Why Study Comeback Churches

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(No Transcript)
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Why Study Comeback Churches?

• The statistics on churches are alarming
• Many churches are flat to declining

• We want to help churches come back after a
  decline

• Using biblical principles

• Learn from the
  experiences of others

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The Study Method

• The BIG question
• What principles from Comeback Churches could
  guide pastors and churches down the path of
  revitalization?

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The Study Method

• Examined 324 comeback churches
• That experienced renewed growth after a period of
  decline
• Increased membership and increased baptisms

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The Study Method

• Using surveys and phone interviews

• Criteria for a comeback church
• Experienced 5 years of plateau or decline since
  1995
• Followed by significant growth over the past 2 to
  5 years
• Membership to baptism (conversion) ratio of 351
• At least a 10 increase in attendance, per year

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Biblical Churches

• Scriptural authority
• Biblical leadership
• Preaching and teaching
• Ordinances
• Covenant community
• Mission

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Missional Churches

• Do what missionaries do, regardless of the
  context
• Study and learn language
• Become part of the culture
• Proclaim the good news
• Be the presence of Christ
• Contextualize biblical life and church for that
  culture

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Missional Churches

• Are incarnational
• Are indigenous
• Are intentional

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Spiritual Churches

• What are some barriers to spiritual growth?

• Self-focused leaders and churches
• Experiencing Gods discipline
• Lack of radical faith/reliance
• Doing instead of being the church
• Watering down the gospel/truth

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Spiritual Churches

• What are some barriers to spiritual growth?

• Distracted from our first love
• Ineffective disciple-making
• Irrelevant ministry
• PRIDE

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Dirty Bakers Dozen Churches

• Institutionalized
• Voluntary association
• Unintentional
• Us four and no more
• We cant compete
• Decently in order

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Dirty Bakers Dozen Churches

• Square peg in a round hole
• Time-warp
• Tidy
• My way or the highway
• Chaplaincy
• The company
• Play it safe

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Staging a Comeback

• The people have to be part of the turnaround -
  Acts 61-5

• Decide on a course of action
• Nehemiah 211-18
• Proactive leadership
• 1 Timothy 31

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Rising with Leadership

• Comeback leaders took the initiative for change
• Challenge excuses
• Pray Matthew 937-38 Regularly Passionately

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Rising with Leadership

• See the harvest Matthew 936-38
• Model evangelistic passion
• Share the ministry
• Make choices about how to invest your time

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Rising with Leadership

• Give away non-ministry tasks
• Use time intentionally
• Spend more time on people stuff
• Communicate a clear and compelling vision
• Comeback leaders multiply themselves

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Worship and Preaching Matter

• Comeback churches valued worship
• Identified their mood of worship as celebrative
  (96) and orderly (95)
• Discovered their passion for God and His mission
  by examining their worship

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Worship and Preaching Matter

• Comeback churches came in all different styles
• Generally more contemporary than traditional

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Evangelism Principles

• Our greatest motivation for evangelism is our own
  relationship with God
• Live like a messenger of God in this world
• Organize for evangelism using multiple methods
• It takes a whole church to win a community

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Evangelism Principles

• The whole church has to embrace the mandate for
  evangelism
• Create an environment in which spontaneous and
  planned evangelism can take place
• Recognize and purposefully plan for doors of
  entry to the church

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Connecting People

• People need community
• People need stability
• People need commitment
• People need discipling

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Connecting Through Small Groups

• Recognize and respond to a need for biblical
  unity and community
• Use the small group system to identify and train
  leaders
• Add, replace and start new classes or groups

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Connecting Through Small Groups

• Create more space to expand the number of small
  groups
• Move slowly deliberately in empowering small
  group leaders

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Top Three Factors
44.7
37.2
25.0
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Comeback Churches

• How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can Too
• By Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson
• Available everywhere in stores and the web

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• Questions?