Glenn Barth introduced the conference. The conference includes several churches and their ministers and lay people, and Glenn wants the attendees to move toward action for the future. Church growth is stagnant. For some time church attendance has been at 39-43%. The question is why hasn't the church grown. What is going to help the church to grow more effectively, and enable to minister more effectively?
Program Models: The conference will focus on developing models for the future. What can be done about promoting church growth? No model is perfect, and the hardest model to change are the ones that work.
Second Baptist Church: Clayton Gillespie and Aaron Turner introduced the 2nd Baptist Church program model which focuses on increasing through releasing of talents and resources. Their program includes a Christian Academy, having church outside of the church building, nursing home ministry, prison ministry, and foreign missions.
Second Baptist Church: Clayton Gillespie and Aaron Turner introduced the 2nd Baptist Church program model which focuses on increasing through releasing of talents and resources. Their program includes a Christian Academy, having church outside of the church building, nursing home ministry, prison ministry, and foreign missions.
Fellowship Bible Church: Shelby Smith and Ray Williams introduced the Fellowship Bible Church program model which is based on Clear Vision + Culture of Service in Connections + Prayer = Irrestible Influence. The programs include mid town ministries, urban strategies, the C.A.L.L., an adoption ministry, prison ministries.
Black Community Developers: Deborah Bell presented the Black Community Developers program model. They focus on substance abuse, after school programs, housing, and they do this in conjunction with other organizations.
Bethesda Baptist Church: Milton Grahm introduced the Bethesda Baptist Church program model. They are a seeking, sharing, serving church that has ministries in food panties, substance abuse, mentoring, prision, and post prison.
Bethesda Baptist Church: Milton Grahm introduced the Bethesda Baptist Church program model. They are a seeking, sharing, serving church that has ministries in food panties, substance abuse, mentoring, prision, and post prison. Geyer Springs 1st Baptist Church: Dave Hughey gave the outline for the Geyer Springs 1st Baptist Church. Their program flows out of their small group ministries.They have a women's ministry, prison ministry, and a ministry in sports through the Upward Bound program. 
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ: Jeff Spry presented the program model for Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. They are a very home missions oriented church involved in River Cities Ministries sponsored by Church of Christs everywhere. They respond to crisis situations, have a fitness center, and minister to disabled children. 
PromiseLand Church: Martlean Acker introduced the PromiseLand Church as a seeker church. They have an after-school program, life skills training, and have foster care, prision, homeless family, and nursing home ministries. 
Summit Church: Jacob Shimmel introduced their program model that includes partnerships with the city, the C.A.L.L., crisis pregnancy center, and small groups. 
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ: Jeff Spry presented the program model for Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. They are a very home missions oriented church involved in River Cities Ministries sponsored by Church of Christs everywhere. They respond to crisis situations, have a fitness center, and minister to disabled children. PromiseLand Church: Martlean Acker introduced the PromiseLand Church as a seeker church. They have an after-school program, life skills training, and have foster care, prision, homeless family, and nursing home ministries. Summit Church: Jacob Shimmel introduced their program model that includes partnerships with the city, the C.A.L.L., crisis pregnancy center, and small groups. Parkway Place Baptist Church: Larry Remington introduced the Parkway Place Baptist Church program model. They have a two-pronged approach that includes international missions specifically in Peru operated in conjunction with other churches. The other part of the two pronged approach includes community groups within the church serving in local missions. 
Common Ground: Glenn Barth wrapped up the introductions by facilitating a group discussion that brought out the common grounds of the program models. This includes a focus outward from the church, relationships, and a multitude of programs.
Central Theme of Arkansas History: Dr. Fred Williams spoke about how Arkansas got to be where it is today. Two concepts to keep in mind are "as a twig gets bent so goes the tree" which signifies how Arkansas was shaped from early time and Arkansas is "an island in the stream" which focuses on migratory patterns. People chose to leave the beaten path. The defininig influence of Arkansas has been based upon geography and federal government policy decisions and the historical timing of these decisions.
Developing a Program Model Based on Documented Ones: The larger group was divided into five smaller groups that were each charged with considering the models of various individuals, groups of people and businesses to establish principles and think creatively about a program model.
Model #1: Group 1 read an article on Florence Nightingale who it was found was a very outwardly focused individual. From her life the group identified a model for a church to use. You start with an externally focused environment and use entrepreneurial strategies. This model includes leaders being sent and coaching, partnerships, creativity, holistism, cultural dynamics. This was all spiritually-based.
Model #2: Group 2 read an article on the founding fathers, specifically the proliferation of the publication Common Sense by Thomas Paine. At that time, not all of the colonies had agreed to independence. Their model focused on mobilization and communication. It took a visionary team to inform and communicate a plain, simple and concise vision and clear strategy. The information came through books and crisis informing. The team had to work together to the point of comprimising some of their individual desires. 
Model #3: St. Patrick was the focus behind the third group. St. Patrick was an individual who impacted the community using a model opposite of what is the model used then in 400 A.D. and for now. He focused on engaging leaders in conversation and ministry. 2) He prayed for them and healed them. 3) Then, he invited them to fellowship and worship. He did not impose his way on them. He adapted to the people. 
Model #4: The next model was based from the Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola. At the very zenith of the business to that time, he determined that they could not be satisfied with where they were. He said that "combined results...make possible heretofore unattainable overall performance." As a result of this thinking the group determined that the model required a continuous, consistent collaboration. Churches and community needed to be connected to each other and the community in serving the community, and they could never be satisfied with where they were. 
Common Ground: Glenn Barth wrapped up the introductions by facilitating a group discussion that brought out the common grounds of the program models. This includes a focus outward from the church, relationships, and a multitude of programs.
Central Theme of Arkansas History: Dr. Fred Williams spoke about how Arkansas got to be where it is today. Two concepts to keep in mind are "as a twig gets bent so goes the tree" which signifies how Arkansas was shaped from early time and Arkansas is "an island in the stream" which focuses on migratory patterns. People chose to leave the beaten path. The defininig influence of Arkansas has been based upon geography and federal government policy decisions and the historical timing of these decisions.Developing a Program Model Based on Documented Ones: The larger group was divided into five smaller groups that were each charged with considering the models of various individuals, groups of people and businesses to establish principles and think creatively about a program model.
Model #1: Group 1 read an article on Florence Nightingale who it was found was a very outwardly focused individual. From her life the group identified a model for a church to use. You start with an externally focused environment and use entrepreneurial strategies. This model includes leaders being sent and coaching, partnerships, creativity, holistism, cultural dynamics. This was all spiritually-based.
Model #2: Group 2 read an article on the founding fathers, specifically the proliferation of the publication Common Sense by Thomas Paine. At that time, not all of the colonies had agreed to independence. Their model focused on mobilization and communication. It took a visionary team to inform and communicate a plain, simple and concise vision and clear strategy. The information came through books and crisis informing. The team had to work together to the point of comprimising some of their individual desires. Model #3: St. Patrick was the focus behind the third group. St. Patrick was an individual who impacted the community using a model opposite of what is the model used then in 400 A.D. and for now. He focused on engaging leaders in conversation and ministry. 2) He prayed for them and healed them. 3) Then, he invited them to fellowship and worship. He did not impose his way on them. He adapted to the people. Model #4: The next model was based from the Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola. At the very zenith of the business to that time, he determined that they could not be satisfied with where they were. He said that "combined results...make possible heretofore unattainable overall performance." As a result of this thinking the group determined that the model required a continuous, consistent collaboration. Churches and community needed to be connected to each other and the community in serving the community, and they could never be satisfied with where they were. Model #5: Model 5 focused on the Jesuits who started with a focused mission that soon evolved into a need to educate. The community evolved into a group that was based on the socially ilite training the lower resourced. Instead the fifth group thought that the low to moderated incomes should be funded by the higher resourced, and the cycle would be completed when the base or foundation returned the resources to the high in resources.
Next, the people were asked to divide into four groups who would each decide what they would do with 700 people in four hours. This idea was based on a video documenting the building of a house in four hours by 700 people.Group 1 decided to build a park/garden that would attract people from the neighborhood. It would include raised beds in which vegetables could be grown for the benefit of the neighborhood. Five to ten churches would be involved in a longterm commitment to continue to minister to the surrounding neighborhood.
Group 2 would secure a facility in which the focus would be people teaching people to reach people. It would include ministering with mentors, toward foster and adopted children, in education and drub rehabilitation, and in parenting. The effort would impact the community for a lifetime. 
Group 3 wanted to help the city of Little Rock, so they decided they would secure a facility and partner with the city, churches, and businesses who would contract to continue to work in the facility.
Group 4 decided they would have a Feed the City marathon during a time in the year when food pantries were in need of resources. 100 people in each of seven groups would hit seven communities to collect a total of 10,000 bags of groceries to be distributed to the food pantries.
The day ended with individuals presenting their program models.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Nehemiah Group: Ray Williams opened the new day with a devotional and with a discussion of the Nehemiah Group which is a relational network of churches in the community. The group meets to seek God in prayer, give each other hope, and work together in ministries such as Sharefest.Church Models: The attendees then divided into groups according to their church. The idea was to create a model that looks at where the church should be in five years.
Second Baptist Church: They have had a vision to build a City of Refuge. They have been preaching to increase the release of their selves and their resources. This City would be done in partnership with the community and other churches. Food banks would be used to sustain the City of Refuge.
Second Baptist Church: They have had a vision to build a City of Refuge. They have been preaching to increase the release of their selves and their resources. This City would be done in partnership with the community and other churches. Food banks would be used to sustain the City of Refuge.
Promiseland Church: They are looking to work in partnership with other organizations to develop national conference to teach other non-profits to get CDC, establish church plants, finish the dream center for homeless care.
The Summit Church: They have identified four regions in which the members of the church live. An earlier model gave them the idea for a widening region to include the Samaria of the area, those areas which are culturally different. They would like to identify the Samarias of the areas.These could be other churches, ministries, or schools. They would develop partnerships in which disciples would be created.
Black Community Developers: They have a vision for a Empowerment Center to aid crisis and substance abuse affected families that are brought to the church's attentions through other churches. They want to train disciples that would then go back into the community to teach other disciples.
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church: They identified that they woud like to increase their ministry with kids. One way to do this is to ramp their work in the schools mentoring, tutoring, and helping the families. Also, the would like to continue their work with the C.A.L.L., but they would like to join Promiseland Church to work with foster kids that are aging out of foster care.
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ: The Pleasant Valley representatives have identified that they have a need to communicate an external focus. They need to encourage their small groups to recognize that they need to reach out to the neighbors right around them. Pleasant Valley is working with River City Ministries as they minister to medical needs. They forsee this growing into a fullblown operation that would build and repair the neighborhood around them. They additionally want other churches to come along side to model to other helping agencies.
Ministering to South Midtown: Norm Blasengame was introduced to the South Midtown area by Ray Williams with Fellowship Bible Church. God showed Norm what He can do if you are willing to go someplace in which you are not comfortable. They began to utilize the Oak Forest Community Garden. They built beds and trimmed trees and began to distribute vegetables from the garden to the community. They were able to visit with people with which they would normally not have the opportunity. They have expanded to go to the Two Rivers Park, and they have so much produce Norm was able to share with his neighbors and meet people he did not know except by name. In the process of all of this, they were able to learn about and reach the true needs of people.
Strategic Planning: A critical piece to program models is the strategic planning. Eric Swanson writes that drawing your strategic planning includes 1)understanding vision-where you want to go; 2) realizing the current external situation - the way things are in the world in which you minister; 3) realizing the current ministry position - where you are today; 4) recognizing critical path steps; 5) releasing resources, including people, money, expertise, and facilities; and 6) evaluating and refining the vision. The journey may not be straight, but God is in the detours as well. Click here to see the strategic plans of the individual churches.
The Summit Church's current situation is that have 1500 people in membership, and they are active in the neighborhoods. Their goal is to mobilize the whole church to be more involved in a culturally diverse neighborhood by partnering with the "Samaritan" churches. The steps they will follow are to create a good communication structure through their web site, appoint regional coordinators, and appoint elders to this team of coordinators. They want to go to the small groups to identify the Florence Nightingales and to discover the strengths, skills, and jobs of the people in the groups. Next, they will take this inventorying to the rest of the church, contacting these people to obtain their involvement in ministry opportunities. Summit wants to partner with businesses and other organizations in order to reach thier goal.
Fellowship Bible Church has a vision to reach the lost, build up people, and release believers. Their external situation is racial polarization and a break down of the family. The current ministry situation is a membership of 4,000 people worshiping on three campuses. They have a dedicated staff and budget, a strong community position, and a significant amount of people in service. The following steps are intended to be utilized in reaching their goal: create a culture of service from the moment a person enters the church, strengthen ties to the community, assign community strategists to community groups, and develop and refine existing partnerships.
Bethesda Baptist Church is envisioning a Christ led and centered service and Bible fed in-reach. Their current situation is that they are in mid-town in a low poverty and low economic status area which includes issues with substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and high crime. Their current ministry includes 200 in average attendance, pastoral staff, 1/3 of the people in service, accessibility for the community, serving 1,000s of people, partnerships with other churches. They intend to get their web site up, obtain more resources in people and money, obtain a grant, and redefine and revise.
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church is starting to work toward developing a relationship with Other Creek Elementary School families. The situation includes single parent families, churches in the area that are not involved, and an allocated budget. They intend to get the word out about the work by creating a DVD, encouraging the pastor to express his support, developing a team to determine the plan. They also intend to recruit volunteers to obtain 25 mentors, 25 prayer warriors, 15 watchdogs for at the school during the day, and and to adopt teachers and administrators.
Second Baptist Church's vision is to increasing through release. They would like to reach 3,120 homeless lives in a year increasing the volunteers from 25 to 100 and the funding from $200 a month to $800 a month and by partnering with four other churches. They currently feed 50-60 a month and currently have one worker allocated to recruiting volunteers.
Promiseland Church's current situation is a culture of high poverty, low income, high unchurched population, diverse culture, high crime, lack of education, single moms; and most churches in the area are not kingdom-minded. They are a ten year old church that lacks government suppport and lacks funding. They need to find new resources, establish leadership for each program, and establish fund raising. They are working on a flyer to send to churches. Promiseland would like to partner with other churches and expand community development to be more inclusive of people and businesses.
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ is currently trying to overcome an internal focus. They want to redefine and reshape the idea of sending people out. Their current external situation includes middle to upper class people, young families, growing singles group, 1250-1300 in attendance, strong small groups, low debt, missionaries, and they are landlocked. The neighborhood is changing and there is an increase in children in private school. Also, their relationship with other churches has improved. Steps to reach their goal are to educate, continue alliance relationships, and support inner city ministries.
The conference ended with the attendees highlighting what they had learned during the conference and agreeing to meet together in the summer to further discuss their plans.
The Summit Church: They have identified four regions in which the members of the church live. An earlier model gave them the idea for a widening region to include the Samaria of the area, those areas which are culturally different. They would like to identify the Samarias of the areas.These could be other churches, ministries, or schools. They would develop partnerships in which disciples would be created.
Black Community Developers: They have a vision for a Empowerment Center to aid crisis and substance abuse affected families that are brought to the church's attentions through other churches. They want to train disciples that would then go back into the community to teach other disciples.
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church: They identified that they woud like to increase their ministry with kids. One way to do this is to ramp their work in the schools mentoring, tutoring, and helping the families. Also, the would like to continue their work with the C.A.L.L., but they would like to join Promiseland Church to work with foster kids that are aging out of foster care.
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ: The Pleasant Valley representatives have identified that they have a need to communicate an external focus. They need to encourage their small groups to recognize that they need to reach out to the neighbors right around them. Pleasant Valley is working with River City Ministries as they minister to medical needs. They forsee this growing into a fullblown operation that would build and repair the neighborhood around them. They additionally want other churches to come along side to model to other helping agencies.
Ministering to South Midtown: Norm Blasengame was introduced to the South Midtown area by Ray Williams with Fellowship Bible Church. God showed Norm what He can do if you are willing to go someplace in which you are not comfortable. They began to utilize the Oak Forest Community Garden. They built beds and trimmed trees and began to distribute vegetables from the garden to the community. They were able to visit with people with which they would normally not have the opportunity. They have expanded to go to the Two Rivers Park, and they have so much produce Norm was able to share with his neighbors and meet people he did not know except by name. In the process of all of this, they were able to learn about and reach the true needs of people.
Strategic Planning: A critical piece to program models is the strategic planning. Eric Swanson writes that drawing your strategic planning includes 1)understanding vision-where you want to go; 2) realizing the current external situation - the way things are in the world in which you minister; 3) realizing the current ministry position - where you are today; 4) recognizing critical path steps; 5) releasing resources, including people, money, expertise, and facilities; and 6) evaluating and refining the vision. The journey may not be straight, but God is in the detours as well. Click here to see the strategic plans of the individual churches.The Summit Church's current situation is that have 1500 people in membership, and they are active in the neighborhoods. Their goal is to mobilize the whole church to be more involved in a culturally diverse neighborhood by partnering with the "Samaritan" churches. The steps they will follow are to create a good communication structure through their web site, appoint regional coordinators, and appoint elders to this team of coordinators. They want to go to the small groups to identify the Florence Nightingales and to discover the strengths, skills, and jobs of the people in the groups. Next, they will take this inventorying to the rest of the church, contacting these people to obtain their involvement in ministry opportunities. Summit wants to partner with businesses and other organizations in order to reach thier goal.
Fellowship Bible Church has a vision to reach the lost, build up people, and release believers. Their external situation is racial polarization and a break down of the family. The current ministry situation is a membership of 4,000 people worshiping on three campuses. They have a dedicated staff and budget, a strong community position, and a significant amount of people in service. The following steps are intended to be utilized in reaching their goal: create a culture of service from the moment a person enters the church, strengthen ties to the community, assign community strategists to community groups, and develop and refine existing partnerships.
Bethesda Baptist Church is envisioning a Christ led and centered service and Bible fed in-reach. Their current situation is that they are in mid-town in a low poverty and low economic status area which includes issues with substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and high crime. Their current ministry includes 200 in average attendance, pastoral staff, 1/3 of the people in service, accessibility for the community, serving 1,000s of people, partnerships with other churches. They intend to get their web site up, obtain more resources in people and money, obtain a grant, and redefine and revise.
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church is starting to work toward developing a relationship with Other Creek Elementary School families. The situation includes single parent families, churches in the area that are not involved, and an allocated budget. They intend to get the word out about the work by creating a DVD, encouraging the pastor to express his support, developing a team to determine the plan. They also intend to recruit volunteers to obtain 25 mentors, 25 prayer warriors, 15 watchdogs for at the school during the day, and and to adopt teachers and administrators.
Second Baptist Church's vision is to increasing through release. They would like to reach 3,120 homeless lives in a year increasing the volunteers from 25 to 100 and the funding from $200 a month to $800 a month and by partnering with four other churches. They currently feed 50-60 a month and currently have one worker allocated to recruiting volunteers.
Promiseland Church's current situation is a culture of high poverty, low income, high unchurched population, diverse culture, high crime, lack of education, single moms; and most churches in the area are not kingdom-minded. They are a ten year old church that lacks government suppport and lacks funding. They need to find new resources, establish leadership for each program, and establish fund raising. They are working on a flyer to send to churches. Promiseland would like to partner with other churches and expand community development to be more inclusive of people and businesses.
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ is currently trying to overcome an internal focus. They want to redefine and reshape the idea of sending people out. Their current external situation includes middle to upper class people, young families, growing singles group, 1250-1300 in attendance, strong small groups, low debt, missionaries, and they are landlocked. The neighborhood is changing and there is an increase in children in private school. Also, their relationship with other churches has improved. Steps to reach their goal are to educate, continue alliance relationships, and support inner city ministries.
The conference ended with the attendees highlighting what they had learned during the conference and agreeing to meet together in the summer to further discuss their plans.
