Sarah’s Reviews > The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church: Discover How Your Church Is Primed to Reach Your Neighbors > Status Update

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.