One of the things that makes me different as a Coach to Pastors is that I’m a player-coach. I’m still very active in leading The Journey Church.
Recently, a coaching member attended The Journey ‘eyes wide open’ to see if we really practice what I preach. (BTW, you are always welcome at The Journey should you be near one of our locations).
After the visit, I received this letter….since I don’t have permission to share names, I’ve just posted the letter part:
Early in January of this year my husband and Iwere vacationing in Pompano Beach. We decided to come to The Journey Church in Boca Raton. I have a difficult time worshiping when I’m on vacation. When I visit other churches I am always evaluating them – for what they are doing well that we can improve on at my church, what they do that I hope we don’t do, and what they are lacking – and it gets in the way. When we visited The Journey Church, everything was excellent, and I was able to truly worship. So thank you for being excellent! We plan to come to South Florida again next January, and we plan to come back to worship with you again!
The actual reason for writing is because I want to affirm the value of your statement mailings. I had just finished reading “Maximize” when the first quarter statement came from our measly giving from our visit in January. Before I even had my coat off, my husband told me I had to read everything in the envelope. He said that amazing things are happening at The Journey Church. He told me about the numbers of new believers and new members. He concluded by saying, “We need to send them some money.” So I’m finally getting around to letting you know that I learned by experience that your statement mailings work! And I am finally sending you $200 as my husband requested.
The church I pastor is over 180 years old. At one time it had 1,000 members. When I arrived it was an inwardly focused, conflicted, declining congregation with a membership of 350 and attendance of 150. Although I do plenty of infant baptisms, we haven’t had a believer’s baptism in the 4 years I have been here. There was one teenager maybe 13 or 14 years ago, who is seen as a great evangelistic success. Who knows before that when there was last a believer’s baptism? I have been working on their culture, insisting that Jesus has called them to BE his church. After four years enough has changed ‘that we can actually begin to focus outward.
Even though I had an evangelism class in seminary, I had no idea how to really position my church to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. I didn’t know where to begin or what to do.
Actually, I didn’t know how to do much of anything. I have read a lot of books on church growth, but what I needed were some systems. Your coaching books, Nelson, have been an incredible resource. We are only just beginning, but I feel like I have next steps in each of the systems we are learning about. Thank you!
Whew! In this case, we actually lived up to her high standards. But, that’s not always the case. I teach the systems as they should be…some times they work that way at The Journey (thanks to our great volunteers and staff, most of the time they work the way I teach them). But, like your church, we aren’t perfect…and won’t be, as long as they keep me around.
How’s your systems? What would an outside guest say about their experience at your church?
Nelson
P.S. For a deeper understanding of systems – and how you maximize them in your church – check out my REVISED & EXPANDED “8 Systems of a Healthy Church” E-book. I have updated each chapter of this comprehensive e-book with the latest insights for 2015. Plus – new chapters for Assimilation and Stewardship (the two biggest pressure points churches are facing today).
Hurry – Free Download This Week Only – Ends Friday, August 14th!
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