Reaching Out – Part 2
Luke 19:10 Pastor Rex Deckard Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.
Twofold purpose of the Church’s existence
Worship and fellowship with God
Impact the world with the message and experience
3 Things to Compel Us
We believe that everybody does
We believe that everybody lives forever
Only Jesus knows what the other side truly holds, a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun.
Review
70-80% of American churches are in decline
Average church size in America is 79
There are about 3,000 churches closing each year in America, compared to about 1500 new churches opening
Tom Clegg in Lost in America, says,
“In the past fifty years, U.S. churches have failed to gain an additional 2 percent of the American population”
81% of U.S. churches are either plateaued or declining in attendance
18% of U.S. churches are growing primarily by transfer growth
1% of the churches are growing by conversion growth
100 years ago there were 27 churches per 10,000 people
Today there are only 11 churches per 10,000 people
The only thing the Church can provide that no one else has is a life-changing, practical encounter—and on-going relationship—with the living God and with people transformed by similar encounters”
Laws of Effective Outreach
To have an effective outreach, you must begin by creating an identity for Outreach.
Laws of Effective Outreach
To have an effective outreach, you must begin by creating an identity for Outreach.
Six Building Blocks of Identity
Mission Who we are
Community Who is around us
People Who we have to work with
Resources What do you have
Programs What are we doing
Image What do outsiders think of us
Mission
Creates foundation
Defines our heart and passion
Prioritizes our ministry offerings
Directs our resources
Focuses our goals
Community
Our geographics
What is our area of influence?
Our demographics
What does this area look like?
Our psychographics
What are the needs and interests of this area?
Demographics
The characteristics of a group of people as classified by sex, age, race, income, marital status and so on are its demographics.
Geographics
This data refers to the physical proximity of individual households in relation to your church’s location. Do you live in a densely populated area? Is there a major landmark nearby that draws people, such as a college? Are there any natural boundaries that separate sections of your community?
Psychographics
This type of data describes the values, attitudes and shared cultural experiences of the community members. Understanding these factors gives a broader feel for your community’s mindset. What are their everyday issues and concerns? What do people care about? Each group has distinct needs, hopes and fears.
EchoBoomers, Gen Y’ers – This group includes teens through young 20-somethings.
Busters, Generation X, Post Moderns – This group includes adults up to 40 years of age.
Baby Boomers – Currently the majority of Americans. This group is between 40 and 60 years old.
Builders – These are the oldest Americans. Generally, church is still an integral part of their lives.
In looking at Elders, Baby Boomers and Baby Busters, we’ve learned that faith matters. But how that faith is defined, classified and a part of everyday life differs from group to group.
Elders
Faith is the foundation of life. It builds character and provides perspective. It puts them in touch with family, community, friends and God. Elders, therefore, appreciate religious institutions as vehicles for facilitating the value derived from faith.
Boomers
Appreciate faith because it provides security. The traditions and structures may not work for Boomers, but the content of faith makes some sense. Boomers seek to absorb the “right information” and apply it to their daily battle for progress and supremacy. They’ll accept religious institutions as long as they produce more benefit than cost.
Busters
See faith as a framework for discovering important insights and developing lasting relationships. The institutions are irrelevant to them since their personal interest is in people, not trappings. For them, faith is a macrovalue, not an entire, independent dimension of life.
Build your outreach strategy to address the needs, hopes and fears of your audience. Listen to your community’s heartbeat.
For example…
They need. . . emotional support and relational connection, friends.
They hope. . . for financial advancement, security….
They fear. . . their kids will get involved with drugs, gangs or other negative influences.
People
Who are We?
What are our gifts and talents
What are our interests and skills?
Resources
Our facilities and assets
Programs
Are our current programs reaching inward or outward?
Image
Name
Logo
Signage
Brochures
Advertising
Communication
Building appearance
What does the neighborhood think when they think about us?
John Maxwell says,
“We’ll reach people when we chase souls as much as businesses chase dollars.”
The most welcoming place in a community is often the casino
The community makes its judgments about us based on what it sees
What do they see?
Our facilities
Our people
Our advertisements
Our activities
Law 2
We attract visitors by communicating our identity
Fact
Hollywood spends $8-12,000 per second on movies.
It’s a sin to bore people with the Word of God
Churches should be the most exciting places around!
Do we agonize over our songs, our services, our sermons? Do we plan and prepare?
Elements in a successful service
Anointing
Gifts of the Spirit (both visible and invisible)
Conviction
Sense of warmth and community
Joy
Faith
Desire and passion to worship
Central focus on Jesus Christ
Word of God is elevated
Things that bring these elements
Prayer
Mindset of the established congregation (what am I here for?)
Understanding of the church’s mission
Preparation and planning
Who, what, when, where?
Study, practice, set-up, organization
Working ‘outside the box’
Some things we do in a worship service
Singing
Testimonies
Dramas, skits
Preaching and teaching
Gifts of the Spirit
Prayer
Multi-media
Offerings and fundraising for the work of God
Services should have a constant flow of the Spirit through all of the elements of worship
We do not want a ‘yo-yo’ effect!
The “altar call” starts before church even begins
A typical service- passing the baton
Preparation in advance by preacher, teacher, singers, multi-media and worship leaders. Picking up the baton.
Prayer & pre-service music before scheduled starting time then takes the baton
Visitors are welcomed upon arrival by hostess and ushers
Musicians and praise singers take the baton, and begin prior to start time, to usher us into the kingdom of God
Worship leader takes the baton, and begins to lead church in singing with a twofold purpose- exalt the Lord and invite His presence, and minister to needs of people
Second worship leader takes the baton and leads the church in giving, testimonies, special songs or ministries (multi-media, drama)
Pastor takes the baton and leads the church in urgent prayer needs and ministering the Word of God Musicians take the baton into the closing altar service
Connecting People
Remember
“They are not the enemy- they have been taken captive by the enemy!”
The Visitor
For most of us it’s been a
long time since we put
ourselves in the place of a visitor. After a church becomes so familiar it’s hard to even remember how intimidating it can be to walk onto the campus of a new church.
“Am I early?” “Am I late?” “Will my children be comfortable and safe?” “Will I know what to do in the service?” “Will there be people here like me?”
While it is difficult to quantify, outreach experts believe that visitors may determine whether they will return to a church based on the experience they have in the first five minutes. This is before they hear the wonderful praise music, see the multi-media, or experience an anointed sermon.
Does anything stand in the way of guests having a positive experience at our church?
Direction Dilemma?
Approach our church from all possible directions. Are our signs clear and inviting? Is it easy to know where to park? Is there special parking for guests? Once you’ve parked, is it easy to find the entrance?
Kid Confusion?
A clean, safe, positive children’s experience can be the key to a family’s future involvement in your church. It’s essential to have clear direction on our policies regarding children. Some other questions to consider: How clearly are our instructions and classrooms identified? How are the children welcomed?
It’s important to communicate to a visitor where their children should go and when. Do the kids stay for the service, or go right to Sunday School? If they stay for the service, do they stay the entire time? What about babies—can they come to the service?
Great Greeters!
Does our greeter team represent different age groups & ethnicities? Are we positioned at every possible approach? Are we very knowledgeable about the various classes and resources of the church? Are we really focused on visitors, or are they just talking to their own friends as they arrive?
Visual Advantage
Our first impression of a church is often based on a visual assessment. Are there signs? Are they attractive and professional, or homemade and shabby? Are they purely informational or do they add to the visual identity of the church?
Is the lobby cluttered with old literature and miscellaneous junk, or is it attractive and inviting?
Information Station
What will someone’s impression be of our bulletin, brochures and information area? Often visitors arrive early and have lots of time to collect and evaluate our church’s brochures and other informational material.
Are these materials attractive and well written? Is the information designed to help visitors connect with ministries and future involvement? Are the contacts clear and current? Will guests know what to expect in the service?
