pastor chad's blog

The Most Overlooked People in Church

2012-01-13T11:35:00.010-09:00

Lately I have been spending a lot of time looking at retention stats. Our church sees a lot of first time guests and returning guests, but I haven't been pleased with our retention when comparing apples to apples. While I know you can't retain every person who walks in the door (and some you wouldn't if you could), I want to make sure we are doing our part in reaching out to people who are searching for a place to worship. So, after hammering out a few thoughts with my coach, I began to put something together that I believe is pivotal in reaching and retaining, what may be, the most overlooked people in church on Sunday...returning guests.

Like most churches, we do a splendid job at touching first time guests; the free coffee mug, the warm greeting at guest services, the email and letter from me on the next day. First time guests know they are appreciated. Then it occurred to me, we put a lot of energy into first time guests, but returning guests (2nd time, 3rd time, or 15th time guests) never get a whole lot of attention. As I pondered this, here's some of the thoughts that drove me to add this very important piece to our assimilation process.

First time guest are important; we have one shot at making that first impression. However, we must remember that first time guests come (for the most part) because they are curious ABOUT your church. Returning guests come back because they are interested IN your church. HUGE difference.

On any given Sunday, a first time guest receives clear instructions and directions as to what their next steps are (take your connection card to guests services, get your gift, yada, yada, yada). Returning guests have no clear next steps, other than, "Ya'll come back next weekend!"

First time guests are asked to take baby steps as their next steps (fill out your connection card, take it to guest services, etc). In most churches, the next step for returning guests is to either go through a six week orientation or sign up to join the church, which means we want your time, talent, and treasure...neither of these are baby steps.

If this looks anything like your church, you're in desperate need of creating those next baby steps for returning guests. And much like first time guests steps, they need to be easy to understand and simple to do. Here's what we do at Caveland Church:

Returning guests are asked to pick up a second gift that includes a DVD about "who we are" and a short letter inviting them to join me and my staff after services on the couch in the Atrium. There, we'll hang out, drink coffee, talk about the kids, and I'll answer any questions they may have about the church. (We call this "CONNECT"). The DVD piece is important because it gives them enough information to create good questions.

During CONNECT, we ask our returning guests to fill out a brief survey, which gives us information about them, including some background info. This time is mainly used to disarm any "preacher-laity" awkwardness and I'll briefly share their next steps as returning guests.

After CONNECT, we take the survey cards and invite each family to join a small group or our Life Group model at the church (which has been HUGE for new people). While CONNECT allows my staff and I to meet returning guests, small groups are really the first relational piece. This is the place where returning guests makes friends and becomes a real part of the community of the church.

Next, we try to move returning guests to serving. We have "test drive" ministries in our church where new people can serve with no strings attached. We ask them to serve so they can get a good feel for the DNA of our church. They may spend a couple of weeks as an usher, help in the media dept. or serving on the parking team. So, they move from a group of 10-12 people (small groups), to a group of 2-3 people while serving. When people serve together, they share life together. This is the second relational piece; and note, the second piece is more intimate because the group becomes smaller, therefore, relationships become stronger.

Lastly, we invite returning guests who's been in small groups or Life Groups and have spent a little time serving, to join us for the "Becoming a Cavelander" orientation dinner. This is where we'll sit, eat, and chat. I will talk about vision, mission, grandkids, and you got it, the commitment of their time, talents, and treasure.

Yet here's the thing...by the time a returning guest has been through each of these little steps, there are two things that have occurred. 1) They have already built relationships in the church, which greatly increases the retention rate; and 2) they are normally already attending regularly, serving, and giving which increases their commitment to Christ and His church.

Returning guests need clear, simple steps to know what's next...and if it's going through a membership class, you'll probably end up with lots of names on the books, but few butts in the seats.

If you want to talk further about this, hit me up on twitter @chadhunt

Bible Belt Small Groups

2011-11-18T05:39:00.012-09:00

There is a place in every church where numerical and spiritual growth level off and/or decline. This barrier can exists for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is when churches reach a certain point in their numerical growth without a strong small group model. When our church started with thirty-three people, we were a small group. Everyone knew one another well; everyone knew each other's needs; and we were easily able to hold one another accountable. Once a church passes the 120ish mark (everyone has a number, this one is mine) something changes. The personal relationship and accountability only exist within certain circles (usually those who have been there for years); and seldom are others invited in. The presence and needs of those outside these established circles become invisible. In essence, your church loses the “community” foundation.

When a church loses it’s “community,” you will see these problems surface. If your church is attractional, you will continue to see new faces, but you will not retain new faces. This is the tricky part; you will think you’re growing because of the new people you see each weekend, but in reality, you are simply feeding other churches who have a community base. Why? Because people, for the most part, only stick where there is strong community. Personal relationship, loving one another (meeting needs), and accountability are the factors that cause people to become rooted in the church body (wished I could tell you they stay for your preaching...they may come for that in the beginning, but they will stick only when there’s community). It blows a lot of pastor’s minds when they learn a family left their cool, post-modern church and became established in the little 80 member church down the road. Why? Because “cool” churches do not keep people; community keeps people.

There are several small group models out there, and to be honest, I have tried them all and failed at each of them. I was frustrated because I knew in order to press towards 500-700, we had to have a strong, healthy small group model. After whining and complaining to God for a while, the Lord begin to open my eyes to something; something that would change our small groups forever.

My community is different than a lot of my pastor friend's communities who live in urban or heavily populated areas. I live right in the middle of the Bible Belt in Kentucky; my town has a population of 1,800 and I'm surrounded by churches who still sentence every preacher to hell who doesn't preach from the glorified 1611 KJV.

When I tried small groups, they would typically start well, but never finish well, although I did all the things that books told me to do. Also, those who started well were usually the people who had been there for a while, and even then, they would usually drop off before the first semester would end. Here's what I learned from this.

In my culture, when people think "church" they still think of a church building.
Most people in rural Kentucky don't get excited about showing up at someone's home who they don't even know (we Kentuckians are relational, but in a funny kind of way).
To the younger generation, the thought of a home Bible study didn't seem to generate too much excitement.

So, here's the model I came up with and it is working GREAT! If you're a church in a rural area, who struggles with small groups, this may be your answer.

We call our small groups, "Life Groups." This is not a new term, but we use the term in a very intentional way. Here's what we do.

We hold life groups at the church building. When people walk in, they see twelve round tables in a very "non-church" environment. Normally, we use lower light and have some kind of easy listening secular music playing in the background. By holding this at the church building, we launched with over 200 people! And here's the best part; instead of decreasing as the semesters went on, we increased! At the end of our 2011 small group semester, we averaged a total of 210 people consistently. Why? Because people are more comfortable coming to a church building than a home of someone they barely know.

Each table has a different topic on it. For example, we had topics like Hot Smoking Marriage, Empty Nest, Addiction in Family, Deer Hunting, etc. When people came in, they simple found a topic that was of interest to them. There are no sign up's...instead they just show up and sign in on the roster that's on the table that they choose.

The first thirty minutes we use a Rick Warren discipleship study or sermon-based small groups. The last thirty to forty minutes, we talk about the life topic that's on the table. So, those at the deer hunting table talks about Jesus for half an hour, and then talks about the big buck they killed last year for the last half.

We serve refreshments during life groups, as well and make it a ton of fun. During promotion, you push the life topic more than the Bible study, because it generates more interest and is more appealing to someone who feels biblically inadequate. And I can tell you, the last half of the hour is just as important as the first half; because talking about life together is discipleship at its best. Relationships are made and community happens.

After the first two semesters, we ask life group leaders to move their group into their homes and allow others to have their table at the church. So then, we don't have either/or, but and/both. The church building becomes an entry point to get people plugged in to small groups, and then eventually move them into home groups.

If this sounds like it would work in your church, hit me on twitter @chadhunt and I'll give you some coaching on promotion, life group leader training, and vision casting.

Surviving Church Growth Obstacles

2011-11-01T04:47:00.007-09:00

If there's one thing I have learned from both attending and speaking at conferences, it's this; when it comes to conversations about our churches with other pastors, the first thing that's brought to the table is, "How many attend?" And we pastors, in our holy humility, usually utter a number, and then wait to see if the other person is impressed or not. This number is usually the attendance from the Easter or Christmas service; or it's the "pastor math" number.

Why are we like this? Well, the answer is simple; and really it is two-fold. First, we live in a society where success is always measured by "more." And secondly, our egos (especially us guys) are normally at stake because we define ourselves by what we are instead of who we are. And for pastors, the success of "what we are" is measured by how many people are in the seats each weekend.

While it's a fact that counting heads is a measurement for church growth, it's not the only measurement. I think we have to be careful, especially as pastors, that "numbers" do not become our god and push us into making fatal mistakes that can hurt our ministry. As pastors, we have to exercise the discipline to keep the main thing the main thing and lead our people well. Here are some thoughts that may help overcome church growth obstacles.

1. The Most Important Number: Remember, the number of people who found Jesus this past Sunday is much more important than the number of people who showed up for services. If people aren't being reached with the gospel, we are failing in our mission as the church.

2. When the Crowd is Low: When you have a low attended weekend and you instantly feel pressured to immediately create some kind of event or campaign to attract people to your church...DON"T! You'll plan poorly; you'll kill your staff; and God will not bless it because it's more about your ego than the Kingdom. Remember, God doesn't push; He leads. If you feel "pushed" it's usually the enemy. Responding to pressure causes us to make quick decisions, which usually leads to wrong decisions. If your overall attendance begins to fall consistently, seek God and seek wise counsel and then you'll plan well.

3. Healthy Growth: Normally (there are exceptions) slow consistent growth is healthy growth. In most cases, when a church grows extremely fast in numbers, her infrastructure and leadership capabilities are still immature, which can cause a ton of issues. Again, there are some exceptions. Be faithful where God has you; remember, God usually grows the shepherd before he grows the fold.

4. The Main Thing: And lastly, don't forget who's in charge of this thing. Here's the growth formula for every church: We plant the seed of the gospel by preaching; we water the seed with teaching and small groups to make disciples; and then, God alone makes it grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

Events, strategies, and assimilation are all important factors of growth...but allow God to lead these...and then growth will be much deeper than numerical.

Is Ministry a Gravy Job?

2011-06-15T05:37:00.006-09:00

A lot of people think full-time ministry is the gravy job of a lifetime. Many seminary students think they have chosen a vocation where all they'll have to do is show up on Sunday and preach a sermon, then go back home and wait for the next Sunday to roll around. If that's you...I'm about to burst your bubble.

Full-time ministry is the most difficult job on the planet; if it's a gravy job, then the gravy is filled with gravel and broken glass, because sometimes it's very hard to swallow. As a lead pastor myself, I can tell you countless times that I have wanted to throw in the towel; those are the times when your mind starts reeling, "What else can I do to make a living?" If you are thinking about entering full-time ministry, especially as a pastor, here's some things you need to know.

1) Occupation v/s Call: Most jobs require you to show up, clock in, accomplish a task, and then go home. Even demanding careers that require high commitment can somewhat be turned off; ministry is not like that. Why? Because pastoring is not an occupation; it's a call from God. Pastoring is not a "job" it's a lifestyle; it is the highest calling on the planet, but comes with the highest responsibilities as well.

The pastor's job is constant; constantly listening, constantly repenting, constantly praying, constantly thinking about what God wants for His church. At best we can shut it down verbally; we can turn the volume down...but inside, it goes on. I am sitting on the gulf shores as I write this; my family and I are on vacation. And though our conversations have intentionally been about everything except church, every now and then my mind reels back to the ministry. That is normal. Why? Because being called is different than being hired.

2) The Pain of People: Ministry, like many jobs deal with people; and dealing with people is sometimes the biggest challenge because we are all...people. In the ministry however, you have to do more than deal with them, you have to lead them, love them and serve them. It is the responsibility of the pastor or minister to care for God's people spiritually; to grow them in the word of God; and to be the example. Is this easy? Heck no!

There are some people who will get on your last nerve; others will intentionally lash out at you as you try to serve; and yet others will promise to be with you until the end, only to walk away when things become difficult. Yet, we are called to lead, love, and serve these very people. We are not to be a doormat or a punching bag...but regardless of how you attempt to avoid contact with such people, you won't. You are commanded to lead, love, and serve people because Christ led, loved, and served people. If you're going to be in the ministry, make sure you have the fruits of patience and longsuffering bearing in your life; without them, you won't last long.

3) Mo Money: If you are entering the ministry hoping to become a mega church rockstar pastor, where you can afford mansions, fancy cars, and big homes...don't. I know pastors whom God has blessed financially and I am happy for their success; yet pastors never measure their success by the standards of the world, but rather the Kingdom of God. Your goal must always be "how many people can we get into heaven" and not "how much money can I make" or "how many people can we get into the building. This means you must check your ego at the door. You must tell God, "Hey, I am content with where you place me..." and mean it. A content heart that is focused on the Kingdom will accomplish amazing things, but a heart that is focused on self and things will nothing for the Kingdom.

What does it costs to serve in full-time ministry? Your life. You have to give up your dreams and ambitions and seek the ones that God has placed in your heart. Those are the ones that count.

Why I changed my mind about church planting

2011-05-27T04:50:00.006-09:00

Not long ago I spoke at the Sticks Conference in South Carolina. I had a great time hanging out with men like Artie Davis, Pete Wilson, Scott Williams, Dave Anderson, and Charles Hill, just to name a few. In addition to having amazing conversations with these guys, I also walked away with something else...a new vision about church planting.

One night my wife and I were sitting in Artie's living room listening to him share his heart about reaching smaller towns. At first, I thought, "Why would anyone want to plant in smaller towns?" I mean, the people and resources are in the big cities and heavily populated areas; it would be nuts to plant in tiny towns in the middle of nowhere...or would it? My staff and I had originally planned on planting in Elizabethtown, KY, where there is a large population and an army base (Fort Knox). However, since my conversations with Artie, the Lord has been messing with my heart.

Elizabethtown, and towns like them have enough "urbaneness" and population to attract post-modern church plants; matter of fact, I know of three strong churches in Elizibethtown that are simular to ours and are doing amazing things for the Kingdom. Yet that is not the case in the smaller towns; you seldom hear church planters wanting to start a church in these "middle of nowhere" communities. These small towns scattered throughout rural America have populations less than two or three thousand people, but will have at least twenty church buildings standing throughout their community and county. In most cases, they are cookie cutter churches; very traditional, very old fashioned, and in many cases, very dead. Many churches in the rural Bible belt are very missional in fire and brimstone evangelism, but lack in attractionalism and discipleship. Their church models all mirror each other and unfortunately rejects anything that looks post-modern; their idea of outreach is to push a denominational religion about Jesus instead of a relationship with Jesus.

Of course, I am aware that church plants in rural areas may never see over 500 people, but here's what the Lord dropped on me; "Are you wanting bodies in seats or souls in heaven? Are you wanting the spotlight of the city or to be a light in some of the darkest, most ignored places in America?" By planting in small towns (where there are no contemporary church models) we can reach a younger generation that hates church. Being from a small town myself, I totally understand why the younger generation hates church...it was the same reason I hated church as a teenager... IT SUCKED! Don't get me wrong, there are some GREAT churches throughout rural America, but then again, there's a lot that aren't so great.

What will this look like? I can tell you...it'll be a fight. Most small town churches will not welcome post-modern church plants. Satan will pull out every gun he has...because he knows that we are carrying a very contagious gospel message that can turn small towns upside down.

Are You an Untouchable Pastor?

2011-05-16T10:24:00.005-09:00

When a church begins breaking growth barriers, one of the first things you'll hear is, "This church has changed!" People get mad and start whining about how they want things to be the way they used to be (kinda like the Israelites did when leaving Egypt); they'll want to know why they can't talk to the pastor anytime or show up unannounced and be given an instant appointment. We went through this at my church; when we grew, people screamed, "This church has changed!" Yet the reality is, the church didn't change at all (we still preached the gospel and baptized followers of Christ), but the relationship between the church and myself did change...a lot. I was no longer the pastor who personally met every person coming in the building on Sunday or the guy who stood at the back of the church at the end of the day shaking hands. Some even said I was arrogant because I had become "untouchable."

For me, it was hard not to "touch the people" because I led our church through the early stages. When the church was small, I did shake hands with everyone; I would talk to nearly every person on Sunday and I loved it. Yet, once we hit two hundred, I noticed my relationship with the church organically changed; instead of being close to every person in the congregation, I became close to my leaders and several key people. Today we are finally breaking the five hundred barrier consistently and are gearing up for the 700 barrier...and I've noticed that my inner circle of close friends have become even smaller. Of course, I'll give anyone a meeting, but as far as the weekend goes, I have become...almost untouchable to the majority of the body. Is this right?

I wrestled with this for some time; the one thing I did not want to ever become was the "ROCK STAR" pastor. After much prayer, here's how the Lord laid it out to me.

Imagine if you invited your next door neighbors over for a cookout. You threw some burgers on the grill and added a secret seasoning. When your neighbor took a bite of the burger...he was blowed away! He loved it! The next day, he comes back with five more friends, wanting them to taste your excellent burger. So you throw more burgers on the grill and add even more of your secret seasoning; the end result was the same; they loved it! In two weeks you now have forty people in your backyard waiting for that special burger; but now something has changed. Before, you were able to stand around and chat as you were cooking; matter of fact, before, you were able to sit down and eat with your neighbors. But now, you are overwhelmed at the grill and have no time to chat because there's too many people to feed. Not only that, but now with more people, you now have more request; some like ketchup, some don't. Some like pickles, others prefer onions. Now you have to add side dishes like baked beans and cole slaw. What do you do? You have to make a decision; you can be the friendly, chatting cook and allow the quality of your food suffer; or you can spend most of your time in the kitchen and delegate the serving to others, and continue to serve a dish that both meets needs and keeps them coming back for more.

The same is true in the church world, it's totally different feeding 70 people than it is 500 people; the more people that show up to eat, the more time you must spend on your knees in the kitchen preparing. Why? Because only God knows what the real needs are; and He wants to tell them to you; He wants to give you that secret sermon seasoning called the anointing, that is going to impact hundreds of lives...but if you're always hanging out in the backyard with those who showed up to eat, you'll never hear Him. This is especially hard if your church is in a small southern town like mine; in my town of less than 2000 people, you have the culture of "accessible preachers." Yet I love what Perry Noble once said in a conference, "Anyone who is completely accessible to people is completely unaccessible to God." As pastors, we must learn to follow the biblical model in Acts 6; we must discipline ourselves to spend most of our time in the kitchen and delegate the serving to others...and as a result, the word of God will multiply and lives will be changed by Jesus. If you don't believe me, read Acts 6: 1-7. If it worked then, it'll work now.

Three C's of Casting Vision

2010-11-19T05:49:00.006-09:00

One of the hardest things about pastoring is casting vision and keeping the congregation focused on the right thing. In the church world, when the vision is not being properly cast, mission drift occurs. When mission drift occurs, the church no longer focuses on the main thing (reaching the unchurched, influencing the community, etc.) but instead becomes introverted and comfortable. As a pastor and leader YOU are responsible to cast the vision that God has given you (if you have no vision for your church...pray to receive one...or give the church to someone who has a vision).

Here are three things that are imperative in vision casting.

1) Consistency: My father-in-law, a former CEO, once told me, "Chad, if you want the people to understand the vision, you must tell the story, tell the story, and after that, tell the story again. In other words, as pastor, you must continually cast the vision in both staff and corporate settings. We have to remember that our congregation doesn't think the same way we do; we think "church" 24/7; the sheep don't. So, you have to constantly find different ways to tell the story over and over. Remember, vision cannot be taught, it must be caught.

2) Clarity: Often we "pastors" like to sound theological and intellectual when casting vision; yet these two things are enemies of vision casting. Think about how Jesus cast vision. When He cast the vision about the Kingdom, He did not delve into deep spiritual dynamics; instead He used things like fishing, mustard seeds, and purchasing land to show people the Kingdom; in other words, He used common things that everyone could relate to and could easily comprehend. Remember, the most powerful visions are those that are simplistic & plainly spoken.

3) Contagious: Lastly, we must remember that when vision is cast consistently and with clarity...it becomes contagious. There is nothing that builds crazy momentum and passion like people who understand where they're going as a church. I remember going on vacation as a kid. I could hardly sleep the night before we left! I had my clothes packed and ready to go! The week prior to our leaving, I would tell everyone I saw, "Hey, guess where we're going this weekend?" When a church can see a clear destination and realize THEY are going there...they get excited and they tell everyone around them where they're going...and suddenly there's a buzz in the church and community. Remember, the best growth tool for your church is word of mouth; get the church excited about where they're going and they'll invite others to come with them.

So...Cast vision with consistency, clarity, and watch excitement and passion become contagious in your church.

Preview: "Crap that Cripples the Church."

2010-09-08T06:30:00.013-09:00

Chapter One

The Church in the Box

If you hang out with leaders very much, I am sure you have heard the phrase, “Let’s think outside of the box!” To think outside of the box means we are going to break the rules and go beyond the defined parameters. It’s a really great analogy and one that I think will never expire in our leadership lingo. But I want to talk about a different kind of box; I want to talk about a particular kind of box that many churches are in today; I am talking about the box that we see every time we go to the funeral home…yes, I’m talking about a casket. Before we can deal with the crap that cripples our churches, we must first recognize the health of our church, and even more importantly, define what it means to be a healthy church.

Unfortunately, there are many who define a healthy church by how many people attend or how fancy their facility is. I have heard preachers say countless times, “Our church just built its third addition and is working on its fourth! Man, is God moving!" Or "Every seat was filled this weekend! God was surely there!" Now I am not saying that healthy churches have to have sucky facilities or that large congregations are superficial or lacking in spirituality...but that is not how you measure church health; these are results of church health, but they do not define church health. The church is called to bring life change to people by plugging them into Christ…and anytime we get away from that, we are in danger of being “sick” and eventually crippled. As a pastor or church leader, your first objective is to realistically look at your church and determine her health. Is your church impacting your city or community? Or is she crippled, lying in a casket?

There’s a reason why I used a casket as my “box.” I remember going to funeral homes my entire life. I’m a PK (preacher’s kid) so marrying and burying was a normal part of my life…and still is today. I can still look back as a kid and remember my funeral home experiences. My mom would always make me put on dress pants and a button-up shirt; I hated it (and still hate it). However, after getting to the funeral home, I realized that I was not the only kid forced to suffer in dress pants and a tucked in shirt; every kid was dressed up. As a matter of fact, everywhere you looked were suits and ties and dresses and heels. And while I still hated wearing the clothes, I felt a little better, as misery always loves company.

Once inside, I always paid particular attention to the casket…not that I’m morbid or anything, but some of these caskets were pretty cool. I remember times when the deceased was a farmer; his casket would have a John Deer tractor engraved on its side. Other times, the deceased was an avid deer hunter; his casket would have a huge twelve-point buck printed on its side. And even the plain Jane caskets usually had some cool design on them or fancy pewter handles. Some pretty cool boxes…although that might sound a bit sinister; it wasn’t for a nine year old.

There was something else that always happened at funerals…I remember standing with my parents countless times and hearing them and others say to the survivors, “They really look good!” Or, “It looks like they’re just sleeping.” Even today, thirty years later, there is hardly ever a funeral that I preach where those same words aren’t said to grieving families. Usually the grieving family replies by talking about how good of a job the funeral directors had done and how that she “looked just like she always did.” Don’t get me wrong; I think morticians are a gift from God; they have the gift to make the deceased loved one looks natural and sometimes they even look “alive”…but caskets are made for people…not for churches.

As I look at churches in America today, I am fearful that many pastors, denominations, and associations have become church morticians instead of church leaders; they have mastered the art of making a dead church look alive. Let me clarify what I mean by a “dead church.” I believe a dead church is much like a dead person; when a person dies, they stop breathing, stop eating, stop growing, and stops producing. Afterwards, they are placed in a coffin and buried. There are so many churches today that have these same characteristics; there is no fresh breath of God’s Spirit, there is no consumption of God’s Word, and there is no spiritual or numerical growth. The only difference in dead churches and dead people is that some churches refused to be buried; therefore you have family owned and operated churches that have been around for over two hundred years, and has only seen a handful of people actually come to Christ and has had zero influence in their community. They are a dead church in a fancy box wearing denominational or religious cosmetics that make them appear to be alive. A church that is alive is not measured by how many attend; it is measured by how many people are being reached for Christ and how many lives are literally being changed as a result of the church’s presence in a community or city.

I believe that regardless of the size of a congregation and no matter where a church is located…she needs to be an icon for her city or community...or she needs to be buried. In the same way you can click on an icon on your desktop and have instant access to millions of resources, the church should be the place where people can tap into the most important resource of all…Jesus Christ. There have been churches in caskets since the beginning of the church age. Jesus Himself nails one down in the book of Revelation chapter three. He speaks to the church at Sardis and says, "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive -- but you are dead”(3:1). There are a lot of churches that look alive…but because of a lot of religious and political crap, their ability to reach people for Christ has become crippled. In these next several chapters we are going to deal with the crap often places the church in the casket…and then, by the grace of God, share the principles of scripture that can put strength back into the legs of the church…despite how long she’s been crippled.

Should Your Church Do Recovery?

2010-08-12T02:40:00.006-09:00

There are some people who believe that recovery should be contained in secular institutions; they believe the problem with substance abuse is "above" the church. Yet there is one thing that secular recovery programs do not offer...and that is Christ, who is above all.

I am not against secular recovery programs; I have seen people complete their programs and do extremely well; matter of fact, our church has recommended secular programs before, as some people need professional help where medications are required to help in their sobriety. All healing is God's healing, whether it comes through the hands of secular doctors and therapist or through medications. Yet while the secular provide the physical and mental healing...the church is called to do something more.

At the end of the day, regardless of the method of recovery, people still need Jesus and that's where the church comes in. Too often we look at our churches as social or religious gathering, when the truth is, God called His church to be a spiritual hospital; a place where people can become well and grow stronger; a place where everyone can find Christ...and grow in Christ.

You may say, "I agree with that statement...but why should I start a recovery program in my church?" My church is not a total recovery church; we preach the gospel, have strong youth programs, and powerful worship just like any other church; but we have been doing recovery ministry for over eight years now and here are some things I have learned about a church with a recovery ministry. By the way, we use a program called the Addiction Deliverance Outreach; a simple four-step program that has maintained a 58% recovery rate over the last eight years. You can purchase the book and/or workbook here. http://www.lifeway.com/product/005311090/

What a recovery program brings to the church

1) Evangelistic Platform: Every person in your church knows someone who is involved with drug or alcohol abuse; when your church offers recovery, it creates an evangelistic opportunity for you to draw them into the church...and to Christ. A church that offers help for addicts also has the unique opportunity to speak the gospel into their lives...and that's what it's all about.

2) Relevancy: A church that does not have some type of recovery program is a church that will soon lose its relevancy. Why? Because we see that while secular rehabs are "helping" people, there is still something missing. Statistics prove that our local and national court and judicial systems are leaning more and more on faith based recovery programs; why? Because they are producing real life change. In my church alone, we have four different court systems that send people to our recovery program...not counting the clientele our jail and prison ministries provide. A church that says, "We don't need a recovery program" is a church that is saying, "Let's ignore one of the biggest problem in our society and in our churches." Don't be a GOOBER...reach out to real needs!

3) The Cornelius Miracle: When a church offers a recovery ministry, it does more than attract the addict; it also attracts the addict's family. I have seen people enter recovery and then watch their entire family show up each weekend to support the person in recovery. And I have also seen both the client AND his or her entire family come to Christ...just like Cornelius and his family in the book of Acts. Recovery does more than help people with substance abuse; it shows people the truth; a truth that can literally change the eternal destination of entire families!