1. January 21, 2017
Bill Wilson

2. Our Mission:
CHC is devoted to improving the spiritual, emotional and organizational health of churches and ministers. We bring hope, help and healing in the spirit of Christ.

3. The most important thing about me…

4. Spiritual Discernment
Ignatius’ idea of
Holy
Indifference:
“I am indifferent to anything
but God’s will”
Discerning
God’s Divine Will
Human
decision-
making
Mary’s Prayer
Luke 1
Jesus’ Prayer
Luke 22
“Let it be to me according
to your word…”
“…not my will but yours be done.”

5. The Spirit of INDIFFERENCE
God’s Will
Nothing more
Nothing else
Nothing less
1. Is there anything I need to set aside so that I can be open to what God wants?
2. What needs to die in me in order for God’s will to come forth in my life?

6. The Spirit of INDIFFERENCE
God’s Will
Nothing more
Nothing else
Nothing less
1. Is there anything WE need to set aside so that WE can be open to what God wants?
2. What needs to die in US in order for God’s will to come forth in OUR life?

7. The 2nd Prayer: the Prayer for WISDOM
“If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly and it will be given you.”
James 1:5

8. Central Baptist Church
At the Center for Healthy Churches, we have some Core Values that guide our work:
This is an SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT PROCESS that uses Appreciative Inquiry methodology.
YOU are the experts on CBC. Not me. Not staff.
The process is radically congregational.
The conversations are integral to the process.
It will be messy. Process may trump product.
NO ONE gets everything they want.
The question we are trying to answer is not “What do you want for your church?”, but: WHO DOES GOD INTEND US TO BE?

9. CONGREGATIONAL REDESIGN
5-D CYCLE FOR
CONGREGATIONAL REDESIGN
DEFINITION Focus on church functioning as a whole
DISCOVER Church’s Positive Core
DREAM Ideal Future of Church in Action
DESIGN Generate and Describe Innovations
DESTINY Church’s Path Forward
Taken from Appreciative Inquiry Change at the Speed of Imagination by Watkins, Mohr & Kelly

11. A Vision Plan for a congregation’s future
5-6 months of high priority congregational work
Commitment to prayer and discernment that is personal and corporate
A team of leaders to guide the process
4 congregational conversations
Community Forum(s)
Producing a guide/plan for the near future

12. 1. Understand yourself by clarifying your identity
Read the Bible
Clarify your theology
Clarify your congregational culture
Examine your history
Identify your core values
Describe your uniqueness
State your purpose or mission

13. 2. Understand your community
Where are we? Why are we here?
Obtain and interpret demographic information
Identify the needs and challenges around you
Ask leaders who know the community
Look for opportunities around you
LISTEN. LISTEN.LISTEN.

14. 3. Envision the future as God does
Identify and map your assets
Discern your passions and sense of calling. Where are we going?
What is our “mission from God”?
Dream a BIG dream
Align all of the church
with the vision

15. 4. Make a plan to align the church with the future you have envisioned
Identify the areas on which to focus
Create SMART goals for each area of focus
Assign responsibilities
Measure progress
Practice relentless alignment

16. Once we have a clear ministry mission/vision, then we will turn our attention to ALIGNING these four critical aspects of the congregation’s life.
Facilities
Staff
Mission/Vision
Structures
Finances

17. The overall planning process has four “movements.”
1. The Vision Team plans how to engage the congregation in the planning process 2. The Congregation members dialogue with each other and provide information to the Vision Team 3. The Vision Team processes and organizes what they learn from the congregation and drafts recommendations to be considered by the congregation’s leaders and members. This movement may involve dialogue with committees or councils about issues that relate specifically to their areas before making recommendations. 4. The Congregation votes on specific recommendations.

18. Seek a Fresh, Compelling Vision
S-Curve of Progress
Seek a Fresh, Compelling Vision
Fresh Compelling Vision
Original Compelling Vision
Fresh Energy
Fresh Commitment
Excitement
Commitment
Energy
Ferment
Frustration
Discontent
Confusion
Anger
Blaming
Grieving
Exits
(if allowed to continue)

19. Life Cycle of Congregations
Shared
Beliefs &
Missional
Goals
Nostalgia
Decline &
Conflict
Birth
Death
Possible Resurrection, not Resuscitation

20. The changing landscape of church attendance
What is Frequency of Attendance, and why should we care?

21. 500 active members 3x per month 375 average attendance (.75 x 500)

22. *Active membership increases 2% per year for 35 years
*Attendance frequency decreases from 3.5 to 2.8 Sundays/month

23. Why frequency is dropping
Youth sports leagues, competitions of all kinds
Vacation homes, timeshares
Collegiate and professional athletics
The dramatic increase in the number of “holiday” weekends
Illness (as people live longer, they are more likely to be seriously ill and unable to attend)
Aging parents
Ease of travel
Fatigue
Commitment level
Others?

24. Mega Church Facts Hartfordinstitute.org “Not who you think they are”
Mega Churches grow an average of 8% annually.
94% of that growth is biological/transfer growth. “Upgrade” growth. 75% of those attendees come from other churches.
Only 6% of MC attendees had never attended worship services before coming (5% at “all churches”)
18% had “not attended church in years” (16% at “all churches”)

25. What does this mean to us??
1/3 of the American work force is at work on Sunday morning.
1/3 of Americans are unchurched. Have not attended any worship event in one year.