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God’s eternal agenda is to take over the nations of the earth
and have Christ reign in every community. In church expansion principles we
believe so much in the power of a community church. An impactful church in her
community is a growing, going and giving church. That community is your church
and every soul in that area is your church member only if you know how to get
them. Statistics shows that the larger number the congregation of any given
church is resident in the same community as the church herself. Therefore the
fastest way to turn that church around is to focus effectively enough resources
and energy to win and take over that community. “…Wherever the sole of your
foot shall tread upon, that I will give to you”
ABSORBING, ASSIMILATION
AND RETENTION OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS
STAGE 1: CARRY OUT SPIRITUAL & PHYSICAL INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
v Know your community background and
history.
v Understand the caliber of people in
that community, how to evangelize the elite or well educated community is
absolutely different when faced with the less educated or mixed community.
v Carry out a feasibility study on the
needs and challenges synonymous with the people living in that community. This
will help you to know the best solution you can provide to distinct you in that
community.
v Take an average sample of the
predominant religion in that community as this will help to know what you are
really up to in that community.
v Study the churches that exist in that
community to know the methods to adopt. Kindly note that no matter the methods
of church expansion you want to use, the Bible Principle is Unchangeable.
Understudying them will only open your eyes to the common problems associated
with that community.
STAGE 2: LAY SOLID FOUNDATION WITHIN & WITHOUT
v Create the community church vision
and birth it first in addicted prayer before the lord
v Share the vision with your church
workers. This is very crucial as it will be frustrating if your church is not
fired up for the community take over.
v Create or strengthen your evangelism,
follow-up and prayer unit
v Know your members’ strength when it
comes to evangelism, as it is funny that most churches of today do not teach or
train their members the Act and practice of One-on-One evangelism.
v Device and adopt the method of
reaching out and get the necessary resources needed for the project.
v Become the solution centre. Pattern
the church structure in such a way that it will meet the needs that you have
identify in stage one above. The churches that are experiencing sporadic growth
in the 21st century are solution providing churches
STAGE 3: FISHING TIME
v Design your special week of missions
and evangelism, to fire up the evangelism spirit in your church.
v Device special evangelism outing
system which could be through One-on –One method, Open-Air crusade method, community
health methods, Film Show methods.
v Use various Department of the church
to its fullness. Evangelism outing can be carried out also on grouping levels
like house fellowship outing, the youth outing, the good women outing.
v Special outing to the Market place,
Schools evangelism can also be of help in that area.
v Effective follow-up unit must be in
place to put finishes to the work.
STAGE 4: ACCEPTABILITY AND ABSORPTION OF THE COMMUNITY
v Create a pastoral fellowship with the
community heads and leaders
v Associate the church with the
community developments, don’t be an Island.
v People are interested in what you can
offer them first before listening to you. Contribute to the needs of the
community. This should be done based on the area mapping that you have done.
v Express your care through effective spiritual
exercise
v Handle your members who lives in the
community with seriousness and care for they are your image and ambassador in
the community
STAGE 5. WATERING THE SEED PLANTED
v Pray for the community leaders and
owners of houses during your prayer sessions in the church and let them hear
you pray for them. They’ll soon be the one recommending your church. Do this
well during your vigils organized in the church.
v Pray for the community dwellers, when they have
problem it is you they’ll run to. Prayers can be raised for the pregnant women,
the children of the community, men in the community as well as the youth,
health care day e.t.c.
v Organize community contribution
programs in the church such as Community sanitation participation, women
empowerment seminars, youth training programs, summer lessons which can be
handled by youth church if they’re available
v Special prayers for women seeking the
fruit of the womb or children seeking admission to the University e.t.c. try
not to fix it during the normal service hours, let it be like special program
for the community.
v Participate in community development
levy contributions. Look into what/ how the church can ease a major challenge
in the community. Be conscious of the church strength before engaging in it. We
have seen churches built borehole, clear the road blockages, fill the pot-holes
of the road to the church e.t.c
STAGE 6: ASSIMILATION
v Make the grass green, the flock will
come; make the grass greener the flock will stay. How solid your message is
will determine if they’ll keep coming back for more
v Structure your service to meet the
general needs of the people ranging from spiritual battles, marital challenges,
financial challenges e.t.c
v Train and equip your follow-up team
as well as your entire workers for spirit filled, effective and productive
ministrations
v Visitors welcoming and handling must
be effective. Try to know where they are coming from and the challenges they
are likely coming with.
v Your Discipleship structure must be
rock solid and effective. There must be a structure that attached a member as a
disciple accountability relationship with a matured grown committed and trusted
church leader who will help in grooming and nursing in the faith.
v Make your church a home and a family
and men will stay
v Be firm in handling any form of
conflict as it must not be allowed to spread in the church
v Structure the beginner’s class to
suit every new member. Show interest in every individual and try to know little
about them if necessary.
v Attach them to a house fellowship care
centre and monitor them.
v The church data base must be very
effective and faultless.
STAGE 7: RETENTION:
v Develop the attitude of mid week
service into them
v Don’t be quick to bestow duties on
them if they’ve not completed the believers’ class, membership class, and
workers class. Don’t use church post to tie anybody down. It is risky
v Teach the undiluted word of the gospel. Teach
them to understand Salvation, Justification, Adoption, Restitution, Baptism of
the Holy Spirit, Sanctification e.t.c
v After them passing through the
necessary classes encourage them to dedicate their lives to kingdom service in
one department or the order.
v Allow them to exercise their God
given grace and show them that you believe in them.
v Be firm in church discipline with
love
v Create an effective church
administration system in (a) selection (Matt 10:1), (b) Impartation (John15:13),
(c) delegation (Luke 10:1), (d) demonstration (John 13:1-12) and (e) feedback
(Luke 10:1-7).
STAGE 8: CONTINUOUS AWARENESS
Make people know you and what you
stand for, no bending of the bible principle
v Make sure your church signboards are
strategically located with the help of the publicity department of the ministry
v Put the church on the world map through
your media department through the use of the internet and the social media
v Build your church website, Facebook,
goggle+, twitter, whatsapp accounts as it serves as another means of
evangelism.
v Make the bike men in your community
know where your church is located. You can encourage the members to go to the
main cab or bike spot and take bikes to the church. When they know your church
by name then you have gained popularity in the community.
STAGE 9: THE CHURCH
WITH LARGE INVESTMENT
v Invest in to their Spiritual lives of
your congregations
v Invest in their Vision and associate
with the things that matters so much to them.
v Invest in their financial prosperity
and breakthroughs
v Invest in the use of the digital
world to reach out to the younger generation within and outside the community.
Oluwatuyi Niyi
Church Resuscitation Ministries (Pastoral Care Int’l)
08077814990.
churchresuscitation.blogspot.com
