Monday Morning - The Day After the Best Day of the Week!

I love reading Twitter on Sundays!  I don't know about you but I follow many Pastors around the country on Twitter, as well as sports and political figures.  On Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings I enjoy seeing the celebrations that are tweeted by Pastors on Twitter.  The celebrations are not high fives on the Sermon of the Day or how great the music was.  The celebrations that I most often read are the tweets about changed lives and public professions of faith through Baptism.

Here are a few examples from this weekend!

How about this picture of the Church Serving on Mission, packing Shoe Boxes for Operation Christmas Child!

Twitter posts on Sundays are more meaningful than the Monday Scoreboard on SportsCenter.  As Christians we can use this medium to celebrate the impact of changed lives at churches around the globe.  I hope this fires you up. Whether it was 1 or 100 don't forget to celebrate!

One changed life can change a nation! Acts 8:35-39

MegaChurch, Multisite, and Starbucks

I was reading a great post from Ed Stetzer entitled Trends in Big Church Buildings.  The discussion revolved around how the increasing number of mega churches is not directly reflecting an increase in larger sanctuaries.  In fact, there may actually be a trend toward smaller facilities.  This of course is a direct reflection of the trend towards multisite.  The multisite model has taken fire among churches across America and around the world.  The fastest growing and largest churches in America are increasingly mutlisite churches.

In my work with churches and Pastors, it became very evident to me that the easiest place to find or meet with many young Pastors was Starbucks.  Not only was it a convenient place to meet but many Pastors of young, growing churches used Starbucks as their office.  Here they were, in the community, building relationships, and using each opportunity to invite the people they met to their local church.

The Pastors of the previous generation may have used the local cafe, Denny's or The Kettle Restaurant to meet with people.  If you think about it you could fit several Starbucks into a Denny's and there is no way Denny's is near the draw that Starbucks is to today's generation.  I draw this comparison to say this: the large mega church of yesterday operated in a world that drove people to a building.  The trend in the church and multisite today is to send people out into their local community to reach people and plug them into a local expression of the church.  The mega church can replicate the DNA of their church with a strong mission and vision across a city and region by launching campuses in new communities.

As I work with mega churches searching for multisite campuses they are not seeking 1,500 seat sanctuaries. 400-600 seats is an ideal size and the multisite can replicate that service multiple times on a weekend.  These facilities, cost less to buy, build, and operate.  These spaces can be used in multiple ways and give the church options while reducing costs.

What Ed discovered and spelled out in this article is that the mega church is growing a movement, using multisite as the vehicle, to SEND the church into local communities to develop highly effective, missional campuses that are catalytic in moving the church to accomplish the Great Commission, in their Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/september/trends-in-big-church-buildings.html

Dollars and Sense: Facilities

As I talk with Pastor's and church leaders about their ministries and facilities the conversation of the dollars and the budget play a primary role.  While churches are non profit entities, money still plays a critical role in building facilities and providing programs.  It is the ministry budget that allows churches to rent, buy, and build facilities and pay staff that run the ministry.  As non profits, churches do not exist to make money but they do operate and stay afloat in large part because of tithes and donations given by faithful members and supporters.

So what is the role of money in ministry and what is the best use of these dollars?

Every Church meets somewhere.  That somewhere whether it is owned, leased or rented has an associated cost that is weekly, monthly, or annual.  Churches employ anywhere from 1 to dozens of people depending on the size of the church.  Traditionally those employees are paid in American dollars as well.  Churches make the best use of the tithes and offerings that come in by setting a ministry budget that is approved to meet the needs of the ministry and fall in line with the income from the tithes and offerings.  This ministry budget defines the income and the expenses of the church.  Non-profit does not mean that every dollar in must go directly into ministry each month.  Any banker will tell you that a church that wants to purchase a property will need to have cash reserves on hand to cover a down period in giving.  As evidenced by the last 24+ months, those times will come.  The church that fails to save and have cash reserves is failing to count the cost and can be vulnerable to turbulent times.  

If you need help counting the cost, or starting a budget for your church please call me today.  I am happy to sit down and discuss these things with you to help your ministry count the cost.  469-446-5131.

Stewardship - Time

When we talk about stewardship, inevitably the first thing that pops into most of our minds is money.  Especially in the church, the thought goes to tithes and preaching on tithing.  For some this is a touchy subject.  For me, it's a subject I think should be touched all the time.  Today's post about stewardship will focus on our time.  It really should go without saying that where we spend out time and our money depicts exactly where are heart is.

As I work with Pastors of church plants and other young ministries I often encounter this Pastor.

• Young Pastor with a young family
• Attending Seminary
• Bi-vocational - Working a full-time or part-time job
• Leading several small groups
• Working to find a facility for the church during spare time
• Preparing Sermons and leadership for weekly church services
• This Pastor also has to run a business, the church.

I am overwhelmed by that schedule just typing it.  While some may say this is simply the life of a church planter or young pastor of a growing ministry, I disagree.  I firmly believe that the Enemy will use everything he can to cripple a young vibrant ministry by crippling the Pastor.  An overwhelmed, run down Pastor can lead to a ministry that deteriorates.  As a Pastor or church leader it is critical that the decisions you make with your time reflect good Stewardship.

Being a good steward of your time, starts with identifying your strengths and weaknesses, your gifts, and establishing priorities.  Every Pastor is different and each ministry needs their Pastor to use his gifts of leadership, preaching, teaching, and discipleship in the way that will best meet the needs of the ministry.  In my realm of work, this applies in the following way.  A busy Pastor as described above works a separate job, attends to his family, takes seminary courses, and is the one in charge of running a business, the church. The church is a non-profit ministry that must make business decisions.  In the midst of his busy schedule the Pastor desire to spend time driving around town, looking for a facility to lease and calls the listing agents to get details.  This is a time choice that is less than productive.  There is a time to delegate items to other team members and professionals that can serve the ministry and allow the Pastor to focus on the most important details.

Look at your time, your talents, and your priorities.  Identify the tasks that are keeping you from excelling in the areas that you are best at.  Some ministries can be led by qualified, passionate lay leaders; children’s ministry is an example.  Other tasks like identifying facilities may require finding a professional that pursues properties for churches or a CPA to handle your books.  The bottom line is that the church or ministry will operate as efficiently as its leadership and your stewardship of your time will greatly affect the overall effectiveness of your ministry

Stewardship - Facilities

I want to keep this post short and simple.  We could discuss the building process and the entire business side of a building campaign and a building project but I do not want that to be the focus of this post.  For a long time I have told churches the following statement: "Facilities Limit Ministries".  While this statement is true it does not mean that Facilities are the product of ministry or the byproduct of a vibrant ministry.

Facilities are a TOOL of ministry.  Your sanctuary, worship center, fellowship hall, classrooms and nursery are a place for you ministry to meet and to worship.  Too often Pastors and church leaders get caught up in visions of grandeur thinking about the amazing facilities that they will build to the Glory of God.  Buildings and facilities are necessary and beneficial for most ministries but each and every ministry is different.  Your facility must meet the needs of your ministry and the people you are trying to reach.

As a ministry grows from a home, school, hotel or movie theater, the mission and vision of the church is established and becomes a part of the DNA of the ministry.  Today churches are using MultiSite and MultiVenue models to reach people in their local community.  Churches are finding ways to do more with less.  I love this because that is what Jesus did.  He fed thousands with a meal you and I would have eaten.  We live in a culture that uses a lot to do a little when we can do so much more with what we have or with what He provides.  The facility is a tool of your ministry and something that God provides, hence we must steward that gift as we do our finances and our talents.

If you are discerning through a facility expansion, relocation, lease or purchase please contact me and I would love to discuss the needs of your ministry and determine what options are available.  In my work as we help churches through facility transitions we value and acknowledge that as a church facility changes hand it is always one ministry handing over the stewardship of that asset to the next church.  This is the joy of my work.

You can reach me at 469.446.5131 or at johnm@servicerealty.com  

Life Choices, Ministry Choices - Count the Cost

There is much in the news today about CHOICES!  There is the Pro-CHOICE group that says women should have the right to CHOOSE whether a baby is born(or they say they can choose what they do with their body).  We want to have tests that are multiple CHOICE.  We expect to have many CHOICES at every restaurant.  It all comes down to what I want.  We make decisions based on me, myself, and I.

One of the fascinating parts of my job is that the groups I work with realize the CHOICES they are making are not about one individual, rather they are made with the larger group in mind.  Not only are the decisions made by and for those currently in the church family, but they are made with the vision of those to come and join later.

What would our world be like if we made decisions with less emphasis on the individual and more focus on those who could be affected by the individual?  What if we made decisions with the "end in mind" and not just the present?

The CHOICES we make affect more than ourselves.  Every CHOICE we make can and will affect how we relate to others and the impact we make on the world.  Do we choose to love one another?  Do we choose to protect the unborn?  Do we choose to put positive messages in our minds or do we choose to listen to the noise that numbs us?  It is your CHOICE and my CHOICE to be positive and change a life and impact someone today in a positive way, or it is your CHOICE and my CHOICE to miss that opportunity.

What CHOICE will you make today?  Think about it. Count the Cost of the CHOICE.

What's the Cost of a Church Merger?

A Great Article by my friends Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird.

Church Merger Legal Matters
http://multisitesolutions.com/blog/church-merger-legal-matters

If you are considering a merger this is a must read!

For a comprehensive look at Church Mergers today get the book Better Together, Making Church Mergers Work here:

Use The Tools!

I have been sharing the following thought with churches over and over lately.
The Church is not the Building, the Church is the People, and the building is only a TOOL of ministry.    We all agree, I have not had one disagreement.  In fact, most responses have been, "that is exactly what we've been saying".  So why do we put so much focus and money into building these facilities?

The reason lies in the last line of the statement. "the building is only a TOOL of ministry".  Without the proper tools a mechanic cannot fix a car properly.  Without the proper tools a house would not stand as strong.  Using the tools God has given us allows us to be most effective in the work that we do.  In ministry we must examine what the mission and vision is of the ministry.  Based on the established mission and vision we then must take the tools we have to best reach people with the Gospel.

Today churches are converting ancient churches, office buildings, car dealerships, movie theaters and restaurants into high tech worship spaces to effectively deliver the message of the Gospel to our culture.  In countries like Sudan and Honduras, churches are being established around the local water wells to maximize their influence in their culture.  It is the responsibility of each mission field leader to identify the tools that are available to them and develop a plan to effectively reach, teach, and disciple the people that they encounter in the mission field.  Whether in a wealthy suburb, a downtown area, or a third world village, we must recognize the tools we have and sharpen the tools to be used for the Glory of God.

What tools are you developing in your ministry?

For more on developing your facility for today's ministry REGISTER for the [re]cycle Church Conference at http://www.recyclechurch.com/