Lead) John Hampton Bert Crabbe Jamie S. Allen Scot Longyear Steve Bond and Bryan Smith Shan Moyers Dan Shields Brian Kruckenberg Mark Chitwood Barry Park David L. Clark Scott Taube Jon Weece Justin Miller Dave Ferguson Charlie McMahan Darren McClintock (Interim) Timothy Brock C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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FOUNDED 1982 1962 1908 1974 1980 1951 1959 1834 1963 1962 1892 2005 1970 1993 1973 1824 1955 2000 1966 2000 1970 1998 1884 1977 1837 1958 1979 1962 1901 1957 1971 1959 1995 1963 1925 1964 1967 1962 1890 1953 1895 1964 1981 1972 1969 2005 1853 1919 1999 1984 2003 2011 1907 1969 1907 2003 .1956. .1961. .1989. .1992. .1878. .1973.

CHURCH

TWENTY EIGHTEEN EMERGING MEGA— CHURCHES CH U R CH E S T H AT AV ER AGED 1, 0 0 0 -1,9 9 9 I N W EEK LY WO R SH I P AT T EN DA N CE

K E Y: 1

= includes nursing home worship service(s)

= includes prison worship service(s)

= includes Internet campus

= includes multisite(s) outside of the U.S.

= includes church plant(s) in the U.S. or overseas

X = did not report in 2018;

numbers shown are from 2017

= indicates a “spotlight” church; see pages 44-59 to read more about this church in 2018

AT T E N DA N C E

Redemption Christian Church Legacy Christian Church Calvary Christian Church Owensboro Christian Church 3 Whitewater Crossing Christian Church First Christian Church Greenford Christian Church 5 New Day Christian Church Kingsway Christian Church 3 Christ's Church of the Valley RiverGlen Christian Church 3 4 Northside Christian Church Lifepointe Church Journey Christian Church Catalyst Church Salty Church Antioch Christian Church Northside Christian Church Third City Christian Church Mission Church New Life Christian Church 3 Southpoint Church College Heights Christian Church Current–A Christian Church The Point Church 1 2 Forum Christian Church Central Christian Church Suncrest Christian Church First Christian Church Fairmount Christian Church Riverlawn Christian Church 3 Newberg Christian Church Pikes Peak Christian Church Mosaic Christian Church Eastside Christian Church Broadway Christian Church First Christian Church 5 Madison Park Christian Church White Flag Church South Rock Christian Church Cornerstone Christian Church Second Church of Christ Westerville Christian Church Northside Christian Church Christ's Church Worthington Christian Church Center Pointe Christian Church Mount Gilead Church East 91st Street Christian Church First Christian Church Christ's Church of Flagstaff First Christian Church Ministries 5 Crossroads Christian Church 3 Shelby Christian Church First Christian Church Pinedale Christian Church First Christian Church Richwoods Christian Church Rainier View Christian Church Mission Viejo Christian Church Hope City Church Discovery Christian Church - - chart 30-31 - pages C H RIS T I continues AN STA N DAR D on 2 8 - M AY 2019 - -

1,965 1,938 1,900 1,846 1,797 1,768 1,751 1,749 1,729 1,717 1,682 1,632 1,612 1,574 1,550 1,536 1,527 1,500 1,498 1,490 1,487 1,486 1,444 1,434 1,424 1,410 1,408 1,406 1,375 1,363 1,363 1,308 1,293 1,276 1,271 1,261 1,250 1,249 1,241 1,208 1,199 1,189 1,173 1,170 1,150 1,149 1,142 1,139 1,137 1,133 1,118 1,118 1,116 1,083 1,081 1,057 1,056 1,053 1,051 1,048 1,042 1,036

BAPTISMS 140 126 214 60 87 120 52 150 75 121 110 67 87 77 115 162 90 44 204 111 80 143 36 120 94 67 80 136 47 41 58 48 104 102 200 38 78 39 84 97 82 80 52 37 43 73 52 37 30 55 109 50 42 71 82 77 47 27 57 78 51 56

L O C AT I O N Jasper Overland Park Bellevue Owensboro Cleves Canton Greenford Port Charlotte Avon Royersford Waukesha Spring Raleigh Midlothian Phoenix Ormond Beach Marion Wadsworth Grand Island Ventura Chantilly Trenton Joplin Katy Raleigh Columbia Lancaster Saint John Springfield Mechanicsville Wichita Newberg Colorado Springs Elkridge Jeffersonville Mesa Champaign Quincy St. Louis Derby Shiloh Danville Westerville Springfield Effingham Columbus Liberty Township Mooresville Indianapolis Decatur Flagstaff Kernersville Joliet Shelbyville Council Bluffs Winston Salem Elizabethtown Peoria Tacoma Mission Viejo Joplin Broomfield

IN KS NE KY OH OH OH FL IN PA WI TX NC VA AZ FL IA OH NE CA VA MI MO TX NC MO CA IN OH VA KS OR CO MD IN AZ IL IL MO KS IL IL OH MO IL OH OH IN IN IL AZ NC IL KY IA NC KY IL WA CA MO CO

WEBSITE

SENIOR MINISTER

Darrel Land redemptionin.com Reggie L. Epps lcc.org Scott Beckenhauer calvary.ch Scott Kenworthy owensboro.cc David Vaughan whitewatercrossing.org Ryan Rasmussen firstchristian.com Sean Kelly greenfordchristian.org Rusty Russell ndcchurch.com Matt Nickoson kingswaychurch.org Brian Jones ccvlive.com Ben Davis riverglen.cc David Garison northsidechristian.com Donnie Williams lifepointechurch.com James Brummett journeyrva.com Samson Dunn catalystaz.com Robbie O'Brien salty.org John Seitz lifeisforliving.org Robin Hart northsideweb.org Scott Jones thirdcitychristian.org Mike Hickerson missionventura.com Brett Andrews newlife.church Brett Kays southpointccc.com Sy Huffer chjoplin.org Darren Walter currentchristian.org Chris Hankins pointchurch.com Scott Sutherland/Bradley Williams forumchristian.org Matt Dumas centralchristian.org Greg Lee suncrest.org Bill Geiger fcclife.me Rick Raines fairmountchristian.org Jeff Isaacs riverlawn.org David Case newbergcc.org Darrin Ronde pikespeakchristian.org Carl Kuhl mosaicchristian.org Dave Hastings discovereastside.com John Enabnit bccmesa.com Danny Schaffner fcc-online.org Keith Ehresman, Tyler Myers, Chuck Sackett madisonparkchurch.com whiteflag.church Paul Wingfield southrockchristian.com Rick Wheeler onecornerstone.org Chris VandeLinde secondchurch.com Drew Mentzer wcchurch.life Greg Bondurant northsidechristianchurch.net Wayne Bushnell christschurch.com Jeff Michael worthingtoncc.org David Roberson cpcc.church Shawn Spradling mgchurch.org Jeff Faull east91st.org Rick Grover firstdecatur.org Wayne Kent ccof.church Chris Reed fccministries.com Peter L Kunkle crossroadsofjoliet.org Matt Summers shelbychristian.org Dave Hamlin firstchristiancb.org Jed Mullenix pinedale.org Matthew Sink fccetown.com Stuart Jones richwoods.org rainierview.org Troy Gardner mvcchome.org Mike Maiolo experiencehopecity.org Cody Walker dc2.me Steve Cuss C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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M AY 2 0 1 9

FOUNDED 2000 1969 1970 1953 1916 1855 1832 1960 1973 2000 1997 1972 2004 1995 2007 2005 1974 1977 1967 2011 1993 1992 1967 1985 2010 1954 1957 1994 1928 1903 1956 1906 1958 2008 1962 1978 1953 1907 1969 1955 1905 1899 1968 1970 1984 1975 1987 1835 1924 1834 1984 1987 2007 1968 1891 1913 1877 1967 1955 1972 2014 1999

CHURCH

TWENTY EIGHTEEN EMERGING MEGA— CHURCHES (continued) K E Y O N P R E V I O U S PAG E

Northshore Christian Church Windsor Road Christian Church Blue Springs Christian Church First Christian Church 1 Academy Christian Church First Church First Christian Church Kissimmee Christian Church Ten Mile Christian Church River Hills Christian Church Lakeshore Christian Church Rolling Hills Christian Church Park Chapel Christian Church Christ's Church Camden Greenwood Christian Church Okolona Christian Church Vibrant–A Christian Church Community Christian Church

AT T E N DA N C E

BAPTISMS

1,031 1,023 1,018 1,013 1,009 1,006 1,002 1,000 .1,902. .1,897. .1,525. .1,466. .1,348. .1,323. .1,287. .1,227. .1,048. .1,006.

25 16 41 27 64 44 60 53 .152. .89. .52. .85. .79. .48. .45. .70. .92. .125.

Are Attendances for Christmas and Easter Trading Places? When I began collecting research data, church attendance at Easter was consistently much larger than for Christmas Eve. I even wrote a short article in April 2011 to emphasize the importance of planning well for Easter because of its attendance edge over Christmas Eve. But a shift seems to be taking place among megachurches . . . the gap is closing. In 2011, megachurches had 16 percent more people attend Easter services than Christmas Eve services (average attendance for each was 8,048 and 6,927, respectively). But in 2018, Easter attendance edged out Christmas Eve attendance by only 1.4 percent. In 2018, Christmas Eve fell on Monday, which likely was a factor in the gap closing last year. Another possible contributor was that 62 percent of megachurches offered identical Christmas-focused services throughout the weekend and on Christmas Eve. (Among emerging megachurches, only 33 percent did the same.) Two-thirds of the emerging megachurches had weekend services that were different from their stand-alone Christmas Eve services. Christmas Eve ave rage atte ndance at me gachurches increased 49 percent from 2011 to 2018. C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

By comparison, the average Easter attendance at megachurches increased only 30 percent over the same period. Eme rging megachurche s have se e n a similar atte ndance pattern. Average attendance for Christmas Eve jumped 20 percent at emerging megachurches, while Easter attendance hasn’t increased at all over the same seven-year span. Average attendance at megachurches on both Easter and Christmas weekends was almost double that of a normal weekend; the attendance bump was 94 percent and 92 percent, respectively, in 2018. Emerging megachurch attendance was 69 percent larger on Easter and 49 percent larger on Christmas Eve, compared with typical weekends in 2018. - 30 -

M AY 2 0 1 9

L O C AT I O N Everett Champaign Blue Springs Johnson City Colorado Springs Owasso Jacksonville Kissimmee Meridian. Loveland. Antioch. El Dorado Hills. Greenfield. Kingsland. Greenwood. Louisville. Mechanicsburg. Hemet.

WA IL MO TN CO OK IL FL .ID. .OH. .TN. .CA. .IN. .GA. .IN. .KY. .PA. .CA.

SENIOR MINISTER

WEBSITE

Kenneth Long Randy Boltinghouse Dave Ferneau Ethan Magness Bryan Myers Chad Broaddus J. Cook James Book Stephen Moore Jeff Metzger Randy Cordell Jonathan Hansen Danny Curry Scott Clevenger Matt Giebler

northshorechristian.org windsorroad.org bscc.org fcc-jc.org academychristian.org firstchurchok.com fccjacksonville.org kissimmeechristianchurch.org t enmilecc.com riverhillscc.com lakeshorechristian.com rollhill.church parkchapel.org christschurchcamden.com greenwoodchristian.com okolonacc.org livevibrant.com community.cc

Don M. Hamilton John Scott

FOUNDED 1991 1973 1981 1871 1973 1907 1967 1910 .1906. .1997. .1974. .1995. .1986. .2007. .1860. .1955. .1976. .1981.

Which Discipleship Method Do Most Churches Use? Discipleship, evangelism, and numerical growth continue to be stated priorities for most of the megachurches and emerging megachurches in our study. “Making disciples who make disciples” has become a primary mantra for many of these churches. But figuring out how to turn from a knowledge-based discipleship focus to a more obedience-based model of discipleship that reproduces itself into a movement hasn’t proven easy in most churches. The primary methods churches have used for adult discipleship training or spiritual growth development are classes and small groups, or a combination of both. The shift toward small groups over classes has been gradual over the last few years, but still is notable. In 2015, 64 percent of emerging megachurches used a combination of classes and groups; only 33 percent used small groups only. Last year, 52 percent of emerging megachurches used a combination of classes and groups, and 45 percent of emerging megachurches used small groups only. A very small number of emerging megachurches (3 percent) have continued to offer only classes (and no small groups). In megachurches, small groups only (53 percent) have the edge over a combination of classes and C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

groups (47 percent). No megachurch in our report uses only classes for discipleship. Among both megachurches and emerging megachurches, the average growth rates and baptism ratios were much better for those using small groups only rather than a combination of classes and groups. For example, megachurches with only small groups grew an average of 9.5 percent last year, compared with megachurches that offered a combination of classes and groups (3.6 percent). Likewise, megachurches using only small groups baptized an average of 7.6 people per 100 people in average attendance, compared with a baptism ratio of only 5.6 for megachurches offering both classes and groups. The results were the same among emerging megachurches. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of information gathered from this year’s survey. In addition to future special reports on large and medium churches and small and very small churches, watch for more niche-focused articles exploring new topics in my monthly “Metrics” column.  - 31 -

M AY 2 0 1 9

‘IF YOU HAVE

A PULSE, YOU HAVE

A PURPOSE’ ADVICE FROM 14 MINISTERS ON FINDING FULFILLMENT IN RETIREMENT

BY MARK A. TAYLOR

C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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M AY 2 0 1 9

We asked former editor Mark Taylor, who retired in 2017, to contact retired ministers in our movement to learn what they are doing now and ask their advice on enjoying a meaningful retirement.

“Retire to, not from.” It’s a popular recommendation, and more than half of the retired megachurch ministers we interviewed for this piece repeated it. As the profiles on pages 36 to 42 show, all of them have followed the advice in one way or another. Their accomplishments and activities include filling guest speaker slots, serving in their local congregation, representing a parachurch ministry, and intentionally seeking younger ministers to encourage and mentor. Don Wilson formed a whole new ministry, Accelerate, to help young ministers. Bob Russell conducts nine weeklong retreats every year for this purpose. Ken Idleman went to work with The Solomon Foundation to do the same, as did Dick Alexander (with CDF Capital), Alan Ahlgrim, and Steve Reeves (both with Center for Church Leadership). If you are or you know a discouraged preacher, any of the fourteen on our list seem ready to listen and advise. Meanwhile, Gary Johnson, through the e2 ministry, is devoting his energy to revitalizing and educating elders in local churches. All of them have given their whole careers to ministry, and for many that meant decades in the same church (Ahlgrim, Dennis Bratton, John Caldwell, Bob and Vicki Cherry, Johnson, Reeves, Ben Merold, Russell, Wilson). Each of them still has a heart for ministry.

LEAVE OR STAY? This doesn’t mean they all offered the same advice. Some, for example, told retiring ministers they should leave the congregation they had served. For example, Caldwell advised, “Once you’ve retired, get out of the way. I’ve been back only when invited by my successor.” Wilson says he’s seen “situations where the former pastor creates a major problem by staying on and undermining his successor’s ministry.” But Ahlgrim remains as a member of the church he served. “If the retiring pastor (and his wife!) do not have an ego need to be upfront and visible, they can still continue to serve effectively and fruitfully behind the scenes,” he said. Reeves wrote, “When you leave the local church, leave. Don’t do or say anything to sabotage your successor.” But he’s one of at least two on our list who meet regularly with the man who followed them. So does Cherry, who has also been recruited to mentor elder candidates at the church he served. His wife, Vicki, who also served with the Northeast staff, is an active volunteer at the church. And she’s not the only volunteer. While many on our list travel nationally to encourage, preach, consult, or represent, it’s good to see how some are staying home and serving their local congregations. Glen Liston delivers meals, helps set up for Thursday-night services, and teaches Bible studies. Octogenarian Merold with his wife, Pat, leads a Bible study twice each week, once in the morning and again that evening. Idleman helps with the men’s ministry and seniors ministry.

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WORK AND PLEASURE This isn’t to say they may not have slowed down or allowed time for personal, pleasurable pursuits. Several mentioned the joy of travel. Caldwell and Bob Cherry lead Holy Land trips, and Lawson lectures on cruises sponsored by a Christian tour company. As Ahlgrim has observed, many of them work every day, just not all day. Vicki Cherry has advice for women retiring from ministry: “Stay connected to your girlfriends. Reach out to them. Plan lunches and coffees. Do Bible studies with other women.” One way she follows her own advice: “I meet regularly with four women for accountability.” Lawson observes, “Retirement is the ideal time to catch up on your reading, to explore new fields of interest, to write your memoirs—and add new memories to include in them, and to savor the remaining years with friends and family.”

Bob Cherry advises, “Be highly aware of your soul. When I retired, my time with God began to become rather sporadic. This surprised me. It took me three to six months to figure out how I would relate to God not being in full-time ministry.”

Family is a recurring theme. “Don’t become so busy you don’t have time to travel with your wife and spend time with your children, grandchildren, and extended family,” Reeves advises. Caldwell mentioned he lives close to grandsons and enjoys getting to their games.

“A couple of years after retiring from local church ministry, I realized I wasn’t as sharp spiritually,” Alexander said. It wasn’t that he had backed off from his regular habit of Scripture reading and prayer. Actually those had increased. “But I realized that while preaching almost every week, I was filtering the Scripture through my mind all week as part of sermon preparation. When that changed, I lost a bit of a spiritual edge and needed to compensate in other ways.”

Several combine family connections with ministry opportunities. Liston and his wife are active at the church where their son Tim is the preacher. Cherry spends time talking goals and strategy with his daughter, Stephanie, who heads the community ministry at Willow Creek Community Church. Two of Bratton’s adult children are part of the leadership team at his KORE Foundation, “an unexpected blessing,” he says, providing “solid leadership for KORE in the future.” Wilson and his wife, Sue, lead their Accelerate ministry together. Two mentioned an experience they didn’t expect, the challenge to maintain a healthy spiritual life in retirement.

C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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ALL OF THEM HAVE GIVEN THEIR WHOLE CAREERS TO MINISTRY. EACH OF THEM STILL HAS A HEART FOR MINISTRY.

NOT DONE All these ministers seem happy to be retired. Maybe this is because all of them continue to discover meaningful ways to serve and engage with others. “Find something to do!” Merold says. “Surely some congregation can use you. Teach Sunday school. Lead a Bible study. Call on people. You need something in the Lord’s work to look forward to each week.” Idleman echoes his thought. “Retiring may mean throttling back, slowing down, and reflecting more,” he said. “But it does not mean quitting!”

Mark Taylor, Christian Standard editor 2003-17, retired in June 2017 after almost 41 years with Standard Publishing (Christian Standard Media). He serves in his home congregation north of Cincinnati, Ohio, and continues to find opportunities for editing, writing, and speaking.

“If you have a pulse, you have a purpose,” Rendel said. “As one of my church members likes to remark, ‘I’m not dead so I am not done!’” 

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WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? COMPILED BY MARK A. TAYLOR

ALAN AHLGRIM RETIRED: Founding pastor with Rocky Mountain Christian Church, Niwot, Colorado, March 2013

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THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Retirement brings the opportunity to do significant ministry with fewer deadlines and less pressure. [It’s an] opportunity to be more selective and allow people to plug into their sweet spots. It’s fun! Being able to spend all of one’s work week focused on how to connect people with God is a terrific privilege.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? International consultant with Christian Missionary Fellowship, enhancing the pastoral training curriculum for Missions of Hope in Nairobi, Kenya, and coordinating teaching visits from the U.S. Also, a guide in The Ascent, a leadership mentoring program sponsored by CDF Leadership Capital.

RETIRED: Senior minister, LifeSpring Christian Church, Cincinnati, June 2013

DICK ALEXANDER

THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “The best is yet to be for every kingdom leader. I jokingly say if I had known this season would be so fulfilling, I would have started with this first and stuck with it! I’ve traded unrelenting responsibility for a soul-enriching opportunity.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Continues to encourage and mentor church leaders. Director of Covenant Groups with the Center for Church Leadership.

DENNIS BRATTON RETIRED: Senior pastor with Mandarin Christian Church (Christ’s Church), Jacksonville, Florida, June 2010 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Board of directors, The Solomon Foundation and Restoration Movement Media. Member of Northfield Church in Gallatin, Tennessee. Founded KORE Foundation shortly after retirement. (See sidebar.) THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Retirement is just a doorway to something completely new—like going from preaching sermons in air conditioning to raising chickens in Haiti! It’s incredible how much I’ve learned to trust God as a ‘missionary’! Right before our eyes he’s answered prayers, provided resources, and brought people with incredible skills and unique hearts to come alongside KORE’s unusual approach to missionary work. I would have missed so much if I’d skipped retirement!” - 36 -

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KINDNESS, OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES, EVANGELISM

ER ND XA KA LE DIC

Dennis and Brenda Bratton founded the KORE Foundation after his retirement in 2010 with the goal, as the foundation’s website explains, “to provide sustainable solutions to extreme poverty for the people of Haiti.” Taking its name from the Old Testament businessman appointed to distribute generous offerings to those in need (2 Chronicles 31), the foundation adopted an acrostic to explain its mission: Kindness: the touch of Christ in practical ways Opportunities: not a handout, but a way out of poverty Resources: a foothold away from poverty toward selfreliance Evangelism: education and enterprise are transformational tools for the poor KORE partnered with Smallholder Poultry Enterprises to create chicken farms that give Haitians meaningful work and create food to meet real needs. Today, according to the website, 126 Haitian farmers are running their own business as a part of this program. Their average income increased 196 percent! And in December these farmers sold 18,000 broilers and provided 160,000 eggs for the Egg-A-Day school feeding program in the country’s Central Plateau. In the last quarter of 2018, Bratton reports, 529,000 eggs went to 32 schools. “KORE is feeding animal protein (2,000 get meat, and 8,000 get the egg-a-day) to more than 10,000 children in orphanages and schools each month. KORE pastors are evangelizing and discipling in the homes and neighborhoods of our farmers. And our team has the opportunity to provide Christian education for 8,000 students” in the schools where they’re providing eggs. Three model schools are measuring nutritional and cognitive development among 8,000 students. If the initial positive results hold, the program will be expanded. “This means lots more KORE farmers, Haitian jobs, economic development, and ministry opportunities,” Bratton wrote.

AT T

“I’ve learned as I had never experienced that God is able to do amazingly more than I’d ever thought or imagined!” —M.T. Read more about the KORE Foundation at korefoundation.org.

AN EM IDL N KE BO D

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JOHN CALDWELL JO

RETIRED: Kingsway Christian Church, outside Indianapolis, June 2010

HN CA LD W

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Very active in ministry: guest preaching and interim ministries, consulting, weddings and funerals, visiting shut-ins, attending church-related conventions, and serving with three mission boards as well as part-time field representative for Christian Arabic Services. John and his wife, Jan, love to travel, and in addition to visiting favorite or new vacation spots, they led a trip to the Holy Land in 2018.

EL L

THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Make sure you’re ready. (I probably would have stayed at least another year or two if I had it to do over again.)” C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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KEN IDLEMAN RETIRED: Crossroads Christian Church, Newburgh/Evansville, Indiana, May 2016

BOB AND VICKI CHERRY RETIRED: Bob was senior pastor and Vicki was creative arts director at Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, when they retired in April 2016 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Bob preaches three-to-five weekends each year at Northeast and has done supply preaching. He meets monthly with his successor, Tyler McKenzie, to provide encouragement “and hopefully wisdom,” and leads a yearlong mentoring group of 10 to 12 elder candidates for the church. He and Vicki have enjoyed travel they had put off while they were working, and Bob has led Bible lands tours with people from Northeast. They are both active members at the Clifton campus of Northeast, where Vicki serves on the audiovisual team. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: Bob: “I love being retired! Many had told me I had to have something to retire to so I would have real purpose and not be bored. My life since retirement has been extremely fulfilling. Each day is a new adventure.” C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Joined The Solomon Foundation on May 23, 2016, the day after he retired! Serving as vice president of leadership development. “I am leveraging my 36 years as a Bible college teacher and administrator and 16 years as a local church pastor to encourage and equip church leaders.” Serves as a volunteer in men’s ministry and senior adult ministry at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, where he and his wife, Kaylene, are members. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “If you have a healthy body, a sound mind, and adequate resources, find a way to invest yourself in some kind of kingdom-building ministry. It need not be vocational ministry. Volunteer to do the kinds of things you have always wanted to do for the Lord in the local church or on the mission field.”

GARY JOHNSON RETIRED: Indian Creek Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, April 2019 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Executive director of e2: effective elders, whose mission is coaching elder teams to win. Speaking, writing, and mentoring elders to lead the local church with greater effectiveness. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “People don’t remember how we came. They remember how we leave.” - 39 -

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Soon after he retired, Bob began hosting retreats for preaching pastors “to provide encouragement, instruction, and reinforcement.” He had seen so many local church ministers “mistreated by their church leaders and beaten down by their circumstances . . . really discouraged by the constant criticism and overwhelming responsibilities they faced every day.”

“I share this report not to boast but to rejoice with you over what God has done through this ministry,” Russell wrote, “and to thank all of you who have donated, prayed, or in any way contributed to our efforts. God has done abundantly more than all we asked or imagined.” —M.T. Read Russell’s complete report at www.bobrussell.org/ my-ministry-after-12-years-much-more-than-i-couldhave-imagined.

After a benefactor asked if the ministry could expand its focus, it has established a separate benevolence ministry that channels financial assistance to families whom retreat alumni identify as being in desperate need. “More money than I could ever have imagined (over $4 million!) has been channeled through that special fund over the past nine years,” Russell reported.

SO AW

The ministry has expanded to include benevolence work. In December, “retreat alumni identified 63 fellow pastors they knew who were serving in smaller churches and struggling financially. Bob Russell Ministries sent a generous check to each of them as a Christmas gift and included a word of appreciation for their service to Christ.”

YL RO LE

The response to his concern shows that the need is real. Since the spring of 2006, he has conducted 88 three-day retreats called “A Time of Refreshing.” Almost 750 ministers have attended, and more than 100 are on a waiting list for future retreats. All expenses are covered as “God has touched several generous hearts and supplied more than enough to allow the pastors to come with no registration fee.” Attendees are treated “like royalty,” with gifts, free transportation to and from the airport, meals at a nice restaurant, and more.

TIMES OF REFRESHING

Bob Russell told his blog readers last year that his 12 years of ministry in retirement has been “much more than I could have imagined.”

LEROY LAWSON RETIRED: President, Hope International University, Fullerton, California, May 2003; professor, Emmanuel Christian Seminary, May 2016 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Served as interim minister with First Christian Church, Johnson City, Tennessee, November 2015–May 2016 and as interim minister with Kaimuki Christian Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, May–October 2018. International consultant with Christian Missionary Fellowship. Lectures on cruises sponsored by Educational Opportunities. Other recent assignments: Webb Lectureship, Milligan College, March 2019, and Senior Saints in the Smokies, Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, May–June 2019. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Don’t just retire from; plan to retire to. You want to be able to say who you are, not just who you were. Be prepared to move from the playing field to the grandstand, from doing to cheering others in their doing. Biological grandparenting is fun; so is professional grandparenting. Try to travel light in retirement, unencumbered by superfluous stuff accumulated over a lifetime.”

LIS

GLEN LISTON RETIRED: Grace Christian Church (now called Current—A Christian Church), Katy, Texas, September 2017 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? With his wife, Shirley, traveled as a volunteer for Central India Christian Mission for nine years; led six trips to India, spoke on behalf of the mission in local churches, and attended more then 20 conferences representing the mission. Meets monthly with a different area minister to buy his lunch, encourage him, and pray with him. An active volunteer at New Hope Church in Marvel, Texas: leading a small group, delivering lunch to homebound members, speaking, and performing weddings and funerals. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Plan on decompression time after leaving the pulpit. Plan to do something meaningful with your life; leaders always need a way to lead, and pastors always need a way to pastor.” C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

BEN MEROLD RETIRED: Senior minister with Harvester Christian Church, St. Charles, Missouri, August 2008 (at the age of 82!) WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? With his wife, Pat, leads a large Bible study for seniors on Thursdays, with a repeat of the lesson on Thursday evenings. Spends seven or eight weeks each year with Bob Russell in a retreat called “A Time of Refreshing” (see sidebar). Church growth seminars, revival meetings, and guest speaking. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “I accepted the ministry of Harvester Christian Church three weeks before my 65th birthday. We had a great, growing ministry together for more than 17 years. They were good to me then and they are still good to me.” - 41 -

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S VE ER EE EV ST

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THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “I loved being the preacher for two churches over a 40-year period. But this new season of ministry (encouraging church leaders) is the most fulfilling. My conviction: When you leave the local church, leave. Don’t do or say anything to sabotage your successor or fuel division in the congregation you were privileged to lead.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Served as interim preacher with Crossroads Christian Church, Washington Court House, Ohio, in 2018. Meanwhile wrote Restored: Our Story, a book about Connection Pointe, published by College Press, and served with the Center for Church Leadership in Cincinnati as advisory board member, seminar leader, consultant, and director of ENGAGE, an encouragement and prayer ministry for pastors of local churches. Connection Pointe gave him the title “pastor at large” to indicate his ongoing ministry vision.

RETIRED: Connection Pointe Christian Church, Brownsburg, Indiana, September 2017

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STEVE REEVES

WALLY RENDEL RETIRED: Jessamine Christian Church, Nicholasville, Kentucky, November 2018 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Pulpit supply and memorial services. Staying connected with and coaching area ministers as opportunities arise. “Thanking God I don’t have to go to staff meetings anymore.” THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Some of your most significant days of ministry can come on the heels of your retirement. Thank God for that. C.S. Lewis said, ‘You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.’ Trust God to open doors for your ongoing service.” - 42 -

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BOB RUSSELL RETIRED: Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, June 2006 WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Mentors younger preachers. (Conducts nine retreats each year; see sidebar.) Speaks for and consults with local churches and leadership conferences. Writes a weekly blog and prepares Bible-study videos for small groups. THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “Set an exact date a couple of years in advance in order to take the emotion out of the decision about when to retire. Then stick to it. Focus on your gifts and stay energized by doing what you enjoy doing the most. Learn to say no to requests that drain your energy. (I hate meetings and am not a good board member. So I decided, no boards, period. That made it easy to respond to requests.) Communicate early and often with your spouse and family what you intend to do in retirement so they can rejoice with you and pray for your contribution.

BR US S

“I enjoyed the located ministry, but the last 12 years have been the most enjoyable of my life.”

DON WILSON RETIRED: Christ’s Church of the Valley, Peoria, Arizona, November 2017

ILS

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? President, Accelerate Group. With his wife, Sue, the main focus is helping pastors and wives stay healthy and “go the distance in ministry” as well as navigate difficult transitions. “This has been more rewarding than we could have imagined.” THOUGHTS ON RETIREMENT: “When I retired, I was asked not to worship at CCV for at least six months at any campus and 12 months at the main campus. That was more difficult emotionally for my wife and me than I anticipated. But I think it was the right decision, because I could give total support to my successor and not be negative in any way. I have seen other situations where the former pastor creates a major problem by staying on and undermining his successor’s ministry by disagreeing with the way he’s leading.” 

SPOTLIGHT CHURCHES Numbers donâ€™t tell the whole story. This issue of Christian Standard shines a spotlight on 6 churches that did something interesting, significant, or impactful in 2018. Read the stories behind the statistics.

MANCHESTER CHRISTIAN CHURCH

SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

MISSION CHURCH

elders, staff, discipleship program, prayer culminate in baptisms

COMPASS CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Chandler, AZ

2018 Weekly Attendance: 3,077 Growth in 2018: 312 (11%) Campuses: 3 (including online) 2018 Baptisms: 415 2018 Baptism Ratio: 13.5 (top among megachurches) Founded: 1925 Senior Pastor: Brian Jobe Church Website: www.compassaz.church Facebook: /compassazchurch Twitter and Instagram: @compassazchurch

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 01 by melissa wuske

Compass Christian Church “has had a heart for evangelism since day one,” said senior pastor Brian Jobe. But in recent years, the church’s growth has been astounding—even in an area crowded with megachurches and in the midst of a culture of church hopping. Jobe said the Greater Phoenix church’s eldership has been crucial to “putting the church in a place to receive God’s blessing” during his three years there—including a year overlapping with pastor Roger Storms, who had served the church for 29 years and helped instill “mission-mindedness, flexibility, and positivity.” Going in, Jobe told the staff, “Everything rises and falls on the transition.” He credits the “super healthy transition,” during which Compass saw 11 percent growth, to the leaders and staff of the church. Jobe said servant leadership among the elders is key. “Every single one of them is serving in some ministry.” Once a quarter during a board meeting, Jobe passes around a list of the church’s key ministry areas and asks each elder to choose one they haven’t served in before. “The elders go in every week and they’re praying for the pastors and the volunteers involved in those ministries. They’re super encouragers of those ministries.” Jobe said staff health also is key, and he wants each person to minister out of an overflow of their relationship with God. Once a quarter, spiritual formation coaches lead all staff and support workers in growing and connecting with God. An eldership and staff that’s spiritually and humbly growing and serving the church paves the way for congregational growth, he said. When church leaders decided to offer the discipleship program “Rooted,” they began by first having elders, staff, and their spouses take part. Not only did it ensure “we all had each other’s backs” during the transition, Jobe remembers, it also meant Rooted already had “raving fans” when it was presented to the congregation. Thus far, 1,500 people have been through Rooted, and every time Jobe mentions it, people actually cheer. “[It’s] a culture change that wouldn’t have happened without buy-in of the elders and staff,” he said. The elders have also been instrumental in “turning up the prayer temperature,” Jobe said. Every Saturday evening before the start of weekend services, elders and staff gather. “We pray over every seat in the worship center . . . that God will meet people where they are and show himself to them.” On Sundays, Jobe tells new visitors that someone was praying for them before they even arrived, and he invites everyone to pass on the blessing by praying for the person who will sit in their seat during the next service. For Jobe, this all culminates in baptisms. Jobe compared the church’s first two decision weekends to the miraculous catch of fish in John 21. During the first decision weekend, 153 people were baptized, and a year later another 168 were baptized. Again, the elders led the way: “They were the first to help people into and out of the pool. They had even bigger faith than I did [that] people would come.” “The leaders and the elders, they have history, they’re positive, they’re humble,” Jobe said. “I don’t know how you can overestimate [the importance of] that.”  Melissa Wuske is a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband, Shawn, and their son, Caleb, live and minister in Cincinnati. Find her work online at melissaannewuske.com.

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intentional continuity and longevity lead to steady growth

GREENTREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Rolla, MO

2018 Weekly Attendance: 1,200 Campuses: 1 2018 Baptisms: 34 2018 Baptism Ratio: 2.8 Founded: 1869 Senior Pastor: Tim Cook Church Website: www.greentreerolla.org Facebook: /greentreerolla

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 02 by tr robertson

First Christian Church in Rolla, Missouri, was averaging about 200 when senior minister Tim Cook began his ministry there in 1982. Over the past 37 years, the congregation has moved, changed its name to Greentree Christian Church, and grown to around 2,500 members; GCC now averages about 1,200 to 1,300 on Sunday mornings. The site where the church met for more than 100 years had only 25 parking spaces. When the church reached the point of drawing around 500 in three services, they knew they needed to expand. The additions of a gymnasium and education space led to an immediate 30 percent increase in attendance. As steady growth continued, the church built a larger facility on Greentree Road and again saw a quick 30 percent growth. “With each phase of growth, we examine what staff we think we’re going to need to hire in the next year or two,” Cook said. “You have to have good staff and good chemistry within the staff.” Cook plans to retire as senior minister this June. His longevity, combined with intentional continuity, have been key to the congregation’s steady growth, and it promises to ensure healthy growth for years to come. “I believe in longevity, not only for the senior minister but for staff,” Cook said. “My guys that are going to be taking over for me in the pulpit have been here 19 and 15 years. [They were] young guys [who came here] just out of college, who worked with us in a variety of ways through the years. We’ve kept changing their roles as they’ve grown and developed. “I tell my elders we want to recruit and keep quality people. Rehiring your youth minister every three years is a disaster. Over half of my staff are homegrown people who grew up in this church, have gone off and gotten their education, and come back. We know their strengths and weaknesses going in.” Cook attributes a large part of Greentree’s growth to an intentional focus on men. “You’ll never see a church die for lack of female involvement,” he said. “You’ll see a lot of churches die for lack of male involvement and leadership.” While Greentree has thriving ministries for women, youth, and children, the church’s focus is on drawing and keeping the men, even down to the choice of colors in the worship area. The church develops programs to attract men who wouldn’t normally volunteer for anything else. One example is the group Strong Backs & Weak Minds, which takes on projects when someone in the church or community needs help moving or with handyman-type jobs. Greentree develops leaders through an annual invitation-only class for men identified as potential leaders by the staff and elders. These men are trained and evaluated for a year before being moved into actual leadership roles. Cook and his staff have focused on multiplying membership through baptism and by attracting people who had given up on church. Growing the congregation by growing believers—rather than trying to take active members from other congregations—fits into Greentree’s overall focus on continuity. Cook is confident Greentree will continue its steady growth as he leaves the leadership in the hands of a pair of men who learned to lead by serving the church. “The key is to stick it out,” Cook said. “Work through your problems. This is a pretty harmonious congregation. My two younger ministers who are both 40 are going to co-minister. They’re very comfortable, and I’m comfortable with it.”  TR Robertson is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Missouri.

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a decentralized approach to church growth

MANCHESTER CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Manchester, NH

2018 Weekly Attendance: 3,634 Campuses: 4 (including online) 2018 Baptisms: 215 2018 Baptism Ratio: 6 Founded: 1962 Senior Pastor: Bo Chancey Church Website: www.manchesterchristian.com Facebook: /manchesterchristian Twitter and Instagram: @manchestercc_nh

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 03 by steve carr

The church must look different tomorrow than it does today. This is the conviction of Bo Chancey, senior pastor of Manchester Christian Church in New England. It is a fascinating observation, considering Manchester Christian, which now averages about 4,000 weekly, is already the largest Protestant church in New Hampshire, the second most dechurched region in America. Still, the church’s strategy relies upon continual risk-taking and nontraditional approaches to growth. Change is an essential part of Manchester Christian’s DNA. “Churches always change, because the church is people, and people are constantly changing,” Chancey observed. Manchester Christian’s focus is to have its members think outwardly. The church continues to promote a Pray for One initiative, which involves encouraging its people to stop at 6:03 a.m. and 6:03 p.m. each day to pray for New Hampshire and for one person they want to see find Jesus (the times for prayer are taken from the state’s area code). And each summer, the church hosts One Day of Community; it partners with the local minor league baseball affiliate to provide each student in the city with a backpack filled with school supplies. It’s a major carnival event—free food, games, and prizes—with the goal of showing compassion to several thousand individuals and families. Last year the church opened a new campus in the state’s capital. But instead of renting an existing space, Manchester Christian decided to partner with a local school. Concord Christian Academy had begun constructing a new auditorium but did not have the funds to complete it. The congregation raised money to build out the performing arts center and make it fully functional. The church uses the auditorium on Sunday mornings and the school has access to it at all other times. These examples reflect the church’s willingness to take risks and think outside the box, but this year the church will take an even bolder step. Chancey is leading the church to adopt decentralization, a concept he detailed in a book—Decentralized—released at the beginning of this year. Technology, he notes, has changed how we access information, so church expressions must shift from information dissemination to creating experiences that people can share with others. Chancey cites Manchester Christian’s embrace of online campuses as an example; it is an affordable and effective way to reach people with the gospel. Another example of decentralization is already reflected in the church’s staffing. People are attending services less frequently, which means fewer programs are required, and thus, smaller church staffs will become the norm. Manchester Christian has only 25 full-time employees, a number far smaller than many churches of similar size. Yet Chancey sees opportunity in this shift, suggesting that “smaller church staffs mean more money for other things, especially foreign missions.” This thinking is crucial not only for Manchester Christian, but for the American church ministering in a post-Christian culture. Chancey believes the decentralized church will grow fastest in the most irreligious places. “People who are done with religion are not necessarily done with Jesus,” he said. “Most of them are extremely open to relational connection with Jesus and are eager to experience that connection apart from the trappings of traditional religious expressions.”  Steve Carr is vice president of ministry development with CDF Capital. His thoughts on life and ministry can be found at houseofcarr.com.

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MANCHESTER CHRISTIAN CHURCH

MISSION CHURCH

SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

a wildf ire, a simple yes, and showing love to the community

MISSION CHURCH

Ventura, CA

2018 Weekly Attendance: 1,490 Growth in 2018: 17.4% Campuses: 1 2018 Baptisms: 111 2018 Baptism Ratio: 7.4 Founded: 2011 Senior Pastor: Mike Hickerson Church Website: www.missionventura.com Facebook: /missionventura Instagram: @missionventura

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 04 by justin horey

The moment that defined 2018 for Mission Church actually took place at the end of 2017. On December 4 of that year, the Thomas Fire started burning in Santa Paula, California, just 20 miles from Ventura, where Mission Church has been located since its founding in 2011. The wildfire burned with unusual speed, and lead pastor Mike Hickerson remembers watching the flames approach as he stood on the roof of his home that evening. The fire reached Ventura overnight and began destroying structures in the city. By the time the fire was fully contained on January 12, it had destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands of residents in Ventura and the surrounding communities. Prior to the Thomas Fire, Mission Church was already serving its neighbors in practical ways. For years, the congregation had offered unused space in its temporary home—a decommissioned multiplex movie theater known as the Century 16—as a warming shelter for homeless people during winter months. When the Thomas Fire displaced large numbers of Ventura’s residents, Hickerson said Mission Church’s history of agreeing to help—he calls them “simple yeses”—prepared the church to serve in a much bigger way. The day after the fire began, Mission Church said “yes” to being a distribution center of emergency supplies for families who had been evacuated or displaced. Neighbors donated essential items like soap, bottled water, toiletries, and clean clothes. Twelve of the unused theaters at Century 16 were filled with enormous amounts of inventory, and Mission Church distributed goods to people in need for two and one-half days before the American Red Cross arrived to set up its own distribution center. During that time, nearly 80 families received emergency supplies at Century 16. Mission Church staffed the impromptu distribution center with volunteers from the congregation who acted as personal shoppers to people and families who had immediate needs, helping them locate necessities in the enormous theater-turned-warehouse. “We became a lighthouse to the city during that time,” Hickerson said. When the immediate needs had been addressed, Mission Church invited other churches and local service organizations to form a Community Support Team that provided long-term help and support to people affected by the fire. Nearly 50 local organizations—more than half of them churches—joined that team. For three months following the fire, volunteer liaisons from the Community Support Team worked with schools to distribute more than $200,000 in gift cards and supplies donated for families in need. Though Mission Church never sought recognition for establishing or leading the Community Support Team, Hickerson said the congregation grew “in strength and in numbers” during 2018 as it served the victims of the Thomas Fire. Mission Church purchased its own facility in 2018—a 25,000-square-foot converted warehouse with visibility from California’s scenic Highway 101. The church is using that facility to meet as many community needs as possible. “Every church wants to be a help to their community,” Hickerson said, “and at Mission Church, help is a big deal to us. We’re continuing to say yes when our community needs us.” He believes it’s one important way Mission Church can show the love of Christ to people who don’t share his faith. “People might not agree with what we believe, but they know we will help.” 

Justin Horey is a writer, musician, and the founder of Livingstone Marketing. He lives in Southern California.

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mul tisite in a new light

REAL LIFE CHURCH

Valencia, CA

2018 Weekly Attendance: 5,729 Campuses: 4 (including online) 2018 Baptisms: 490 2018 Baptism Ratio: 8.5 Founded: 2000 Senior Pastor: Rusty George Church Website: www.reallifechurch.org Facebook: /reallifechurch Instagram: @reallifescv

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 05 by justin horey

The multisite model has been gaining momentum for years among large churches and megachurches nationwide. But when Real Life Church in Valencia, California, embraced the multisite model of ministry, it did so differently than many other churches. Real Life launched two new campuses in 2018, both in nontraditional ways: one campus was created through a merger/acquisition, and one campus was designed to reach people online. For more than a decade, Real Life Church had a close relationship with Discovery Church in nearby Simi Valley, California. Both churches were planted by Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch (another Los Angeles suburb), and both churches grew quickly, each earning a place on Christian Standard’s annual megachurch list in recent years. In 2017, Discovery Church found itself without a lead pastor. During that pastoral transition, Real Life often sent preachers, including lead pastor Rusty George, to fill the pulpit in Simi Valley. When George made an offhanded comment about joining the two churches so they could minister as one, the elders at Discovery Church responded positively and the merger was quickly implemented. Today, Discovery Church operates as one of Real Life’s four campuses, though it kept the Discovery Church name. By joining Real Life’s growing list of ministry sites, Discovery Church has been able to continue growing without experiencing the plateau that sometimes accompanies pastoral transitions. The Discovery campus has been a blessing to Real Life Church. “There is a lot of momentum between the two churches,” George said. Though the campuses are roughly 40 miles apart, many Discovery attendees are friends with (or family members of) attendees from Real Life, so some church members have begun alternating between campuses to worship with their loved ones. George describes the church’s other new campus, Real Life Church Online, as “a separate, legitimate campus,” not a simple live broadcast of worship services. The online campus features a live pastor who chats with online attendees, and Real Life’s preachers always make a point of addressing the online congregation from the pulpit—validating and legitimizing their worship experience. At Real Life’s online campus, George said, “People don’t just watch the service.” Instead, attendees interact with other online worshippers via live chat, they give tithes and offerings, they pray together, and they’re encouraged to take Communion. George said the online campus experienced a “huge influx” in 2018, and he expects it to be one of Real Life’s fastest-growing campuses in the years ahead. Real Life Church Online is an alternative to traditional Sunday worship for church members in the Los Angeles area who are unable to visit a physical site, but it also allows Real Life to reach people far from Southern California. In August 2018, one new believer traveled all the way from the United Kingdom to be baptized by George after hearing the gospel through Real Life Church Online. Thanks to its creative approach to multisite ministry, Real Life Church is continuing to grow in an area where property costs might otherwise prohibit the congregation from launching new campuses. Though its methods are sometimes unusual, the church’s mission is simple: Help people find and follow Jesus. 

Sadly, Real Life Church suffered a tragic loss just three weeks into 2019, when Jim Howard—a beloved pastor at RLC—took his own life. Howard’s death has drawn attention to the issue of mental health—both at the church and in the surrounding community. Real Life Church is now partnering with Rick and Kay Warren and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in seeking ways to minister to people who are depressed, suffering, and suicidal to provide help and care to those who need it most. (See more about this story at www.christianstandard.com/2019/02/church-coping-with-suicide.) C H RIS T I AN STA N DAR D

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reaching out to the community and the world

SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Louisville, KY

2018 weekly attendance: 25,940 Growth in 2018: 1,485 (6%) Campuses: 6 2018 Baptisms: 1,197 2018 Baptism Ratio: 4.6 Founded: 1962 Senior Pastor: Dave Stone Church Website: www.southeastchristian.org Facebook: /southeastchrist Twitter and Instagram: @southeastchrist

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SPOTLIGHT CHURCH 06 by andy rector

In 2018, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, experienced gains in many ways. “It truly was a year of growth,” said Dave Stone, senior pastor. Growth occurred in evangelism: “The majority of people who were baptized in 2018 were baptized by the person who led them to the Lord,” Stone said. Growth occurred with the facilities: Construction began on the Chapel in the Woods, only a quarter mile from the main campus. The chapel is designed for weddings, funerals, and worship. There also was numeric growth: “Our attendance grew more than any year in the past 16,” Stone said. “In fact, every campus grew, and all of this happened in spite of the fact that we didn’t start a new multisite campus in 2018.” All six campuses continued to reach out to their surrounding communities during the year. “Our people have a heart for service, and they are deeply involved throughout our region,” Stone said. People at each site helped their neighborhoods by mentoring students and building frames for houses—27 in total—for those in underserved areas. Southeast also continued its “Celebrate Christmas Together” program. “It is our gift to the community,” Stone said. “It’s free and has become a great encouragement and outreach for those who maybe can’t afford many Christmas activities. It is a nonthreatening and easy invite for our members to get co-workers and friends inside of Southeast.” Southeast satellite campuses continued to serve beyond their local communities by reaching out to the world. For example, all six campuses worked together to pack 1 million meals to help with famine relief in Africa. Southeast’s Elizabethtown, Kentucky, location, which opened in 2017, began last year by packing 44,000 meals. “Entire families can serve together,” said Michael Kast, campus pastor at E-town. “I love looking across the room and seeing moms, dads, and kids serving together, shoulder to shoulder. Even though the jobs were fairly simple, the food made a huge impact to those in need.” During July, Southeast’s lowest attendance month, the church rolled out “At the Movies,” a sermon series designed to make it easy for people to invite their friends to church. “It caught some real momentum,” Stone said. “It grew each week, as people who had never invited a person to church invited freely. Somehow, other than Easter, it became our highest attendance month of the year. God truly showed up and it gave us great momentum going into the fall.” And fall is when Stone announced he would pass the baton of leadership at Southeast to Kyle Idleman, which he did in March 2019. “He’s been given more and more leadership responsibilities and our members are excited for him to lead,” Stone said. Idleman said he feels both humbled and confident as he assumes his new role. “Beginning with my dad [Ken Idleman], and then Bob Russell and Dave Stone, I have had a frontrow seat to see leaders who walk in true humility and integrity,” he said. “I am especially grateful for the way Dave lives that out. Not everyone gets to follow someone they genuinely love and respect. I don’t take it for granted.” The handoff to Kyle Idleman has been “carefully planned for years,” Stone said. “The future looks brighter than ever for Southeast.”  Andy Rector is a writer and graphic designer from Louisville, Kentucky.

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CHANGING THE

SCORECARDS WHAT STATISTICS REALLY COUNT IN THE CHURCH? BAPTISMS? ATTENDANCE? OR SOMETHING MUCH MORE VITAL? BY JIM PUTMAN

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I have been in many meetings over the years with so-called “big dogs” in the American Christian world . . . and I have left these gatherings feeling very dissatisfied. These meetings often sound spiritual and may even come from good hearts, but they often leave me feeling like something big was missed. The purpose of meeting usually is good: How do we win people to Jesus? Most everyone acknowledges our culture is falling apart, that many Americans are leaving the faith and are becoming dechurched as a lifestyle or are outright saying they have absolutely no interest in Christianity. Meetings typically discuss ways of reaching large numbers of people in big settings (such as using great speakers, high-quality music, etc.). I sometimes question whether it’s my place to remind these leaders that most of America was already “converted” in this way and to look at where that has gotten us.

DISCIPLES, NOT JUST CONVERTS Trying to convert people was never Jesus’ goal, if by that you mean creating an environment where people are drawn emotionally to make a one-time decision based on promises to provide “Hell insurance” and a relationship with a God who will give them everything they always wanted (i.e., health and wealth). This kind of evangelism has served to create a group of people who look much the same as unbelievers—that is, a group that is just as addicted, depressed, divorced, etc. These kinds of Christians don’t live satisfying lives; they don’t live lives that are attractive to the lost. Our church (Real Life Ministries, Post Falls, Idaho) and network (The Relational Discipleship Network) does a Discipleshift miniconference with leaders from across America and around the world. We start by teaching the true mission of the church: to make disciples, not converts, of Jesus. We define what it is to be a mature disciple of Jesus. We ask these church leaders what percentage of people in their church are mature by

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this definition. The rather consistent answer is maybe 10 percent. We then observe that this means only 10 percent are experiencing the abundant life as Jesus would define it and sharing it with others. We have them determine the percentages of those who would be less mature, but growing, by the definitions we give them (and so on). These leaders typically say most of their adult attendees are spiritually immature . . . like infants or children. We typically conclude that about 70 percent of Christians are extremely immature, which means the world’s interactions with Christians are usually not very positive. The non-Christian sees the average “Christian” as self-centered, legalistic, or outright ignorant or rebellious to the Lord’s authority in their lives. Is it any wonder most unbelievers are disinterested in the One these people say they represent—Jesus? At the same time, is it any wonder those who are a part of the church are often hurt by those within it and decide to leave it (since most

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churchgoers are immature people who are defined by the world and shaped accordingly)? Some say they love Jesus but don’t like the church because “those people” do this or that ( just fill in the blank). Not only does it say something about the church of which they are a part—that it’s filled with immature spiritual brats—but the statement also exposes the speaker’s own spiritual immaturity and lack of understanding. It means they were not taught or do not believe that the church is God’s idea, for part of being in the church is to grow to love those who hurt you, just as Jesus modeled. The world often rejects the “wrong” Jesus because they haven’t seen the “real” Jesus through his body, the church.

I was talking with a church leader not long ago about a heartbreaking statistic. According to one study, more than 85 percent of children brought up in the church leave between the ages 18 and 24, most never to return. My counterpart quoted a new study that indicated many people actually return to the church later in life. I said it really doesn’t matter if the current study is true or not. A biblical worldview study by the same organization revealed that only a small percentage of believers answer basic essential doctrinal questions accurately. Only a very small percentage of those who say they go to church believe what the Bible says about tithing, sexuality, that Jesus is the only way to salvation, that the Bible contains absolute truth, that Hell is real, etc.

CONNECTED, NOT JUST CONSUMING Very few believers “do life” with other believers or share their faith. Thom S. Rainer has pointed out that only a small percentage of Christians will ever see someone come to Christ through their direct participation. Most Christians don’t share their faith, and at best, they simply invite someone to church so that their pastor can share his faith. Only a small percentage of Christians serve the church body; most are looking for a church that best fits their needs—they are consumers! The most recent studies show that if they do start attending a church, it’s only about once a month. So does it matter if they attend a church if they look no different from the world? Does it matter whether they are part of the 90 percent of Christians who lack any real maturity, or part of the 85 percent of kids who leave after high school, probably never to return? My point is this: Trying to create what has already been done—and which didn’t work—isn’t the answer. In

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our church and our Discipleshift conferences, we stress that if we correctly understand that we are called to make mature disciples, but we choose not to use the model for making disciples found in Scripture, we will fail. We cannot divorce the teachings of Jesus from the methods of Jesus and get the results of Jesus. Most people want to go to church rather than be a part of one. We claim we are too busy, so we try to figure out a shortcut, but it won’t work. It takes time to have relationships where people not only hear the message but see it lived out. It takes humility, vulnerability, transparency, accountability, and support to become mature. A newborn isn’t placed in his or her room and told where the fridge and the toilet are, etc., and then left alone to mature. Neither can we make a disciple by merely having a class; there is no way a weekly class that is 60 to 90 minutes in length can counter what our culture is doing every day.

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MEASURING MATURITY, NOT JUST BAPTISMS AND ATTENDANCE

THE WORLD OFTEN REJECTS THE ‘WRONG’ JESUS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN’T SEEN THE ‘REAL’ JESUS THROUGH HIS BODY, THE CHURCH.

So here is the bottom line: Merely counting how many people are baptized doesn’t tell you much. Merely counting the number of people sitting in chairs over a weekend doesn’t show you the whole picture. We need to change our scorecard because what we’ve been doing hasn’t gotten us very far. What if we properly defined maturity and created systems and relationships that helped combine what happens on a weekend, possibly by coupling church newbies and Christian neophytes with mature leaders and helping to build relationships for the purpose of making mature believers? What if we measured how many mature disciple makers were emerging instead of how many people attended a service on a weekend? If you start increasing the number of disciples who can make disciples, I think it would grow your numbers in weekend services and in small groups exponentially. It would mean you are releasing an army of spiritually mature believers on a community, rather than merely gathering a crowd of spectators. We could still measure baptisms and attendance, but it would be done differently. This approach would be better than someone accepting Christ because of a sermon. We would still rejoice and celebrate when a Christian shared their faith and a person is baptized. But we would also celebrate that a person accepted Christ in a relational way through a disciple rather than at a weekend service. We would celebrate people being invited by their friends who also shared their faith, and then invited them to their small group. We would celebrate the numbers of leaders emerging more heavily than just how many came. Again, I am not saying we wouldn’t count baptisms and attendance, but that we would also count other things. Yes, it’s great when 100 people come forward, but it would be much better if those 100 were met by mature, regular, everyday people who were ready to do life with them. That approach would lead to more believers, and more mature believers. 

Jim Putman founded and serves as senior pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. He is the author of Church Is a Team Sport, Real-Life Discipleship, and The Power of Together, and co-author of DiscipleShift. www.jimputman.com

@jimputmanRLM

/jimputmanRLM

multisite comes of age By Jim Tomberlin

When I started down the multisite path as a senior pastor in Colorado in the 1990s, multisite was a radical idea. In the first decade of the 21st century, multisite became the cool idea among large, cutting-edge churches. As it approaches the end of its third decade, multisite has become the mainstream idea for healthy, growing churches of all kinds and sizes. This movement is comprised of more than 5,000 denominational and nondenominational churches that gather in urban, suburban, and rural communities across North America. The multisite model—“one church in multiple locations under one leadership and budget”—has come of age. What began as a Band-Aid strategy for megachurches that were out of room or limited by zoning restrictions progressed through several identifiable stages. It quickly evolved into a growth strategy for healthy churches of all sizes. Stable but stuck churches found multisite to be a revitalization strategy that reenergized their base and leveraged their influence beyond the walls of their congregation. Increasingly it is becoming a rebirth strategy for struggling churches that merge with a multisite church. Nearly half of all multisite campuses have come about through a church merger.

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The multisite model has proven to be an effective vehicle for outreach, volunteer mobilization, leadership development, revitalization, and regional impact. Along the way, the multisite movement has changed the church landscape for good across North America in some very tangible ways by . . .

THOM RAINER C E O, L I F E WA Y C H R I S T I A N R E S O U R C E S

• refocusing on the “local” in local church • accommodating and accelerating growing churches • reinvigorating stable but stuck churches with a fresh vision and strategy • offering an alternative to abandoning or relocating church facilities • repurposing many antiquated church facilities • allowing churches to change at the edge without blowing up the church base • stimulating innovation and outside-the-box thinking • saving a lot of churches from extinction or irrelevance through mergers • creating a new staff role of campus pastor • producing a pipeline and bench for staff and leadership development • reducing the need for expensive and unsustainable megacampuses • bringing vibrant local churches back to rural and urban communities • stimulating more community awareness and collaboration between churches • igniting a new energy for church planting among local church leaders

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The multisite congregation is the single most profound change in American congregations in the past century.

game changer

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current snapshot Every multisite church has a unique “church-print.” There is no one-size-fits-all formula for carrying out multisite ministry, but some common practices and challenges have emerged over the past three decades:

sermon delivery

campus pastors

location

The multisite model began with megachurches using a video sermondelivery strategy. Videodelivered sermons will continue to be a preferred option for many multisite churches, but half of all multisite churches today deliver the sermons live and in-person through local campus pastors.

The hiring of a campus pastor is the most important decision for a church going multisite. Being a leader and “DNA carrier” of the sending church are the most important characteristics required of a campus pastor. The majority of campus pastors are hired from within the church.

Some well-known multisite churches have congregations hours away from the original campus, but most multisite campuses are within 30 minutes driving time of the sending location.

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facilities

Launch size

organizational structure Reproduction

Half of all multisite campuses start out portable but eventually rent existing 24/7 facilities or acquire a building through a church merger. Very few multisite churches buy land, build buildings, or purchase facilities.

The bigge r the core launch team, the better the outcome. The healthiest campus launches start with at least 200 committed volunteers.

Most multisite churches have not understood or embraced a multisite mindset, and this is why very few get beyond three geographical locations. They have not made the paradigm shift from monosite to multisite thinking and organizational structure. They are functioning like a monosite church with campuses instead of a multisite church of campuses.

Though multisite churches have been effective in reproducing campuses, most do not maximize the multiplication potential inherent in the model. Very few multisite churches reproduce campuses beyond the second generation. Not many have truly multiplied by birthing congregations that birth congregations.

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leading the way The multisite movement continues to evolve. Here is whatâ€™s on the horizon as this movement approaches its fourth decade.

Networks A small but growing number of multisite churches are going beyond reproducing one or two campuses to multiplying exponentially. These movement-making churches are creating networks and families of congregations by birthing campuses and planting churches. They have the strength of centralized and shared resourcing without the bureaucratic weight of traditional denominations.

Mergers Church mergers are becoming the new normal and might even begin to outpace the multisite movement. Once seen as a last resort or lose-lose option, church mergers have become a viable win-win opportunity for struggling and stuck churches, as well as strong churches. Denominational leaders are seeing these as favorable occasions to grow their strong churches and salvage their struggling ones through mergers with a multisite outcome.

Online Campuses The online church campus, which takes church to the neighborhood via the Internet, is a natural extension of the multisite model. Online campuses go beyond merely presenting a live-streaming video of a church service. People log on through their computers or smartphones, engage in worship, watch the sermon, interact with others, pray together, respond to invitations, give offerings, and are cared for by an Internet campus pastorâ€”all in real time. It is becoming the front door for people looking for a church and a side door for people wanting to stay engaged in their church.

Microsites A microsite is a microcosm church. These microchurches are a cross between a multisite campus and a house church. Microsites enable anyone to take church to the people anywhere, anytime, but with guidance and support of a sending church. Though the microsite idea is still embryonic, micrositing is another step forward in the multisite movement that will help churches reach more people better, faster, cheaper, and further. Just like the multisite movement, there will be various expressions of these missional small groups.

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Buildings are no longer the end game, but a means to the end of establishing church presence in a community. Multisite eliminates the need for big-box facilities or a main-campus mind-set. Starting portable will continue to be the primary campus launch strategy. Acquiring facilities through church mergers will grow exponentially across the church landscape. Buying land and building church facilities will still occur, but on a smaller scale. Going forward, new church buildings will be smaller, simpler, multipurpose, multivenue, and community-centric.

Succession Senior pastor succession has become a major issue as the tidal wave of aging baby boomers turn over the reins of their churches to the next generation. Multisite churches have a built-in pipeline of campus pastors who can be mentored, groomed, and prepared for succession by their senior pastor. Most new senior pastors of multisite churches will come from within the church. This can ensure a more seamless and less disruptive transition for local churches.

Matrix Organization Structure Birthing campuses isnâ€™t the most difficult part of multisite. More difficult is managing the intercampus relationships and restructuring organizationally to support a growing multisite church. Multisite churches that grow beyond three locations will go to a matrix-style organizational strategy. This involves a solid-line (authority) and dotted-line (influence) reporting structure between the campuses. This model lives in the tension of providing oversight and accountability while empowering site leaders to implement and contextualize.

Team Leadership Multisite churches will move away from a hierarchical, top-down, solo leadership model to a horizontal, team-based leadership model. These teams typically fall into three categories: a central leadership team that gives overall direction and oversight to the church, a central operations and ministry team that provides support and coaching to all the campuses, and campus teams that implement the vision at their locations. The challenge of multisiting is managing the tension between these three teams and balancing consistency with local contextualization.

Un-Multisite Many multisite churches will drop out of the multisite movement. Campuses will be dropped by churches either because the originating church was not healthy, got into it for the wrong reasons, or took the wrong approach. Many will un-multisite for legitimate reasons, but for every church that departs the multisite model, many more will embrace it.

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Facilities

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The multisite idea has come a long way in a short time. What began as a radical idea has spawned a movement of more than 5 million people attending thousands of multisite churches across North America. When I shared the multisite idea with my Colorado church board in 1997, members responded skeptically with comments like, “Jim, what have you been smoking?” (it was Colorado, after all!) and “Who would go to a church like that?” Today more than 6,000 people attend the church across five campuses. Multisite has come of age! 

Jim Tomberlin is founder and CEO of MultiSite Solutions, a company that has assisted hundreds of churches in multiplying their impact through intensive multisite, church merger, and multiplication consultation. (MultiSite Solutions recently merged with Tony Morgan and The Unstuck Group to expand its capacity to assist more churches.) During his four decades of ministry, Jim has pastored a church in Germany, grown a megachurch in Colorado, and pioneered the multisite strategy for Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Since 2005 he has been consulting and coaching churches in developing and implementing multi-congregation strategies. Jim is the author of 125 Tips for MultiSite Churches, Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work, and Church Locality: New Rules for Church Buildings in a Multisite, Church Planting and Giga-Church World. @MultiSiteGuy

@MergerGuru

@multisiteguy

www.multisitesolutions.com

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By David Dummitt