Missional Challenge

Best Posts of May 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 03:58:00 +0000

I've written 150 posts over the past 150 days. I love sharing what I'm learning - and I hope it challenges you to learn and grow as well. As you read and interact, feel free to leave your comments.

The Best of May

(as of May 31, 2012)

Most Viewed

1. 12 Month Process to Start New Churches (May 13, 2012)
If you are starting a church, I hope you won't rush to start worship services. Many church plants experience a premature birth because they try to start worshipping before they've laid a foundation of disciplemaking. Don't do that! Take the time over the next 12 months to...

2. Flossing Teeth and Making Disciples (May 8, 2012)
"If you had to choose between flossing your teeth and brushing your teeth, you should choose to floss." I was shocked. For years I had believed that brushing was better and flossing was optional. I was surprised to discover that I had been wrong for all these years....Yet what I'm discovering is that more important than going to church on Sunday, Jesus wants me to be making disciples.

3. This is Church Planting (May 28, 2012)
"Church Planting is like building an airplane in flight!" If you've never seen this video, it captures the experience of starting a new church. I've watched it dozens of times - and I show it at every training event for church planters.

4. Intentionality: Predetermine Your Level of Engagement (May 16, 2012)
I'd like you to consider your level of engagement with the mission of Jesus! How intentionally have you been engaged with Jesus' mission of making disciples who make disciples?

5. Disciplemaking: Start with One (May 5, 2012)
How are you making disciples? How are those in your church making disciples? It's necessary to identify a clear disciplemaking process that you will follow in making disciples. Using a simple process that is transferable to others will increase the likelihood that your disciples will also make disciples.

Today's Missional Challenge: Review the posts above and consider what action steps to take to align with the mission of Jesus!

10 More Great May Posts:
Funding Issues for Church Planters (May 2012)
Row Upon Row (May 2011)
A Boy's Tribute to His Dad (May 2010)
Native Churches (May 2009)
"Jesus Christ is Not a Weapon" (May 2008)
Ogne on Multiplication Movements (May 2008)
What Kind of Leaders Do You Want? (May 2008)
Extractionalism (May 2008)
Theological Priorities for Missional Engagement (May 2008) READ This!
Oral Review (May 2007)

5 Hints for Coaching Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:17:00 +0000

Coaching groups is a powerful means of helping people move toward their goal!

Recently, a coach asked me, "Do you have any hints for coaching groups?" As I reflected on her questions, here's what I came up with...

5 Hints for Coaching Groups

The COACH Model™

Connect - have everyone check in briefly as you begin

Outcome - with a task group, the result of the coaching conversation is often established by the person who initiated the group. With a ministry team or group, the outcome may be established in advance by the team leader. In almost every situation, there is only one common outcome for the coaching conversation.

Awareness - raising awareness may happen as the group individually responds to questions, or by a guided process where the coach is asking each person to reflect internally while one person shares their personal perspective. There is no right/wrong approach here. It's important to not become so narrow in this part of the model that the conversation is only benefiting one or two people.

Course - guide each group member to identify their specific action steps to move forward. Allowing them to verbalize 1-3 actions will build in peer accountability.

Highlights - just like asking for highlights in an individual coaching conversation reinforces learning, the group will together reinforce what's most important to them from the call.

accountability

Today's Missional Challenge: Consider how joining a coaching group could help you and those around you attain your goals!

For more information about joining a coaching group - contact me.

10 Ideas to Get Started as a Coach

The COACH Model for Christian Leaders

What I Love About Coaching

The DeVries Coaching Approach

How Will You Keep Growing as a Coach?

Puget Sound Multiplication Initiative: Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:07:00 +0000

“Reaching our nation

and the nations among us!”

The Puget Sound Multiplication Initiative (PSMI) is a collaborative effort of churches, denominations, mission agencies, networks, and non-profit organizations committed to partnering together with the whole Body of Christ to fuel the rapid multiplication of disciples and churches throughout the Puget Sound Region to complete the Great Commission.

Following aspects of the DAWN Strategy, we envision mobilizing the whole body of Christ in the whole region in a determined effort to complete the Great Commission by working towards the goal of providing an evangelical congregation for every town and neighborhood of every class, kind and condition of mankind.

Anticipated Outcomes…

Strategic partnerships established for starting new churches by multiplying disciplemakers.
A united regional prayer movement mobilized for citywide transformation.
A current, research-based picture of the harvest force/harvest field in this region.
Continued training and mobilization provided by an annual regional conference and ongoing neighborhood consultations.
Simple training available on disciplemaking, intercession, church planting, leadership development and coaching, church health, and missional living.
Every church is externally focused on reaching its surrounding neighborhood with the gospel.
The making of disciples of all peoples in the region.

Initiative Values…

God Dependency—we are Spirit led
Great Commission Motivation—we “go and make disciples”
Kingdom Partnership—we work with the whole Body of Christ
Cultural Engagement—we live authentically in our community
Multiplication Paradigms—we help healthy things reproduce
Ministry by Team—we value diverse gifts equally

Discovery and Research
A research project of evangelical churches and church planting activity throughout the Puget Sound Area. Both the harvest force and harvest field must be researched to discern what God is doing and what God is calling His Church to do to multiply disciples and churches all over the region.

Pray
Prayer is both fundamental and foundational to movements. Where prayers focus, power falls! A prayer movement must undergird our efforts. Not only will we establish a prayer base – but we will mobilize prayer teams, prayer networks, prayer vigils, prayer nights, prayer walks, etc!

Partner

We invite you to partner with us! We continue to ask the question: "What can we accomplish together that we couldn't do apart?" If you'd be interested in partnering with us, we invite you to begin by praying for your neighborhood and the people near you who are not followers of Jesus. Contact us to discover more ways to partner together.

Today's Missional Challenge: Consider how you can partner together with the PSMI - or churches in your area - to see a disciplemaking, reproducing church among all peoples!

Related Posts:
Ministering in a Multi-Cultural World
Washington State is 45th in Church Membership
Discipling a Whole Nation

This is Church Planting

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:46:00 +0000

"Church Planting is like

building an airplane in flight!"

If you've never seen this video, it captures the experience of starting a new church. I've watched it dozens of times - and I show it at every training event for church planters.

Watch the video here. Enjoy!

Today's Missional Challenge: Don't get discouraged as you make disciples who make disciples! Keep pressing on!

Related Posts:
Developing a Birth Plan to Start New Churches
7 Elements of Starting Churches
Cookie Jars and Church Planters
Training Disciplemaking Trainers
When to Start Worship Services

Church Planting Insight #1

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Mon, 28 May 2012 04:44:00 +0000

When starting a church over twenty years ago, if I was told this one time, I was told it ten times:

"Those you start the church with

are not those you will grow the church with."

When I first heard it I immediately dismissed it.

Teichert's + Phillipps' + DeVries' + Jones' + Johnson's
Key couples who joined us early in starting Lake Hills.

I thought to myself, "You don't know the people that are part of our core team."

I also thought, "We are different. We are unique. We are committed to this together!"

I am so grateful for the families who joined us in the early pre-launch phase of starting our church. We couldn't have started without Karl and Jenny Teichert, Todd and Diane Brooks, Mike and Val Davis, Tom and Jeanette Sheehan, Steve and Christine Jones, Ellen Smith, and a bunch of college students.

Yet as I think back about the early years of our church, many of those families were there for less than two years. I expected them to stay much longer. A few moved out of the area. A few went back to the church where we had met them. And some of them stayed with us!

As I reflect back on the experience of these "core families" leaving, from a relational standpoint, I wish they would have stayed with us. And yet, from a ministry standpoint, I realize that it was best for some of them to move on.

In the early weeks and months of starting a church, it's natural to invite Christian friends to join you in the adventure. Each of them comes with their own expectations of what the new church will be like. Those expectations are built over time based on their previous church experience.

There is no way that a new church will ever succeed in meeting all the expectations of core team families. You can't do it. And frankly, you ought to give up trying.

Don't plant the church everyone else wants planted - plant the church God is calling you to plant!

In retrospect, I'm still grateful for the contributions those families made as we started Lake Hills Church. I only regret that I didn't fully understand (and accept) the truth of those who had gone before me when they said: Those you start the church with are not those you will grow the church with.

Trusting the insights of other church planters in this area may have saved me from holding on to people too long.

Also - don't be surprised by issues of agenda disharmony. In fact the first church in Jerusalem experienced several issues of agenda disharmony in its early years of development. In Acts 6, the issue was clearly a result of the expectations of a number of church members.

As I work with church planters today, I strongly encourage them not to refer to those who are joining them in planting a church as their "core group." Instead, refer to them as a Launch Team. Here's three reasons I recommend this:

1. If a Launch Team member leaves, it's less emotionally destabilizing. People don't over-react to a "core" family leaving in the same way they react to a "launch team" member leaving.

2. It's natural for people to move on. You can actually help people to anticipate this by explaining, "Our launch team is here to help us get launched. Many of them will likely move on at some time or another. Let's be grateful to them for helping us get launched."

3. A "core group" member may expect that they will continue in a position of leadership. Inviting them to join a Launch Team that is disbanded after launching disciplemaking groups or public worship will reduce this expectation. It will also allow you to select church leaders based on evidence of biblical qualifications rather than any sense of entitilement associated with being an early member of your team. (see Developing Elders in a Church Plant)

Today's Missional Challenge: Whether starting a church or engaging in missional activity, trust the insights of those who have gone before you! Don't expect everyone to stay with you!

Related Posts:
Church Planting, In-N-Out Burger and Peer Coaching
Lessons I Learned Planting Lake Hills Church
we're not like the church you don't want to go to

Memorial Day: Grief for Life Sacrificed

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sun, 27 May 2012 06:52:00 +0000

Last month as I was flying home from a training event, I had a layover in Chicago.

As I walked from one terminal to the next, I saw a crowd of people gathered at the windows looking outward. As I turned my gaze to the windows, I saw numerous emergency workers gathered in a line facing an airplane. I also saw several airline employees gathered together and military personnel.

I didn't quite understand what was going on at first. And then, as we all watched in silence, a casket covered with an American flag was unloaded off the plane and carried by the military personnel to an awaiting vehicle.

I was flooded with emotion as I watched. I wondered how he or she had died. I felt my heart fill with gratitude for those who serve our country. I felt grief for this life that was sacrificed.

I still don't know the story of this life that had ended.

Today I was present at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for the wedding of Second Lieutenant Andrew Risse. I've known Andrew and his parents for over 18 years. Andrew graduated from the Academy on Wednesday and is committed to serving our country!

I am grateful for Andrew's commitment and the commitment of those who serve so faithfully!

Today's Missional Challenge: Thank God for those who have given their lives in service to our country - and for those who serve so faithfully!

Related Post:
Row Upon Row

Serving Like Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:57:00 +0000

"One of the truest tests of being a servant is

how we respond when we are treated like one."

Wayne Cordeiro

There's a lot of emphasis on servant leadership. We can lead by serving.

CBC College Students serving together!

The challenge of course is that we are truly committed to being servants. I wonder if we should talk more about being lead servants, rather than servant leaders.

Are you willing to sign up to be the lead servant

in your community or neighborhood?

As we follow Jesus and attempt to "be Jesus" to others - we must be not only willing to serve, but we must serve. We must be servants. We must be the lead servants in our neighborhoods!

Today's Missional Challenge: Don't just be willing to serve - actually find someone in need and serve them!

Related Posts:
4 Ways to Show Outsiders You Care
Starting Churches Through Community Service
On Mission: Venture Church

Missional Living: Lesson #19

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:11:00 +0000

In my book Six Words Lessons to Discover Missional Living, there are 100 simple lessons to help you live on mission with Jesus!

Lesson #19:

Leaders must be accountable for disciplemaking.

You've heard the adage, "Speed of the leader, speed of the team."

Ask your spiritual leaders who they are influencing to follow Jesus. Don't assume they are building relationships with lost people.

When pastors and leaders are not personally making disciples, Christ's church is in danger. (p 40)

Recently I wrote a post stating that the Pastor's Job is to be the Lead Disciplemaker. If the pastors and elders are not making disciples, it's likely that the church is not making disciples.

As I train church planters, I continually emphasize the reality that to become a leader in a church, there needs to be evidence first indicating that a potential leader is maturing in Christ, living on mission, and making disciples. Every believer should be doing these three things. Why would you select someone to serve as a leader who wasn't doing what you expect every believer to be doing? This doesn't make sense.

You might say, "He should be a leader because God has called him to lead." It's tough to argue with someone who says, "God called me to lead." And it may be true that God has called that person to lead. However, the timing of entering into a position of leadership should only come after he has demonstrated that he is maturing in Christ, living on mission, and making disciples.

Don't elevate anyone to lead who isn't obeying God's Word (that's evidence of maturing).

Don't elevate someone to lead who isn't building friendships with those who don't know Christ and seeking to meet needs in their neighborhood (that's evidence of missional living).

Don't elevate someone to lead who hasn't already made disciples who have made disciples (that's evidence that they are making disciples).

If someone is in a position of leadership, they must be accountable for disciplemaking. That's what Jesus sent His followers to do. Don't follow leaders who are disobeying Jesus!

Today's Missional Challenge: Hold your leaders accountable for making disciples who make disciples.

Related Posts:
Developing Elders in a Church Plant
How's Your Church Making Disciples?
Teaching Them to Obey Everything
Pastors Don't Know HOW to Make Disciples
The Key: Obedient Christians

Being a Missionary Starts Where You Are!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I really want to help Christians understand this. I want to help them to live on mission with Jesus right where they are. You don't have to go overseers to be a missionary. You can live as a "sent one" in your neighborhood.

You can imagine how surprised I was yesterday to hear about an 8 year old girl who really understands this! Here's what happened...

Maribel always greets me with a smile and tells me she is so happy to see me again. She serves in the cafe at the Indian Wells Resort where we hold our annual Missionary Church Western District Conference. I think I first met her six years ago in 2006 when the conference location moved to the desert.

One of the things I appreciate about Maribel is her genuine heart to serve others. And also her love for Jesus. If you ever meet her, you will see the same thing!

Yesterday, as my friend Phil Graf and I were reconnecting in the cafe, Maribel came to say goodbye to me. I introduced her to Phil a little earlier and explained that we were both missionaries. She was curious about where Phil had lived overseas. And then she told us...

"My daughter wants to be a missionary!"

Of course Phil and I were very excited to hear that her 8 year old daughter was wanting to be a missionary somewhere overseas. As we started to speak - Maribel cut us off and said,

"No. She doesn't want to be a missionary overseas. She wants to be a missionary in our neighborhood."

Phil and I started to get even more excited. This eight year old bi-lingual girl recognized that she was called to be a missionary right where she lived.

As I reflected on this important understanding that she had of being a missionary where you are, I wondered why it seems so hard for Christians to grasp this reality that they've been sent as missionaries with the power of the gospel to those in the culture around them.

Today's Missional Challenge: Think and Act like a Missionary - right where you are!

Related Posts:
Missional Thinking
Neighborhoods
God is a Missionary God
Living a Missionary Life
Phil Graf on Missionary Life
Become a Missionalist
The Greatest Missionary Ever
It's About Being Sent
Missionary by Its Very Nature
Like a Missionary

Growing as a Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:57:00 +0000

Guest Post by Karl Teichert

My growth as a leader has been an enriching process. It has been an ongoing learning experience, which has deepened my dependence on Christ and strengthened my relationship with others. Here are three areas that highlight my development as a leader for God’s glory.

1. Life-long Learning

Leadership development is about perspective. It is having an awareness that I am uniquely designed by God and He is developing me over my lifetime for His purpose. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, “For you are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus forgood works.” Effective leadership formation is growing in the perspective that God is actively developing me throughout my life and cooperating with Him in that development.

...I am uniquely designed by God and He is developing me

over my lifetime for His purpose.

Dr. J Robert (Bobby) Clinton has been a personal friend and mentor for many years. He helped me to reflect on God’s sovereign work in each season of my life and identify His divine intentions for me. Leadership development is appreciating the past, learning through the present, and preparing for the future. I have grown as a leader as I recognize God’s shaping and pursued open doors in line with a growing sense of His calling. I have learned from each experience in preparation for future opportunities. God used every season of my life to deepen my dependence on Him, develop Christ-like character, and equip me for the next challenge.

Having been a former Electrical Engineer, I like formulas. Even though life is not a formula, Bobby Clinton gave me a simple equation that I have modified which has helped me understand leadership development:

Leadership development =

(Word x Opportunity x Response) Lifetime

This means that leadership development is the process of being in the Word of God, taking advantage of strategic ministry opportunities, and learning from my responses over my lifetime. These are the elements that have guided my growth as a leader.

The Apostle Paul exhorted his mentoree Timothy in II Timothy 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” This verse has motivated me to fully utilize and develop the gifts, talents, time and resources God has given me as a leader. He wants to produce greater fruit through me for His glory, so I need to continually focus my ministry in line with His gifting and calling.

I am grateful that OC International values life-long development and I was given the opportunity to pursue my seminary studies while in ministry. It wasn’t easy to balance family, ministry and studies at times, but it enlarged my understanding of ministry and leadership. I have appreciated the opportunity to learn through reading, interacting with others from different contexts and reflecting through various writing projects.

2. Being Precedes Doing

What I do needs to flow from who I am. This has been another valuable leadership principal that I received from Bobby Clinton. All that I do as a leader must be founded upon and operate out of an intimate growing relationship with the Trinity. This is cultivated by listening to God’s voice through regular, quality time in the Word, meditation and prayer.

What I do needs to flow from who I am...

Over the years, I have grown in my relationship with God as my Heavenly Father. For a long time, I have known God as my Savior and Lord, but through recent life and leadership challenges, I have come to appreciate a closer Father-son relationship with Him. This has brought greater security in His love and strengthened my faith to trust Him more. As a leader, I can rest in His constant presence, abundant grace and personal love in every situation. It is ultimately His pleasure and glory that drives me.

I have developed a Rule of Life to help strengthen my abiding relationship with the Lord. A Rule of Life is an intentional pattern of spiritual disciplines that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness. It has helped establish a rhythm, which is helpful for being formed by the Spirit, a rhythm that reflects my love for God and respect for how he has been forming me. I have tried to practice spiritual disciplines on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. These include time in the Word, prayer, fasting, meditation, reflection, repentance, worship and journaling.

There are also intentional goals to strengthen my relationships with my wife, my children and others. Weekly Sabbaths and one-day spiritual retreats every quarter have been ways for me to practice the rhythm of solitude, reflection, prayer and renewal of my being in Christ. As I have practiced my Rule of Life, this has helped me evaluate and refocus my life and leadership to keep in step with God’s purposes.

3. Mentoring Relationships

Cultivating a circle of mentoring relationships  has also developed my life and leadership.  Hebrews 13:7-8 states, “Remember your  leaders, who spoke the Word to you. Consider  the outcome of their way of life and imitate their  faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and  today and forever.” We are called to learn from  other godly men and women as they follow  Christ.

Bobby Clinton encouraged me to  develop a constellation of mentoring  relationships for my growth and the growth of  others. These include upward mentors, who  have proven character and experience.  Another dimension is peer mentors, both in and  outside my team where we can learn together  in life and ministry. The last area is downward  mentors, comprised of emerging leaders that  are committed to growing together. I have been  challenged and encouraged to grow in the Lord,  family, ministry, and personally through each of  these mentoring relationships. I have received insights and advice from others at all levels.

I have grown in every area of life over the years through the ongoing pursuit of mutual learning relationships. I have been stretched and strengthened through these open and honest mentoring interactions. The dynamics of each relationship has changed with each season of life and ministry. Some of my mentors have included my wife, children, youth leaders, pastors, professors, and OC colleagues. Several Biblical leaders have been models for me in leadership formation. These are Moses, Joseph, Paul and of course, Jesus Christ. I am deeply grateful to the Lord for the mature and experienced mentors that I have enjoyed over the years.

Karl Teichert is the Field Director for the South Africa Regional Team and has been serving with One Challenge International since 1997. Together we planted a church in Southern California in 1990. I am grateful for his influence on my development as a leader! He has been a friend and peer mentor in my life.

Today's Missional Challenge: Commit yourself to life-long learning. Identify the mentoring relationships (upward, peer, and downward) in your life.

Related Posts:
Facing the Leadership Challenge
Be a Life-Long Learner
Finishing Well

Parenting Behaviors: Talk and Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:46:00 +0000

I love my kids! I am proud of my kids. They both have worked so hard to attain their goals. This week my son graduates from The Juilliard School. Next month my daughter completes her formal ballet training and will be moving to Germany in August to apprentice with the Dresden Ballet.

If you and I were to sit down over a cup of coffee -- it wouldn't take long until I started talking about my kids. I am always talking about my kids.

And I'm always praying for my kids. My wife and I are constantly lifting up their needs before the Lord. We pray for them - and we pray with them. It's not uncommon for each of them to phone or text when facing a crisis or difficult situation. Almost every time we will pray with them. It's what we do!

We talk a lot about our kids!

We pray a lot for our kids!

If you are a church leader or pastor, I hope that you are doing the same thing in a spiritual sense.

Two Parenting Behaviors: Talk and Pray

I want to encourage you to talk about the disciples you are making and the churches you are parenting. Talk about your kids! Tell others what they are doing - the challenges they are facing - the victories they are overcoming. Celebrate their success. Share their stories. Let everyone know what God is doing in them and through them. Talk - talk - talk!

But don't just talk about them - pray for them. Pray personally for your disciples and for daughter churches/church planters. Know their needs and pray for their needs. (If you don't know how to pray for them, just ask them. They will tell you.)

Yet also pray for them when you are with other Christians. Pray for your disciples and for church plants when you meet in your small group or Missional Community. Pray in your worship services. Pray in leadership meetings. Pray as a family. Pray as elders. Pray - pray - pray!

That's what spiritual parents do! They talk and pray!

Tomorrow I'm meeting with a bunch of church planters from the Missionary Church Western District. I am so proud of them. To me, they are heroes. They've been working so hard and sacrificing so much to join God in His mission in their communities. I can't wait to hear more of their stories - and to pray with them!

I put together a 7 minute video as my report to the Western District Conference 2012. Take the time to watch the video - and then pray for church planters! (watch video)

Today's Missional Challenge: Talk about what God is doing in new churches - and pray for them!

Related Posts:
A Village Community - From Darkness to Light
Pray for Church Planters and Their Marriages
Catch the Luke 10:2b Virus

CMTC - 20 Years!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Mon, 21 May 2012 06:49:00 +0000

When I planted a church in 1990, there wasn't a Church Planters Bootcamp training available. It wasn't until October 1992 that the Church Multiplication Training Center launched the first Bootcamp for church planters held in Estes Park, Colorado.

Bill Malick, then director of Church Planting for the Missionary Church Western District, consulted with Bob Logan and Steve Ogne, and others including Mike Livingston, MCWD Superintendent, concerning the need for a training program for church planters.

There were 35 people representing 12 new church plants from 7 denominations who attended that first Bootcamp training. From one Bootcamp in 1992, the CMTC has now trained over 5,000 church planting projects for and with over 100 denominations. The training materials have been presented in English, Spanish and Korean languages.

The original training curriculum emphasized preparing to launch services as the starting point. The new curriculum emphasizes starting churches by first making and baptizing disciples. For the past twenty years, the CMTC has faithfully trained church planting teams, parent churches and even churches starting over to be focused on reaching unreached people. This continues today!

Watch this video celebrating the history and ongoing vision of the Church Multiplication Training Center.

Today's Missional Challenge: Don't start churches to make disciples. Start churches by making disciples!

Disciple-Focused Church Planting Training

12 Month Process to Start New Churches

LTR: Launch Team Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:52:00 +0000

How can church planters help those who want to join in planting a church to get on the same page?

Consider Getting Away to Get it Together!

Recently, I've had this conversation with several different church planters. Most of them are not ready to launch a formal membership class. Yet they are eager to gain "buy-in" and ownership of the mission, vision and values.

A few years ago, my friend Steve Ogne and I facilitated a Launch Team Retreat (LTR) for a church planting team that was getting started in Riverside, California. Since then, the church has launched and continues to work toward accomplishing its vision.

LTR Objectives

Build Relationships
Understand Our Mission
Seek God’s Blessing
Focus Our Plans

LTR Sessions

Ministry Focus Group – who will we reach?
Gathering and Simple Evangelism – how will we reach?
Raising Leaders – how will we raise leaders?
Mobilizing Teams – how will we organize for mission?
Ministry Flow Chart – what are the essential ministries?
Prayer – how will we mobilize prayer?

If you'd be interested, Steve and I would love to help you facilitate an excellent Launch Team Retreat. Contact Steve at www.steveogne.org for more information.

Today's Missional Challenge: Take steps to intentionally help your missional team to own the focus of your ministry.

Related Posts:
When to Start Worship Services
Who are You Called to Reach?
Developing Your Launch Team
The Multiplication Cycle™
Developing a Missional Team

Funding Issues for Church Planters

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:59:00 +0000

The more financial pressures placed on a church planter, the greater the pressure will be to attract “church people” to join the new church so that the giving base will grow.

This will negatively impact the new church’s ability to connect with unreached people. It may result in new churches that become dependent on programs to meet the needs of Christians, rather than focusing on missional activities that connect with lost people.

Today's Missional Challenge: Consider the ministry implications resulting from minimal funding. How will you keep focused on making disciples?

Related Posts:
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Church?
When to Start Worship Services
Movements of a Different Kind

Learning from Pastors in India!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:00 +0000

God is doing amazing things in India! In December of 2009, I had the privilege of traveling to Durg, India to train leaders of a church planting movement with Roland Niednagel and Keith Webb. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience.

Our Purpose:
The purpose of the trip was to train leaders of Empart’s church planting movement in Northern India. Empart’s mission is to start 100,000 churches in Northern India by 2030. Each year the leaders of the movement gather together for ongoing training and development. (check out www.empart.org).

My Main Activities:
My focus over 7 days included two training opportunities:

To partner with Roland Niednagel to teach “Luke on Leadership” – lessons from the life of Jesus from Luke’s Gospel.
To partner with Keith Webb to train them to develop their Coaching Skills. We started teaching at 9am each morning and concluded by 6pm.

My Key Learnings:

1) Everything can be simplified. By working hard to synthesize Roland’s key learnings, I was able to make the lessons simple to remember. With the coach training materials, the manuals were not ready and there was no video projector to utilize the powerpoint presentations. Coupled with translation challenges, it required the training to be simplified. By simplifying the training materials and methods, it caused us to focus on the essentials.

Additionally, I also saw how the pastors lived simplified lives. I was challenged that I can live more simply. I can travel with less. I can focus on the essential things I need and eliminate the excess.

Pastors Sharing from their SOAP Journals

Finally, the SOAP Journaling was a very simple approach to train the pastors to feed themselves spiritually. This enabled them to focus on the essential learning from the passage they read each day.

2) The pastors really sacrifice. I have so much and I am so thankful for what I have. Yet I saw these pastors sacrificing in so many ways. I was especially impacted by Pastor Victor, who was beaten and in the hospital for a month for being a Christian. He had such joy and so appreciated our prayers for him. Thinking of the two pastors who were killed in Rajasanth and two others who died that month was a sober reminder of the dangers they face.

3) Worship lifts their souls. I loved listening to them sing – they sang loud and with full hearts. It was overwhelming. As they continued on and on, their joy and volume grew. It was powerful. It was obvious that worshipping God lifted them to a higher place, above the stress and oppression and challenges of their present realities.

4) They are so eager to learn. Even without the manuals, they took extensive notes and tried to learn all that was being taught. I’m curious how they applied these learngings. We challenged them not only to pass it on, but we also gave them time to coach one another to consider an action plan for passing it on to the pastors in their region.

5) My vision is too small. Every one of these pastors has the vision in mind – 100,000 churches by 2030. And they each see their part – 5,000 in Nepal by 2030, 5,000 in Chattasgarh in 2 more years. Pastor Biju has seen 130 churches planted in the past 3 years. They have incredible vision and they’ve got a commitment to training leaders to see it happen. They have 14 training centers now, and more starting every year.

Dave with Pastor Biju

So what is my vision? Whatever it is, it is way too small.

6) Experience and discovery are powerful. Especially watching Keith, I saw firsthand the value of allowing the pastors to experience and discover the concepts and skills that we were teaching through stories, demonstrations, games, etc. Together these activities helped them to understand the big ideas. I’m committed to learning how to do this better as I train missional leaders and church planters.

Today's Missional Challenge: Learn from pastors in India! Consider how to apply these lessons to your life!

Related Posts:
Pray for Roland Niednagel's Recovery
Being Jesus to Lepers
Engaging Indian Culture
Multiplication Movements in Southern India
Ogne on Multiplication Movements

Intentionality: Predetermine Your Level of Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:35:00 +0000

A few years ago I attended a workshop here in Seattle on interactive training offered by Leif Hansen of Spark Interaction.

The day was fantastic and I learned a lot about helping participants to be fully engaged. Even the simplest of exercises including a debrief for shared learnings and awareness.

Ask Yourself: How Engaged Do I Intend to Be?

One of the best tools that impacted me personally was a profound reflection tool that was handed out near the start of the day. It was adapted from Flawless Consulting by Peter Block (amazon affiliate link). I've modified it a little and used it in a training environment.

I have to admit that I was surprised by the results. The impact of this tool is in the way that it helps people to predetermine their level of engagement with the training process at the start of a training event.

I will share the reflection questions below. But first I want you to consider the ramifications of leading participants to predetermine their personal engagement. By asking them to reflect on their intention as the training begins, it automatically increases their awareness and expectation for the day. Rather than coasting into a workshop or seminar with their mind in neutral, these questions actually can move a person to a higher level of commitment to engage.

I'm not going to promise you instant positive results with every participant. Yet I found when I was asked to gauge my intention to engage at the start of Leif's training, I consciously chose to notch it up a level. And when I've used a similar process in my training, participants have told me that they chose to put out more effort throughout the day than they had originally anticipated simply because they had been asked to determine their level of engagement.

_____________________________________________________

Your Intention and Plan

for this [Event Name]

Question 1– How valuable an experience do you plan to have in this event – not what kind of experience you want, but what kind you plan to have?

0…………………………………………………………………………..7

Not very valuable Very Valuable

Question 2– How engaged and active do you plan to be?

0…………………………………………………………………………..7

Unengaged/inactive Very Engaged/Active

Question 3– How much risk are you willing to take as you engage in this event?

0…………………………………………………………………………..7

Little or no risk High level of risk

Question 4– How invested are you in the quality of the experience of those around you? What is your level of concern about the well-being of the entire group?

0…………………………………………………………………………..7

Little or no concern High concern

_____________________________________________________

So now I'd like you to consider your level of engagement with the mission of Jesus! How intentionally have you been engaged with Jesus' mission of making disciples who make disciples?

Why not ask the questions above with regard to your intention and plan to be actively making disciples who make disciples?

Your Intention and Plan for Making Disciples

How valuable an experience do you plan to have as you make disciples?

How engaged and active do you plan to be in making disciples this week?

How much risk are you willing to take as you engage in making disciples?

How invested are you in the quality of the disciplemaking of those around you?

What is your level of concern about the well-being and engagement in Jesus' mission of your entire group?

Maybe you could discuss these questions with your small group or Bible Study group this week.

Maybe you could incorporate these questions into your weekly small group gathering. Imagine the impact and intentionality that would result from asking each other every week: How engaged and active do you plan to be in making disciples this week?

I believe that one of the reasons many Christians don't join in Jesus' mission of making disciples is because they never intend to. They lack any intentionality or commitment to do so. They aren't willing to risk or engage in making disciples.

So - what about you? Are you willing to make the main thing the main thing?

What's your intention? How will you invest yourself in making disciples who make disciples this month?

Today's Missional Challenge: Be Intentional! Choose to fully engage in making disciples!

Related Posts:
Flossing Teeth and Making Disciples
The Pastor's Job is to Be the Lead Disciplemaker
Aligning Small Groups with Disciplemaking
Five Reasons Why Christians Don't Engage the Culture
Making Disciples vs. Being Disciples

Roland Niednagel: Luke on Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:56:00 +0000

Roland Niednagel has a passion for training leaders globally!

About 2 1/2 years ago I traveled with him to India to train church planting leaders serving with Empart.

One of the ways that I was impacted by Roland on this trip was his passion for Scripture and learning leadership from Jesus. He taught powerful lessons on leadership from the gospel of Luke. With each lesson, he provided powerful questions for personal reflection.

Luke On Leadership

Read Luke 3 & 4...

Jesus never acted on His own initiative.

Ask Yourself:

How intent am I to focus on our Father's affirmation, direction and power before acting?
What areas do I need to grow in so I can follow God’s leading to fulfill His kingdom plans? (My internal life, thoughts, struggles, relationships, skills etc.)
What tempts me most to do what I want instead of what God wants? How do I handle it?
With whom do I share my temptations for prayer and accountability?

Read Luke 5...

Though He could have, Jesus never intended to reach the world alone. He always recruited to vision (what could be) and through sharing potential (what he would make them because of what was planted in them).

Ask Yourself:

Do I operate with the conviction God has bigger plans then I have for myself and He will help me fulfill them?
And do I do that for others? My family? Those I influence and lead?

Read Luke 6...

A wise leader thinks in terms of multiplication of others, sharing his values, giving instruction for handling opposition and how to view self for a productive and stable life.

Ask Yourself:

How well am I doing in those areas?
What will it take to help others do the same?

______________________

Roland went into the hospital on April 19, 2012 where he had brain surgery to remove a tumor.

Please pray for his continued recovery!

______________________

Today's Missional Challenge: Lead like Jesus! Learn to lead by following Jesus' example!

Related Posts:
Developing Elders in a Church Plant
3 Ways to Improve Your Leadership Skills
Embrace a Leadership Development Process

Immature Christians Need to Grow Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000

My friend and colleague in the Missionary Church Western District, Len Sunukjian, sent me a link to an article today in Charisma magazine entitled - Discipleship is Not a Dirty Word. While I've never personally viewed "discipleship" as a dirty word, I agree with these statements:

I’m still convinced that relational discipleship—a strategy Jesus and the apostle Paul modeled for us—is as vital as ever. If anything the pendulum has now swung dangerously in the opposite direction. In today’s free-wheeling, come-as-you-are, pick-what-you-want, whatever-floats-your-boat Christianity, we make no demands and enforce no standards. We’re just happy to get warm rumps in seats. As long as people file in and out of the pews and we do the Sunday drill, we think we’ve accomplished something.

But Jesus did not command us to go therefore and attract crowds. He called us to make disciples (see Matt. 28:19), and that cannot be done exclusively in once-a-week meetings, no matter how many times the preacher can get the people to shout or wave handkerchiefs. If we don’t take immature Christians through a discipleship process (which is best done in small groups or one-on-one gatherings), people will end up in a perpetual state of immaturity.

This is a big problem in churches today - immature Christians.

Immature Christians are an obstacle

to accomplishing Jesus' mission!

One of the reasons that churches are filled with immature Christians is that churches today are tolerating disobedience. I'm not trying to say that Christians can attain some state of obeying Jesus perfectly. Yet in many churches there's no expectation that followers of Jesus will actually do what He says in Matthew 28:19-20.

How can we as followers of Jesus align our lives with the mission of Jesus?

1. Seize Jesus' disciplemaking mission as your own
2. Commit to doing what Jesus says
3. Follow Jesus and help others to follow Jesus

Today's Missional Challenge: Commit yourself to obeying Jesus. Do what He says!

Related Posts:
Listening and Obeying God
Flossing Teeth and Making Disciples
Follow Jesus and Fish for Men

12 Month Process to Start New Churches

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:56:00 +0000

I love training and coaching church planters!

Honestly, helping church planters navigate the challenges of starting new churches is a big part of what gets me up each day!

Recently I proposed a process to help church planters start churches by making disciples!

12 Month Development
Process to Start New Churches:

1. Preparation (Lifetime! - 2-3 months)
Practically speaking, preparation takes a lifetime because God develops a leader over a lifetime. However, to prepare for what's ahead in planting a church, I'd recommend that a potential church planter focus on three areas: Knowing, Being and Doing. Preparation to start a new church includes reading and personal reflection, character development, and gaining specific disciplemaking skills. Every church planter must lead the church in making disciples who make disciples!

2. Training (3-5 Days)
Initial on-the-job training is important, but it's also helpful to attend a training workshop. Many organizations have developed Church Planter Bootcamps over the past 20 years. I've been privileged to partner with the Church Multiplication Training Center and highly recommend church planters participated in the CMTC's Church Planters Bootcamp. In addition to training with the CMTC, I've also partnered with denominations to deliver The Multiplication Workshop - a 3-day training focused on preparing church planters to start churches by making disciples.
Training alone is never enough. It's highly beneficial for a church planter and spouse to attend training together with their coach and additional team members. Training events, however, can often be little more than an orientation to key concepts and behaviors. Many church planters benefit from additional followup in a cohort with other church planters and personal coaching. (see below)

3. Multiplication Cohorts (8 months)
To enhance implementation of the training, the learning must continue beyond the event. A powerful way to accomplish this and to increase effectiveness in implementing key principles is through monthly conference calls with other church planters coordinated by a trained facilitator. I recommend eight monthly 90-minute conference calls (or face-to-face gatherings) that reinforce the training sessions over time. Cohorts can provide peer support and encouragement in the midst of significant challenges.

4. Multiplication Coaching (12 months)
One study showed that follow-up coaching produced a 300% improvement in performance over training alone. My experience as a church planter over twenty years ago was much more focused as a result of coaching. Many of the denominations I work with require that every church planter has a coach. In fact, I wouldn't encourage church planters to attempt so challenging a task as starting a church without the support of a coach. Regularly coaching conversations for the first two years of a church planting project will increase focus and effectivenss!
Ed Stetzer notes, "Church planters who met weekly with a coach led churches that averaged twice the size of those with no coach."

5. Team Practicum (6-9 months)
As the church planter develops the initial Missional Team, it's important to provide ongoing training and implementation of disciplemaking principles. The church planter must be living on mission himself, then training others to live on mission together in community! Church planters have to develop a team; they must never attempt to start a church without a team.

If you are starting a church, I hope you won't rush to start worship services. Many church plants experience a premature birth because they try to start worshipping before they've laid a foundation of disciplemaking. Don't do that! Take the time over the next 12 months to...
1. Prepare Effectively
2. Be Trained
3. Learn in Community
4. Work with a Coach
5. Develop your Team

Today's Missional Challenge: If you are setting out to start a church, consider implementing this 12-month process!

Related Posts:
Missional Alignment: Start Here
8 Reasons Church Planters Must Ask for Help
When to Start Worship Services

Coaches Help Players Play Better

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:29:00 +0000

I loved watching the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs on TNT tonight. GO LAKERS!!!

I've been a Laker fan all my life! I love watching the Lakers win!

During the pre-game show, Kenny Smith (@TheJetOnTNT) made this comment about coaches while discussing whether Lakers' coach Mike Brown should be fired if the Lakers lose tonight:

The obligation of coaches is to make players play better than their talent level.

I totally agree!

Whether you are thinking about an athletic coach, an executive coach, a life coach, or even a church planting coach - the coaches job is to help leaders play better!

When I coach a church planter, I am intent on helping leaders go further faster! I want to help them attain their goals and objectives.

This is essentially what great coaches do -

they help players play better!

If God has give you a passion for fulfilling His mission - I want to encourage you to commit yourself to coaching others to do their part in fulfilling the mission of Jesus.

Today's Missional Challenge: Coach those around you to play better than their talent level!

Related Posts:
8 Ways to Become a Better Coach
7 Benefits of Coaching
The DeVries Coaching Approach

What Does it Mean to Live Incarnationally?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:10:00 +0000

I am reading a new book that I’d recommend to you called Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker (amazon affiliate link). He writes…

When we say we are to live incarnationally, we mean we are to “put on” Jesus and represent him by focusing on being his hands and feet to our world. To live on mission. This includes but is not limited to serving the least. It might be a sending toward your neighbor or to a complete stranger in need. Either way, the focus is essentially on the church becoming missionaries to our culture. (p. 26)

That's it - becoming missionaries to our culture!

Today's Missional Challenge: Put on Jesus - focus on being His hands and feet in your community!

Related Posts:
See the Needs Around You
Incarnating the Gospel: Practice Jesus
What is Missional Christianity?

Listening and Obeying God

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:02:00 +0000

One of the most important things we should do as followers of Jesus is to listen and obey Jesus.

If you are making disciples of Jesus - help them learn to listen to His voice AND help them to obey His voice.

Luke 6:46 - “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?"

Listen and Obey!

Today, while we were talking together about the importance of recognizing Jesus' voice and doing what He says, someone mentioned Beth Moore's experience with a hairbrush. I had never heard this moving story - so I googled it: Beth Moore hairbrush

I was surprised to discover a YouTube video where she is telling the story - you can watch it here.

"This is how much God thinks of us memorizing Scripture but not doing anything with it...."

How have you learned to listen to God's voice?

In what ways are you obeying what He says?

I wonder what would happen if we focused more on listening to God's voice and doing exactly what He says!

Today's Missional Challenge: Listen to God's voice and obey what He says! Then help others to listen and obey God's voice!

Related Posts:
Obedience-Oriented Disciplemaking
The Key to Multiplying Churches: Obedient Christians
What Stops Church Multiplication? Disobedient Christians

John Donne: An Hymn

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:53:00 +0000

I picked up a book in my hotel room tonight that is part of a Harvard Classics series published by Collier & Son over 100 years ago in 1909. It includes John Bunyan's classic work - The Pilgrim's Progress, and also The Lives of John Donne and George Herbert by Izaak Walton.

I was intrigued by reading of John Donne who was boron 1573. Walton had originally written "The Life of Dr. Donne" in 1640 as an introduction to a collection of Donne's sermons.

The following hymn written by Donne captured my attention and I encourage you to contemplate on his grasp of God's forgiveness.

AN HYMN

TO GOD THE FATHER.

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,

Which was my sin, though it were done before?

Wilt thou forgive that sin through which I run,

And do run still, though still I do deplore?

When thou hast done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin, which I have won

Others to sin, and made my sin their door?

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun

A year or two; - but wallow'd in a score?

When thou has done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I've spun

My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;

But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son

Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;

And having done that, thou hast done,

I fear no more.

What a marvelous thought! What assurance of God's forgiveness!

In facing death, a Christian has nothing to fear because of all that Christ has done on the cross. The debt of sin has been paid.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Col 2:13-14)

Today's Missional Challenge: Rest in the confident assurance that your sins are forgiven. Boldly share the good news of the gospel with others!

Related Posts:
My Grandma and the Gospel
Religion vs. The Gospel
What is the Gospel Message?
Share Your Grace Story
Internalize the Gospel

Flossing Teeth and Making Disciples

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:39:00 +0000

I visited the dentist recently. It was a routine check-up. I head there every six months or so.

I used to not like going to the dentist. Maybe I had a negative experience there as a child -- I really don't remember. Now, I look forward to it. I like the feeling of clean teeth -- and I finally have a dentist that seems to remember me each time I visit. He asks about my kids and seems interested in what I do.

This past visit I learned something that surprised me. First - allow me to set the context. I've been brushing my teeth for years -- morning and evening. It's part of my routine. It's a habit.

When it comes to flossing - I would do it occasionally. It always seemed to take longer - and sometimes my gums would bleed. Even though the hygienist would tell me I should floss and give me some dental floss each visit, I never made it part of my routine. It never become a habit.

I would often start flossing my teeth for a few days after my appointment at the dentist, but I'd rarely stick to it. I always seemed to be in too much of a hurry to take the time. My commitment to floss was always short lived. I lacked the intention to follow through.

Typically, when my appointment was getting closer, I'd start flossing a few days before. I hoped that I could make up for months of non-flossing by a last ditch effort. I doubt it made much difference to my teeth.

So this most recent visit - my hygienist said to me, "If you had to choose between flossing your teeth and brushing your teeth, you should choose to floss." I was shocked. For years I had believed that brushing was better and flossing was optional. I was surprised to discover that I had been wrong for all these years. I'd adopted a habit that was second best. I'd failed to do the one thing that would make the biggest difference.

As a result of this visit - I've started flossing every day. I haven't quit brushing my teeth, but I've decided that I need to be flossing too. Because my teeth matter!

Flossing Teeth and Making Disciples

Now on to the spiritual parallel. For years I've believed that church attendance is what really matters to God. We shouldn't forsake the assembling of ourselves with other believers. We need to be taught the Word of God to grow. Corporate worship is necessary for my spiritual health. Being in church on Sunday pleases God. I've made this part of my weekly routine for years. My parents starting taking me to church with them from birth. Now it's a habit.

Yet what I'm discovering is that more important than going to church on Sunday, Jesus wants me to be making disciples. He sent His disciples to make disciples. He wants this to be part of my routine.

The hard part is - somehow I thought the Sunday worship gathering was all about making disciples. That's what preaching the Word accomplishes - discipleship. The only problem with this view is that most Christians who attend church on Sunday are content to let the pastor/preacher do the discipling, rather than obeying what Jesus said.

In fact, I think it's become easy to just go to church and expect the pastor to be making disciples. Isn't that his job?

Yet, many Christians approach disciplemaking like I've approached flossing my teeth. Helpful but not necessary. Certainly not important enough to make it a habit.

What if Christians committed to worshipping together with believers AND engaging in disciplemaking all week long?

What if the priority was obeying all that Jesus commanded - especially the part about making disciples?

What would be the spiritual impact?

Today's Missional Challenge: Consider a both/and approach -- keep on worshipping on Sundays AND make disciples who make disciples. (Kind of like brushing your teeth AND flossing too).

Related Posts:
Disciplemaking: Start with One
What's Your Definition of a Disciplemaker?
The Pastor's Job is to Be the Lead Disciplemaker
Follow Jesus and Fish for Men
Teaching Them to Obey Everything

Washington State is 45th in Church Membership and Attendance

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Dave DeVries) — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:58:00 +0000

I read an interesting article online that points out that the state of Washington is 45th in church membership and attendance.

That doesn't surprise me. For a long time I've known that Washington is high on the list of least reached states. Interestingly, ten years ago Washington was 49th on the list -- followed by Maine as 50th. Now, Oregon has taken the 49th spot and Maine continues to be last on the list.

(Read previous posts: The US Church is Dying and Declining and The US Church is Infertile and Dysfunctional.)

Currently, my colleague Ken Morse is working on a research project of all the evangelical churches in the Puget Sound region - approximately 1600. Our goal is to partner together with the whole Body of Christ to fuel the rapid multiplication of disciples and churches throughout the Puget Sound Metro Area to complete the Great Commission. (see Puget Sound Multiplication Initiative)

Some Interesting Facts:

1. The percentage of Washingtonians attending a church, temple, synagogue or mosque was about the same in 2010 as in 2000: one of every three people. (The latest study reported 34.6 percent of Washington residents attend and are members of a congregation, compared with 33 percent in 2000.)

2. The Mormon Church, however, continued to expand as one of the state’s fastest-growing religious groups, increasing its numbers by a reported 50 percent since 2000. The LDS Church grew from 178,000 in 2000 to 267,267 in 2010, according to the study. The number of LDS congregations in Washington increased by 49 to 520 during the decade, said Dale Jones, data analyst for the study.

3. The four largest religious groups in Washington state were:

Roman Catholics – 784,332.
Nondenominational evangelical Protestants – 309,440.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 267,267.
Assemblies of God – 125,005.

4. The estimated population of Muslims increased by 23 percent from 15,553 to 19,092.

5. The study shows nondenominational evangelical churches are growing, while mainline Protestant denominations are declining. The highest-ranking mainline Protestant denomination in Washington is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ranked fifth with 96,555 followers.

Read article here.

Related Links:
www.usreligioncensus.org
www.rcms2010.org

Today's Missional Challenge: Consider how to reach the unchurched in your neighborhood!

Related Posts:
Christian Consumerism
The Danger of Attractionalism
The Mission Field Called America
Become Harvest Conscious