If Were Starting or Revitalizing a Church Today…

By Rod Dempsey

IF I WERE STARTING OR REVITALIZING A CHURCH TODAY…

I would:

1. Understand that missiology determines methodology. Jesus on Mission determines what the church looks like. Focus on reaching your Jerusalem for Christ (Acts 1:8) with missional formats for every demographic/ people group in your context. John 20:21. Partner with other Kingdom Outposts to create a “City Reaching Movement”. Show and Share the Gospel!
   1. Christocentric Mission
   1. Gospel Net
   1. Joining Jesus on Mission
   1. Mission Informs Mission Chart
   1. City Reach Mission Statement with Steps
   1. City Reach Statements PowerPoint
   1. The ABC’s of suburban missions
   1. Apartment Life
   1. Community Groups
   1. Tampa Underground
2. Understand what the church is… what is the controlling metaphor? The church is His body with members. Each member is expected to play his or her part in the grand plan of God (Eph. 2:10)
   1. Rom. 12/ 1 Cor. 12/ Eph. 1 and 4/ Col. 1
   1. Healthy Church Systems chart
   1. Disciple Making Is Chapter 19 “Understanding the Importance of the Body”
   1. Chapter 4 Disciple Making Is
   1. Body Life- Ray Stedman
   1. “Body of Christ”
   1. Life in His Body- Bonhoeffer
3. Be clear on your job and do your job. My job is to bring glory to God by… developing healthy “missional disciples” who love God, love one another & love neighbor. Love is the goal of our instruction… 1 Tim. 1:5
   1. Connect People to Christ/ To One Another and to the Mission
   1. Venn Diagram
   1. Matthew 28- 1 command 3 participles/ 1 promise
   1. Eph. 4:11
   1. APEST
   1. Healthy Body Healthy Church
   1. Healthy Church Assessment
4. Create a Prayer Team that prays every morning. I would also teach everyone to pray Luke 10:2 twice a day
   1. Quotes on Prayer
   1. “Biblical Prayer Requests”
   1. How Much Prayer Chapter 22
   1. Neil Cole How to Pray for the Lost
   1. Dr. Falwell quotes and plan
   1. Small Groups become the praying arm of the church
5. Make sure the Preaching of the Gospel is connected to believing in and following Jesus!
   1. Bill Hull
   1. Gospel Questions
   1. Gospel Conversations
   1. Gospel Presentations
   1. Discipleship starts with believing in Jesus as savior and Lord. (Rom. 10:9-10) “
   1. Required Baptism class”
   1. Write out Testimony and follow the B.L.E.S.S. method for every member
6. Start small (create the DNA). “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”
   1. I would meet for 10-12 months with a leadership team setting the DNA
   1. After/ during the 10-12 months each couple would recruit their own group of 10-12 people
   1. Then bring the 10-12 groups together on Sunday morning as a collection of missional groups
   1. Sunday morning would be exegetical, expositional teaching for the missionaries
   1. The focus would be growing from the “inside out” not the “outside in”
   1. Each week recognize and commission new groups being born and sent out to the mission
7. Organize around small groups (Follow Wesley’s system of Bands/ Classes/ Society)
   1. Every person in a group
   1. Every group to have gender specific “Growth Groups” (see pamphlet)
   1. Every group would have a mission
   1. Every member would be a missionary (Teach and practice B.L.E.S.S.)
   1. Every group would have an apprentice
   1. Every group would be expected to multiply within 18 months
8. Have a great Assimilation Process and connect Sunday morning to midweek- (Sermon Series Groups)
   1. Assimilation Process
   1. 7 Step Assimilation Process
   1. Strengthens the partnership
   1. Increase Women leadership
9. Have a required connect class and assimilation process with non-negotiable membership commitments.
   1. Why Should I Join a Church?
   1. “Church Membership” by Thom Rainer
   1. Rom. 12/ 1 Cor. 12/ Eph. 4-  
   1. Members of the Body must be fulfilling their part in the Body.
10. Have a “Jethro” coaching system for discipleship/ group leaders-
    1. Exodus 18
    1. (5 x 5 Model)
    1. “COACH” article
    1. What should I report to my Coach 25
    1. Joel Comiskey Coaching
11. Have a full blown training institute that focuses on “Ortho Praxy”-
    1. Triple Diamond and
    1. Clint Clifton-Residency Programs
    1. City Partnerships
12. Have a leadership/ teaching team from Eph. 4:11 (APEST) or I would try to reflect APEST.
    1. APEST
    1. Leadership Quotes
    1. Three Streams Chapter 17-19
    1. The 5 C’s
13. Focus on Eph. 4:16… the “proper working of each individual part” and
    1. Col. 1:28-29  “Every Person Focus”
14. Make sure the architecture and programming reflects the missional nature of the church… not “Come and See” but “Go and Be”. Places for food, clothing, education, life skills… AND Only hire/pay people who produce/ develop/ train missional disciples. Every paid person is personally involved in equipping, and discipling others for the Great Commission.
    1. With/ Of/ Is
    1. TAHO
    1. Organic
    1. ”Show and Share the Good News!”
    1. “Creating A Disciplng Culture.”
15. How Do you Measure Success?
    1. Health
    1. Multiplication
    1. 55 Metrics
    1. Focus on keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing… MAKE DISCIPLES and qualify for the Promise!

I would not:

1. Start large
2. Start in a church building
3. Start with a Sunday morning service

I would be careful about: (Performance based ministry)

1. Having a worship team… keep it simple… congregational singing
2. Having a children’s ministry that minimizes parental discipleship
3. Having a youth ministry that minimizes parental discipleship
4. Hiring traditional staff for Sunday morning
5. Focusing on the centrality of the pulpit (Venn Diagram)