Recharge Session 9

Removing Barriers to Growth

Session Agenda

1. Reconnect with your coaching group (if applicable).

2. Share a devotion and prayer.

3. Strategic Plan Evaluation

Review where you are in the process of implementing and executing your strategic plan. Discuss your progress with the rest of your coaching group (if applicable).

Wins?
Challenges?
Forward movement?

If you’re using Recharge as a solo effort, find a trusted ministry friend or key leader with whom you can review your strategic plan.

Use the “Ministry & Event Evaluation” to review initiatives, events and ministries you’re using in your strategic plan. Consider your original objective and measure outcomes based on your ministry goals for the event. Are you accomplishing what you set out to do?

Ministry & Event Evaluation

List 5 positives about this ministry/event.
List 5 areas to improve this ministry/event next time.
Briefly outline the follow-up or follow-on plan.
Rate the event—quality, objective, prospects, member participation.
Provide budget, attendance and setup details.

4. Stop, Start, Continue Exercise

As you evaluate your plan’s effectiveness consider what you need to stop, start or continue.

Visualize the idea of making ministry adjustments as a traffic light:

Red = Stop
Green = Start
Yellow = Continue

Stop. At the top sits a red light, signaling the question: What do you need to STOP doing? If a ministry plan isn’t working or measuring up, then it’s something you need to stop doing. Recognize that doing something new can’t happen until you stop doing something else.

Start. At the bottom sits a green light, representing the question: What do you need to START doing? This is the question to ask when needs aren’t being met, when people can’t find a place or can’t get connected or when current ministry falls short with your church or community.

Continue. The middle light is yellow, asking the question: What do you need to CONTINUE doing? As you review your action plans, look for ministry that’s doing what it’s supposed to do and reaching the people it’s supposed to reach.

Evaluate ministry methods, strategies and plans with the stop, start or continue exercise:

What do you need to STOP doing?
What do you need to START doing?
What do you need to CONTINUE doing?

5. Breaking Growth Barriers by Rich Burch (unSeminary Podcast)

“Carl George & Warren Bird on How Your Church Can Break Growth Barriers” by Rich Birch, unSeminary Podcast (May 25, 2017), https://unseminary.com/carl-george-warren-bird-on-how-your-church-can-break-growth-barriers/.

Watch for these key moments:

6:10 | Ask Questions to Break Growth Caps
10:30 | Guide Apprentices in Ministry
14:50 | Encourage Gifts Within Your Church
21:50 | Use Technology in Ministry

6. How to Break Growth Barriers Discussion

How to Break Growth Barriers by Carl F. George and Warren Bird is an updated version of a classic book on church growth. Did you pick up on a central point of their work? As leaders, we are often the greatest barrier to growth and vision.

Discuss the key issues in breaking through specific numerical barriers to growth:

What are the growth barriers in your church?
In what ways have you been the barrier?
Do your strategic plan and focus for execution (WIGs) adequately address the barriers?
Does your scorecard adequately measure your progress in these areas?
How can you as the leader better utilize volunteers to staff for growth?
Discuss and learn from other members of your coaching group (if applicable).

7. Read the “5 Barriers to Church Growth” by Nelson Searcy (from Outreach Magazine, November 14, 2012). What growth barriers are most significant for your church? What can you do to address them?

5 Barriers to Church Growth

Growth Barrier 1: Space
Growth Barrier 2: Self-Development
Growth Barrier 3: Sharing
Growth Barrier 4: Worship
Growth Barrier 5: Staff

8. Church Leadership Team Check In

Lead your Church Leadership Team to evaluate and review your strategic plan. Celebrate wins, progress and success as you evaluate the plan. Use the “Ministry & Event Evaluation,” the Stop, Start, Continue Exercise or other tools to provide a basis for your review. How will you lead your team in the evaluation process? Discuss with your coaching group (if applicable).

9. To Do Items

Lead your Church Leadership Team to evaluate the strategic plan’s progress and effectiveness.
Work through any execution problems or roadblocks to implementation of your strategic plan.
Conduct a thorough evaluation of your plan over the next 30 days.

Meeting 10 Prep

(to be completed in preparation for Meeting 10)

Read Hero Maker by Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird. Prepare to discuss how a Hero Maker mentality can accelerate exponentially your church’s growth and effectiveness.