Free Resource

Free resources: high resolution photos for your church / ministry!

 https://unsplash.com/

 http://www.totallyfreestockphotos.com/

The 4 C's

The 4 C's of building your dream team -

1. Character, 
2. Calling, 
3. Competency & 
4. Chemistry

Review of the book - PULL

The one particular thing I took note of is the idea of Facebook advertising.  That is something we have never tried before, but we will this spring.
Additionally, I really liked the idea of encouraging the congregation to use Facebook to invite friends & acquaintances.
That is free, which I especially like!
I’m also looking forward to seeing how the combination works—putting out paid ads while also encouraging our people to use it as a tool.

The Jezebel Spirit...

Church planting is a tough calling. The last thing you need is drama and division. Here are a couple articles on the Jezebel Spirit which I believe
is rampant in western churches. It's important to recognize this spirit within our local assemblies... and get it out.

 Introduction to the Jezebel Spirit 

The Dormant Jezebel Spirit

The Nature of our Enemy

Multi Site Considerations.....

I wanted to share an article from Ed Stetzer regarding multi-site church plants. It seems that ed had the same concerns as I do. After reading it, I surprisingly have a different view of them... if they are done intentionally and with the right heart motive. Here is the complete article:

EVOLUTION OF THE MULTISITE CHURCH

7 Tips to Re-energize Your Weak Team

7 Tips to Re-energize Your Weak Team  

By Ron Edmondson

Great Article for church planters that have a team that's getting tired! Highly recommended! 

Here is the link to the full article.

CHURCH PLANT ARTICLE

 

 

8 Steps to Grow Your Church

Here is a short but sweet article by Rick Warren. I have listed the bullet points. If you would like to read the entire article, please visit ARTICLE by Rick Warren

1) Decide you really, really want to grow – Believe it or not, the primary barrier to church growth is desire. Do you really want to grow? If the answer is yes, then you must commit to this goal and be willing to accept changes.

2) Your role as pastor must change – Once you decide you want to grow, you’ll need to analyze your role as pastor. You must be willing to change from minister to leader.

3) Mobilize members for ministry – Be willing to give up some leadership and entrust ministry to the people in the pews.

4) Begin having multiple services – If you’re not already doing so, I encourage you to seriously start planning for it. By offering people a choice of services, you’re effectively putting another hook in the water.

5) Multiply your staff – In order to grow past that 200 barrier, you must begin moving to multiple staff. You must begin to specialize the staff under your leadership.

6) Plan big days – The best way I know to break through barriers is to break a few all at one time. Plan a big day — an event — and your numbers go up. Yes, they go back down afterwards, but not as far as they were before the event. Keep doing this and you grow. Big holidays are an obvious time to concentrate on events — Easter, Christmas. Plan outreaches to the community.

7) Have multiple cells – Groups of 8-12 people. Cells become tools for caring for the body.

8) Expand your facility – Many churches build too small, too fast. What I’m saying is you need to plan for growth and project out what your needs will be.

May God bless you and anoint you as you begin to implement these changes

Great Articles for Church Planters

7 Crucial Insights for Church Planters

By Ron Edmondson

4 Fields

By Nathan and Kari Shank

2 Enemies Every Leader Must Confront

Here is a short but great article from churchplants.com  By Michael Robison

Here is the link to the entire article: http://www.churchplants.com/articles/3474-2-enemies-every-leader-must-confront.html

Currently reading - Wiki-Church by Steve Murrell

Just wanted to share my current reading list. As you know, I'm a believer that "all leaders should be readers".

I typically have a few books going at any one time. Here is one that I highly recommend.Wiki Church by Steve Murrell.

 Just a sample nugget on making disciples:  Jesus told His followers that He would build His church, and then He told them to go and make disciples. It’s that simple. We make disciples, and He builds the church.

Ok... here's another: If you measure the wrong things, you can be at peace, thinking that all is well in your church, when things can be far from healthy.

Church Plants Made to Stick...

Geoff Surratt wrote a great article about church planting and the "ebb and flow" or the perception that some have about new churches. Here is the question that he prefaces the article: How can we stop the merry-go-round and plant churches that stick? Here are Geoff's three ideas: 1) Learn the community before you plant 2) Build a sustainable model 3) Get a job Those 3 points should have your curiosity heightened... To read his entire article, click here GEOFFSURRATT.COM

Plan ahead....

Success is intentional! The Olympic athletes didn't just find themselves on the winner's platform one day. They planned for it.... they worked for it. They set goals. They did everything in their power to accomplish their goal.

That being said... we as church planters need to be intentional. Intentional about the harvest field... about church systems, and learning all we can prior to implementation.

You need a starting place? I recommend the Exponential Conference. Exponential 2013 is back in Orlando, Florida on April 22-25, 2013.

PLAN to be there.

Worship without a full band?

Check out Band in Hand! This is a way to start with what you have and go from there! It's pretty ingenious. Say you have only a guitar player. Well, this app can supply all of the other instruments! Say you get a bass player the next week.. simply remove the bass from the mix and now you are able to do guitar and bass live!

Check out the "how to" video and also visit the site for more info:

Band in Hand Website

Lessons from Exponential Day 1

Here are just a few nuggets I picked up at the Exponential Conference on the first day:

* Learn to "Self Correct" - If God corrects you in private, repent in private or you will eventually have to confess it in public.
* Learn How to Suffer - Suffering will change you, but not always for the good. You have to choose that.
* Learn to Lead Yourself to Christ - Your training was not just to "start the race" but to finish it.
Jeremiah 15:19 - This is how the LORD responds: "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman.  
* The greatest test of being a servant is how we respond when we are treated like one.

Some more for you:
* Your responsibility is not a spectacular ministry but a faithful and sincere heart.
* "Ministry is messy because sin is messy."

If you are a church planter or are within the years 1-10 of your church plant... get to the Exponential Conference!

More Free Resources

Need some sermon ideas? Listen to some Seacoast resources and get inspired. They do a great job and are kingdom enough to give it away freely.

SEACOAST SERMONS


Need some help with the admin side of church planting? Try this resource from Northpoint Church. Remember to "fish and bone"....take the stuff that you like and leave the rest.

NORTHPOINT ADMIN SITE

ChurchMetrics.com is a free web-based application that helps you keep tabs on attendance, giving, salvations, and baptisms at your church. Did I mention free???

CHURCH METRICS