You've Been Lied To... - Church Leader Insights

Do you know what?

I’m sick and tired of hearing everyone tell me why right now is such a bad season for the local church . . . whether its the constant news about the economy or the uncertain mood of our nation or you name it.

Everybody seems to be telling us pastors that we should just ‘hunker down’ and ‘hold steady’ or ‘wait it out’ until the economy turns around, the weather gets better or . . .well, you get the picture.

But you’ve been lied to! They are wrong!

NOW is the BEST time to grow your church! And I’ll tell you why.

People are MOST LIKELY to attend church and turn to God when:

1-   They are under tension
2-   They are in transition
3-   They are in trouble

And right now there’s a ton of each going around. Everywhere you turn there’s trouble, transition and tension . . . and (between you and me) that excites me!

Because I know that right now people are more open to God then they’ve ever been in my lifetime.

That’s why I will say it again: NOW is the BEST time to grow your church.

Now is the best time to reach new people.

Now is the best time to be aggressive about evangelism and assimilation.

Now is the best time to challenge yourself and your people to step it up.

Now is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see our churches impact our cities and communities like never before.

I heard one pundit say, “Never waste a crisis!” I don’t want you to waste this time of crisis either by listening to the lies of the slow-growth/no-growth mentality coming from certain areas of the ministry world. They are wrong!

I mean, think about . . . almost all of the churches that we look up to today as model churches (I’ll resist mentioning their names since we all look up to different ones and come from different denominations and backgrounds. . . But you know who they are) are churches that chose to THRIVE not shirk back during the last economic recession.

One highly influential church that I am intimately familiar with was birthed during the last great recession of the early 1980s . . . and today, thousands around the world are being impacted. I can’t prove it but I can only imagine that the pastor of this church heard the no-growth/slow-growth pundits of his day saying it ‘can’t be done in 1980’ so just ‘wait it out.’ Thank God he didn’t listen!

I hope you won’t listen either!

So, let me ask: what could you do over the next six to twelve months to give your church the best opportunity to capitalize on the tension, trouble and transition that we are facing?

To say it another way, what are you going to do over the next 6 to 12 months to grow your church?

Are you going to buy into the lies of those who say, “wait – not now – this too will pass”?

Will you step up to the call that God has placed on your life and say, “Here I stand . . . everyone else may slack up and shut up and back up but I’m going to step up and reach up and (dare I say it) grow up and be the Pastor God called me to be.”

Will you say, ” Whether the economy is on an up turn, a down turn or a u-turn, I’m going to reach out to the lost people in my community and do everything I can in the power of God and His Spirit to keep them from perishing!” (See 2 Peter 3:9)

That’s what I’m doing and that’s what I’m challenging you to do.

In fact, I’m going one BIG step further . . .

I’m looking to PERSONALLY INVEST my time, talent and God-given ministry insights to come along side of Pastors (like you) with this mentality.

Here’s how committed I am . . . .I’m going to do all I can to not only be the pastor that God has called me to be here in New York City but to also be the ‘COACH’ God has called me to be to other pastors.

In just a few short weeks, I’m starting a new Coaching Network for kingdom-minded, church-loving, evangelistically-passionate pastors.

And if this is you, then I want you to consider applying.

I’m not looking for complacent, weak-in-the-knees, mealy-mouthed ministers who are looking to ride it all out until the next boom time.

I’m looking for passionate, God-called, Spirit-driven pastors who are ready to see their church (and themselves) go to the next level.

Here’s what I know . . . now is NOT the time for average!

Now is NOT the time for average leaders, doing average things in average ways.

Now is NOT the time to do what we did last year and “hope” for different results.

Now is NOT the time to stick our seminary-trained heads in the sand and expect that the devil is strapped for cash and won’t bother us until things turn around.

Now IS the TIME FOR ACTION.

Now IS the time to accept new challenges . . .

. . . to break out of the confining box of what we’ve always done

. . . to invest my time and resources in the handful of opportunities that can significantly impact the growth and Kingdom-reach of my church.

Are you READY for the challenge? Is NOW your time?

If so, then please follow this link to learn about my NEW Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors that begins on Thursday, February 18.

Follow this link (or keep reading for even more):

http://www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

Since 2004, I’ve personally coached over 600 pastors (you can read some of their testimonies below) and I’ve probably talked to 600 more who drug their feet or shook their head and refused to join or even apply for one of my networks because of one lame brained excuse or another.

Believe me, I’ve heard it all:

I would join your coaching network IF . . .

If it was on a different day . . .

If it didn’t require a 12 month commitment . . .

If it was at a different time . . .

If it was in my town . . .

If it wasn’t a long distance call . . .

If it was half the investment price . . .

If you offered me a scholarship . . .

If the application was online . . .

If things were better between me and my elders/deacons/staff/wife or dog!

If . . .If . . .If . . . NOW is not the time for if’s! Now is the time for action.

Trust me, you’ll thank me later for being so hard on you.

The fact is, the average Pastor who completes my network sees 30% growth in their church within a year after completing the network. Many see MUCH MORE!

What could God do in you and your church over the next year if you just had the faith to step out, stand out and fill out your application?

Keep reading the FAQ below for more details or you can download your application right now at this link:

http://www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

Yes, I’m fired up as you can tell from this email. I’m fired up about those who lie to us and try to hinder the work of God and I’m fired up about the incredible potential of the local church and I’m fired up about this new Tele-Coaching Network.

But mainly, I’m fired up because I know what God can do in our churches over this next year! Join me on this ride, won’t you?

I look forward to reviewing your coaching application and I apologize in advance if I can’t fit you in because you waited too long to act or if your application doesn’t prove to me that you really want to be a part of this ministry-changing, Kingdom impacting and leadership-defining network.

Your friend (and truth-telling-renegade-pastor),

Nelson

P.S. I know that some of you are like me and you want to read all the details. Well, at the link below you can find the answers to Frequently Asked Questions, testimonial videos, and much more. Read it closely but don’t wait too long to apply.

http://www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.