Growing Healthy Churches Network

Next Gathering (11.12.07) 10am

2007-10-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

Join us on November 12th for our next gathering
10am
Italian Club, Ybor City, FL

FREE Lunch after @ the Green Iguana

Bring a church planter / pastor friend with you!

Re-Cap (10.8.07) Gathering

2007-10-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Send your resource ideas; send things you need, send things you have to give way to: growinghealthychurches@gmail.com

BRING A CHURCH PLANTER AND GET FREE LUNCH!!!

PRESSURE POINTS:

Church Growth Theology
God wants the church to grow. What do you do when it doesn’t grow to your expectations? Sometimes it takes just doing the stuff for a long time. Sometimes it’s a stewardship issue. How many can you handle? How is your leadership?

Mark Beason @ Granger has done this for 20 years and they have never had exponential growth.

Ask the people that did show up and stay why they showed up and stayed!

What can I do to create momentum now? What season are you in? Is the tide going in or going out?

Attraction Series “Felt Need at Work, Home, Relationships”
“Bling” – Money
“Winning @ Work” – Work place issues
“What is so special about Jesus” – After Easter series
“Balance” – The art of managing life
“Nativity” – Christmas Series

Rented Facility Issues
What do you do if you have a teacher that causes issues? Try to make amends, buy them things, fix their things… if it doesn’t change after a week or two you have to get out of there. It’s not worth losing your school.

***Random Idea***
For your church: Give away free food in your neighborhood for Halloween!

HAL MAYER: EXECUTION INSTEAD OF NUMBERS

If you focus on numbers you never see the finish line… the only thing you can change is the NEXT weekend. Numbers, decisions all are God’s issues. All we can do is plant and water. All we can do is execute for the future.

Yes or No questions? You need to ask yes or no questions not grade things. Things like for volunteers: Were they there? Yes or No. Were they in place? Yes or No. Have personal ones for staff?

Now go back and look at trends. Where are you dropping the ball? Two weeks makes a trend? What gets measured gets done!

E-mail - Hal@churchatthebay.com

Gathering RE-CAP (9.10.07)

2007-09-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

(Next Meeting is October 8th)

Send your resource ideas; send things you need, send things you have to give way to: growinghealthychurches@gmail.com

BRING A CHURCH PLANTER AND GET FREE LUNCH!!!

PRESSURE POINTS:

Managing Expectations
It’s the role of the leader. Be careful giving out a number prediction unless it’s a personal number each person can reach. You have your expectations and then there are those you share with others. Be careful about setting the bar too high.

Stewardship / Fundraising
Need to develop some gauges like weekly, per capita… want to work on moving those up. Keep an eye on them. Do a money series in August. Do a money back guarantee for tithing. Or, if it is more money management do it in January. Keep an eye on who is giving and if there is any change in their giving. Put a stamp on the offering envelopes you give out in program. Do PayPal. Do direct withdraw with banks. 5/3 has cheapest rate on direct withdraw. Check into Vanco too. Google is doing online giving now! Do quarterly reports to givers with a letter about stories and other ways to give along with an offering envelope. Check up on staff and leaders to see if they are giving. Do a Christmas offering, a special gift to God during Christmas. Is your church tithing?

>> Raising Money Once You Start:
Previous contacts that now see the success of your church.
Window of launching and getting people outside to give is about a year.
Don’t be afraid to hit up other church planters!
If you HAVE A NEED POST THE NEED ON THE BLOG

Accepting Criticism
“Disciples are Made not Born” – Book Look. Do people think you’ll listen to them? If it goes against the vision you can’t accept it. All other you have to listen to it… You are not as good as they said on the way out the door. AND, they are not as bad as they say at lunch. BUT, people have to earn the right to speak things into your life. Need to find the two or three people that can tell you the hard truths. “Never go to Lunch Alone” – Book Look. You have to receive feedback on different levels. Who did it come from? Remember the source. Friendlyathesist.com for non-believer feedback.

Paul Wirth – Personal Walk with God
How do you do the planter/pastor life and the personal life?

1 Timothy 3:4

If you can’t manage your own “temple” (body) how can he mange the church? If we miss the mark personally we might miss the mark church-wide.

How’s your quite time – are you always looking for a sermon. Turn off your e-mail. White noise. Keep a pad in case something comes to you work related to get if off your mind. Find a journal or plan. Find accountability. Try the message or other para-phrase.

Are you in a small group – do you have people to talk to and be open with?

Who are you sharing your story and God’s story with – who are you witnessing to, who are you friends with?

BE CONSISTENT!!!

How are you treating your body – How’s your weight?

How’s your family – Are you spending time with them?

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Hal has kids stuff to give away:
14 toddler size stackable plastic chairs
2 boxes misc. toys
2 nursery baby swings
don@churchatthebay.com

Next Gathering

2007-09-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

Growing Healthy Churches Tampa

Next Gathering:
THIS Monday, September 10th
10am @ the Italian Club Ybor City

Speaker:
Paul Wirth from Relevant Church
"The Planter and His Personal Walk"
How can I have a personal walk when I have so much to do. I feel like I am carrying this whole thing on my sholders. I just don't have time for me or my walk...

Cost:
Free - Bring a resource to share with the group

We will do lunch after at the Green Iguana

***Bring a new planter / pastor and we will buy you lunch***
_____________________________

GHC Tampa Team

GHC Gathering (8.13.07)

2007-08-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Send your resource ideas to brian@canthisbechurch.com for the GrowingHealthyChurches.blogspot.com site.

BRING A CHURCH PLANTER AND GET FREE LUNCH!!!

PRESSURE POINTS:
Assimilation steps - People need a job. Not leaders, just volunteers. Volunteers bring friends! People need a relationship and a responsibility!

Churchleaderinsights.com for assimilation seminar.
Ø Hand written note and gift on first time
Ø Letter on second time
Ø Third time form letter

Lunch with the pastor after the service (maybe once a month). Connection Power assimilation software. When you meet someone out front pass them off to someone else where they live. You have to find what works for you and your area. Have something after the service for people to stick around for... Ways to end a conversation with grace to get to guests (Dave has one-liners).

Help with communicating to volunteers - We have to move from e-mail to conversations. We need to call them for that week if they are working. Monthly schedule through snail mail. If someone checks the box to volunteer need to follow up with a phone call. Look for enlisters to follow up with volunteers. Keep it SHORT in e-mail. Text message every Saturday night.Book – “Made to Stick” – How to make things “stick”

The Ideals of GHC:
Building relationshipsEquipping for growing a healthy church
Encouragement to keep going
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Words of hope and courage!

Come see us next month on September 10th

First Meeting of the Fall

2007-08-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

This coming Monday the Growing Healthy Churches Network is gearing up for the fall. This is a time for church planters and those just trying to grow a church to come together for a time of resources sharing, idea sharing, best practice sharing, and problem sharing. Note the key word... Sharing. Church planters are the most generous people on the planet. If you live within driving distance of Tampa we would love to have you as our guest. Here are the details:

Growing Healthy Churches Tampa Bay
Monday, August 13th
10am - Noon
The Italian Club in Ybor City, FL.
FREE
Free Breakfast
Optional Lunch @ the Green Iguana

From the Insider

2007-06-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Kind of makes you think:

The Church Insider Article

What do you think...

Interesting Article

2007-06-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting article from a church planter outside Atlanta. They have grown to over 500 people in just 6 months:

Oak Leaf Article

What are your thoughts?

Now Blogging

2007-06-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Growing Healthy Churches Tampa Network blog is now up and running. If you are in the network and would like to make a posting please e-mail them to:

GrowingHealthyChurches@gmail.com

Spread the word. We hope to keep this site current and relevant with:

What's Working
Where Do You Find Stuff
Articles for Planters
News
Network Re-Caps