Status Updates From The Surprising Return of th...

One question seems to get people talking more than any other: “what gets your church most excited?” Or “what gets you most excited about your church?””

The answer reveals passion, priorities, perspective, and personality

Cultural change is deeper than implementing new systems; cultural change requires a shift in values, priorities, and perceptions

Rather than disrupting the natural patterns in your church, use them! Give them a purpose. It’s much easier to go with the flow and steer people in that flow than to get everyone into an entirely new pattern

The status quo is focused entirely inward, on people who are already in the church body, without considering those who still need to be reached

You cannot lead change until you understand why some people resist it. Why does the baseball purist prefer the old rules? What is it about new development that may hurt a small town? Etc.

Nostalgia becomes a problem when we ling for the past more than we anticipate God’s work in the future. Nostalgia produces paralysis. Overly nostalgic churches become apathetic to God’s active kingdom work.

Successful neighborhood churches may embrace a philosophy of being strategically small rather than intentionally small. Strategic smallness seeks to leverage the strength of a small smaller size for greater Ministry effectiveness, whereas churches that intentionally stay small betray a dangerous inward mentality.

The distinction may seem nuanced, but there is a difference between the mentality of multiplying disciples and that of growing a large church

One church did do to door around entire neighborhood over several months and took prayer cards and misc small gifts
Mini box of lucky charms - “we’re lucky to be your neighbor”
Small box of chocolate for valentines

The neighborhood should not be viewed simply as a resource to grow the church. Rather, the church is God’s resource to grow the neighborhood spiritually.

God designed local churches to have local influence. A church’s influence may extend behind the neighborhood? But this macro level influence is not its primary mission. … not everyone in the neighborhood will agree with the church’s doctrine, but the majority should recognize and value the church’s contribution.

If we did not need love, we would not move toward each other. Nerdiness is a God-given invitation to connection and communion. God wanted to create a braided world of mutual care.

Theres a difference between friendliness and hospitality. Friendliness involves being polite and mind. Hospitality means getting involved with people; it requires some sacrifice. (How do we demonstrate hospitality especially to guests?)

as the Millennials and their children get older, socioeconomics will become the prevailing dividing line instead of racial differences.

A church campus should be the most well kept spot in the neighborhood. Why would someone visit a church when the campus looks more like a run down gas station than a place where people worship Almighty God?

people with a me-first mentality believe the church exists to meet their needs rather than as a way for them to serve their community … An inward culture will always kill a neighborhood church

I can imagine that the first question which the Priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ The Good Samaritan came by , and by the very nature of his concern reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him? -MLK

A well established presence at a particular address is key to becoming a neighborhood church.