The Survival Revival

A Study on Church Growth

Summer 2010

Why Must We Grow?

1. CG= Byproduct of Evangelism: Matt 28:19-20 (Obedience)
2. Jesus builds it: Matt 16:18 (Spiritual) 3. NT Pattern: Acts 2:47 (Theological) 4. Avg. Age = over 50... (Pragmatic) 5. Church Survival (Preserve Gospel) (Obvious) 6. You Dont Care About Numbers? Fooey! Do You Care About Souls?- Dr. C. Sumner Wemp. (Love)

How Do We Accomplish This?

The Survival Revival is about Facing Your Fruit- We will either Succeed as a Church or Fail as a Church. We must structure for success...

Our New Interactive Format

Your Voice Matters:

Take Notes to be compiled into Survival Revival by Faith Church

WE will devise the CG plan to implement & discuss on Wednesdays

Ultimately, we will be discussing ways to better our Church & our impact on this community in Biblical, Practical Ways.

Our New Format

We will also include 4 things we havent incorporated:

1. Homework/ Poll Questions 2. Weekly Scripture Memorization 3. Audio Recording for Future 4. Group Work & Peer Training

Scripture Memory:
Matt 28:19-20: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Poll Question

I Get the Most Spiritually, Intellectually, Emotionally, & Socially Out Of...

1. Sunday School 2. Sunday Morning Worship 3. Sunday Night Worship 4. Wednesday Night Bible Study

Outline of Survival Revival

Motivation

Is Church Growth a Biblical Concept? How will Faith Church benefit from this series? Where is the balance between Spiritual Growth & Numerical Growth? What Must We Consider Before Proceeding? How do we measure success?

Evaluation

Internal- What tools do we have? Where are we located? Are we prepared for the Job? External- How do we reach THEM? What benefits do we have in this area?

Preparation

Supporting the Infrastructure. What tools do you need? Training & Establishing.

Implementation

Developing a CG Plan. Implementing & Tracking. Continued Training w/ Peer to Peer Training

Defining Church Growth

Church Growth or Church Growth Movement?
Summer 2010

What is Church Growth?

Church Growth must be distinguished from the Church Growth Movement (CGM). The CGM can be described:
1. Spurred by Donald McGavran in 1954 with Bridges of God
2. It (CGM) is Scientific, not Theologic. 3. Its focus is the implementation of the Great Commission 4. It combines theology with behavioral & social sciences 5. Claim research is essential for church growth

CGM Defined

Church growth (CGM) is that discipline which investigates the nature, expansion, planting, multiplication, function, and health of Christian churches as they relate to the effective implementation of Gods commission to make disciples of all peoples. Students of church growth strive to integrate the eternal theological principles of Gods Word concerning the expansion of the church with the best insights of contemporary social and behavioral sciences, employing as the initial framework of reference the foundational work done by Donald McGavran.- Dr. C. Peter Wagner, former professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. The CGM could have once been described as sociological analysis, demographic study, methodological innovation, theological contextualization, leadership guidance, and strategic application.Rainer, pg. 126

Brief History of the CGM

Donald McGavran, 3rd generation missionary born in India, writes Bridges of God in 1954. Primarily concerned with foreign missiological methods. 1965, Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS) hires Donald McGavran to begin courses in American Church Growth. 1971, McGavran hires C. Peter Wagner (His student) at FTS. Wagner has carried the torch of the CGM well into the 80s. Wagner has written over 40 published books, many of which, are about the modern Church Growth Method. 70s-80s, FTS in Pasadena CA has been the hub of the Church Growth Movement. Many centers have been created including, Institute of Church Growth (Eugene, OR), Missions Advanced Research & Communications (MARC), Barna Group, etc. 1990s, CGM gave fame to many ministers including...

The CGM Has Led To...

Lakewood Church, Texas

Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Membership: 20,000

How Did They Do It?

Saddleback Church sent out a questionnaire in 1980 with only 4 questions:

1. What do you think is the greatest need in this area?
2. Are you actively attending any church? 3. Why do you think most people dont attend church? 4. If you were to attend a church, what things would you look for?

From these 4 questions, Saddleback has become one the largest churches in the world simply by giving the people what they want. So, what is so wrong about sending out a survey? Are large churches inherently evil? Is there really anything wrong with mixing behavioral science with theology?

Theological Errors of the CGM

Church growth leans toward a phenomenological approach which holds theological conclusions somewhat MORE TENTATIVELY and is open to revise them when necessary in the light of what is learned through EXPERIENCE. Thom S. Rainer, quoting C. Peter Wagner, pg. 90
1. Doctrine is not tentative. Gal 1:6-10

2. User-Friendly coined by PROPONENTS of CGM: The movement is using every possible tool to reach its culture on a user-friendly basis. Rainer, pg. 90
3. Holds doctrine subjectively (Experience), not objectively. That is, Truth or theology, or doctrine changes with a persons experience. Thus, experience molds the Bible instead of the Bible molding experience...

McGavrans Theology...

McGavran wrote in Bridges of God that the method does not change the message. The method we advocate does not and cannot ever replace the message. pg. 92
However, McGavran DOES change the message by making individualistic salvation synonymous with a People Movement (or Mass Movement): We believe then that in the initial (salvation) of a people, participation in a group decision is a sufficient following of the light to confer salvation on each person participating in the decision pg. 97. Thus, in the Gospel According to McGavran, all a person must do to be saved is follow the crowd. This Has lead to the seeker-sensitive Church Model...

Theological Errors with the CGM

1. The Development of Seeker-Friendly Evangelism. I dont preach doctrine, necessarily, I preach how much God loves them.- Joel Osteen 2. Printed in the late 19th Century: Our solemn conviction is that things are much worse in many churches than they seem to be, and are rapidly tending downward. Read those newspapers which represent the Broad School of Dissent, and ask yourself, How much farther could they go? What doctrine remains to be abandoned? What other truth to be the object of contempt? A new religion has been initiated, which is no more Christianity than chalk is cheese; and this religion, being destitute of moral honesty, palms itself off as the old faith with slight improvements, and on this plea usurps pulpits which were erected for gospel preaching. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Down Grade Controversy 3. Church of Tares - John MacArthur. Seeker or User Friendly = Cheap Conversions! 4. 80-90% of those making a decision for Christ will fall away- Way of the Master

How to Grow a Church of Tares

Dumb down the offensive nature of the Gospel: Gal 1:610

Do market research & give the people what they want. Simple concept: Customer Service
Satisfy conviction with charity: Matt 7:21-23 Redefine Biblical Justification Be charismatic, charming, & conversational

Is Church Growth, then, a Biblical Concept at All?

What does the Bible say about church growth & how do we implement it here?

Weekly Memory Verse...

Eph 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (v. 9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Think Inside the Box...

church growth is not a think outside the box kind of thing. This is the church growth box... Proper Motivation: Soul Winning

Proper Means: The Word of God

Proper Message: The Gospel

Proper Method: True Conversion