Following the Spanish flu of 1919, Belton native Arthur Flake developed a strategy for growing our denomination’s Sunday School ministry. The following is part 2 of that strategy: Enlarge the Organization.
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Does God want the ministry at FBC Killeen to grow? Of course He does. Killeen and the surrounding community are growing and quite frankly our church has room for many more preschoolers, children, teens, and adults.
In an obscure passage of 1 Chronicles 4:9,
amid a mind-numbing list of genealogy, Jabez was recorded as praying, “Oh,
that You would bless me INDEED, and ENLARGE MY TERRITORY…” The
Bible said God granted his request.
Job 8:7 says, “Though your beginning
was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.”
In the book of Acts, God first added
(Acts 2:41, “God added to their number”; Acts 2:47, “God
added to the church”; Acts 5:14 “believers were added to the Lord”.
Then God went from addition to multiplication in Acts 6:1 and verse 7 “when
the number of disciples multiplied”; and again in Acts 9:31, “they were
walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they
were multiplied.”
God indeed wants to grow our ministry.
Sometimes, like with Gideon, God grows by subtraction. In Judges
7:2, God said, “you have too many,” and he cut down the army,
but God subtracted so that they could GROW. Again and again in our history, FBC
Killeen has birthed new churches and still God grew this church.
Many people quote Romans 8:28, but the
verse after that is also a good verse. God conforms us “to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) calls
us to make disciples of all nations. In Killeen, the world is coming to us!
Leadership author and former pastor John
Maxwell reminds us that every leader has a “lid”, a maximum limit that he or
she can grow an organization. However, God has no “lid”, no limits. By starting
new units and classes and ministries and churches, we can grow.
Enlarge your vision for your ministry in His
church.
Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians
3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”
Let us pray and then do the watering and
planting to see God grow His church.
The book Building a Disciple-making Ministry highlights this concept with the event of Elisha, the widow, her sons, her neighbors, a jar of oil, and "not a few" empty containers. Essentially, the event is a parable to us today that if we want for God to move through us, especially to "enlarge our organization," then we better prepare ourselves to grow.
The author concludes this chapter with ”How-to” Enlarge the Organization. The following is a direct lifting from that chapter.
Arthur Flake understood one of the most important actions a Sunday School could take is to start new groups. New groups reach new people, develop new leaders, make more disciples, and allow more people to exercise their spiritual gifts leading to greater spiritual maturity. New groups grow faster and tend to be more evangelistic than existing groups.
Churches that regularly start new groups in addition to the ones they already have almost always experience growth. Any church, regardless of its size, location, or ethnicity, can start new groups. Starting new groups requires a catalyst. Perhaps you are that catalyst. Do you have a passion for reaching new people, and are you willing to do the work it takes to make it happen? Here are steps to start a new group:
- Identify the target for the group. Who is the new group intended to reach? Young Adults? Single Parents? Students? Children? Preschoolers? Parents with preschoolers? What segment of your congregation or community does not “fit” with existing small groups? Is there an age span that is too wide? Who attends worship but does not have a group that is designed for them?
- Select curriculum that the group will study. Curriculum provides doctrinal accountability for the teacher, as well as saving him or her time in preparation. Curriculum also gives group members a resource they can study between group meetings.
- Enlist people to help start the new group. Enlist people from other classes that fit the target audience of the new group. It’s easier to start a group with a few friends who are willing to come together and provide energy and synergy to the new work. Start with at least three people who will serve as the core of the new group—the Bible study leader, someone responsible for reaching new people, and someone responsible for helping the new group engage in serving others.
- Develop a list of prospects for the new group. Develop a list with contact information of potential members for the new group. Make contact with these prospects, inviting them to participate in this new group.
- Select the starting date. Choose a date to start the new group. New groups can start at any time but most churches have discovered that new groups launch better in high growth times such as fall and at the beginning of a new year.
- Choose a time and location or room where the group will meet.
- Train the core team. Share your expectations for the new group. Let the leaders know you expect them to attend training opportunities you provide throughout the year. Help the group set goals for the number and frequency of fellowships and ministry projects they’ll undertake each quarter. And be sure to talk about your expectations that the group will grow and ultimately “franchise” itself by starting a new group of its own.
- Focus on relationships early in the process. Plan and conduct a fellowship or interest party. Many people interested in a new group are looking to make new friends. Offer a fellowship before the start of the new group and invite as many potential participants as possible. Share about the new group and invite prospective group members to attend.
- Start. Make sure everything is ready. Arrive early and verify the room/space is ready to go. Be prepared to teach and lead the best lesson you possibly can. Allow time for fellowship and prayer.
- Evaluate, encourage, and celebrate. Evaluate the process, encourage your group, and celebrate as new people join. Follow up frequently with guests and work to build relationships with people. Encourage the group to plan fellowships and ministry projects.
