CHALLENGES TO GROWTH WESTERN REGION CONFERENCE 31 OCTOBER 2015

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” MATTHEW 28:19–20 (HCSB)

OUR SOCIETY IS CHANGING

SUSTAINED ATTACK 4 SOURCE: ABS CENSUS DATA, EFFECTIVE MINISTRY – USED WITH PERMISSION National InstitutionsSchoolsFamiliesIndividuals 1234 Legislated Indifference 5

CHURCH RELEVANCE/FAMILY UNIT 5 SOURCE: ACS WHY PEOPLE DON’T GO TO CHURCH, ABS: EFFECTIVE MINISTRY – USED WITH PERMISSION ‘REAL CHRISTIANS DON’T NEED TO GO TO CHURCH …’ Births  45% Marriages  30% Divorces  370% Attendance  70% Birth / Stable Marriage  60% CorrelationR2R2 92% STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE ( )

TAKING CASUALTIES 6 SOURCE: NPR, THE TWO WAY: 2013: EFFECTIVE MINISTRY – USED WITH PERMISSION ‘NOT STATED/ NO RELIGION’ 4 3 2

MCCRINDLE INFORGRAPHIC

MCCRINDLE INFOGRAPHIC

SMOOTHED REGISTRY ATTENDANCE DATA, ABS

YET, MOST OF THE COUNTRY STILL ASSOCIATES WITH CHRISTIANITY MCCRINDLE INFORGRAPHIC FROM 2011 CENSUS DATA

AND MOST PEOPLE THINK CHURCHES ARE BENEFICIAL MCCRINDLE INFOGRAPHIC

BUT NOT BROKEN 12 SOURCE: HARRIS POLL, MCCRINDLE 2013: EFFECTIVE MINISTRY, USED WITH PERMISSION Willing to listen to a Christian talk about their faith… General Population78% Millennials89% [Up from 22% in 1962]

MCCRINDLE INFORGRAPHIC

5 AREAS TO FOCUS ON WESTERN REGION CONFERENCE

1. WHAT IS THE BELIEF OF THE CONGREGATION? Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 20:19-20

The Congregation Must Determine Whether It Exists Primarily To Serve Itself Or Serve The Mission Of Reaching Lost People

PREPARED TO INVITE SOMEONE TO CHURCH?

2. BE IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD 18 “if the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. JOHN 15:18–19 (HCSB)

3. MULTIPLY LEADERS AND GROUPS

A) IT SEES PEOPLE GROWING AND USING THEIR GIFTS 1.What does a disciple of Jesus Christ look like in 2015? 2.How does a congregation help people become that kind of disciple? 3.What systems need to be put into place to help accomplish this task?

B) MORE PEOPLE DO MORE

C) SELF AWARENESS SOURCE: FIELD TESTING (>50): EFFECTIVE MINISTRY USED WITH PERMISSION 23 Note: Research on lack of training by skill set

4. RESOURCING

Limited hours Increased admin burdens Understand the advantages of your church size, and play to them (Keller paper, Gary McIntosh)

5. IMPORTANCE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

BATTLE FOR SOULS 30 SOURCE: LIFEWAY RESEARCH, SPRING 2007 (“GAIN” = NEW OR RETURNING) Age: Children & Youth

DISCIPLE THROUGH GENERATIONS... BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION 31 SOURCE: NIV ‘84 SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT THE CORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAISING CHILDREN IN THE LORD BELONGS TO FAMILIES, AND THAT FATHERS MUST TAKE PARTICULAR LEADERSHIP (GEN 18:19, DEUT 6:4-7, PROV 1:1-9, EPH 6:1-4, COL 3:20, 2TIM 1:5). PARENTS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY... “WHEN YOUR SON ASKS YOU… ‘WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE TESTIMONIES AND THE STATUTES AND THE RULES THAT THE LORD OUR GOD COMMANDED YOU?’ THEN YOU SHALL SAY TO YOUR SON, ‘WE WERE PHARAOH’S SLAVES IN EGYPT. AND THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT OF EGYPT WITH A MIGHTY HAND” (DEUT 6:20) DISCIPLE THROUGH QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS... “YOU SHALL TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND SHALL TALK OF THEM WHEN YOU SIT IN YOUR HOUSE, AND WHEN YOU WALK BY THE WAY, AND WHEN YOU LIE DOWN, AND WHEN YOU RISE” (DEUT 7:7) DISCIPLE THROUGH EVERY DAY LIFE... “HE ESTABLISHED A TESTIMONY IN JACOB AND APPOINTED A LAW IN ISRAEL, WHICH HE COMMANDED OUR FATHERS TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN, THAT THE NEXT GENERATION MIGHT KNOW THEM, AND THE CHILDREN YET UNBORN, AND ARISE AND TELL THEM TO THEIR CHILDREN, SO THAT THEY SHOULD SET THEIR HOPE IN GOD AND NOT FORGET THE WORKS OF GOD, BUT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS…” (PSALM 78:5-7)

LEADERSHIP 33 SOURCE: SANDY GALEA, ‘PARTNERING WITH PARENTS’, EFFECTIVE MINISTRY BLOG “THE PERSON WHO HAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VOICE IN ANY CHURCH IS THE SENIOR PASTOR. HE IS THE ONE WHO NOT ONLY SHAPES A CHURCH’S ATTITUDE TO CHILDREN, BUT SHAPES PARENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PRIVILEGED POSITION. SO PREACHING, THAT REGULARLY ADDRESSES THE SHEPHERDING OF CHILDREN AND SEEKS TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT SHEPHERDING LOOKS LIKE, IS VITAL. MINISTRY TO CHILDREN BY PARENTS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FROM THE PULPIT”

MOST PEOPLE THINK CHURCHES ARE BENEFICIAL MCCRINDLE INFOGRAPHIC

CHALLENGES TO GROWTH WESTERN REGION CONFERENCE 31 OCTOBER 2015