Every healthy, growing organism or organization has particular attributes that when maintained keep it healthy and growing. Neglecting any of these attributes will lead to deteriorating health and decline. As individual members of the body of Christ and as the local church body, there are certain attributes we must attend to as well. One aid to your individual, spiritual growth and the body of Christ is your engagement in healthy small groups.

Five attributes to guide your individual spiritual health and that of your small groups.

Biblically Centered – Discipleship – In many churches small groups have drifted from being truly Bible centered to more social centered. As we will see later, social connections are integral in the health of all small groups. However, it is easy to drift from God’s design, The Great Commission. Teaching knowledge does not a Disciple make.

Others Oriented – Evangelism – Every declining church I have worked with over the years had become inward turned. These start innocently and without notice. Yet the longer they neglect the need for outward biblical influence to their community, the deeper they fall inward. If we were Great Commission churches, we would not see decades of declining baptisms. Gratefully, we are seeing some pockets of resurgence. Assist your group in finding God’s design for members to be Evangelism oriented.

Service Minded – Ministry –Small groups are not for distributing Bible knowledge only. If we are not also teaching and encouraging application of biblical wisdom, we may only be building trivia buffs, and that is not God’s directive. Every person should leave each small group meeting with a challenge to serve someone without expecting anything in return. Your church can set a goal or imperative for every small group to have regular, scheduled ministry opportunities serving the community together.

Community Driven – Fellowship – God implanted in each one of us an innate desire for relationships – with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Relationships are an integral attribute to keeping people actively engaged in attendance and spiritual maturation. Each small group is its own community. Each small group should plan group outings and ministry endeavors to include everyone in the group while also encouraging fostering spiritual relationships among members.

God Honoring – Worship – Worship does not only happen in the “sanctuary” on Sunday morning. Worship should be part of our individual lives seven days a week. Many a great worship service are had while driving. With a love for the outdoors, I regularly enjoy personal worship of God outside. I worship in my daily devotion time. Train, equip, and encourage personal worship for all your small group members. Call for reports of personal worship in some of your sessions.

Paying attention to these five attributes with personal and group objectives to continue increasing in each one will keep your group healthy and growing. Spiritual maturation and awareness is a beautiful outcome awaiting each individual in every small group.  

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

In my younger days I would ride horses with friends. One day we went to a particular stable to ride their horses. One of the girls in our group asked for a mild-tempered horse. She got what she wanted and more. This horse practically had to be dragged along by one of the other riders. We nicknamed this horse “Muley” because she was as stubborn as a mule.

Some of the horses in our group wanted to run. We named these horses fireballs. Still other horses were content to stroll down the path at a leisurely pace. We called these the happy trails horses. I was on one of the happy trails horses. However, our leisurely pace was halted every few minutes while someone tried to drag, push, or spur ol’ “Muley” to catch up. I believe we spent as much time sitting on the horses (not moving) as we did riding that day.

In life and in ministry there are many horses to ride. Perhaps you’ve been on a Fireball before, a ministry that is a runner. And maybe you’ve been on a Happy Trails horse, one that is content to meander down the ministry trail. And it’s possible you’ve experienced Ol’ Muley too.

Finding the right horse to ride is vital to your ministry. Let me encourage you to revisit the stables of ministry often to check out the horses in your stable. What does it look like? What kind of shape is your ministry in today?

Let’s go inside and look at the horses you’ve been riding. We come to your first horse – Evangelism. What kind of horse is she? Is she a runner, a fireball? Perhaps she’s a Happy Trails horse. Or could it be she’s an Ol’ Muley? Is this the horse you want to be riding to fulfill The Great Commission?

Training your Evangelism horse: Mobilize your people for harvest, Develop outreach oriented ministries, Assimilate newcomers into the life and ministry of your church.

Ask God; For effective outreach strategies that will win many lost people to Christ, To help you value lost people’s future freedom above your present comfort, and To break your heart with the things that break His.

The next stall houses a horse named Discipleship. What kind of horse is discipleship? Fireball, Happy Trails, or Muley? Which traits are displayed through your discipleship process? Spiritual maturity should be measured by the lifestyle a person leads, and not by the amount of Bible knowledge one has. What training is needed for a better discipleship ministry in your stables?

On the door of the next stall is the name Fellowship. Is fellowship a fireball, happy trails, or Muley?  Close, loving relationships are at the heart of a healthy, growing church and relationships cannot be built without healthy fellowship. Fellowship is at the heart of Christianity, Develops healthy interpersonal relationships, Cultivates authentic community, & Incorporates the love of God to a lost world.

As we continue to the next stall we see a golden stallion, Ministry. Is ministry a working horse in your stable? Is she a stable horse only? Or does ministry like to get out of the barn and run? Are the tasks of the church distributed according to the spiritual gift mix of individuals or based on the needs of present ministries inside the church?

Inside the fifth stall we see the black horse, worship. Is this horse a mighty, sleek coated warrior, a big footed, broad shouldered work horse, an underfed swayback has been, or a newborn weak-kneed hopeful? Worship’s lifeline is prayer. Without fervent prayer your worship horse is dead.

When worship is inspiring it draws people to services and to God. Inspiring worship is infused with the presence of God, and results in times of joyous exaltation and quiet reverence. Inspiring worship is not driven by a particular style or focus – but by the shared experience of God’s awesome presence.

What do the horses in your ministry stable look like? Where is your stable headed? What horse(s) are you going to ride to victory?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The act of complete absorption and integration of people, ideas, or culture into a wider society or culture. This is the definition of assimilation. Notice it is not partial, somewhat, or limited, but it is complete, full integration. We’ve been looking at Assimilation for the past three posts. I want to continue this series with the following ten critical points for an assimilating culture in your church.

1, Assimilation does not happen by accident. A church must be intentional about assimilating people into the culture of your group having a planned and purposeful process.

2, A church must project a warm, welcoming atmosphere to outsiders and newcomers. Without realizing it churches today tend to be closed societal groups. We sing “Just as I am without one plea.” Yet newcomers experience, “Just as I Am, As long as you dress and talk just like me.”

3, Assimilation begins at the first contact with the church. The rule of sevens is a good basis to remember. The first seven minutes in each of these is critical to keeping and assimilating newcomers. The first seven minutes on your property (driveway entrance and parking lot), in your buildings, in the classroom, in the worship service. Is each one warm, friendly, and accepting?

4, Guests need to be contacted in the first 36 hours. If clergy makes the initial contact it is good, but if made by a lay person. These are twice as effective.

5, Newcomers must begin building relationships within the church immediately. Without fostering new relationships within the church they will depart. See previous posts.

6, Structured Small Groups. Organized/structured small group Bible studies are vital to the sustained growth of a church and inclusion of newcomers.

7, Expectations. Civic groups like rotary clubs have more member expectations than the average church. People need and desire expectations. The church in North America lost more than 22 million people in the early 1990’s. The number one reason, no expectations.

8, The process of bonding must be ever present. Newcomers need multiple avenues for interfacing and connecting where they experience acceptance, belonging, community and continuity.

9, Outreach and Lay involvement. Churches that reach out to others will keep more of their own membership. Lay involvement is needed in all ten areas and critical as related in # 3, 4, & 5.

10, Implement and Strengthen these Ministries. discovery and utilization of Spiritual Gifts, Lay Mobilization, Specific discipleship, Student and family ministries.

Churches who follow these ten critical points will greatly increase assimilation and keeping members for kingdom focused work. A byproduct will be increased outreach as more people are looking for what your members are talking about. Which of these ten is your church’s strongest. Which ones need immediate attention?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

“Whatever happened to Tom & Jane? We thought they were going to be really committed. They must not have been as committed as we thought.” When people, especially newcomers drop out of church we question why, and we nearly always place the blame on them for dropping out. We never consider what we did (or didn’t do) that helped lead to their departure.

We never consider the inward culture of our church. A closed culture is hard to crack for newcomers. Yet we believe ourselves to have an open culture. After all, “everyone is welcome” – unspoken caveat; “as long as they fit in to our liking”. Consider the friendship factor described in our previous post. And not only the friendship factor; all newcomers need at least one new fostering relationship with church members within the first thirty days of attendance. (five with in six months.)

Along with this they also need an area of service within ninety days (3 months). This does not mean you are going to let them teach or preach, but if God brought them to your church, they have some gifting, some talent to offer. It only takes a smile to be a greeter or usher. Sunday school classes have a plethora of opportunities for people to serve. Be attentive to the Holy Spirit and creative for engaging newcomers into ministry.

For people to remain actively involved they must have a task they consider significant to the kingdom’s work.

What about Bob and Mary who were active members for two decades and have suddenly dropped out? Do we spend more time talking about them or do we genuinely reach out attempting to assist in prayer for, physical, spiritual, personal matters in their life – without using each for gossip.

People do not usually drop out due to one incident but from a series of experiences. Those could be experiences inside or outside of the church. If from within the church, certainly this needs to be addressed. If the point of crisis came from outside the church, it could be personal, family, work, or health issues. Regardless, we as church family should handle each with discretion and respect while lovingly attempting to restore broken relationships with the church family.

Four opportunities every church has at your disposal to assist whether newcomers or long-time members. Use each prayerfully (full of prayer) with discretion.

Observation is perhaps the greatest tool of opportunity. Especially when you are using it before that crisis hits. But afterwards as well.

Research can help you identify causes that may exist in your church and within individual lives. Use validated research as a tool for God to assist your church.

Surveys, conducted in house or community to assist you in learning how God will use your church in reaching, keeping, and ministering to those going through any crisis.

Personal reflection can be revealing when we reflect openly, with a true intent to find needed improvement personally and as a church body.

What is your reaction when people drop out?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The number one factor for assimilating newcomers into the church is “The Friendship Factor”. In the church we often hear our church is a friendly church. This is often stated and believed to be true because all of our friends are there and we are friendly to those we know. I’ve often heard, “If you want to see how friendly we are, come and see how long we stay around after the service and talk with each other.” To which I usually inquire, “Talk to who?” Our friends, not the stranger or newcomer among us.

It is important to be a friendly church. However, when people enter your church for the first time, they are not simply looking for a friendly church. They are looking for friends. There have been several studies completed about this issue. One study of 100 newcomers into churches identified 50 who dropped out within six months and 50 who remained in the church beyond six months.

Of the fifty who dropped out, most had zero friendships in the church. They attended, they were greeted and verbally welcomed. Only two of the fifty said they considered two people as friends from the church. Three others had one friendship. Not one of the other 45 could identify that any relationships were established with members of the church. (90%)

On the other side, the fifty who were still involved in the church after the six month period had three or more new relationships within the church. These are new fostering relationships with people they had not known. The majority (over 90%) could name more than five new fostering relationships with others in the church. Five versus zero.

That statistic alone should be enough to convict us of becoming more intentional in building an inviting, assimilating culture or fostering relationships. Yet, some read those paragraphs and began making excuses, passing the blame to the “outsiders” or others in the church. We get so wrapped up with our current friends that we neglect the newcomers.

The term “it takes a village” is not only for raising children. It is for assimilating people into the culture of the Christ-centered church. Are you part of a friendly church, or are you an individual Christ follower thirsting to build new relationships that will assist you and others in maturing together as Disciples?

What will you do this week to start the conversations in moving your entire church forward in being a Christ-centered relationship fostering family of God for every person God brings into your fellowship?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Walking into a new church, a new environment, unfamiliar territory can be daunting. Most people come in with trepidation. They approach unsure of what is beyond that door, trusting it is safe and welcoming. What do they truly find when they come into your church for the first time? Every person I have ever asked always says, “They find a friendly church.” Yet what guests have shared over the years is often a different story.

Abraham Maslow developed a Hierarchy of Needs, showing five levels of needs of every human in various aspects of life. He shaped it as a pyramid with the broadest need at the base. The base level is physiological or survival. Maslow’s theory is that before a person can move to a higher level each of the previous levels must be fulfilled in that persons “needs”.

The second level is safety. Before a person can feel safe, he must be secure he can survive in this environment. Without the solace of survival he cannot move beyond his safety concerns. Before moving to the third level that person’s survival and safety requirements must be fulfilled and so it goes throughout the five levels, each subsequent level must be satisfied in each person’s life.

The third level is Love and Affection. This is the level most people enter your church. They will not come through a door unless they believe survival and a safe environment resides on the other side. They enter looking for love and acceptance. When they walk in, they are not certain they will be welcomed and accepted. Yet, looking for those attributes, they enter.

While most churches believe they are friendly, welcoming, and accepting of others, some of the best responses guests often share include, “It seemed superficial. They did it because the pastor told them to.” Or “It wasn’t sincere.”

Our words may say welcome, yet we hold newcomers at arm’s length as if they must pass a trial or probationary period before we show them true welcome and acceptance. In most cases we do not intend to, but this is what we convey. When a newcomer shows giftedness and talent that we can use, we welcome them with open arms (while holding our reservations) as long as their giftedness do not threaten our positions in the church.

People cannot move to levels four and five of the Hierarchy of Needs without sensing true love and acceptance (level 3). Level four is esteem and is where people begin to understand his/her value in Christ through the local body. Level five is self-actualization in Christ, where each individual recognizes his/her value in Christ serving in the body, welcoming others with heart-felt acceptance.

What will you do this week to demonstrate true love and acceptance? This is where true assimilation begins.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

You’ve heard the concept of Cause and Effect, let me introduce Cause and Affect. The difference in the words affect and effect is that one is used as a verb, one as a noun. Affect, usually used as a verb to create an effect (noun) in another’s behavior. Effect is the result or consequence that occurs due to specific cause. It is what happens as a result of the cause.

Leadership is not predicated on a title. Everyone is a leader. You have leadership responsibilities in some areas of your life. You have influence with your children, spouse, neighbors, friends, church, and others. You may not be in a leadership position at work, but you are in a position of leadership (influence). What you do, how you carry yourself, every action is influencing someone. If you are showing disrespect to your leaders or organization, you are influencing others. If you have a habit of talking about others, positively or negatively, you are influencing those around you, maybe not in a positive way.

Many definitions of leadership include the word influence, and I agree that in it’s simplest definition Leadership is Influence. If you cannot influence someone, you cannot lead. Leading is guiding, not forcing, not coercing. Influence in leadership is having an affect on another in a way that inspires him/her to action. Is your influence in the lives of others inspiring them to positive action? If not, are you not leading them down a wrong path?

What is needed to influence or motivate someone? Two traits answer this question – trust and respect. You affect people at the level of trust and respect they have for you. You cannot lead people to accept another person if you are never showing your trust and respect for that person. The trust others put in you is dependent on the trust and respect you display for others.

As believers we are called to build trust and respect for God Almighty and for His created beings. When we talk negatively about God’s greatest creation, Humans, we are reflecting not God’s image, but a negative image of that person and His creator. For those we disagree with, we are to pray for and use our influence to positively affect the behavior of those listening to us.

Think on examples of how you inspire others to action in the following areas of life. Family: Spouse, Children/siblings; School or Work; peers/friends/coworkers; at the grocery, bank, or doctor’s office.

You have opportunities all day long to inspire and influence people around you. What affect are you causing in the lives of those around you? This week, strive to live as an influence in leadership, having an affect on others in a way that inspires them to action.

If influence was currency, how are you spending your influence?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The story is told of a man who was hired to paint another man’s boat. While prepping the boat for paint he found a small hole and repaired it without saying anything to the owner. When the job was finished the owner paid for the work done as agreed upon and took the boat.

Later, the owner returned to the man who had painted the boat and handed him a check for a large sum of money. Puzzled, the repairman stated, “You already paid me.”

The boat owner shared, “I returned home yesterday afternoon to find the boat was gone. I knew my sons had taken the boat out fishing. I became terrified, because right then I remembered the boat had a small hole in it, and feared the worst for my two boys.

In a little while I saw my boys returning in the boat from their fishing adventure. Upon inspection I found the hole had been repaired under the paint job. I knew you had repaired the hole. What you did, repairing that hole, you saved the lives of my children and a lifetime of grief for my wife and me. I do not have enough money to repay what you did for me.”

In this life you have many opportunities to repair small holes in the lives of people God places in your path. Do not disregard them. Sometimes it is sitting with someone in silence. Other times it might be simply a listening ear, opening a door, a cup of coffee, a kind greeting, or providing a small need. Every kind gesture could be repairing a small hole in someone’s boat.

You never know when someone around you needs that quiet repair or how many lives you will save due to your watchful eye and listening ear. God places these people in your path so He can be a blessing through you. Neither do you the size of blessing you will receive for your actions.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

People want to Succeed. It is inbred in each one of us. Have you ever known anyone to get out of bed in the morning stating, “Today, I want to fail.”? People want to succeed. No one gets out of bed determined to fail. Since man’s basic nature is to succeed, there are many ways you can help others be more effective and fruitful. One of those is to assist by asking the right, encouraging questions.

Too often the questions we ask one another are more discouraging, and demotivating than uplifting and encouraging. Perhaps unintentional, and more out of a protection for the other person, yet they often serve to stifle one’s motivating forces to move forward. The questions we ask need to be encouraging. The following are the type questions needed to encourage others in effectively moving forward toward goals and achieving fruitfulness in his/her endeavors.

Instead of, “What are you doing?” try using, “I’d like to hear your end goal, or what you are desiring to achieve?”

Instead of, “And how are you going to do that?” Utilize, “What steps are you taking accomplish your desired achievement that might benefit others?”

Instead of, “What makes you think you can succeed?” Ask, “Based on your definition of achievement, what could lead you to achieve even greater success and fruitfulness?”

How can I help you be as effective and fruitful as possible?

While these questions are not all inclusive, they are meant to give you a positive approach to assisting others in reaching for goals and “success” (fruitfulness). How can you improve your line of questioning to assist and encourage others in reaching for the fruitfulness God created them for.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.