In our personal lives and the life of the church we come to many crossroads. At each crossroad or intersection a decision must be made. Namely, “Which direction will we take?” Each of the intersecting highways leads not only in a different direction, each leads us distinctly away from the intersection, the crossroad, our point of decision. For some this means a move away from the familiar and into unknown territory.

Unknown territory for most people brings caution. For some, unknown or unfamiliar territory is a forbidden chasm – a deep, dark hole that should not be explored. To leave the comfortable and the familiar would be like leaving a warm bed on a cold morning for a barefoot walk in the snow.

However, the unknown and unfamiliar can yield some of life’s greatest treasures. Had Columbus not wanted to satisfy his curiosities, when would the “new world” have been discovered? He came to a crossroad in his life; to sail off to the west or to live the rest of his life forever wondering. When Columbus came to his crossroad he chose to go west.

If a group of believers not had opposition with the Church of England would they have come to the crossroads of setting out to find a place to practice freedom of religion? We all come to crossroads in our lives. At each crossroad we find avenues that lead us away from our point of decision, our crossroad. At each crossroad we must make a choice. The decision we make at this crossroad will influence every crossroad we encounter hereafter.

For the visual example of this scenario let’s imagine that we are traveling north on the highway of life. We are driving north on our journey as we approach a crossroad. A crossroad is where two or more roadways intersect.

As we approach each crossroad in life the decision to be made takes into consideration several variables. The first of these variables is directional. Over the next few entries we will look at where each of these directional variables may take us. Each one will have its challenges and victories. Be certain to read each entry in this series of blog posts.

Teacher, associate teacher, and class secretary, here are three essential positions for every Small Group Bible study class or group that meets regularly. As your class grows ( or if your class has more than three people in it) you should have a plan of additional positions of responsibility for members. Other positions of leadership include:

• Outreach leader – one who assists the class in continual contact of individuals outside the church. This person should also work with your class Ministry/Missions leader to provide opportunities for class members to be involved in mission projects sponsored by the class or the church designed to make contact and share the gospel with the community outside the church.

• Inreach leader – This person coordinates ministry efforts to the attending members, prospects, and potential members of the class. As the class grows the inreach leader will coordinate the care groups and regular contact of members, prospects, and potential members.

• Prayer coordinator – is responsible to keeping the class informed of prayer needs, requests, and praise reports. This person will also coordinate the prayer time in class.

• Activities coordinator – The right person for this position will enjoy seeking out, calendaring, and planning group activities (monthly preferably) for the class to partake in. These will include 1) social gatherings i.e. picnic in the park or at a member’s home, trips to ball games, game nights, movie outings, and other gatherings members will enjoy, 2) local mission/ministry projects i.e. raking leaves, yard clean up, feeding the homeless, working at food pantry, clothing closet, etc.

• Discipleship coordinator – Small Open Group Bible studies provide an entry level for discipleship. This person will key in on topics of interest briefly discussed in class and research resources for the class to study at a separate gathering or on their own for deeper study in God’s word.

This is only a beginning for areas of responsibility for the small group. I believe everyone in your small group should have an area of responsibility within the group. This builds in ownership and friendly accountability within the group as well as fills a basic human need to feel needed and of value. Everyone, you ask? Yes everyone. I have a list (somewhere) of an area of responsibility for each letter of the alphabet for the small group Bible study unit. That’s 26 in Kentucky and it should be the same for other in the USA at least. I also believe every leader should be apprenticing a future leader as well. That is fifty-two areas of responsibility so you should not run out. If you have that many people in your Bible study, it is no longer a small group. It is a church that needs to implement a small group strategy for Bible study.

Other areas of responsibility can include: greeters, care group leaders, research specialists (ex. people who love music can be asked to bring lyrics or recordings of upcoming topics like grace, faith, etc.), set up and clean up, and my favorite, “The keeper of the Doughnut list.” Who’s bringing doughnuts next week?

An organized class is an effective functioning small group meeting needs and growing in Christ, no matter what day or time of the week they meet.

The title of this article may seem a little awkward but bear with me. Many churches have some type of small group Bible study classes for members and others interested in attending such a class. For many this is called Sunday School. Other names and variations are known as Small Groups, Life Groups, Home groups, etc. Since you are reading this, in all probability, you are a leader in one of these or at least you are an attending member of a small group Bible study.

Healthy, growing churches utilize the smaller group Bible study approach, but not only for Bible study. Small group Bible study classes or units in my opinion can and should be the lifeline of the church. Small group Bible study classes are ideal for fostering relationships, carrying out ministry to one another, doing ministry/mission work together (locally and abroad) to the community outside the church, as well as growing spiritually together.

One of my firm beliefs and recurring statements to church leaders around the nation is, “Anything a church wants to do, it can and should do through the Sunday School” (or small group). I say this not only because I believe it, I say it because I have lived it. Whether your church is embarking on a stewardship campaign, desiring to recruit more choir members, or anything in between, it can and should be done through the Sunday School.

To do this effectively you need a well organized, functioning Small Group Bible study. Not only a general organization for the size of your church, each unit (class) needs to be organized for effectiveness.

What should the organization look like? The organization of classes will look somewhat different for various age groups. However, I believe all classes for all ages should have a teacher and an associate teacher. The teacher is the primary leader in the class and has the responsibility of preparing and delivering an age appropriate (for class members) lesson each week.

I use the term associate teacher because I believe every leader should be mentoring, apprenticing someone for his/her leadership role. And the class teacher should be apprenticing the associate teacher to become the primary teacher of a similar class. Some churches use substitute teachers in their classes. How often does a substitute teach? Only when the teacher is out – maybe once or twice a year. On the other hand an associate teacher is expected to teach at least once a month or one in four sessions. How else will he/she and the teacher know the associate is ready to take on a class as the primary teacher?

Churches should have two adults in every class with participants 18 and under. Why not recruit associate teachers for the second person in each class? Adult classes have their entire ministry list (class roll) from which to find an associate teacher.

I also believe every class needs a recording secretary. This person is responsible for taking attendance, but this is only a small portion of his/her work. The class secretary holds the key to effective ministry for the class. The class organization should be established so that the secretary informs the class inreach leader and/or care leaders of absentees so contacts can be made and possible ministry needs can be explored. If the class does not have an inreach leader or care groups, time should be set aside in class each week to allow the secretary to share this information with the class at large.

In preschool classes and younger children’s classes, the teacher or associate teacher would, in most cases, take on the role of secretary. In older children’s classes, youth classes and all adult classes I encourage teachers to recruit class members to fill this and other organizational roles to improve the effectiveness of the class. Giving ownership of the class to members is one approach in building organization and desire for building the class.

This is only the beginning for structuring classes for effectiveness. And if every one of your classes established even this much organization, what a difference you would see in your Small Group Bible study effectively carrying out the Great Commission. 

Have you ever watched one of those TV fishing shows? Here is the scenario. Usually two to three men fishing in a boat and they are really intrigued with the idea of “the catch” – reeling in the next fish of prey, the next “big one.”

When that fish is being hauled in everyone is excited, voices are raised in anticipation of landing this catch. After all, this is why they fish. When the fish is finally landed it is held up and paraded in front of the camera.

Everyone gives praise for the fine specimen. Then they drop the fish in a holding tank, possibly with others caught previously that day. Then with the blink of an eye everyone’s attention turns to the anticipation of the next one to be caught not really knowing when or where that might be. Little or no attention is given to the fish in the holding tank until the end of the day.

I see the same thing in many churches today. We do a good job of courting people, but once they join the church, once we have landed them in our boat, churches have a tendency to allow people to drift and sway at will. Now we don’t intend for this to happen, but often times our focus is on the intrigue of making the catch, not on what is already in the boat.

In other words like the fishermen, we are excited to have this prospect and we do all we can to show our enthusiasm to have him/her join us (reeling them in). Once they do join our church, we may have have him/her stand in front of the church and parade by them expressing our gratefulness, and maybe put his/her name in the monthly newsletter. Then we place the new member in the holding tank and turn our attention to where the next catch might come from.

In many churches the new member is now on his own. We don’t actually have a holding tank. We may tell the new member about a Bible study class they can join, but much like the fish, we do not give much attention to someone once they join our church. It is as if we expect all newcomers to know everything about Christianity and our church and how it functions as soon as they join. In reality it does not happen this way.

Unfortunately churches that operate this way have a hole in their holding tank. It doesn’t take long for a fish swimming around in a faulty tank to find out where the hole is. Their natural inclination is to swim right through the hole back into open water and away from the fishermen. Like the fish, people in uncomfortable and unfamiliar surroundings will find the hole or the back door so to speak and walk right through it.

So, how do we keep them? Two important things to remember. First, people need relationships, they need friends. Newcomers need to begin building at least one new relationship within the church (classroom) immediately. If one new relationship has not begun to form within four weeks the newcomer will walk through that back door or swim right through the hole in the holding tank. They will leave the church—many times unnoticed.

The second thing newcomers need is an area of responsibility. People need expectations and we like responsibility. Responsibility gives pride of ownership. Now this does not mean that newcomers need to be given a teachers job, or deacon or elder position right away. However, there are many areas they can fill in the Sunday School organization and in the church. Positions like Greeters, refreshments, organizers, singing, playing an instrument, etc.

If newcomers do not have an area of responsibility within three months, they will leave the church before his/her six month anniversary. Think back on your church. You have seen this happen, people coming in who you think are going to be a good asset to the church. Then six months later they are gone. We have a tendency to believe their commitment was not genuine. Rarely do we reflect on what we could have done as a church to help them feel accepted.

People need relationships. God built within each one of us an innate desire to have relationships with Him and with other people. Think about it, why did God create man? To have someone to walk through the garden with in the cool of the evening. Then, He created what for man? A woman, a companion. As God created everything He stated, “It is good.” That is everything until He created man. Then He said it is not good…that man should live alone. And with that statement God created our help-meet, someone to have a relationship with.

People also need responsibility. Everyone in your class and your church needs an area of responsibility. Find out what each person likes to do, what they enjoy and are good at. Then find an area of responsibility to exercise his/her skills and abilities. It is possible. Start with the letter “A” and list an area of responsibility for each letter of the alphabet. If you name one for each letter you’ll have a reserve of at least twenty-six areas of responsibility. Here are a few letters to get you started. A – apprentice, G – greeter, I – inreach leader, O – outreach leader, R – researcher, X – xerox person. Doing this exercise I listed fifty-two areas of responsibility for each adult & youth Bible study class. Just think if you did it for your church!

Here’s the test. Do your guests and new members feel truly accepted or do they struggle to squeeze in past the historical barriers you and your church have set up? Investigate it. Then work diligently with your class members or church leaders to change the way you practice fishing.
This is Teaching That Bears Fruit.

Have you ever walked into the aisle of a small hardware store and noticed everything covered in dust? I am talking about dust on dust on top of dust. I’ve seen dust so thick that you could not read the writing on the package. My first thought is, “How do they expect to sell anything in this condition?”
Have you ever been in a bowling alley or other independently owned business and noticed cracks in the floor, broken floor tiles, or torn places in carpet, and perhaps even broken window panes. Other businesses are so cluttered and disorganized that it is difficult to shop. Perhaps like me and many others you wonder how these places can stay in business.
If we were to look at our churches and our class rooms with the same eyes, we might see many similar situations. I know you do not want to believe that about your class room, but it is true of many of our churches.
We tend to overlook what we get use to seeing. What may start out as a small stack of left over quarterlies turns into a stockpile of previous years lessons. And the posters –if we take them off the walls– start another pile in another corner of the room. And that small stand at the front of the room was placed there for the teacher to place her two markers and eraser. Now on it lies three different Bibles left behind, several magazines, greeting cards, and a stack of unused napkins. And what about the carpet ravels, the scuffed up floors, and walls? “Oh, that light? That one hasn’t worked for three years!”
I have been in many of our churches and seen these and other circumstances including broken windows covered with cardboard and plastic, yet the church members could not remember how long the window had been in this state of disrepair.
If your church has a light fixture that isn’t working, instead of calendaring how long it has not worked, why not ask, “What can we do to get this light operating again?” You and your fellow members may be used to the unlit area. But to a guest it is an area of darkness. Darkness represents the unknown and most people do not wish to venture into the unknown.
You see, it is easy to overlook these things because we are use to seeing them this way. We may see the disrepair at first, but after walking past it for a time it becomes the natural to us and we tend to overlook the obvious need to repair. However, to a guest this is like walking into a hardware store with dust so thick they want to ask, “How can you as a church stay in business?” What message are we sending to our guests and new members?
Broken floor tiles and window panes, torn carpet, piles of clutter, broken light fixtures, dust and cob webs speak loudly to others about your church. And the voice heard is this, “We (the church) do not care about our facility.” The human mind hears this as we do not care. In other words by leaving things in disrepair we are telling guests and visitors, “We do not care about you.”
It is time to take a walk-thru (with the eyes of a guest) and see what can be discarded and what can be cleaned up, painted, or repaired to make each area of your church more appropriate for a welcoming, teaching/learning environment.

Yes, it sounds like a song title from the 70’s. It fact it is a song title from the 70’s. As Christian educators and church leaders I believe it is also part of our purpose. Actually it could be considered our mandate as believers and followers of Christ. After all this is exactly what Jesus did, is it not?

Jesus never had a particular classroom or pulpit. His classroom was the streets, the marketplace, hillsides, and around the dinner table. Jesus’ classroom was wherever people were gathered. Wherever Jesus found Himself, if He was around people, He recognized the opportunity for a learning experience. I call it a learning experience because Jesus was never focused on teaching or the teacher. Every instance we read about Jesus and teaching, learning is taking place. Jesus was always focused on “What are you going to see and hear while in my presence that will make a difference in your life when you walk away? With Jesus it was never about teaching, but always about learning.

As Christian educators we are to assist our listeners in becoming not only learners, but life changing learners. When people sit under our teaching what is the learning experience taking place? Is it facts and knowledge? Is it good biblical history? Or is it something with substance that our listeners will be able to put into practice to draw him/her closer to God and fulfilling God’s purpose for his/her life?

Jesus took twelve men – make that eleven, spent three years with them and then appeared to one other (Paul), and turned the world upside-down. Not only the world in their day, but for the last 440 generations, more than 2000 years.

How are you helping your listeners in “Taking it to the Streets”? Let’s get a glimpse of what Jesus did:
1. Jesus often used illustrations. Parables, stories, and illustrations paint a mental picture in the mind and this mental picture helps solidify a learning experience for your listeners. Using proper illustrations will efficiently convey the truth and encourage the needed motivation for putting into applying the practices of Jesus.
2. Jesus demonstrated for His listeners. We are not told that Jesus ever said, “Now watch Guys, this is how you do it. Watch my hand movement and say exactly what I say.” Jesus simply lived a Godly life in front of everyone who came around Him. What do your listeners see you demonstrate that would entice them to become more like Christ and live out this lifestyle?
3. Jesus gave His Disciples opportunities to practice. He sent them out two by two to practice what they had been taught and witnessed while being with Jesus. He also gave them opportunities to practice as they walked with Him. Remember the questions asked of Jesus, and the questions He asked His disciples before feeding the 5,000? (John 6:1-9) Scripture gives us several instances of Peter’s practice experiences while walking with Jesus such as; walking on the water and the night of Jesus’ arrest. These are all examples of opportunities to practice what the disciples had experienced in the presence of Jesus.

There is no better approach to teaching than to follow the example of the Master Teacher Himself. Jesus’ life and ministry was “Taking it to the Streets” and His approach to teaching was to equip his followers to do the same. Now it is your turn and it is mine. This is Teaching That Bears Fruit. 

The following first appeared in an earlier blog post on June 20, 2009.

Seven years ago I was asked to go on a mission trip to California. David Suddath, Jeff McGukin and I spent six days speaking and consulting with 14 churches in the central coast region of CA. God burdened my heart for the churches of that region and ten months later my wife, Pam, and I moved to CA and served on staff with Central Coast Baptist Association for six plus years.

While on that mission trip two of the churches I spoke with told us, “We wish we knew what you are telling us 30 years ago.” Both of these churches had less than 15 people attending. The youngest person in one of these churches was 58. Everyone else was above 72 years of age. Once vibrant churches running as many as 300, they still had the desire to see their churches grow for God, but they no longer had the strength or manpower. One of these two churches has since closed and the other one runs about 11 people on Sunday morning.

Unfortunately, this scenario plays out over and over again throughout central and northern CA. Especially in the “Anglo” (English speaking, mainly Caucasian) congregations. More than 60% of all Anglo congregations in the San Francisco bay area and the Silicon Valley have less than 45 in worship attendance on Sunday mornings. Most of these are running less than 30 and shrinking annually.

Churches can make the turn-around and some of these in CA are doing just that. They have made the turn and are growing. For most it is a long and painstaking effort. But, if you’re in it for the right reasons, it is well worth the effort. I know of a couple of those churches now running more than 100 on Sunday mornings and one that has grown from 3 to sixty plus in attendance in less than 3 years. Others have worked through a strategy planning phase and now entering the implementation phase, beginning to see results.

I write and speak about this because I have served in and consulted with churches in the south and midwest most of my life. After moving to CA, I realized what I saw in churches there was on its way to the South and midwest, churches all across the nation. Churches across the U.S. sitting comfortably with 125-250 members today, will be those churches that we spoke to on the mission trip and those that I worked with in central CA.

I have commented to several church and denominational leaders over the past four years stating, those churches of 125-250 today will be the churches of 15-25 in ten to fifteen years. If an awareness of urgency is not prompted today, those will be the churches closing their doors and dissolving in 2020. They will be the churches saying, “If we had only known in 2010 what you are telling us today…”

It did not surprise me when outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Frank Page, in May of 2008 stated, “Unless something is done to reverse the downward trend, Southern Baptist churches could number only 20,000 — down from the current total of more than 44,000 — in fewer than 22 years.” Published May 6, 2008 ABP. Page made a statement that many pastors, church and denomination leaders are afraid to make. Yet, statistics and factual information continue to reveal this is truth. Recent reports and research is showing similar trends in nearly all evangelical church denominational lines.

As church leaders we must take heed of the warnings and the signs of the times surrounding us. Not only take heed, we must sound the trumpet and become intentional about reversing the trend in our churches. We have been told for several years that 80% or more of our churches are plateaued or declining. My friends, a plateaued church is a dying church, just as is a declining one.

I am thankful for God’s servants such as Frank Page, Ed Stetzer, George Bullard, Bob Logan, Josh Hunt, Beth Moore and many others who are working to give us needed information and tools to assist in turning around the church of God’s kingdom and reversing the trends we have allowed in our churches today. I am equally grateful for the practitioners leading the way in needed change in our churches.

Along life’s journey I have made my mistakes, and I will make more. But, when I stand before the Lord, I want to hear the words, “Well done fruitful and faithful servant.” I desire to be a fruitful and faithful servant for my Lord. If I can do this by helping you and your church, then I am one step closer to fulfilling my Calling.

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