Category: Church Development

For a helpful list of resources for small churches, see the links posted on Small Church.com at smallchurch.com/resources/.

This website also includes a blog that discusses small church issues.

A key task for church leaders is to lead congregations in planning for the future. This involves both clarifying mission and addressing the congregation’s capacity (including finances) to journey in that direction.

In the video below, senior pastor Leonard Banks and church treasurer Ihor Kulbida of the GCI congregation in Rochester, NY, update their congregation on these important issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W6YaIZdQno4

These issues are helpfully addressed in a study recently completed by the Barna Group. It examines how pastors of Protestant churches plan to improve the strategic, operational and administrative aspects of their ministries. According to Barna’s research, pastors show the greatest interest in clarifying their congregation’s vision and mission. Fifty-nine percent are “definitely” going to assess their church’s vision and mission in the next year. Thirty-eight percent also plan to assess their church’s reputation in the community and 31% plan to measure the demographic and spiritual needs of their community. About 72% of pastors rely on at least one outside consultant each year to assist them.

With regard to ministry capacity, 25% of pastors intend to focus on safety and security issues, and 25% intend to revamp their budgeting and spending processes. Twenty-two percent will invest in facilities and equipment for children, 19% in audio and visual equipment, 18% in facilities and equipment for youth and teens, and 18% in technology and digital media.

Note: In the United States, GCI Church Administration and Development provides consulting services to congregations and district networks. For information, see http://mindev.gci.org/services.htm.

Several GCI church districts in the United States have formed networks to facilitate the planting of new churches within their districts. One of those networks involves congregations within four districts in Southern California. The four district pastors discuss this cooperative effort in the video posted at http://www.gci.org/av/working-together-plant-churches.

For additional information about GCI church planting networks, see GCI’s Church Multiplication Ministries website page at http://cmm.gci.org/networks.htm.

Several GCI congregations are finding that having a Facebook page is a helpful way to communicate with members and non-members. It’s easy to create a Facebook page and then keep it updated with announcements, pictures, and the like.

For an example, see the recently started FaceBook page of Christ Fellowship Church (one of GCI’s congregations in the Cincinnati, OH area). The web address is www.facebook.com/cfcnext (sign-in required).

For a short article explaining how churches can effectively use Facebook, go to network.crcna.org/content/web/how-use-facebook-your-church#.

A recent Barna survey identifies six reasons why young Christians leave the church. Read an informative summary article at http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christian

This update is from John Halford who serves as an elder in the GCI congregation mentioned here.

Back in 2004, the Cincinnati West congregation decided to help the school our church operates in Port au Prince, Haiti. “Small Change for Haiti” was a simple idea – every two weeks we would simply put all the small change we had with us in a collection box. It was money we would hardly miss, but it could be put to good use, and make some big differences in that poverty stricken nation. It was surprising how quickly it added up.

A couple of years later we further refined the idea by having the little children in our congregation gather the small change as a part of the worship service. Almost immediately, the amount doubled! Who could resist a cute kid with a big smile, asking you to help another cute kid with a big smile in a far off poor country.

Dennis Piening, who coordinates this program, told us that last week, after 8 years, Small Change for Haiti had been able to send over $12,000 to our friends in Port au Prince.

 

In an age dominated by digital media, having a church website can be a helpful (even necessary) means to communicate with the public and with members. The GCI Information Technology (IT) team assists GCI-USA congregations in setting up websites (and they provide site hosting).

For a tutorial from IT on launching and maintaining a church website (using WordPress), go to www.gci.org/go/easyweb.

For a list of GCI-USA congregations with websites, go to www.gci.org/participate/find (click on “All Church Websites”). Here is a screen shot of the home page of the website of New Hope Christian Fellowship, one of GCI’s congregation in Los Angeles, CA area (view their full website at http://www.newhope4all.org/):

Carla Sethna, a member of the GenMin Mission Event Resource Team has announced that Freedom Church, one of GCI’s congregations in the Atlanta, GA area, is offering to other GCI congregations training in conducting a Vacation Bible School (VBS). The training will involve joining with Freedom Church’s staff in conducting their annual VBS (this will be their seventh time) on June 8-10.

The VBS will use Group Publishing’s Rocky Point Lighthouse – Shine God’s Light curriculum. It has a strongly missional emphasis, involving the kids in a community service project. To maximize the outreach focus, the VBS will be held over a weekend, beginning with Friday evening dinner and concluding with a Sunday afternoon barbecue that will involve the kids’ families and other guests.

The VBS will be for children ages 3-10. There will be a strong cross-generational emphasis, with Freedom Church’s middle schoolers serving as counselors and with adults of all ages from the congregation participating in various ways.

Anyone who comes for this VBS training will leave prepared to conduct one of their own. They will be given decorations and other materials to take home with them. Free lodging can be arranged for out-of-town guests.

If you are interested in participating, email Carla at cpsethna@comcast.net

In the videos below, Jeff Broadnax and David Marquis – both GCI pastors in Ohio – discuss their vision for outreach in their respective congregations.

http://youtu.be/VUZS1XoByuI

http://youtu.be/x_Vnh66AGNA

We have taped several You’re Included interviews with Dr. Steve McVey (view one at www.gci.org/YI112). Steve is author of several books on theology and Christian living that reflect a Trinitarian, incarnational theology. His books in English are listed at www.gracewalkresources.com/.

One of our French pastors recently informed us that several of Steve’s books are published in French and other non-English languages as PDF files downloadable for free on Steve’s website at www.gracewalk.org/web/pageid/107325/pages.asp.