The Spiral Rule Tool

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What direction are you going?

Every church is headed Every church is headed somewheresomewhereEvery church is headed Every church is headed somewheresomewhere - 1 -- 1 -

The Spiral RuleSpiral Rule governs the direction

that a church is going

The Spiral RuleSpiral Rule governs the direction

that a church is going

•Congregations that focus

outward, Travel

Upward

•Congregations that focus

inward, Travel

Downward

- 2 -- 2 -

Think of a Spiral Staircase:If you keep turning inward,

you’ll go down

You can’t go up

without going out.

You can’t go up

without going out. - 3 -- 3 -

There are no exceptions:Churches who take care of their own

needs first, decline until they are a

selfish singularity

Churches who reach out in

mission and love,

Grow.

Churches who reach out in

mission and love,

Grow. - 4 -- 4 -

Test Question:If your church had an unexpected windfall:

•Would you use the money to fix your building and pay

bills?

•Or, would you invest most of it in something that

reached people not

currently in church?- 5 -- 5 -

•Is your church Is your church

traveling inwardtraveling inward

and and

downward?downward?

•Is your church Is your church

traveling traveling

outward,outward,

and upward?and upward?

What direction are you traveling in?

- 6 -- 6 -

Reality Check:•Churches that are growing tend to attribute their growth to their outreach•Churches that are declining tend to blame

their circumstances

- 7 -- 7 -

Break into subgroups:

- 8 -- 8 -

• Pick a focus area for your group ( worship, community involvement, youth, seniors, building use, the poor, etc.)• Brainstorm ways your church could be more “outward” as it relates to your assigned area.

Share your ideas:

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•All of the brainstorm ideas are read aloud and written on the board.

No criticism or No criticism or feedback is allowed at this time!feedback is allowed at this time!

•Every person is asked to vote for three ideas, two of which must come from other groups.

•Make plans to follow up on the top vote getters at the next church council meeting.

Reality Check 101Reality Check 101Reality Check 101Reality Check 101

= Credits == Credits =•This tool is part of the Reality Check 101 kit.•Developed in cooperation with the Small Church Commission, an agency of the Western PA Conference, UMC.•Reality Check 101 text by Bill Kemp. He is also the author of other resources relating to church change found at:

www.notperfectyet.com

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