Breakthrough Church Breakthrough Church GrowthGrowth

……BEING PASSIONATE BEING PASSIONATE FOLLOWERS OF JESUSFOLLOWERS OF JESUS

•A lifestyle of passion, not a A lifestyle of passion, not a program.program.

•All about relationships, not religion.All about relationships, not religion.

•A passion-driven, people-focused A passion-driven, people-focused mission, not a ministry.mission, not a ministry.

•Every member serving together as Every member serving together as passionate followers of Jesus.passionate followers of Jesus.

IT’S ABOUT IT’S ABOUT YOUYOU!!

YYour our OObeying beying UUnwaveringly the nwaveringly the Call of Jesus – Call of Jesus –

To Fulfill the To Fulfill the Great CommissionGreat Commission and and CommandmentCommandment

““Jesus said,Jesus said, ‘ ‘Go therefore and Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Father and the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”end of the age.’”

(Matthew 28:19-20)(Matthew 28:19-20)

““Love the Lord your God with all Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind…Love your neighbor your mind…Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”as you love yourself.”

(Matthew 22:37-40)(Matthew 22:37-40)

FIVE WORDS OF BREAKTHROUGH FIVE WORDS OF BREAKTHROUGH CHURCH GROWTHCHURCH GROWTH

PromisePromise

““The LORD had said to Abram, The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be your name great, and you will be a blessing.’” a blessing.’” (Genesis 12:1-2)(Genesis 12:1-2)

PrayerPrayer

““Then their eyes were opened Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us not our hearts burning within us while He talked with uswhile He talked with us on the on the road and opened the Scriptures road and opened the Scriptures to us?" to us?" (Luke 24:31-32)(Luke 24:31-32)

PeoplePeople

““Therefore go and make Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19)(Matthew 28:19)

Passion/PurposePassion/Purpose

““Therefore go and make Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the always, to the very end of the age."age." (Matthew 28:19-20)(Matthew 28:19-20)

PursuitPursuit

“…“…and teaching them to obey and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the always, to the very end of the age."age." (Matthew 28-20)(Matthew 28-20)

““For to me, to live is Christ and For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)(Philippians 1:21)

A Maintenance-Driven A Maintenance-Driven Church Church

I. THE CHURCH IS ONE OF I. THE CHURCH IS ONE OF THE MOST NON-PRODUCTIVE THE MOST NON-PRODUCTIVE

INSTITUTIONS IN AMERICAINSTITUTIONS IN AMERICA

A. The Mission of the Church A. The Mission of the Church is is PeoplePeople

• Most churches focus on Most churches focus on programprogram, not , not peoplepeople..

• Most churches focus on Most churches focus on maintenancemaintenance, not , not missionmission..

• Most churches focus on Most churches focus on religionreligion, , not not relationshipsrelationships..

• Most churches focus on Most churches focus on problemsproblems, not , not purposepurpose..

• Most churches focus on Most churches focus on plansplans, not , not proclaimingproclaiming..

The Breakthrough The Breakthrough PrinciplePrinciple is is PassionPassion for for OTHERSOTHERS..

OObedientbedient TTestimoniesestimonies

HHelpingelping EEveryoneveryone

RReacheach SSalvationalvation

Salvation = Salvation = Saved Saved + + SanctifiedSanctified + + SentSent

““Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! with you! As the Father has As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.’sent Me, I am sending you.’ And with that He breathed on And with that He breathed on them and said, them and said, ‘Receive the ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”Holy Spirit.’”

(John 20:21-22)(John 20:21-22)

The way to measure your The way to measure your effectiveness as a church is effectiveness as a church is by the number of disciples by the number of disciples your church has your church has producedproduced. .

We call that the We call that the People People PrinciplePrinciple..

The church in America has The church in America has stopped stopped proclaimingproclaiming the the

Gospel. Gospel.

The Fast Facts:The Fast Facts:

• 98%98% of all church growth of all church growth in America is church in America is church transfer.transfer.

• 2%2% of all church growth of all church growth is conversion growth.is conversion growth.

• 95%95% of all Christians in of all Christians in America today are barren.America today are barren.

* * 85%85% of all churches in of all churches in America have either declined America have either declined

or plateaued in growth.or plateaued in growth.

* * 9.59.5 church members out of church members out of 10 don’t share the gospel 10 don’t share the gospel

with with othersothers. .

• 90%90% of all churches assimilate of all churches assimilate less than less than 2%2% of the annual of the annual visitor volume into active visitor volume into active workers – what we might workers – what we might describe as disciples. describe as disciples.

~ ~ Maximize Your InfluenceMaximize Your Influence by by Ken Houts (Statistical Source)Ken Houts (Statistical Source)

These statistics prove that These statistics prove that peoplepeople are no longer the are no longer the primaryprimary mission of the mission of the

church.church.

The Redefined Mission of The Redefined Mission of the Church:the Church:

•MaintainingMaintaining and and ministeringministering to the people to the people we have, neglecting the we have, neglecting the

Great Commission.Great Commission.

II. THE CHURCH HAS II. THE CHURCH HAS REDEFINEDREDEFINED ITS ITS MISSIONMISSION

• We have given the church a We have given the church a make-overmake-over..

• The church has been called by The church has been called by Jesus to a mission of Jesus to a mission of “Making “Making Disciples.”Disciples.”

““Go, therefore, and make Go, therefore, and make disciples…”disciples…” (Matthew 28:19)(Matthew 28:19)

• The church, however, has The church, however, has evolved into a evolved into a maintenance-maintenance-cultureculture church. church.

A. Five Growth-Measuring A. Five Growth-Measuring Habits of the Local Church – Habits of the Local Church –

the Standards:the Standards:

•What we measure What we measure demonstrates demonstrates our prioritiesour priorities because, “what gets because, “what gets measured, gets done.”measured, gets done.”

•What are the standards we What are the standards we measure?measure?

1)1) Increased Increased attendanceattendance is the is the standardstandard of the maintenance- of the maintenance-driven church.driven church.

2)2) Increased Increased incomeincome is the is the standard of the maintenance-standard of the maintenance-driven church.driven church.

3)3) Increased Sunday Increased Sunday School/Small Group School/Small Group attendanceattendance is emphasized.is emphasized.

4)4) FacilitiesFacilities are the focus of a are the focus of a maintenance-driven church.maintenance-driven church.

5)5) Mission-givingMission-giving is the is the standard of success in the standard of success in the maintenance-driven church.maintenance-driven church.

B. Seven Maintenance-Driven B. Seven Maintenance-Driven Symptoms of the Local Symptoms of the Local

ChurchChurch

1)1) 95%95% of pastor and staff of pastor and staff time is invested in maintaining time is invested in maintaining the church.the church.

•• Pastor and staff’s focus is Pastor and staff’s focus is to nurture the church to nurture the church members. They don’t have members. They don’t have time for the unchurched or time for the unchurched or unsaved.unsaved.

2)2) The Church Board spends The Church Board spends 95%95% of their time focusing on of their time focusing on the finances and maintenance the finances and maintenance of the church.of the church.

•• If your leadership spends If your leadership spends more time discussing and more time discussing and maintaining instead of maintaining instead of investing in people and investing in people and mission, it is a behavioral mission, it is a behavioral symptom of a maintenance-symptom of a maintenance-driven church.driven church.

3)3) Members are too Members are too busybusy to to invest their talents, time, and invest their talents, time, and treasure in the church.treasure in the church.

•Every person invests in what Every person invests in what they value.they value.

•Maintenance-driven churches Maintenance-driven churches provide little, if any, passion to provide little, if any, passion to motivate people to serve.motivate people to serve.

4)4) Members are not Members are not motivatedmotivated to care for or reach out to the to care for or reach out to the unchurchedunchurched..

•• The symptom of the The symptom of the maintenance-driven church is maintenance-driven church is that members do not care that members do not care about the about the missionmission..

•• You can be a member and You can be a member and never make a never make a “disciple”“disciple” of of Christ.Christ.

5)5) Members are not Members are not trainedtrained to to be caregivers or to share their be caregivers or to share their testimony (story).testimony (story).

•• Members do not have a Members do not have a mind-set for looking for mind-set for looking for opportunities to share with opportunities to share with others.others.

6)6) Members are not Members are not mobilized mobilized or or passionate to make disciples for passionate to make disciples for Christ.Christ.

•• ““The strongest need in the The strongest need in the church is motivating the people church is motivating the people of God of God to be passionate to be passionate followersfollowers of Jesus Christ.” of Jesus Christ.”

~ D. Cowan~ D. Cowan

7)7) 80%80% of the people in the of the people in the congregation are not congregation are not corecore members.members.

•• The behavior of the The behavior of the maintenance-driven church maintenance-driven church member is to use the church to member is to use the church to be nurtured and maintained, but be nurtured and maintained, but not to be involved in or investing not to be involved in or investing in it.in it.

•• ““Growing churches in the Growing churches in the maintenance-culture create their maintenance-culture create their own problems because they can own problems because they can only make church members and only make church members and not disciples.not disciples. ~ Ken Houts ~ Ken Houts

IF YOU KEEP DOIN’ WHAT IF YOU KEEP DOIN’ WHAT YOU’RE DOIN’, YOU’RE YOU’RE DOIN’, YOU’RE

GONNA KEEP GETTIN’ WHAT GONNA KEEP GETTIN’ WHAT YOU’VE GOT!YOU’VE GOT!

Our Goal – Our Goal – UnityUnity!!

Every Church Member Going Every Church Member Going in the Same Directionin the Same Direction

We call that We call that Agenda HarmonyAgenda Harmony!!

Asking the Right Question as Asking the Right Question as a Church Board: a Church Board:

The right question is not, The right question is not, “What do you think we should “What do you think we should

do?”do?”

The right question is, “What is The right question is, “What is God thinking? What does God thinking? What does

Jesus want us to do?”Jesus want us to do?”

Questions: Questions:

1)1) What is your structural What is your structural process to communicate process to communicate the love of God?the love of God?

2)2) What are the steps needed What are the steps needed to make a disciple?to make a disciple?

3)3) Who is purposefully trained Who is purposefully trained to love and bring people to love and bring people

toto

CHURCH? CHURCH?

3)3) How many members are How many members are relationally connecting relationally connecting someone to the church as someone to the church as Jesus commanded?Jesus commanded?

• The only way to “make The only way to “make disciples” is by the love of disciples” is by the love of God through relationships.God through relationships.

5)5) How many members in How many members in your church are trained to your church are trained to relationally assimilate relationally assimilate visitors into your church?visitors into your church?

OUR VISION: OUR VISION: OTHERSOTHERS

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