1. Congregational Life Cycles
Presentation by Dr. Tracy W. Jaggers

2. HUMAN
LIFE CYCLE STAGES

3. DEATH
CONCEPTION
BIRTH
INFANCY
ADULTHOOD
CHILDHOOD
ADOLESCENCE

4. BUSINESS
LIFE CYCLE STAGES

5. Lifecycle of a Business

8. PRODUCT
LIFE CYCLE STAGES

16. TECHNOLOGY
LIFE CYCLE STAGES

21. 5 TB
1.2 Mb

25. PASTORAL
LIFE CYCLE STAGES

26. MINISTERIAL LIFE CYCLE FORMATIONAL STAGES
Years 5 – 8
What am I doing?
ATTRITION SPIKES
Years
How do I finish well?
Years
Do I want to keep doing this?
Yrs 8-13
Yrs 1-5
Yrs 13-20
Yrs 25+

27. For information on this cycle and its effects, go to:
The research is still coming in concerning this life cycle, but one can easily recognize what happens when a leader neglects or refuses to reinvent himself every ten years.
For information on this cycle and its effects, go to: or

28. THE LIFE CYCLE AND STAGES OF CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

29. The Vision is fading
MINISTRY
MUSEUM
MISSION
MAUSOLEUM

30. Provided by the Columbia Partnership at www.thecolumbiapartnership.org
Copyright 2009
Dr. George Bullard, D.Min.
Provided by the Columbia Partnership at or
(Consult Dr. Bullard’s book, Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation)

32. IN ILLINOIS, 70-80% OF CHURCHES ARE PLATEAUED TO DYING (According to the IBSA)

33. IS DEATH INEVITABLE?

34. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NASB) 1 There is an appointed time for everything
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NASB) 1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

35. 5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

36. WE MUST REINVENT OURSELF & THE CHURCH

38. Ecclesiastes 3:7a (Paraphrase) 7a A time for remediation (tearing apart for the purpose of improving) and a time for renovation (rebuilding and remodeling to be more innovative and productive).

41. If I were recreating this church today, given what I know and given current technology, what would it look like?

42. Would anybody miss us if we were gone?

43. TWO TOOLS FOR REINVENTING THE CHURCH
A CASE FOR ACTION – a brief, clear and powerful argument that influences people why a church should be different or recreated.
A VISION STATEMENT – What we “want to be, what are we seeking to become, how do we intend to operate, and what kind of results are we expecting to achieve.”

44. HUMAN, BUSINESS, PASTORAL LIFE CYCLES
WHAT PARALLELS CAN WE DRAW?
CHURCH LIFE CYCLE

45. WHAT ARE WE BELIEVING GOD FOR?

46. Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NASB) 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

47. 3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live
3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.' 5 "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

48. 6 'I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

49. 9 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

50. How BIG
is Your God?