5 Ways Stealing Another Church's Ministry Model Will Cost You

Guest post by John Poitevent

If you're a church planter, pastor or ministry leader and you're not familiar with Will Mancini, I believe you would benefit greatly from checking out his work. After years of serving in the trenches of the local church, Will created Auxano, a first of its kind church consulting company. He considers himself a "clarity evangelist", and is dedicated to helping churches and ministries clearly define and communicate their vision in order to effectively fulfill their mission. A free visual summary of his book "Church Unique" is available here.

5 Ways Stealing Another Church's Ministry Model Will Cost You

From Will Mancini

1. Secondary Passion Every ministry model was originally designed to bring a deeply desired result or solve an emotionally disconcerting problem. The key dynamic here is the passion at the point of origination that “fuels” the model. If you utilize a model that you don’t develop, the enthusiasm behind it is often less. The passion is derivative and a generation removed from the model itself. Whoever is running Andy Stanley or Mike Breen’s model will not likely embody their passion.

2. Underutilized Strengths 
Every ministry model has strengths and limitations. So does your congregation. If you plug-n-play another model you probably won’t optimizing the unique strengths, assets, congregational heritage, leadership learnings and Spirit-led passions of your ministry. For example Andy Stanely’s three-step strategy or Mike Breen’s ideal size for a missional community have certain alignment features with local strengths.

3. Cultural Disconnect
Every ministry model is contextualized for some group of people. Within the model are core assumptions about people, embedded language and values about how to best engage and organize and teach and train and practice the myriad of one-another commands of Scripture. If you cut-n-paste a ministry model you risk a disconnect on all kinds of levels. Some might be big and obvious.

Others—and most of them—are small and nuanced. For example, when my friend Vince Antonucci planted a church on the Las Vegas strip, he could not rely on the “attractional pull” of  Andy Stanely’s worship service model or the “extended family” assumptions of Mike Breen’s model. Due to the overt sexuality on the Vegas strip and the skepticism of meeting in people’s homes, the primary environment for Verve Church is gender-based small groups that meet in public “third spaces.”

4. Less Satisfaction
It never ceases to amaze me how much people love designing their own ministry model. (When someone can show them how.) It’s more of a job than a joy when you are running someone else’s playbook. Every time. The bottom line is that photocopying another church’s model of ministry is much less enjoyable and exciting. There is a much deeper sense of “call satisfaction” and freedom to “be who you are” when you design your own. And progress is always an immediate result when you do. You don’t work for Andy Stanley or Mike Breen. You work for the same God that called them and led them to design their own model. God will do the same for you.

5. Faulty Measurement
Every ministry model, when operating well, will have clear input and outputs (means vs. ends). For example, Andy Stanley’s strategy has environment “inputs” and faith catalyst “outputs.” Mike Breen has ministry vehicle “inputs” and life shape “outputs.” Effective discipleship takes place when leaders are focused on the outputs in way that frees them to adjust the inputs. But when you borrow a ministry model, it is much easier to focus only on the inputs. The reason for this is twofold.

First, in the desire to get the same attendance results of the ministry being copied, there is more of a preoccupation of “the how.” Second, “the how” or the methodology itself is much more “concrete” and measurable that the output of the methodology. Hence we tend to measure how many people “attend” what we are doing than the results that are coming from the attendance. Model makers are not as inclined to disconnect the means verses the ends of their model. As one famous Christian educator said, “Beware of the ends-means inversion in ministry.”

How effective is your church website? (infographic)

Have you seen Mars Hill's Myspace page?

Guest post by John Poitevent

Alex Murashko:

Being successful online is not easy, says Biola University's director of innovation, Dave Bourgeois. When it comes to churches, having at least a minimal digital strategy has become crucial in expanding Christian outreach even locally within their own communities. 

It is for this reason that The Christian Post has come up with its first Top 5 Churches That Use Social Media Best list. With the help of DJ Chuang, founder of the resource ministry, Social Media Church, CP has picked five churches based on their successful use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms to build relationships with not only their own church members, but with active Internet users within the U.S. and internationally. 

"Digital technologies are changing and evolving constantly," writes Bourgeois, who is author of the recently released book, Ministry in the Digital Age - Strategies and best practices for a post-website world. "Websites that were once useful and efficient are now outdated (remember MySpace?). Even the logos and colors we use must keep up with the latest styles; what previously looked cutting edge may now convey the message that your ministry doesn't 'get it' anymore." 

In the introduction of his book, he adds, "If it is true, as Shane Hipps says, that Christianity is fundamentally a communication event, then it is imperative that Christians understand how to use the Internet well." 

Mars Hill Church, based in Seattle and led by Pastor Mark Driscoll made CP's list. Communications Director Justin Dean said that collectively, Mars Hill's social media channels are gaining about 6,000 new followers per week.

"Most of that is gained through people sharing our content with their friends, which puts us in front of new people who then follow us," Dean told CP. "They say content is king and we focus on creating good, valuable content that people will share."

He adds, "We pay a lot of attention to how people engage and interact with our posts. One example is that we recently started posting more images because we noticed that people will share an image 300 to 400 percent more than a post that is just text."

When looking at a church's Internet presence, included in Chuang's analysis are audience engagement, investment of resources, and the amount of social media participation by the church leaders.

Click here to see the Top 5 Churches That Use Social Media Best.

Does your church need help taking social media to the next level?  Consider taking part in Leadership Network's new "Beyond Digital" initiative.

The Beyond Digital Leadership Community brings together innovative church leaders who place a high strategic value on digital tools, tactics, and spaces for accomplishing their church’s mission. These are churches that have made a significant investment in “going digital”, but also recognize that having apps or an internet campus isn’t the extent of their digital reach. There is more to be discovered, much more.

Using the latest research, input, and models from digital strategists across multiple sectors, the Beyond Digital Leadership Community will explore key questions, opportunities, and obstacles related to “all things digital”, leveraging the group’s combined resources, experience, and expertise to develop new models and strategies that will multiply the impact of churches throughout the digital space. Church leaders will be challenged to bring their best technological minds alongside their deepest pastoral hearts to maximize the strength of a balanced, creative team. The result will be the deployment of the most innovative digital tools of our time for the accomplishment of the timeless mission of the Church.

To learn more visit Leadnet: Beyond Digital.

What Is Your Church Doing for Struggling Marriages?

Guest post by John Poitevent

In an informal study, Eric Swanson visited 100 church websites to see what they had to offer those looking for help with their marriage. You might be surprised at what he found, and you can read the whole article here: "What I learned about Marriage Ministry after looking at the Websites of Outreach’s 100 largest churches" But I want to be sure you catch his final insights in the closing paragraph. As a pastor, it opened my eyes to how the statistics can deceive us.

"Why don’t 36% of the largest churches in America have marriage ministries? I think it may have something to do with a recent blog post regarding the percentage of happily married couples (http://leadnet.org/blog/post/what_percentage_of_couples_are_happily_married). Most ministry leaders misinterpret the divorce statistic. Ringing in their ear is the statistic that “40-50% of marriages end in divorce.” That is true. So when those leaders see that only a handful of couples in their church ended their marriage this year, he or she concludes, “We are doing way better than the population at large…we only had 2% of our couples divorce. That’s way better than the 50% average…probably it’s because around here, we preach the Word.” What they don’t understand is that of the 60 million couples in the U.S. only 1.8% will divorce in any given year. That’s the stat to compare the church’s divorce rate to…not the 50% of marriages that end over the life of the marriage."

Prior to his current role as Leadership Community Director for Leadership Network, Eric Swanson served with Campus Crusade for Christ for 25 years. Eric is co-author of The Externally Focused Church (Group Publishing 2004). 

The Limping, Elevenish Recipients of the Great Commission

In concluding his Gospel with the Great Commission, Matthew describes the group that first received the charge ---notice the underlined words.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. Matthew 28:16-17

The number "eleven" grabs our attention. Eleven is incomplete. There weren't eleven tribes of Israel, there were twelve. And there weren't twelve Disciples, there were eleven. But Judas had betrayed the Lord and an explicit mention of eleven was an implicit reminder of the pain of someone leaving.

Frederick Dale Bruner commented, "The number eleven limps; it is not perfect like twelve. . . The church that Jesus sends into the world is fallible, 'elevenish,' imperfect."

Not only is the church "elevenish," some of the sheep are uncertain. Matthew includes the phrase, "but some doubted." It's hard to fathom: those physically present with the resurrected Christ still had questions. And, while it may be hard to fathom, it's not hard to believe, because we still have questions.

And so here we are today, 2000 years later, limping along, eleven of us, some have left the faith, and we are sometimes doubting, yet our gracious King has entrusted to us the Great Commission. It was never about the quality of the disciples, it was always about the greatness of the King who graciously includes us in His Kingdom work.

Chris Brauns is the Pastor of The Red Brick Church and the author of Unpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. You can follow him on Twitter at ChrisBrauns. 

Do you want to be part of a "noble" church?

This is a guest post from Chris Brauns.

Wouldn't you love for your church to be described by God's Word as "noble"? What church doesn't long to see people converted including those who with great influence?

In my book, When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search, I encourage churches looking for a pastor to follow the Bereans described in Acts 17:11-15. Notice that Luke writes that they "more noble." And because they were more noble, they had a tremendous influence in their culture which included the conversion of key leaders.

11 Now these Jews [the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

If you would like for church to be "more noble," then follow the Berean example in 5 areas:

1. Be Zeal-ously Teachable - Luke says they received the word "eagerly" or we might translate it "zealously." The Bereans showed up for church "early," on fire to be taught.
   
2. Be Word Centered - Of course, what the Bereans were zealous to receive was not Paul's slant on life. They were zoned in on God's Word.
   
3. Be Discerning - Only airheads believe everything (Proverbs 14:15). The Bereans didn't blindly follow Paul. They examined the Scriptures for themselves.
   
4. Be Diligent - The Bereans didn't show up every other week. They were in the Word daily. If your church is really going to be noble, then it is going to take a lot of hard work. How are you doing following through on your responsibilities at church?
   
5. Be expert crisis managers - Any time God's people move forward for him, there is conflict. In a fallen world, it is inevitable. Rather than being surprised by opposition, be like the Bereans who quickly made adjustments so that Paul could go on making a difference for Christ in Athens.
   

Why I am writing my next book for a niche market: It’s a resource for the most strategic decisions being made in the world

Another guest post from Chris Brauns.

In a fallen world, we should all be interested in forgiveness.  When I wrote, Unpacking Forgiveness, I knew that there was a very large potential audience.
Now, I am working on a manuscript with Moody that has the goal of being a Word-centered resource for churches looking for a pastor.  The working title is, When the Word leads Your Search.  This is by definition a limited market.  Chances are that most of you haven’t been dreaming that there would be something new for churches looking for a pastor.
Having said that, I think the most strategic decision in the world is the decision local churches make when they call a pastor.  I know that comment sounds “over the top.”  Here is my logic:

• 
  
  The church is as much God’s plan for this age as the ark was for Noah’s.  Sure, local churches are at times leaky vessels.  But, the church is the only boat God has in the water in this age.  Given that the church is God’s plan for this age, nothing is more important.
• 
  
  Local churches are led by pastor/elders.  (I believe the New Testament teaches a plurality of elders).  This being the case, whoever a local church calls as the teaching or lead pastor is the most strategic decision that church makes.  Week in, week out, this is who will be feeding the flock from the Word of God.

Know this.  If your church is currently making a decision about calling a pastor, this is one of the most important decisions being made in the world.  Nothing in the United Nations building or the Whitehouse is any more critical.

On the excuses that bricks make

A guest post from Chris Brauns

The point of 1 Peter 2:5a is that God makes bricks with a building in mind.

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house

If you’ve ever talked with a loose brick that isn’t part of a building, then you have probably heard some sort of excuse or explanation.

• I don’t have to be in a building to be a “brick.”
• I plan to get mortared into a building at some point.
• I am disillusioned with all the lop-sided and hypocritical bricks.
• I was a “brick” in a building, but the whole thing burned down, and I said, “never again.”

But, none of those excuses work, do they?  No brick was ever made with the dream that it would be laying out in the weeds.  Bricks are made with the dream of a building.
Read a longer version about why I call my blog, ‘A Brick in the Valley’

The Kingdom of God and the Fatherless

Guest post by Jason Kovacs

One of my prayers is that local churches and couples around the country would be so gripped by the Gospel that they would be compelled to care for the 145 million orphans in the world today. The potential is massive as the church is the only organization in the universe that has the the mandate and the resources through the Spirit to change the world for the fatherless.

Tim Keller recently wrote that the local church is "a pilot plant of the kingdom of God." That means the church is called by God to extend itself to the ends of the earth, literally bringing the kingdom of God to earth. Keller writes, "The church is to use its gifts and power to heal all the results of sin, spiritual, psychological, social, physical." I talk to churches every day around the country who are doing just that. It is inspiring. It is making a radical difference. It is beautifully biblical.

I have the privilege of working for an organization called ABBA Fund. It is our mission to provide financial assistance to Christian families adopting and to help local churches establish adoption funds. We also sponsor an annual conference focusing on our adoption in Christ and the implications on our care of orphans. If you are interested in learning more about how your church and individual families can live out God's heart for the fatherless here are a few resources:

• Together for Adoption Conference, Franklin, TN, Oct 2-3rd, 2009
• Financial assistance for adoption
• Church adoption funds
• Orphan Care Organizations
  
• Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches by Dr. Russell Moore