IN THIS ISSUE:
1. REASON FOR THIS NEWSLETTER
2. CHURCH GROWTH
3. LEADERSHIP
4. CHURCH INTERNET WEB SITE
5. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
6. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE

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1. REASON FOR THIS NEWSLETTER
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In 1984 C. Peter Wagner published "Your Church Can Grow: Seven Vital Signs of A Healthy Church" "The seventh vital sign common to healthy growing churches in America is that they have their priorities straight." (p 173) Wagner at the beginning of chapter eleven asks two questions: "What are churches for?" and "What do people in an average American community expect of a church?"

In this life, people have many needs like food, clothing, and shelter, which can be supplied by churches, government, and private organizations. However, the government and private organizations can not supply one thing that the church can, that is, churches are places where people can be saved. While some ministers may preach on social issues, controversial issues, and hot topics of the day, growing church minister's "top priority has always been to bring lost men and women, alienated from God by sin, into reconciliation to Him through the blood of Christ." (p 174)

One minister of a large church emphasizes three priorities. 1) commitment to Christ, 2) commitment to the body of Christ, and 3) commitment to the work of Christ in the world. Visitors and newcomers from day one know what the church is all about and what is expected of them. Notice that priority three is evangelism or church growth as well as social involvement. Wagner states that priorities should be arranged in biblical order (p 188).

Some of Jesus' teachings are on church growth: For example "To seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10), the lost sheep (Luke 15:4 - 6) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:11 - 32).

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2. CHURCH GROWTH
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Continuing with some ideas from "The Bridges of God" by Donald McGavran, relationships were used in the early church to convert and save. Cornelius had called together his relatives and close friends (Acts 10:24) and Peter presented the gospel and the entire household responded (Acts 10:44). Paul and his companions shared Christ with a businesswoman named Lydia, outside the city of Philippi. She responded to their message and she and the members of her household were baptized (Acts 16:15). Then Paul and Silas were thrown into prison where they prayed and sang hymns until interrupted by an earthquake. Paul assured the jailor that all the prisoners were still there and the jailer asked "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" This implies that Paul had already taught Christ earlier. Luke goes on to state "And immediately he was baptized, he and all his household . . . and [he] rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household" (Acts 16:31 - 34). These are just a few examples of relationships where a man or woman became Christians and brought his/her relatives and friends to Christ.

Win and Charles Arn in "The Master's Plan For Making Disciples" (1982) presented the results of a survey of 42,000 church members and the bridges most people follow in becoming Christians today (p 46). The number one reason was a friend or a relative invited them (75 - 90%), next the minister invited them (5 - 6%), followed by the Sunday school (4 - 5%). While many church growth books emphasize the walk-ins and receiving them cordially, they represent only 2 - 3%. Church programs draw 2 - 3 %, then comes those with special needs (1 - 2%). Visitation (½ - 2%) and evangelistic crusades or TV shows (½%) come in at the bottom of the survey.

George Barna estimated that if church members in the United States invited their friends another 25 million would be attending church on a regular basis!

Friends want to be with friends either at church or at the beach.

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3. LEADERSHIP
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In 1979 Edward A. Rauff's "Why People Join the Church" presented survey results about why different type people became church members and their different reasons. The number one reason was to keep the family together and to strengthen family life. Second, they saw a difference in the quality of life of a friend, relative, neighbor, or coworker and concluded that difference was in some way related to the person's religious conviction or church membership. The third reason was they were invited to church for a special occasion or brought into some church program and felt called to a deeper awareness, reflection, or self-examination. Fourth, they felt at home when they visited a church -- a relationship that was warmer and deeper than they had experienced in non-church groups. A warm welcome made it easier to return on another occasion. Fifth was a personal crisis and looking for the church to help in meeting those needs. Sixth reason was the ending of rebellion and a return to former values and principles. Seventh reason was a minister interacting one-on-one in developing spiritual growth that ended in baptism in Christ. The eighth and nineth reasons were God's intervention in their life and looking for the truth. It is a shame this comes so far down the list. Then comes a feeling of emptiness, the response to evangelism and the reaction to guilt and fear.

Most people have different reasons for coming to Christ. Church members must try to help the newcomers in their unique needs.

Win and Charles Arn implied disciple making: is based on the Great Commission; is using the bridges of God (personal relationships); is most effective when based on and permeated with love and caring; is based on a church team effort; must be church centered; is made effective when individual differences are recognized and celebrated; is made effective when biblical insights and church growth research are integrated; and is made as a natural and continuing process.

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4. CHURCH INTERNET WEB SITE
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Church web sites need an effective, business-like, short, quick loading, home page that is no longer than three clicks on the Page Down key. Most surfers will not go beyond this point. Over 70% of the links followed are on the first viewed screen. Links off the home page can include the church's purpose, about us (church), sermons and studies, various ministries of the church, leadership and staff, and other major ministries of the church. The web site should use a hierarchy of relational web pages. For example, sermons and studies relational pages can link to present sermons, past sermons, collections by topic, church related studies, links to studies, special biblical studies, and on and on. PUT YOUR BEST ITEMS FIRST. Web sites must have a purpose and that purpose must be obvious.

Many large web sites (over 500 web pages) are now including search engines to aid the surfer. This requires an effective title, descriptive of a web page, and use of effective key words to display meaningful results to a search.

Rex Moore has recently made a number of changes in his web sites with a capacity to search over 750 church related web sites at http://www.church-of-christ.net/

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5. BOOK RECOMMENDATION
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C. Peter Wagner's "Your Church Can Grow: Seven Vital Signs of a Healthy Church" presents a brief summary of modern church growth, the concept of church growth, and the importance of the principles of the Great Commission. The central focus of the book is on church members building a strong evangelistic church and evaluation the church's progress by the seven vital signs representive of growing churches. Wagner uses the analogy of "vital signs" just as a doctor checks respiration, heart rate, weight, and blood pressure to help evaluate the health of a body. Certain positive vital signs appear in growth churches.

"Your Church Can Grow" can be bought from Barnes and Noble with a 20% discount for $9.99 (paperback) plus shipping and handling at http://webminister.com/barnes/book5003.htm

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6. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
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Visit http://mindspring.com/~kkbooks/abc and its links.

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Let me know if you want to "unsubscribe."

In His Service,