The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 1 Spirituality, Chemistry and Strategy

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 2

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 3 Two observations about the design of a stool are necessary to note: First, all three legs are critical – one or two will not do. Second, without the strength and stability of the seat, the three legs by themselves will collapse.

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 4 Each leg and the seat correspond to a dynamic quality necessary for growth to occur: 1.The first leg of the stool is Spirituality, which is a commitment to deep spiritual transformation to bring about the work of God in people. 2.The second leg of the stool is Chemistry, which creates an inviting relational atmosphere within the church. 3.The third leg of the stool is Strategy, a process of sequential actions that produce fruitful ministry in line with God-directed goals. 4.The seat is Leadership, which rests on the three supporting legs and ensures that spirituality, chemistry and strategy are both internalized within the church and lived out in the community by the church’s leadership and its membership.

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 5 Which is Your Strongest Area? Which is Your Weakest Area? Which is in the Middle? Pattern #1 ChemistrySpiritualityStrategy Pattern #2 Strategy Spirituality Chemistry Pattern #3 SpiritualityChemistry Strategy

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 6 Strategy Fruitful growth begins with spirituality, which is a commitment to deep spiritual transformation to bring about the work of God in people. Four subjects encompass the components of Christian spirituality. The first is clarity on the question, “ What is the Gospel?” The American church will not thrive in its current culture until it intentionally refocuses on the message and mission of Jesus. The Necessity of Transformation. The message and mission of Jesus is to deconstruct the damaging worldview formed within each person and reconstruct a new worldview based on life in the Kingdom of God. The third is Spiritual Formation (or Discipleship), what Jesus called “turning hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.” Spiritual formation builds on transformation to create the type of heart that Jesus seeks to produce. The fourth component is Reliance on the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 3:6 describes the necessity of the divine miracle: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” Fruitful ministry is a remarkable combination of God-directed, human effort converging with the Holy Spirit to create the touch of God Himself. In their own power, Christians can never produce spiritual transformation, either in themselves or in other people. Rather, transformation is solely the work of the Holy Spirit.

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 7 Chemistry Chemistry focuses on the church’s personality as it relationally lives out the fruits of the Spirit. Two crucial components create good chemistry in a church. A Healthy Family System. This happens when a pastor, the staff, lay leaders and the members are set free to be whom God created them to be, living an authentic, joy- filled life together. As mentioned, healthy family systems prosper in atmospheres of truth and love, without the exercise of abusive power. An Attractive Group Personality. Energy, excitement, love and joy should characterize your church’s personality. When visitors come to your church, they usually decide within the first ten minutes whether to return. Visitors subliminally pick up the group’s personality, and intuitively know whether they wish to connect with you. An attractive personality is not a sign of shallowness, but instead marks out a group of people that truly enjoy being together. Paul described this type of church in Romans 14:17 when he said, “The Kingdom of God is marked by righteousness, peace and joy.”

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 8 Strategy Strategy creates a process of sequential actions that produce fruitful ministry in line with God-directed goals. Four components make up a church’s strategy. The first is Vision. The second is Division of Ministry. The third is Ministry Development. | The fourth component is Connection with New People.

The American Church Research Project © 2007 by David T. Olson 9 Leadership for Growth ‘Leadership for Growth’ is the seat that provides stability and strength for the three legs. The purpose of ‘Leadership for Growth’ is to focus the energy of the whole church on spirituality, chemistry and strategy. Consider these Four Observations about Leadership. Churches do not grow without godly and gifted pastoral and lay leaders. With coaching and teachability, most leaders can dramatically improve in all three areas. Spirituality, chemistry and strategy are listed in the sequential order of development. | Pastoral and lay leaders lead with integrity only when they authentically live out spirituality and relational chemistry in their own lives.