A View from the Summit with
Rev. Elder Lillie Brock
"What's Size Got to Do With It?"
Well, that's a question the Elders have been asking all year! And without a doubt, we have discovered that, SIZE has everything to do with how a church behaves, structures itself and commits itself to ongoing transformation.
Most of you know that since December of 2009, the Elders have been facilitating a 2 day experience for churches that we call The Church Size Summits. These summits have a two-fold purpose:
1. To offer thorough education to churches about Church Size Theory
2. To do a thorough assessment of every church and offer one-on-one feedback and recommendations at the summit
We are VERY pleased with the level of participation on the part of our churches and based on the feedback we have received, believe this is one of the best things that has ever been offered to our churches by the denomination.
A few fun facts about the Summits:
· To date, 72 churches in the U.S. have participated in a Church Size Summit and a thorough assessment/feedback has been provided.
· We have held Church Size Summits in Austin, TX, Tampa, FL, San Francisco, CA, Kansas City, MO, Detroit, MI and Washington, D.C.
· November 11-12, 2010, we will hold the final Size Summit for this year in Las Vegas, NV.
· To date, 9 churches have invited one of the Elders to come and do Mini-Size Summits for their congregations.
· A total of 374 individuals have attended Church Size Summits.
Key Things We have Learned:
· The dynamics of Church Size DEFINITELY explain why our churches are, by in large, stuck and gives concrete strategies for changing our trajectory from flat to growing!
· Of the churches we have assessed, when churches have a Stewardship Program with 3 key elements present, their per capita giving (per person per week) is $38.11 and when those key elements are not present, the per capita giving is $18.68. Do the math!!!!
· Of the six key functions of the church, the amount and quality of programming and required staffing are the two areas where our churches have the greatest challenges.
· The collective Congregational Surveys that are part of the assessment process show clearly that our congregants are hungry for spiritual growth but perceive that our churches do not make it a priority.
· The role of the pastor, depending on size, changes so we must do a better job of matching the gifts and skill of the pastor with the appropriate size church.
Plans for 2011
Since the Church Size Summits have been so well received, these are our objectives for 2011:
1. Determine a way to continue delivering Church Size Summits through 2011 in North America
2. Explore the possibilities of doing Church Size Summits outside North America that are culturally relevant
3. Work with The Fellowship to determine how Church Size Summits might be helpful to them if made culturally relevant.
4. Begin a new series of Summits that serve to offer crucial follow up information and experiences to the Size Summits.
Summit Schedules for 2011:
(Look for final locations and dates to be published soon)
Church Size Summits
· January 21-22 - Atlanta, GA
· April - TBD
· May 13-14 - Toronto, ON
Stewardship Summits
· June 24-25 - TBD
· September - TBD
Worship/Programming Summits
· August - TBD
· November - TBD
According to Arlin Routhage, "Size is the most obvious factor affecting congregational life!" Please include attendance at one or more of the summits as you do your planning for 2011!
