Interview with 3 Lost People- #3

These interviews really have me puzzled. The majority of the people interviewed in all three videos come from a catholic background, yet most of them have turned on their faith. The first man interviewed in this video believes in Christianity yet also reincarnation. The second girl had parents that were divorced when she was very young. Her mother raised her and her sister while her father was Jewish yet never went to the Temple. Her mother was an alcoholic yet took them to church while her actions never changed. This confused her and to this day she does not understand why Christians believe the way they do. The last lady interviewed was older. She was a recovering alcoholic that had a spiritual encounter. She went through the AA program yet was still struggling with her addiction. She went to go for another drink and heard a voice say ‘you will not have to drink anymore.’ She thought she was losing her mind! When asked if they believe they are lost, they all responded no. They try to be good people and live rewarding lives. Yet the second girl remains confused. Maybe it’s from the demonstration that her mother set before her; going to church and being a “Christian” yet having a lifestyle that says differently. No wonder she’s confused. The first man interviewed works with a Christian that has a horrible lifestyle. No one wants to be around him and says that the “Jesus fish” on his real-estate card he hands out stinks! What kind of examples are we setting? The older lady at the end challenges us to see people with addictions as people who have spiritual unease. They need a connection with a higher power to completely recover from their addiction. We need to start seeing people through the eyes of Jesus.

Interview with 2 Postmodern Lost Guys- #2

Both of these guys were raised Catholic. One stopped going once he was 18 when he no longer was forced to go. The other continues to attend Catholic mass every week with his family (mother, father, and 5 brothers and sisters). Both have experience with religion. One took a trip with his family where a lady sees signs of the Virgin Mary and Jesus when she prays. He was at the lady’s house on her yard and felt a strong peace come over him and the smell of roses. After that he has taken church more seriously. The other went on a retreat and had a “spiritual” experience and actually led it the next year. Both guys have differing views on premarital sex. One feels as if it’s ok as long as you love each other; the other says it is wrong (although he has committed it). When asked about homosexuality they also both differed. One feels as if the person is predestined to it. He has a friend that came out and told people that he was gay. He said it doesn’t change the person it’s just how they are. The other, feels it is very wrong. Neither has accepted Jesus as their personal savior yet holds these beliefs. Both believe the bible is a teaching tool, but is not to be taken literally and feel that Christians can use it as an intimidation factor. Both feel as if they are being lectured when they are confronted by Christians about their wrong lifestyle. It’s hard having just a normal conversation with them. There are Christians though that they interact with that just want to lead them to Jesus not push them. They would prefer to be led then pushed. Why don’t Christians understand this? They also suggested that instead of being called “lost” why don’t refer to them as “searching?” I almost feel as if the one guy is a Christian just doesn’t know it. Is that possible?

Interview with 3 Lost People- #1

I found these videos very interesting. Typical terms that we throw around as Christians, when presented to unbelievers really made me think. Christians will naturally call other people who have not accepted Jesus “lost.” When the three people being interviewed were asked whether or not they felt as if they were lost, they all three replied no. The person I found most interesting was the female, Katrina. She responded that she doesn’t feel lost, just more confused. When asked what she thought about when she heard “born again” she responded that the majority of people that she knew were “born again Christians” were rude and you did not want to be around them. What kind of name have we made for ourselves? Katrina feels as if God is real but doesn’t know where he would fit into her daily routine. She prays to him but isn’t sure if her prayer is even heard by anyone or if he can even heal. But yet she prays for healing for her brother. Is it put in us at birth that in our heart we know he is real? It just blows my mind how she can question whether or not God is healer, but yet prays to him. Is it wrong of them to do that? Merely go to God when they are in need of help? Or is that how God has designed their method of meeting him? Each person has their own story. Many were raised in some form of religion and because of something happening, made other choices when they reached the age to make their own decisions. We must not forget, sometimes we are the only Jesus people will see. If they see us, knowing that we are Christians, and think of us as arrogant and stand offish, why would they want to meet our leader? We must check ourselves every day.

New Believer #3

1. Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?
I was raised in a Christian family. Went to church and was “saved” at a young age. I never really had a relationship with Christ, just did the motions. It wasn’t until I left home and found Jesus for myself that I truly became a Christian.
2. What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
I realized who Jesus was on my own. He wasn’t forced on me. I wasn’t made to go to church. It was a decision that I made. And he waited for me.
3. What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower to you?
I have someone who is always there for me. All I have to do is pray to him and he’s there. He never leaves me.
4. What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
Changing some sinful lifestyles.
5. What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?
Going to a church and becoming involved with fellowship and small groups. I’ve met friends who hold me accountable.
6. What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
Don’t push people to have a relationship with Jesus. Let them come to him on their own. Make him available but don’t cram him down their throat.

I find a lot of people have been “forced” to go to church and have a “relationship” with Jesus. This person is very similar to my childhood best friend. Her dad was a strong Christian. Her mom never went to church. Her father made my best friend go every Sunday, even though she didn’t want to. She didn’t like church so therefore she never took the time to understand who Jesus was. Up until this present day, she will not go because she was forced to go for so long when she didn’t want to. Jesus stands at the door and waits. In the bible, we never see him forcing himself on people. He is patient and kind. I think a lot of times if we were the same way people would see Jesus in us and want to know why we are different. In the world we live in today, people want something that isn’t going to change. They long for permanence and stability. That is what is found in Jesus. He never changes, he’s always the same. And if we mess up, he doesn’t leave us. It’s typical that this person has some problems changing their lifestyle. You know what? God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He says “come to me as you are.” It’s through him and through getting to know him that we are changed. It doesn’t happen over night. This person found a great help in getting involved with a church. She has made Christian friends that hold her accountable for her actions and encourage her on her walk. This is key. It’s hard to become a Christian and be successful on your own. Everyone needs someone else in their life. Her advice related back to her story. You can’t force someone to meet Jesus. They have to do it on their own. We all know, only his timing is perfect.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #9

Chapter 19: Turning Members into Ministers

This chapter is about completing the final step of God’s desire for your church; Making people ministers to the world. Some people just don’t feel “lead” to a ministry, others have never been asked. These people haven’t been tapped into yet. So how do we turn members into ministers? Rick explains the system he has set up in his church that helps promote their members for ministry. Teach the biblical basis for every-member ministry. In everything you do, may it have a biblical foundation and remember to instruct people the “why” before the “how.” Pillar #1: Every believer is a minister. Not everyone is called to lead a church, but we are called to spread the gospel. We are to be like Jesus. Pillar #2: Every ministry is important. Some ministries are more evident then others. Some ministries get attention while others don’t. There isn’t one ministry that is more important than the other. They are all vital! Pillar #3: we are all dependent on each other. Every ministry is intertwined with another. There isn’t a single ministry that can meet all the needs of the church, there fore there are many that work together to accomplish this task. Pillar #4: ministry is the expression of my SHAPE. SHAPE stands for spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. Based on these five things, a person can determine what their ministry should be. We are all different and can use those differences in our ministries. It’s important to understand your SHAPE. Spiritual gifts- God gives us all spiritual gifts that reveal part of God’s will for your ministry but not all of it. A lot of people put too much emphasis on the gifts and in fact grow into what they think should be their gifts. Heart- represents your desires, motivation, interests etc. Another word for heart is passion. Things you are passionate about reflect the expression of your heart. God has purpose in your interests. Abilities- natural talents. God gave us all different talents. Some people excel in sports, others in academics. We all have some kind of talent. A lot of people don’t use their talent for God. Everyone has been gifted with something. Personality- we are all different (in case you haven’t noticed yet). Your personality reflects how and where you will use your ministry. When everything lines up, your will notice fulfillment. Experiences- there are all kinds of different experiences that have shaped our lives. Because God allowed these things to happen, we should never resent them. Next is streamline your organizational structure. Teach the difference between maintenance and ministry. You don’t have to attend every meeting on the agenda. Make a difference between a committee and a ministry. Note that there’s a very big difference in leading and controlling. Maximize ministry and minimize maintenance. Don’t vote on ministry positions. A lot of people fear rejection; this will scare them away from becoming involved. Development is a slow process, don’t rush it. You avoid attracting the wrong kind of people who are only interested in power and position. You don’t have to have a public removal if a person fails and you can respond more quickly to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Establish a ministry placement process. Making members into ministers is a process that includes three essential parts. Have a monthly class about discovering your ministry. Review SHAPE. Have a placement process. Have your members take different steps into order to achieve their goal. Empower them during this time. And have staff to administer the process. Have people who can personally meet with the members and give encouragement, help, etc. Provide on the job training. A lot of times people don’t have questions to ask until they are in the ministry. Never start a ministry without a minister. Always have leadership in a ministry, it can’t run merely off of an idea. Establish minimum standards and guidelines. Keep the standards clear and brief. Allow the people to make their own decisions and movements within the ministry. Don’t allow any fundraising, make sure the ministry follows the church beliefs and don’t rely on the pastors to run the ministry. Allow people to quit and change ministries gracefully. God calls people into different areas. Give people freedom to move and experiment to find their place. Trust people. Give them a sense of ownership. Expect the best from your people and trust them! Provide necessary support and keep communication lines open. Provide materials, and promotional and moral support (these are pretty self explanatory). Never forget to renew the vision regularly. Keep your ministers focused on the goal and watch and see how God moves!

Chapter 20: God’s purpose for your church

In the conclusion Rick encourages us not to worry about the growth of our church but the fulfillment of the purposes of the church. Do not become weary in hard times but fully rely on God and the trust in the things he has given you. Be a purpose driven person. To have a purpose driven church, it must be lead by a purpose driven pastor. Remember David. He served God’s purpose. The main part of this book is finding out what purposes God has for your church. His purposes for the church are also for his people. Love your church. David also served God’s people in his own generation. We can’t serve God in any other generation except for the one we’re in. We must learn from people in the past but adapt to the present culture and meet them on their level. God gave us lessons to learn from, and examples so that we too can reach out to people. Be contemporary without compromising the truth. Be current, but don’t change what God’s word says. Let it speak. Measuring success. How do you do it? You build your church on Godly purposes and you expect great things from God. That’s how you measure success. You stay focused, and do what God has called you to do, and he will complete the rest! Rick says that he has studied churches over the years and one great “common denominator” among every growing church is having a pastor that is not afraid to believe God. Sometimes we may not see what’s going to happen, but to have a faith that goes beyond understand is what he has called of us. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, learned a lot from it, and am glad I had the opportunity to interact with Rick Warren through his book, The Purpose Driven Church.

Unchurched Friend #3

What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
Right now I think it’s crime. There are a lot of shootings and killings going on in the streets for no reason.
Are you actively attending any church?
No.
What are a few issues or topics that interest you?
I am concerned with the education of inner city children and how they seem to get the worst of everything.
Why do you think most people don’t attend church?
I think it’s because they don’t see a difference in people who go to church compared to those who don’t. People are looking for a change.
If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
I would look to see if the people are the same way they are in church outside. Are they real? Are they friendly? Is the church there for me when I need them? Is the church all about money?
What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
Be friendly. Don’t use language that the people you’re speaking to don’t understand. Make it exciting and apply it to my life.

This interview was from a friend that lives in the city. They have a different view point of life. They live in Philadelphia, specifically a section that has a really high crime rate. They have lots of children in their family and therefore that is one of their concerns and interests. Something needs to be done with the violence in their area. They also are concerned with the schools children attend. They said they feel as if they get the worst of everything, maybe the worst teachers since no one wants to be where there’s violence. These kids need a hope, a chance to get out of the area they live in. She doesn’t attend a church and didn’t specify why. She did however say that a lot of people don’t attend church because the Christians are necessarily Christian when they are outside the church walls. Is this true? In the world today, people are looking to see how real everyone is. It’s important for us as Christians to show them a lifestyle that is the same both in the church and out. We are to live like Christ did. If she was looking for a church, that is one of things she would look for. People want a “church family” they can rely on. When times get hard, does the church bail? Or are they there to comfort and help out? We must see the needs the world has and meet them. Her advice to a pastor is first and foremost to be friendly. Not to stay behind the pulpit and disappear after the service, but to get to know his congregation. Also to use terms and language the common person would know. No one can meet Jesus and learn about who he is if the pastor is speaking in an unknown language. Relate to your congregation and present them an exciting message that applies to their life.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #8

Chapter 17: Turning Attenders into Members

Once you have a group of attenders turning out for service, it’s important that you turn them into members! This would be considered getting people to “first base.” Like everything else, it’s important to start out with a plan on how you’re going to handle new members. You can do this through asking questions, but be prepared, each member with have their own answer (ex questions: what do we owe our members? What do our members value, etc). There are five unspoken questions that are said to be at church: do I fit here? Does anybody want to know me? Am I needed? What is the advantage of joining? And what is required of members? Take this into consideration when planning your approach. It’s important that you communicate the value of membership. Give your attenders a reason for wanting to be a member by giving them the benefits. Remember, when planning to personalize it for your church and your target. Being a member gives a variety of benefits, but it also gives a sense of belonging, which many people are searching for today. Create a mandatory membership class. In this class let the members know what will be expected of them. Keep it a decent length, not too long and include a variety of activities to keep it exciting. In order to be a member, the person would have to complete the class, and maybe even take a quiz just to verify they understand important information regarding the church. Gear your class towards specific age groups. Next, develop a membership covenant. The members need to know what they are committing to, a lifestyle of serving Christ. First you commit yourself to Christ, then to the church (believers). These can also be used for accountability purposes. Make your members feel special. You can do this in a number of ways. Baptisms are always great celebrations. Hold banquets to welcome new comers and special times for them to get to know the pastor one on one. Sending cards, recognizing anniversaries and birthdays are all ways that you can make someone feel special also. Create opportunities to build relationships. If a person has friends in the church, they are less likely to leave then the person who feels alone. Weekend retreats are perfect for this. When people are together for 48 hours, they create bonds and friendships faster than would happen if they merely relied on Sunday services. Also encourage members to join a small group. Develop a variety of small groups for interests, ages, etc. As your church grows so should your number of small groups. If possible, hold these in homes. Keep communication lines open. Use a variety of communication techniques (email, prayer chains, newsletters, etc). Keep your members informed of what’s going on and let them know that the church is also there for them. Always remember, that this is a group effort. Everyone’s in this together.

Chapter 18: Developing Mature Members

This chapter is full of information so I will do my best to condense it. It begins with presenting several myths regarding spiritual maturity:
#1: Spiritual growth is automatic once you are born again. Many churches have no follow up once a person has committed their life to Jesus. They are simply left on their own. They think as long as they show up to meetings and services, their job is done! The truth is spiritual growth is intentional. A person has to make the decision that they want to spiritually grow and make effort in order to. It just doesn’t happen.
#2: Spiritual growth is mystical, and maturity is attainable by only a select few.
Sometimes people picture spiritual growth as something they cannot reach. It is only for the true holy Christians that have never sinned, they cloth themselves in white garments. The truth is spiritual growth is very practical. Any believer can achieve this if they have the habits needed. Just like you become physically fit, you can also spiritually. It just takes time.
#3: Spiritual maturity can occur instantly if you find the right “key.”
Many people look for the right book, video, experience, etc to tell them what exactly they need to achieve spiritual maturity. The truth is spiritual growth is a process that takes time. We must realize this is a process and takes time. There are no short cuts for this and it can take a lifetime!
#4: spiritual maturity is measured by what you know. A lot of Christians think you’re spiritually mature when you know scripture in depth. The truth is spiritual maturity is demonstrated more by behavior than by beliefs. Maturity is how you life your life and the actions you take day to day.
#5: Spiritual growth is a personal and private matter. Because of how America is today, a lot of people think growth must take place in private. The truth is Christians need relationships to grow. Like stated in the previous chapter, fellowship is vital to growth. It keeps people coming to church and the bible even encourages us to question our faith if we do not love one another.
#6: All you need is bible study to grow. This is when a church merely teaches straight from the bible, never relating it to real life, or emotional needs. The truth is it takes a variety of spiritual experiences with God to produce spiritual maturity. Just like the previous myths, this takes time and can be enhanced in a variety of ways! It includes participation and dedication. We are to learn through experiences.
The next section was about designed your strategy. It encouraged raising the level of commitment. People want to be committed to something. Whether it’s a group, a club, or church, people want to be committed. When there is purpose behind commitment, people will act. When you raise the standards of commitment with your leadership, you will raise that for the church also. It’s a chain reaction! Don’t’ be afraid to ask people for big commitment. Jesus wasn’t, so why should we? Let people know what the benefits of committing are. Possibly even create classes that are geared towards certain levels of commitment. Build on your commitment rather than toward it. It’s easier to start with a foundation then it is trying to get somewhere without a track. It’s ok to break a big commitment into small steps also. Celebrate when someone makes a big commitment and keeps it! Help people develop spiritual growth habits. This is when classes also come in handy. As they advance from class to class they will grow and learn different habits. Build a balanced Christian education program. There are five levels of learning that should take place. Knowledge of the word. Find out what the people know and what do they need to know. Start from ground zero and assume your new members don’t know anything. Offer new believer bible studies and small groups. Perspective. This basically means seeing life from God’s point of view. Perspective helps us see why God wants things to go certain ways and helps us answer the ‘why’s’ in life. It causes us to love God more, resist temptation, handle trials, and protects us from error. Conviction. Conviction is used to motivate. Convictions are essential for spiritual growth and must be taught in order to counter act the secular pulls that we face everyday. Jesus lived his life under conviction and was very influential and powerful. Skills. This is the ability to do something with ease and accuracy. You have to develop your skills by going through certain situations and having experiences you might not necessarily want. “Skills are how to steps of spiritual growth (358).” Character is the last part and our goal is to have a Christ like character. It is not something that can be taught but is developed also by experiences and situations we go through. God allows certain things to happen to mold and shape us into who he wants us to be. “On top of knowledge of the word, you add perspective. The better you know God’s word, the more you’ll begin to see life from God’s viewpoint. Conviction naturally grows out of perspective. Once you begin to see things from God’s perspective, you begin developing biblical convictions. An understanding of God’s purposes and plan changes your motivations (362).”

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #7

Chapter 13: Worship can be a witness
There are twelve convictions about worship that this chapter takes a look at. The first one being; only believers can truly worship God. I have heard this said growing up in my church before. “The direction of worship is from believers to God (239).” The purpose of worship is for worshippers to adore him and praise him. This can’t be done if you’re not a believer. There are many ways of doing this, not just throwing singing but also prayer, reading the bible, and obeying it, etc. You don’t need a building to worship God. You can worship him anywhere! Worship doesn’t come with four walls and a ceiling. You can worship in the car, in your room, outside, anywhere! Some people get this mixed up and worship their church building more than God. There is no correct style of worship. Each person is different. Therefore, there are a variety of worshipping styles. Your cultural background can play a part in this. Regardless of what the style is, true worship should include everything in you. Unbelievers can watch worship. A lot of times, people can see how genuine a person is through their worship. Worship shows relationship. Worship has a way of strengthen and encouraging, these are all things that can be witnessed. In the same sense, worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers if God’s presence if felt and if the message is understandable. When people feel God’s presence, they react. There is a changing that takes place. A lot of times, people can be won more easily to Christ simply by feeling his presence then when we bombard them with the truth. Its also important the message of worship be translated into a language that they understand. Worship and evangelism go together! God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang ups, and needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services. A lot of the ways of church are familiar to church goers, but those who don’t go may have never heard of speaking in tongues before. This can be a scary thing! It is important that we are aware of this. God tells us to be sensitive to them. We should adjust when they are in our worship services. Just because we must be sensitive does not mean the service should be shallow or compromised. It’s just important that people understand what is going on. “Being seeker sensitive does not limit what you say, but it does affect how you say it (244).” All people want to hear is the word of God and how it relates to their lives. Remember, they still haven’t found their identity in Christ. It’s important to also remember that the needs of everyone overlap; they can be very different but also the same. Both need to know what God is really like and understand life. Forgiveness is also a common need. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean your needs stop. It is best to specialize your service according to its purpose. Design different services with different purposes and gear them towards a certain target. You can hit two targets at once. When you separate the two, you can use the tactics that are most efficient for each target. And just a side note, a lot of people don’t enjoy Sunday evening services, even church goers! A service geared toward seekers is meant to supplement personal evangelism, not replace it. Often times, seeing other people go for Christ help people make decisions. There is power in numbers so to say. When a nonbeliever sees a lot of people worshipping the same God, it becomes real. There is no standard way to design a seeker service. Let the spirit lead! Once again, people are not all alike. There’s no one method that will reach all nonbelievers. The only thing you can do in all services is 1) treat unbelievers with love and respect, 2) relate the service to their needs and 3) share the message in a practical, understandable manner. Everything else is up for grabs! Want to know what attracts people to church? Changed lives. Lastly, it takes unselfish, mature believers to offer a seeker sensitive service. As stated before, you will have to change some things in your service to be sensitive to others. Be ok with that.

Chapter 14: Designing a seeker-sensitive service
Once again, this chapter was also lengthy so I will do my best to condense it. This chapter gave several suggestions on how to make your service more visitor friendly. The first suggestion is to plan the service with your target in mind. Remember the target you created several chapters back (education level, age, family size, etc). Create your service for them. Make it easy to attend your services. Have a variety of service hours and an abundance of parking available. Perhaps even a visitor only parking section. Offer a children’s service while the adult service is going on. Parents won’t have to worry about keeping their children quiet. Put a map on all of your advertising so people will be able to locate you. Improve the pace and flow of your service. Many times, church can go on for hours. Even church goers can get antsy. Remember the attention span of your congregation. At Saddleback, the average service length is seventy minutes. The acronym IMPACT helps keep their flow (Inspire Movement, Praise, Adoration, Commitment, Tie it all together). Make visitors feel comfortable. Remember the first emotion of a visitor is fear. Do your best to counteract this. Have greeters stationed outside the church to welcome them. Parking attendants can even help them find a spot. Do not have all your greeters wear a name tag. This makes things seem more official and less natural. Have information available in your building and have direction signs easily visible. Also, have taped music playing when they enter. Music soothes nerves. When a visitor walks in, there is music playing and people talking they won’t feel as nervous. Allow the visitors to remain anonymous during the service. The worst thing you can do is make them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. If you use a registration card, have everyone fill it out. You can keep track of attendance, prayer requests, etc this way. When you start your service, have a public welcome that makes everyone feel excited! Begin and end each service with people greeting each other. When a person feels “at home” they are more likely to return. Afterwards you could also after a refreshment table. Food also comforts. Brighten up the place! Keep the lights up and the windows open! This creates a cheery atmosphere. Make sure you have a great sound system. This can make the world of difference. Also, pews are out. Use chairs of you can and make sure they are comfortable. Make sure each person has their own personal space. Make sure the building size isn’t too large or small. If it’s too small it will limit your growth. If it’s too big it will limit the feeling of warmth. Temperature is also another area. If it’s too warm, expect people to fall asleep. Set it a couple degrees cooler to keep people alert. Make sure the entire building is clean and safe, especially nurseries and bathrooms. Create an attractive atmosphere. When people walk in, they should feel something in the air. Expectation, celebration, affirmation, incorporation, restoration and liberation should all be things felt. People come to church for a lot of reasons. You want people to relax and enjoy your service. They shouldn’t be so nervous that they cannot relax and experience the spirit of God. Printing out a simple order of service can also help. Be sure to use common terms when describing the service. If you need to, use notes explaining what will go on and what to expect. Preparing them always helps with nerves. Minimize your church announcements. This will cut back on time. Explain that there’s a bulletin and encourage everyone to take a look at it on their own time. If there’s an event for everyone, talk about it. If it’s only for certain groups, let it be. Also do not beg for volunteers from the pulpit or talk church business. Save those situations for the believer’s service. Remember to constantly evaluate how things are going. If you need to change, go ahead! Listen to feed back and be open for suggestions. Always remember that whatever you do, you are serving Jesus. This will be hard work but well worth it.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #6

Chapter 11: Developing your strategy

Rick relates this chapter to fishing. The best fisherman doesn’t just use one tactic. He chooses the time of the day, location, bait, temperature, etc. There’s a lot that goes into being a successful fisherman. Jesus called us to be fishers of men. We are to not only share the message but to also follow the methodology that Christ demonstrated for us. There are five principles that can help one be a more successful fisherman. The first one being to know what you are fishing for. In a body of water, there are tons of fish, not just one type. The same is true with people. We aren’t all the same. Define your target specifcally (as stated before). A lot of times, your target should be just like yourself. Go where the fish are biting. You can’t feed fish that aren’t hungry. Move on. There are certain times people are more responsive. Don’t get down on yourself because people aren’t being receptive, just move on! If someone has rejected Jesus it’s not our job to keep bothering them. Third, learn to think like a fish. Depending on the fish, they have certain habits. Try to understand what people are thinking. A lot of times for christians, it’s hard to think like an unbeliever. The way to do this is to talk to them! Create relationships. Thisis how Rick started his church. He went door to door talking to unbelievers getting to know them by asking a few questions. By doing this he learned there are four basic complaints about church: church is boring and doesn’t relate to life (present the Word in a practical way that relates to an unbeliever and something that works throughout the week, not just Sunday); church members are unfriendly (make visitors feel welcomed); church wants money not me (when taking an offering maybe only make it for the members, not visitors); quality of church child care (create a great children’s program that is safe and secure). After he did the survey he sent out a community letter that appealed to the unbeliever. The next principle is to catch fish on their terms. Sometimes you have to go a great distance to get to people. It’s important to understand and adapt to their culture. Jesus said we are to eat what is placed before. Have something common with the people. When we can relate, we can penetrate the people. Let your target determine the approach. Act accordingly for each culture. Do not change who you are or your beliefs, but the tactics you use. Jesus had no standard form of witnessing, he simply went to the people where they were. Begin with the needs of the unchurched. To really minister to the unchurched you have to be prepared for the messy situations. This brings us to understanding and responding to the hang ups of the unchurched. If you know something bothers an unchurched or they are uncomfortable, try to counteract it. People choose the church that best ministers to their need. Change your methods when necessary. Stay up to date with “bait.” Use as many and different varieties as needed. Use more than one hook. Offer multiple servies, programs, locations, etc. Don’t rely on just one worship service to meet the needs of everyone. And remember, it costs to reach your community. Don’t put a price tag on salvation. If it costs money to win a soul, it’s worth it. God will supply all your needs when you are walking in the path he has set before you. And always remember, fishing is not a hobby it should be a lifestyle.

Chapter 12: How Jesus Attracted Crowds
(This was a really long chapter so I will do my best to condense it.) Who better to learn from then the master himself? Jesus attracted crowds throughout his life. There are a couple different ways he did this. He loved unbelievers. He met their needs and He taught them in interesting and practical ways. First we must love just like Jesus did. This is an essential key. People must be drawn to the church because they feel loved and accepted regardless of their situations. A lot of times a congregation thinks their church is loving, but it’s only because they’re loving each other…not the visitors. Love new people and create an atmosphere of acceptance. In order for your church to grow, you have to love. Make people feel accepted at your church. Maybe send visitor cards in the language of a visitor. Speak to them on a normal level. It’s important for the love to be practical. Not only do the people need to demonstrate love, but also the pastor. Get to know your people! Greet them before and after services and do your best to use their name. When a visitor is greeted with their name, it creates a feeling of belonging. Don’t be afraid to touch people. Give hugs, pats on the back, etc. Sometimes, you might be the only touch someone gets all week. Jesus touched people and they felt his love. As a pastor you must choose whether or not you want to “impress your people or influence them (215).” Just because you accept a person doesn’t mean you have to approve of their lifestyle. There’s a difference. Make a distinction between the crowd and the congregation. Those who are visiting might not have morals at all. Be prepared for that. Jesus wanted people to come as they were. After they came is when he cleaned them up. Next, meet people’s needs. To meet someone’s need, first you need to get their attention. How? You must discover the key to the person’s heart! What concerns them, etc. We must meet the needs of the people around the church. If you’re really meeting the needs of the people around you, you will have to lock the doors to keep people out! To find out what these needs are, use a survey in your community. Based off the results, adapt your programs or create new ones! Everyone shares some of the same needs, to be loved, accepted, forgiveness, etc. Whenever a need is met, a life is changed. Where a life is changed, word spreads. You want your church to grow? Meet the needs of the people. Last Jesus taught in practical and interesting ways. The bible states that people would be amazed, enthusiastic and spellbound listening to Jesus! Are your messages like that? So many churches bore the word of God. Jesus kept them this way because he met their needs. He would usually get a message from a need or question and go from there. He met the people at their level. His message normally offered practical benefits. “We must learn to share the Gospel in ways that show it is both “good” and “news” (224).” Crowds will rush to hear good news. The way the world is today, people long to hear something that’s good and inspiring. When you base your message off of what people are interested in, you automatically have their attention. We must realize that people aren’t necessarily looking for the truth, but relief from their problems. The bible states that we are to only speak what benefits others. In the same way Jesus related truth to life. Jesus taught in a simple, practical manner. Instead of being instructed on how someone should be living, teach them how to live like Jesus did. There’s a different in ordering and assisting. A lot of times the un churched just want to see the relevance of the bible in today’s time. Jesus also spoke with an interesting style. Entertain your congregation. The word of God isn’t to be dry and boring but full of life! Make it exciting! Jesus used a variety of stories to enhance his message. He also used simple language that everyone understood. Keep the message simple! We must remember that ministry to crowds is controversial. We find both “go” and “come” in the bible. This means that some people will come to church and meet Jesus, others will have to be confronted with a Christian to find his truth. Both of these are ok! One must also maintain a balance when relating to the culture. Jesus states not to imitate, or isolate the church but to infiltrate the culture of the outside. In order to attract people, you must be appealing to the culture. “Jesus ministered in the world, but was not of it (236).” Be prepared for people to speak up about how they feel!

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #5

Chapter 9: Who is your target?

This chapter is about identifying who your church is specifically targeted for. A lot of people will say their church is trying to save the “unchurched.” That’s great but the unchurched are not all the same. Everyone is different! It’s important to find out what the people in your surrounding area is like and then go from there. After discovering your purposes, this is the second most important thing, it can even be found in the bible. Several occassions Jesus states he came here to seek the lost Jews. He tells Peter and Paul to target the Gentiles and Jews. We have to remember, it’s impossible for one church to meet everyone’s needs. Pick one target group and focus on them. So how do we define our target? Find out all you can about your community. The typical person will drive 15 minutes to church. Make a 15 mile radius on a map around your chuch location and find out the population. Church location is important, but so is what it offers. Some people will drive farther to a church that offers a program they can’t find closer. Define your target demographically. This means finding age, martial status, education level, jobs, income etc. Get to know what kind of people live in the population. Depending on these results, should decide how you set your services and programs up. You wouldn’t have the same service for an elderly congregation that you would for college age. Define your target culturally. Different cultures have different values, morals, and beliefs. Get to know what they think. This requires talking to people personally. Also define your target spiritually. Sometimes even depending upon location, some people will associate themselves with a denomination. If you know a general idea about the other religions dominant in your area, you can relate to what people already believe. Personalize your target. If you have a visual representation of the typical person you are targeting, this helps you stay focused. Make sure your church knows who your target is also.”The more you understand someone, the easier it is to communicate with him (171).”

Chapter 10: Knowing whom you can best reach

This chapter relates to the previous one. It is easiest to reach people that you have something in common with. We are all made differently. One church is not going to be able to reach everyone. One way to find out who you can best reach is by looking at who already attends your church. When a visitor walks in, they naturally look around to see if there is anyone else like them there. If there is, most likely they will return. If not, they won’t. “A church may be unsuccessful in reaching certain types of people isn’t a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of simply respecting the wonderful variety of people God has placed in the world (175).” What kinds of leaders do you have? What is the cultural makeup and background of the leaders in the church? Are they all young? All old? All caucasian? A lot of people can even relate to you as a pastor. You are a key factor in determining whether they come back or not. The kind of person that you are, will decide what kind of people come to your church! As stated before, you will reach those who you best relate to. Naturally you attract people like yourself. Get used to this. Be true to who you are and don’t try to be a certain way just because you want your church to grow. When there is growthit’s because the type of people in the community, the congregation, and the pastor all match. Go in the location where your strengths are. If your church does not match your community there a number of things you can do. First build on your strengths. Be the best pastor to the type of people in your congregation that you can be. Another option (but a terribly tough one) is to reinvent your congregation. This means new music, new programs, worship, etc. This can take years to complete and can cause a lot of hardships. If you chose this route, be prepared! Another option is to start new congregations. Create new services for those you are trying to reach. This might include a different form of worship, or preaching. Know how you are spiritually accepted in your church. There are two types of people that are most receptive: those who are in transition (such as people new to the community, getting a new job, new school, etc) and those under tension (loss of job, loss of relationship, death, etc). People in both situations are looking for hope and someone bigger than them. The next step, is to discover your evangelism strategy.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #4

Chapter 7: Organizing around your purposes

This chapter is full of information! He begins by comparing two great preachers: George Whitefield and John Wesley. They both were amazing evangelists however had two different outcomes. Whitefield would evanglize and leave his converts with no organization. Wesley developed an organization and it became known as the Methodist church. Most churches have the structure, but don’t have it balanced. There are five unbalanced church examples given. The soul winning church. This church’s main focus is simply that, reaching out and saving souls. The experiencing God church. The focus of this church is experiencing and knowing God through worship. The family reunion church has focus on fellowship. This type of church is most common among small churches. The classroom church. The pastor takes the role of a teacher and that’s all he does. The social conscience church is out to change the world (such as in politics). Ask the people at any of these and they are at the most spiritual church out of all of them. There have been movements throughout history that have played a part in reviving some of these purposes. The Lay Renewal Movement gave the church back it’s call for ministry, that every person is to minister. The Discipleship/Spiritual Formations Movement reestablished the idea of developing christians to full maturity. The worship/renewal movement brought back the importance of worship. The church growth movement refocused the church on evangelism and missions. The small group/pastoral care movement brought back small groups and caring for one another. There is no single key to maintaining a healthy balanced church. To make sure you maintain balance, pick a couple concepts to focus around. We also learn in this chapter that there different levels of commitment. The community represents anyone who might come to church 4 times a year. The crowd are the people who attend weekly. The congregation is the group that made a commitment to be a member of the church and take on those responsibilities. The committed are those who who are serious about their faith. They are members who pray, give tithes, and participate in a small group. The core are those people who are involved in ministry teams and actually minister to other members of the church. It’s important that we remember “Jesus started where people were—at their level of commitment—but he never left them there (135).” He built up a relationship with them and brought them to the core commitment level over time.

Chapter 8: Applying your purposes

So now that we have attempted to master all the things mentioned in the previous chapter, it is time to apply our purposes within our church. This is not to be a rushed process, so be prepared to spend time taking it slow. Rick states that there are ten ways to be a purpose driven church. The first suggestion he makes is: assimiliate new members on purpose. This means to grow your church from the outside in. A lot of times if a church is grown from the inside out, the people will become too comfortable and will not want to associate with nonbelievers. Bring your community in and develop them into the different rings of your church. This is demonstrated in how Saddleback was developed (going door to door meeting the community, creating a survey, etc). From there he took year by year discipling his congregation. The second task is program around your purposes. Create programs that fulfill each purpose. Some ideas for these programs are: bridge events (building bridges/relationships between the church and community), seeker services (services geared towards the unsaved through group support), life development institute (holding workshops, or opportunities where people can expand their knowledge, and SALT (this is leadership training). The third suggestion is to educate your people on purpose. Create a way for people to work their way around the life development process. As they learn, they gain responsibility and opportunities. “You don’t get create for people left on base (145).” Fourth, start small groups on purpose. There are several different kinds of small groups your church could start: seeker groups, support groups, service groups, and growth groups. Each of the names are pretty self explanatory. Also, fifth, add staff on purpose. It doesn’t take a large church to be purpose driven, just a focused, purpose driven staff team. Each member should have their own purpose based goals that they are passionate about. Hire for a purpose. Sixth, also structure on purpose. Create teams within the church that have a purpose. For example, the magnification/music teams purpose is to lead worship and their target is the crowd. They are responsible for music in weekend services and events. Preach on purpose. Plan your sermons to where you can preach at least 4 times on each of the five purposes a year. This leaves plenty of time to plan your own sermons. Budget on purpose. This is not about in regards to money, but also time. Spend time and money wisely and where it can benefit the most. If you make something a priority, support it with your time and money. Also calendar on purpose. This relates back to your sermons. Plan your sermons around seasons and months. Lastly, evaluate on purpose. Track your progression. If something isn’t working, change it! Be honest. Take a look at who’s on the different bases in your church.

New Believer #2

1) Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ
I was raised in a Christian family but never had a real relationship with Christ until after I
graduated high school and went onto college and explored and searched out Christ for myself.

2) What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
I have always believed in God, but God was never personal to me until a huge prayer of mine was answered which showed me that God really does hear our prayers and truly cares for us individually.

3) What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?
God is a constant friend and comforter through the trials life throws at us.

4) What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
The temptations and trials that Satan uses to break us down.

5) What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?
Fellowship with believers within my home church and of course my family.

6) What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
Start by just being a good friend to those in need. People will notice God’s kindness through your actions.


This survey reminds me of a previous survey I conducted. People really do not grasp who Christ is until they have discovered him on their own timing. You can’t force Christ or religion on people. It wasn’t until this person got away from their family, and got to know Christ on their own that they became a “real” dedicated Christian. God also knows exactly what it takes to bring a person to him. Sometimes people need to see a miracle to believe. Others need a prayer answered; this is what the person who took this survey needed. They needed to know that when they prayed, it wasn’t just going into air. That there is actually a God who not only hears but also answers prayer. God became real to her in this way. This person found comfort in the fact that God is a friend. A lot of people put God on a pedestal and do not feel that he can interact with humans. He in fact longs for a relationship with us. He is a friend and comforter when we need him. The hardest part of becoming a believer has been resisting the devil. When you aren’t a believer you don’t see the devil at work because you don’t necessarily have the same morals that you hold once you become a believer. I think this is a common challenge for all Christians, not just new believers. Growth can be found in numbers. This person found fellowship to be one of the best promoters. When you are around people who have the same desires as you, temptation is easier to resist. When people hold you accountable for your actions, you think twice before doing something. I think her last words are very important. People see Jesus through us. Not by preaching necessarily, but by being who Christ was…a friend.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #3

Chapter 5: Defining your purposes
In this chapter we learn how critical it is to clearly define your church’s purpose. As a leader, you should direct your church through the process of defining your purpose. When people discover on their own, they have more personal conviction compared to when they are told. Study what the bible says. Rick gives a list of biblical passages that can help with discovering and defining purpose. He did a personal bible study before starting the church then lead the church through the same study. He suggests: looking at Christ’s ministry on earth; Looking at the different images and names of the church and looking at the commands of Christ. We should understand what Christ wants for the church and that should be our purpose. Next put your findings down in writing. You can do this by organizing information under main headings. This is vital because you are building a foundation for your ministry. After looking at your findings, summarize them in one sentence. Organize them into categories, summarize them in a paragraph, and then work your way down to a sentence. By condensing it to a sentence you are making it information that people will be able to remember! How can you be sure your purpose is effective? For one, it needs to be biblical. It also needs to be specific. “A narrow mission is a clear mission (100).” When people are given specific information, there is less gray area of unknown. This also helps to focus your energy. When purpose statements are short enough, they can be transferable and passed on through the church. People remember phrases. You also need to be able to measure it. If your statement doesn’t have any form of evaluation, how will you know if it’s working or not? Rick gives two key scriptures he believes are the purposes of the church: Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 28:19-20. He also states five purposes of the purpose driven church. The first purpose is to love the Lord with all your heart. The church does this through worship. Love your neighbor as yourself is the second purpose. The church does this through ministry. The third purpose is to go and make disciples. In the church we do this through evangelism. This is not just a responsibility but a privilege. We are also called to baptize them. When a person gets baptized, not only are they coming up a new person but they are also identifying that they are part of the body of Christ. Fellowship falls under this purpose. The last purpose is teaching them to obey and is done through discipleship. We are called to reach and teach people as Christians. Be sure that your purpose statement is measurable, encouraging, and in sequence. This is a process and we shouldn’t expect people or the church to transform over night.

Chapter 6: Communicating your purposes
Once you have clearly defined your purpose it is not important to communicate it to your congregation. There are several ways to communicate vision and purpose. Through scripture you can teach the biblical truth about your church. Show the people how your purpose is biblically based. Using symbols is another idea. Symbols have always displayed power. When one sees the American flag they think of freedom and justice. People need visuals. Choose a symbol to represent the purpose of your church. Slogans are also very helpful. As stated in the previous chapter, people remember short phrases better than long paragraphs. Picking a slogan or even several can be beneficial for your church. Story telling is also a great idea. Many times people relate to stories and grasp a better meaning of the concept. Jesus used stories all the time. Always use clear action steps describing how your church is going to reach its goals and purposes. “Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific (114).” The next step is to personalize the purpose. When something has value to each individual, it becomes so much more than just a church purpose. Each member should recognize what their personal responsibilities are as a believer. God wants us to be members of his family. He wants us to be a model of his character and be a minister of his grace. God wants us to be a messenger of his love and a magnifier of his name. Along with responsibilities also come privileges. God blesses his people in a variety of ways. It’s important to state your purpose over and over to your congregation and there are many different ways of doing this. You can write songs about your purpose, send out fliers, etc. It’s important that each person in your church is aware of the purpose and remembers it.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #2

Chapter 3: What drives your church?
There are many different things within a church that “drives” it. Sit in on a board meeting and you will hear many of them mentioned. It is important for the church to be driven by common things. If you have multiple things driving, you will face problems. There are many different forces that can drive a church. Churches can be driven by tradition. These are churches that never change. They do what they’ve always done. They feel stabile because of their traditions. Churches can be driven by personality. In this church the focus is on the leader and what they want. If the church has a history of changing leaders, this is where a problem can be found. When the person leaves, the church comes to a standstill. Churches driven by finances are ones that focus merely on money. They worry about the cost of everything instead of the souls being won. Churches do not exist to make a profit. Churches can also be driven by programs. In these types of churches, all the energy is focused on the programs it offers. Churches can also be driven by buildings. Sometimes churches can get caught up in needing a large, beautiful building that they get in over their heads. Other times a church will refuse to get a larger building so the attendance is restricted. Churches can be driven by events. At this church you might be overwhelmed when you look at the calendar. When do the people have any time off? A church can be just busy without any real purpose as to why they do what they do. There are also churches driven by seekers. These churches make reaching the unbelievers their sole objective. They cater to their needs and wants. God’s purpose of the church includes a lot of different things including evangelism. Purpose driven churches are different. Purpose driven churches are exactly that, driven by purpose instead of force. Remember that not all programs are meant to last forever. They must maintain a purpose. Have a driving purpose that your congregation knows about. If your church is struggling, redefine your purpose and use this as a fresh starting point. When your members are on the same page as your staff, you will find success.

Chapter 4: The foundation for a healthy church
A strong church begins with a strong foundation. When there is a clear purpose, there are many benefits. The first being a clear purpose builds morale. When people come together for a great purpose, they have high morale and little time to argue. Therefore if you don’t have a clear purpose, your morale will be low. “Nothing discourages a church more than not knowing why it exists (87).” A clear purpose reduces frustration. Just as stated before, when people have a common purpose there is little or no confusion. “A clear purpose not only defines what we do, it defines what we don’t do (87).” When there isn’t a purpose, it is easy to become distracted by other things. Once your purpose has been set, it is easier to make decisions and move forward with your church. A clear purpose allows concentration. When something is concentrated, it has so much more power. Think about sunlight being focused through a magnifying glass. It can set things on fire! That’s what a focused congregation can do. You must be focused on what your purpose is. God wants churches to be effective. This means He wants them to be doing the right things. A clear purpose attracts cooperation. People want to join a church that has direction. When people know where the church is headed, they are eager to join the team. Just like Paul was clear in his purpose, people will follow where there is clarity. This brings cooperation. When people join your church, make sure they have a clear understanding of what your purpose is. A clear purpose also assists evaluation. A church evaluates itself by asking, “Are we doing what God intended us to do?” No matter how big or small a church is does not decide its strength. Becoming a purpose driven church does not happen overnight. It is a process.

Purpose Driven Church- Assign. #1

Chapter 1: Seeing the Big Picture
In this chapter, Rick gives a background of his personal development and the development of Saddleback Church. Rick knew as a child that he wanted to be a pastor. For a while he was unsure as to what God wanted him to be. It wasn’t until he heard Dr. Criswell speak that this was confirmed. After the service, he went to meet Dr. Criswell. When their eyes met, God spoke and Dr. Criswell prayed over him, blessing his future congregation and him as a pastor. This was the moment he knew God’s plan for his life. He had served as a student missionary in Japan and knew that God wanted to use him. God directed him and his wife’s path to be pastors. They were to start a church in the United States. Rick began doing research on different un-churched communities when God directed him again to Saddleback, California. His family picked up and moved. They had no money, no house, no church, yet God provided. God taught them that they didn’t have to be perfect, just willing. Their services started with a bible study in their house. When his bible study attendance reached 15, they decided to do a community survey to get to know the locals better. They went door to door and embraced conversations with many. Rick knew he wanted to start holding services and wanted to use Easter Sunday as the first service. They composed a letter just briefly stating what the new church would be about and gave the date of the first service. They sent out 15,000 of these. The first service they had two hundred five people! God is incredible! From their, their attendance grew. They bounced from location to location as they grew to 10,000. The church’s mission was to reach the un-churched. They did not want it to be a place for Christians to merely come and attend weekly. They wanted to reach those who had never heard the gospel before.

Chapter 2: Myths about Growing Churches
When you think about mega churches there are many different myths that come into your mind. Sometimes we think the church has copied their program from another church, or are only large because their service airs on television. In this chapter, Rick addresses several different myths and helps bring understanding to the truth behind the myth. The first myth is: the only thing large churches care about is attendance. We must realize it is only healthy for a church to grow. If it isn’t growing then something is not right! There are five dimensions of church growth that are listed: churches grow warmer through fellowship; churches grow deeper through discipleship; churches grow stronger through worship; churches grow broader through ministry and churches grow larger through evangelism. Growth is healthy! Myth #2 states: All large churches grow at the expense of smaller churches. Yes sometimes people leave a church to transfer to another church. Saddleback however focuses on converts rather than transfers. In order for a church to be growing in the proper way, it must be growing from converts rather than Christians switching churches. Myth #3: You must choose between quality and quantity at your church. Rick explains that quality is the kind of disciples you have at your church while quantity refers to the number of disciples a church is producing. As you can tell, that clearly makes the myth false. We must have these two together! In fact “quality produces quantity (51).” And it’s also true vice versa. When you have more people, fellowship gets better, the worship is better, and a lot of things are affected in a positive way. We must care about both of these. Myth #4: You must compromise the message and mission of the church in order to grow. People think this way because there are many examples of large churches that have grown large while practicing false theology. When Jesus preached multitudes of people came to listen. Why? Because the message brings good news! Don’t be afraid to ask for commitment at your church just be aware in how you’re asking. “Jesus never lowered his standards but he always started where people were (56).” Myth #5: If you are dedicated enough, your church will grow. This is completely false. The church growth does not merely rely on the dedication of the pastor alone. It takes skill to lead a church. It’s important that pastors take the time to learn the skills needed in ministry. God grows churches but giving people the skills to enable growth. Myth #6: There is one secret key to church growth. How can a large church be affected by one thing? It takes many different keys to work a church. There are many ways to run a church and because we’re all different there are many different churches. “Never confuse methods with the message. The message must never change, but the methods must change with each new generation (61).” Myth #7: All God expects of us is faithfulness. God expects both faithfulness and fruitfulness from us. He wants us to have a result! One will reach success when they have been as fruitful as possible with the gifts and talents God has given them. Myth #8: You can’t learn from large churches. We learn from examples! Certain areas you will not be able to directly copy, but you can take a model and adapt it to your church. That is fine! Personalize ideas you get from other churches and see if it works with your congregation; maybe it will, maybe it won’t. “We must never become so enamored with methods that we lose sight of our mission and forget our message (71).”

Unchurched Friend #2

1) What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
I feel as though one of the greatest needs would be an after school program for teens. They don't have much to do around here, and I feel that after school program or weekend type program would be very beneficial to them.

2) Are you actively attending a church?
No.

3) What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?
A few topics that interest me are adoption, malnutrition in children and pollution issues.

4) Why do you think most people don't attend church?
I feel that most people don't attend church because people who do attend are hypocrites. They act very friendly and welcoming when you are in church but the second they leave so does their niceness. Some of the rudest people I know attend church, but they put on such a happy face for the other church-goers.

5) If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
I would look for a church that doesn't discriminate against anyone. A church that is diverse in more ways than just one. I would look for a church whose actions match up with their words.

6) What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful people?
I would tell pastors to be themselves. There is nothing more annoying then a "pastor" or "church member" who feel as though they need to speak to me in a different manner then they would someone who is a member of their church. If you go to a southern state you wouldn't try to speak with a southern accent, would you? Then do not go into the cities trying to use "city" terminology or accents.


This interview had a completely different feeling than the first one. This person almost felt bitter towards church. I felt as if they had had a couple experiences that burned them, or turned them away. They aren’t currently attending and based on the attitude given while responding to these questions I would say that they will not be attending anytime soon. With people like this, it takes time to change their mindset. They need to see that christians can be genuinely real people. This person was raised and lives in the city. They have a heart for teenagers. Because of violence on the streets they think that more after school programs would be beneficial for helping lower stastics of city teenagers. The person makes the statement that most people who attend church are hypocrits. Maybe they have worked with church goers or possibly even went to church, met someone there and ran into them on the streets. Outside the walls of the church, people change. I think this can be true and I think this very idea has turned people away. Non-church goes want real relationships. If you’re my friend in church, you should be my friend at the work place, in the streets, etc. Because this person lives in the city, they are used to evangelists coming and speaking in the streets. They look for a pastor who will be themselves. Won’t try to conform to the ways of the city (the city language, the style of the city, etc) especially if they aren’t from that part. They said that it almost makes the person fake in a sense and how are people supposed to learn about what’s real and solid from someone that isn’t their own person? I learned a lot through this interview. I thought the person gave some great points and was honest. They could’ve made everything sound cheery but they want to change the way people see church and saw this as an opportunity to be voiced.

New Believer #1

-Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ
Well I guess my journey isn't anything special. My parents didn't start off as Christians but become so sometime when I was in elementary school. After that it was like hard-core faith for them and they pushed it onto my siblings and me. I, being the oldest, did not want to disappoint them in any way chose to do whatever to make them happy, which was to "dedicate" my life to following Christ. I did it to make them happy, but I didn't accept Him into my heart. Years later, when I was about 17, I decided to go to a youth event called "Acquire the Fire" with my youth pastor and some other kids. I had an amazing time, and during the second day of the event I decided with my whole heart to follow Christ. And so here I am...I'm no where near perfect, but God loves me and I'm cool with that.

- What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
The biggest impact that helped make my commitment to follow Christ was probably seeing the faith that my grandfather has. Knowing the struggles he has been through and the trials that he has overcome it is pretty amazing to know that he hasn't given up his faith in God. Seeing how God has changed his life for the better made me want to know more about him and made me want to seek Him.

-What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower to you?
The best part of becoming a Christ follower is probably feeling as though I am free. I feel free to be myself and no one else because I know that God accepts me for who I am and where I am in my life.

- What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
The most challenging part of following Christ is probably letting go of things that might be holding me back from experiencing all that God might have for me.

- What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?
I think my family has helped me the most. Now that I faith in its beauty, I see how my parents give everything up to God no matter how horrible things are going at the time they keep their faith and know that God will be there to see them through. I think that has helped me the most to keep going and not the give up.

- What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
My advice would be to always be yourself. I think what helped me the most when I was first learning about God is that the person telling me about him was very transparent with me. I didn't feel as though they had to pretend to be someone else to get me to listen to what they had to say. They came to me as they were everyday as they were.

My reaction to this interview is as follows. Bethany (her last name will not be revealed), states that she grew up in a family where in the beginning, church wasn’t a big deal. When her parents came to be believers, they then forced it on her and her siblings. I think this is a typical reaction as I know many friends that have the same story. However, its results can be negative. Bethany was walking the walk and talking the talk but in her heart wasn’t embracing it because she hadn’t made her own personal decision to follow Jesus yet. She considers herself a new believer because it wasn’t until years later she truly became a believer. Her family plays an important role in her faith. I think this is also true for young believers. When you have a grandparent or a relative that has been through a hard life but has come out strong because of their relationship with Christ, it gives a realness to the faith. Bethany enjoys the freedom she has found in Christ. Before she had felt pressure from society and school to be a certain way, now she feels comfortable in her own skin and has found her identity in Christ. I think it really depends on when a person becomes a new believer as to what their story is. For Bethany, she was young when religion was forced on her and it took her a couple years to make the decision on her own. For others, they could be older in age and it take a hard situation to bring them to Christ (family member dying, being diagnosed with an incurable disease, etc). Bethany also finds that one of the hardest parts for her is letting go of things that could hinder her from reaching full potential in Christ. She doesn’t go into detail but I feel like this is something that everyone struggles with.

Unchurched Friend #1

Ashley Coffin
Unchurched Friend #1
Survey:
1) What do you think is the greatest need in your area?

* I would have to say the greatest need in my area is homelessness.

2) Are you actively attending a church?

* I've been to church a couple times, but I don’t regularly go.

3) What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?

* Some issues that interest me are children in other countries (or even in the USA) suffering from poverty.

4) Why do you think most people don't attend church?

* I think most people don’t attend church because they haven’t been brought up around it. They think it’s boring, or they think the services are too long.


5) If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?

* I would look for a church where I felt I was welcomed and noticed every Sunday and I would look for a church where I felt I was spiritually growing.


6) What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful people?
* The advice I would give would be for the pastors to be non judgmental, and to listen well when someone opens up and tells them something.

Based off of this survey, I want to say that even though people might not attend church there are some out there that really have good hearts. The person that completed this survey spoke of homelessness and children overseas, which are many topics of interest in the church. I think what stood out to me the most was that it’s important for the person to feel welcomed to attend a church. They don’t want to be judged, but want someone who will listen and help guide them to a better life. People really want relationships. This person stated outside of the survey that they do not like churches where no one talks to one another. They want to feel part of a family almost. It’s also important for the pastor to be conscious of the service time. Some churches can go for hours and no one will complain. But depending on the location and type of people you are reaching out to, keep in mind how long the service is. Especially for new Christians, it is hard to sit through a service that is three hours long. They need to learn basics every week. The overall feel I got from this person was that, church shouldn’t be a place where people go to and feel bad, and I think that’s how a lot of people that don’t attend regularly view it. That they are going to show up, be judged for their sin and they won’t return. People are seeking a safe place to be themselves, to be embraced, to have someone to listen to them, and to be guided. Sometimes we treat them as if they were from another world, yet as we can clearly see through even this survey they are very similar to us and their hearts desire the same thing, a relationship.