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Like countless ministers across the country, I was not raised in the church. My dad was a corporate executive, so we lived everywhere from Atlanta to Chicago. In 1975 my family moved to Lubbock, TX. In fact, I spent my first night on Texas soil at a motel in Wichita Falls only two blocks from the Tenth & Broad church building. At the time the great Tenth & Broad church was a growing, dynamic church. Little did I know in 1975 that I would put the Lord on in baptism in 1982 at the Sunset church in Lubbock and return to Witchita Falls in 1987 to serve a Tenth & Broad that was now declining numerically and struggling for its survival in a changing community.
When Tenth & Broad completed the Church Growth Diagnostic Study in April 1992, John Ellas listed both growth restricting barriers and specific strategies to facilitate growth in his written report to the congregation.
The following information is a snapshot of the ministry strategies that have been adopted since 1992.
Small Groups
Like most congregations, Tenth & Broad was eager to attract and assimilate new members. We were not prepared to accomplish that objective with a limited number of groups in place.
Early on, the staff and elders collectively reached the conclusion that a significant small group ministry was needed. Of Course a congregation does not implement such an effort overnight. Tremendous planning and attention to details went into this effort. Listed below are the key elements of the strategy employed over a ten-month period that led to the implementation of twelve "growingroups" at Tenth & Broad.
- Elders and staff made a commitment to work as a team to present the value of small groups to the congregation.
- Larry Suttle, pulpit minister, used sermons and pulpit time in general to introduce the concept of small groups.
- Several "family meeting" were held on Sunday evenings after services to explain the specifics of a small group ministry to the congregation.
- It was decided that Wednesday night would be the meeting time for most groups.
- One pilot group composed of newlywed couples was implemented about six month into the process.
- A special monthly newletter designed to communicate philosophical choices about the direction the congregation was taking began during the small group kickoff. This newletter was used to communicate the "why" behind small groups.
- It was emphasized throughout the process thaqt group participation was strictly voluntary. A quality adult Bible class was offered at the church building for those not participating in the groups.
- Tenth & Broad leaders discussed small groups so much over a ten-month period that the members were ready to begin if we would promise to quit talking about it! In all seriousness promotion and careful explanation are essential.
- Twenty-four members were recruited to serve as leaders and co-leaders for twelve growingroups. Each of these individuals participated in a weekend training session.
- A monthly meeting for leaders was implemented for ongoing training.
Small groups were implemented at Tenth & Broad for adults of all ages with great enthusiasm. The group concept has been a surprising blessing in many ways. We did not expect a group of single-again ladies in their 60s to be one of the most successful groups. The group comprised of newly married couples has grown the fastest numerically. Countless relationships have been formed. Small groups have been a tremendous tool for assimilating new members. Small groups require hard work, but their contribution to the ministry of the church is priceless.
Receiving Visitors
Receiving vistors in the assembly is an issue that we have given tremendous attention. We recognize that no growth could ever take place unless the assemblies were a place of warmeth and acceptance.
The development of small groups created a new atmosphere in the assemblies at Tenth & Broad. Group leaders and participants are always eager to find new recruits for their group. In fact, we encourage group leaders to enjoy some friendly competition. Visitor to Tenth & Broad are never ignored. There are always group leaders eager to meet them and extend an invitation to their group.
In addition to these efforts, visitor cards are coded before being placed in the pews so specially designated greeters can receive visitors cordially. (For a full description of greeter program see Church Growth Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1993.)
Visitation teams have been organized according to the nature of the visit. All prospective members receive a visit from a member of the S.W.A.T team (that is,Something Wonderful At Tenth & Broad). S.W.A.T. team members make follow-up visits within days of the prospective member's initial visit. These visitation efforts have been a key ingredient to the growth we have experienced. Couples or individuals who are well-suited to visit prospective members is the key. These team members only visit prospective members. In many cases, the "visit" is an invitation to the S.W.A.T. member's home for lunch on the same Sunday of the visit. Members who enjoy meeting new people thrive in this ministry.
Special Events
Tenth & Broad has conducted gospel meetings and other outreach-focused events for decades, but in recent years the value of each of these special events has been scrutinized carefully. Tenth & Broad leaders made the conscious choice not to be bound by tradition in this matter. Both elders and staff realized that some of the meeting used in the past were no longer effective.
In the fall of this year, Tenth & Broad held its first well-promoted Friend Day. The Sunday morning assembly hit a record attendance for the past eight years, and several personal Bible studies resulted from this one-day event. It was the best boost in morale the church has experienced in years.
Perhaps the best part of Friend Day was what we learned as leaders. Implement what works. We were reminded of the importance of being pragmatic in our programming. Friend Day was not costly and it did not require a special speaker, but it was effective in terms of reaching the unchurched. We are already looking forward to September 1995. (For a detailed description for getting high participation in a Friend Day event see the article by Randy Moody in Church Growth Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1993.)
The Enterprise
As a congregation we have been exposed to countless methods of doing personal evangelism over the years, but we found ourselves staring at a closet full of Jule Miller Videos and other good evangelistic resources collecting dust.
After Friend Day this year, the men of the congregation met in a retreat setting to discuss the pressing need for personal evangelism as well as other things. What resulted was THE ENTERPRISE.
The Enterprise is a team of 16 same-sex pairs who set up and conduct personal Bible studies. Men are paired with men, and ladies are paired with ladies. In most cases, the members of the pairs are not close friends or in the same age group. One of our pairs is an elder and a relatively new member in his early 20s.
These pairs are given names of people who have visited our services or some other special event. In registering, these people have indicated an interest in "learning more about the church of Christ." The Enterprise pairs set up and conduct personal Bible studies using a variety of methods made available to them.
At the present time many of the Enterprise pairs are studying with people who visited on Friend Day.
The Enterprise has given us the structure and accountability we desperately needed if we were going to be serious about evangelism. I was forced to postpone the composition of this article to witness a late-night baptism resulting from one of these studies. Focusing on church growth brings us to our knees as we are reminded of what really matters in ministry.
Involvement Principles
Involving a greater percentage of our members in meaningful ministry is both perplexing and challenging. Several strategies have been executed at Tenth & Broad in this area.
- New members receive a personal follow-up visit and interview concerning involvement opportunities. This includes filling out a Ministry Talent Sheet.
- An annual ministry fair was begun last year to showcase ministries and give members an opportunity to complete a talent inventory.
- We have met much of our success in the area of involvement by focusing on the obvious but often neglected ideas. Leaders are now learning to be in a "involvement mode." We are always searching for ministry opportunities that would suit a particular member. This has taken a lot of teamwork and attention to the needs of each member.
Facilities Management
The best term to describe the stately Tenth & Broad building is antiquated. Constructed in 1948, it is now quite an edifice to maintain. Since 1992, tremendous strides have been made to update, refurbish and maintain the building.
What does building maintenance have to do with church growth? Everything. . . The auditorium suffered from poor lighting, faded paint and carpet from the 1960's vintage. Non-verbally we were communicating to younger families that we were a declining church comprised of older members.
The church has now adopted the philosophy that the building should be prepared for guest every week just like our homes are when we anticipate the arrival of company.
Some of the things that have been done at Tenth & Broad are simple, but very important. Large signs denoting where Bible classes are have been hung, the building is cleaned immaculately every week, classrooms have been painted and bulletin boards are kept updated. The list could go on and on, but it should be stressed that volunteers in the area of building maintenance have caught the idea of seeing the building with a visitor's eye. That was a major milestone in our efforts.
The auditorium has now been painted and recarpeted. Other improvements include a redesigned stage area and an upgraded sound system. These changes have even trigered noticeable impact on morale in the assembly.
We did not strive to be gaudy or materialistic, but we have realized that the condition of the building communicates a great deal.
Conclusion
The Lord has blessed us as a congregation of His people in ways that would never have imagined in 1987 when I joined the staff. Much of the success we have enjoyed can be attributed to the team concept the staff and elders labor under. Focusing on church growth is not easy. In some ways it would be more painless to purposely choose to gracefully decline. The Lord has instructed us to rise above that faithless mentality. Dwelling on growth has unified us as a congregation because everyone recognizes the seriousness of our purpose. I am looking forward to seeing many lives touched for eternity in the coming days and years.
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