The Best Possible Use – A Saturday Quote

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it.  The time will pass anyway;  we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”
—  Earl Nightingale, Motivational Speaker and Author

Reports from the Road – Atlanta

What a great first week it’s been on the Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour for Senior Pastors!

Today is stop #4 and I’m in Metro Atlanta (Marietta), getting ready to train over 200 pastors in the top 3 growth barriers that every church faces, regardless of size.

Our host today is Pastor Bryant Wright and  Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, they were gracious enough to partner with me to invest in some of our fellow pastors.

Bryant is one of the most effective and unique communicators I know – check out his “Right from the Heart” ministry here.

A lot has changed around Metro Atlanta since Johnson Ferry Baptist Church began in the early 1980’s, but one thing has remained constant: their solid commitment to Christ and expanding His Kingdom.

It’s going to be a great day in the Peach State!

P.S. I’ll be wrapping up the Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour for Senior Pastors with events in the Metro Washington, D.C. Area and New York City – if you’re a Senior Pastor in these areas, I hope you’ll join me! Click here for more info.

Reports from the Road – Nashville

I’m in the Nashville Area today for the next stop on my Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour for Senior Pastors.

Our host today is Freedom Church and Pastor Terrell Somerville.  Terrell is a Coaching Alum and has done a great job of leading Freedom since its founding in 2000.

Today, Freedom Church is one of the fastest growing churches in the region and they have just recently moved into the first phase of a new building.

It’s going to be another fun day of getting to meet and train 100+ Senior Pastors – one of my favorite ways to spend a morning!

P.S. If you’re looking for a proven process to grow yourself and your church over the next year, you might be a good fit for my upcoming Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors – click here to read more and apply today!

January Book Recommendation (Video)

For this month’s book recommendation, I sat down with author Gary McIntosh to discuss his book, Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

Here’s my January book recommendation video:

January Book Recommendation:

Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Gary McIntosh

P.S. Have you read a book recently that you think I would enjoy? I’d love to hear your feedback — you can send it using the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of the blog.

Reports from the Road – St. Louis

Today is Stop #2 on my Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour for Senior Pastors, and I’m in St. Louis!

It’s been just over 30 years since God shared the vision for Life Christian Church with Pastor Rick Shelton (one of my coaching alumni), and I’m excited to take a closer look at the church He’s been building during that time.

I’m also excited to meet and invest in so many Senior Pastors here in the Gateway City – it should be one of our biggest turnouts on the whole tour!

P.S. Now is the time to get in your application for my next Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network – you can find out more and download your application by clicking here.

Reports from the Road – Indianapolis

Today I’m in Indianapolis – preparing for the first stop on my Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour for Senior Pastors!

Our hosts for the day here in Indy are Pastor John Newland and Fall Creek Baptist Church.

John is a Coaching Alum who has done a great job of implementing what he’s learned about church systems into the life of Fall Creek.

I’m looking forward to seeing John and he and I both are excited to be able to give back through this Free Event to a great group of Senior Pastors.

If you would, please pray for me and this group of pastors from all over the Indianapolis area and beyond!

P.S. You can hear about John’s experience in my Coaching Network in this video – click here.

9 Characteristics of a Church Planter (Part 3 of 3)

I’m wrapping up a my 3 part series of posts today about those characteristics that are essential for a church planter to be successful. You can read the first 2 posts here and here.

Drum roll please… Here are the final three:

7. Must be Motivated and Driven to Succeed

I spend a lot of time in my church planting resources (The Call of a Church Planter, Launch, The Launch Conference, etc.) talking about clarifying your CALL to plant a church.

I do that because – like every seasoned church planter I know – there have been many times, situations and obstacles over the years that would have served as the perfect opportunity to quit if it weren’t for knowing that God called me to do this.

And once you’ve clarified your call, you can harness that as motivation to do whatever it takes to make this new church a success.

8. Must be Willing to Embrace the “Inner Entrepreneur”

One of the reasons that church planting has had such an abysmal failure rate is that it requires a different skillset than most other areas of ministry.

You can be a great preacher, care-giver and Bible study leader and still fail at planting a church because you have to be able to start something from nothing.

There is no boss to set your hours, hand you a to-do list or scold you for slacking off — if you’re not a self-starter, your church planting experience is likely to be unpleasant (and brief).

9. Must be Enthusiastic about this New Church

Somewhere along the line, God called you to play a role in the frontlines of writing redemptive history, helping people cross over from death to eternal life by planting a church.

With that in mind, there is no excuse not to be passionate about what you’re doing.

This isn’t about a certain type of personality so much as it is about enjoying the work to which God has called you.

Be passionate about your city. Be passionate about the people God has called you to reach. And beyond all that, be passionate about doing whatever it takes to introduce people to Jesus!

What are some other characteristics that you think belong on this list? Click the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of this blog and send me your addition to the list.

P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

Principle vs. Popularity – A Saturday Quote

“The person who pays an ounce of principle for a pound of popularity gets badly cheated.”
– Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president

9 Characteristics of a Church Planter (Part 2 of 3)

Yesterday I started a series of posts (click here to read Part 1) about the characteristics of a successful church planter.  Here are the next few:

4. Must Display Confidence and Optimism about the Task at Hand

I am constantly amazed by how many church planters (and pastors) I meet who are pessimistic and insecure. It makes me wonder who they’re working for.

Church Planter, if the God of the universe has tapped you on the shoulder and called you to start a new church… walk, talk and act in the confidence that He knows what He’s doing (even if you’re not always completely sure)!

5. Must be Diligent

There are seasons in church planting where it feels like your church is never going to grow. Other times, you’ll wonder if there will ever be enough money to do what you think you need to do.

You need to develop the persistence to keep doing the right things and calling out to God to do what only He can do. The breakthroughs that follow these periods are some of the greatest joys of starting a new church. And you’ll only experience them if you’re persistent

6. Must be a Voracious Learner

In all of the hustle and bustle of starting a new church, one of the “easiest” ways to save a little time is to cut down on your reading and training opportunities. This is a move that will come back to bite you sooner than you realize.

If you’re not growing, your church won’t grow for long.

We live in a time when there are more books, resources, audio training and coaching available for pastors and church planters than ever before… now is the time to develop lifelong learning habits that will serve you for the rest of your ministry.

P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

9 Characteristics of a Church Planter (Part 1 of 3)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – starting a new church is an heroic venture and, if God has called you to it, there’s nothing else like it.

I was reading this post and it sparked that there are also 9 Characteristics of a Church Planter:

1. Must Complement Vision by Working toward Goals, Setting Up Accountability and Maintaining Discipline

God-inspired vision is essential in starting a church that will make an impact for His Kingdom. However, vision alone (like talent) is never enough.

Church Planter, you must be able to set goals and work toward achieving them, hold yourself accountable (and enlist others to help you do so) and demonstrate the discipline to stay focused on doing the little things to pursue that vision in the midst of challenges and pressure from all sides.

2. Must be Willing to Change without Losing Determination

Show me a church planter who has never failed and I’ll show you one who has never taken a risk. The key to long term effectiveness is “failing forward;”

When something doesn’t work or circumstances change, you must be willing to adapt without losing hope or throwing in the towel. Like the old Timex watch commercials, can you “take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’?”

3. Must Understand and Embrace True Creativity

Creativity is sometimes pigeon-holed into how flashy your postcards are or how fancy your website is, but true creativity is essential to success in church planting. Inflexibility has been the downfall of many a new church.

You have to be creative in managing your time, solving problems, connecting with those you’re trying to reach and communicating God’s Word to your people.

Check back tomorrow, when I’ll be sharing the next 3 characteristics.

P.S. One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable is to be a part of a network of other pastors who are committed to growing as well.  My next Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network (it begins on February 18) might be a good fit for you – click here for more information.

P.P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

Coaching for Bi-Vocational Pastors

Just about any time I invite people to be a part of an upcoming Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors (like the one that begins on February 18), I get requests from Bi-Vocational Pastors to do “bi-vocational pastors coaching.”

I have a huge heart for bi-vocational pastors in part because I can identify with the unique challenges you’re dealing with.  I was bi-vocational for the first few years of planting The Journey.

So today, I want to share some good news and bad news about Coaching for Bi-Vocational Pastors.

The bad news, unfortunately, is that we’ve looked at the logistics and the possibilities of trying to do an evening network, and it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to offer anything like that anytime soon.

However, the good news is that the very nature of my Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network makes it “bivo-friendly.” In fact, I have a lot of bi-vocational guys in my current network.

Most of them are able to carve out 2 hours a month from their job to join in on the call (especially considering that you know the dates and times months in advance).

Also, even if you can’t join me for all of the calls, you still receive an MP3 recording of each session.  In effect, you’ll build a library of coaching audio that you can listen to over and over.

If you’re a bi-vocational pastor who’s committed to growing personally and leading your church to grow, I strongly encourage you to consider applying for this upcoming February network.

I’ve heard time and time again from current participants that the investment, time, and energy it takes to participate is more than worth it for the impact the network has on them and their churches.

PS – You can see and hear what some recent coaching participants had to say about their coaching experience here (you can download your application here):

http://www.churchleaderinsights.com/telecoaching/

Don’t Miss The Activate Webinar – Tomorrow!

Hey – I don’t want you to miss out on The Activate Webinar that Kerrick Thomas and Adam Bishop are leading tomorrow (January 20) at 1:00 Eastern.

If you’re currently doing semester-based (Activate) small groups or are considering them, this is a great training opportunity for you.

Best of all, there are no travel plans required - you can join Kerrick and Adam in this training from your home or office – you just need a computer with internet access and a phone line.

One registration per church is required - that means you can gather around as many of your team as possible to listen in.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (Central)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (Mountain)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Pacific)

Here’s what you can expect to learn:
- How do I get 100% of my church involved in small groups?
- What are the basic elements of an effective small groups system?
- How do I recruit and train enough small-group leaders?
- What are the myths that are holding back my small groups?
- What is a good structure for small-group ministry?
- How do I get small groups involved in serving and evangelism?
- How do I get started?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

P.S. Since Kerrick and Adam are on the front lines of the latest Activate Small Groups thinking, you may want to consider applying for their upcoming Small Groups Pastor Tele-Coaching Network.  For more info or to download an application, click here.

10 Ways to Break the 65 Barrier … and a FREE Resource

One tool that I find useful any time I go through any type of training (live, webinar, audio, book, etc.) is to write down my top 10 key learnings, and how I can apply them.

I recently received an email from Dr. Kenneth Sesley where he shared his list with me.  Kenneth is the Pastor of Kingdom Advancers Family Church International in California, and a member of my Senior Pastors Tele-Coaching Network.

With his permission, I’m sharing his Top 10 Keys to Breaking the 65 Barrier at his church – it’s one of the best lists I’ve seen:

1.  I must model ministry by serving as an example to the congregation.

2.  I must mentor new leadership.

A.  Hand pick them.

B.  Ask them if they are willing to help me implement the things that need implementing.

C. Invest in them by pulling them together for occasional short training meetings.

3.  I must continually cast vision for growth.

4.  We must focus on making the Sunday Services better, by first planning them further in advance. This starts with using a preaching calendar.

5.  The church must  develop a childcare ministry - nursery, preschool, kindergarten and elementary classes.

6.  We must utilize Big Days combined with special attraction series during key growth periods in the Winter (February), Spring (Easter), Summer (Mother’s/Father’s Day), and Fall (Back to Church Sunday).

7.  We must use Personal Evangelism that focuses on inviting unsaved and unchurched friends and family, as well as using Friendship Evangelism to invite the community to church.

A.  All of this must be combined with the power of Mass Promotion.

B.  And then combine all of this with our loving First Impressions Assimilation Team.

8.  To break through the 65 barrier completely we must get to 75-85 worshipers a week. This means that our facilities must have between about 95 – 125 seats.

In addition, we need a minimum of 40 to 50 parking spaces. This will require some changes.

9.  We must add a staff member.  Maybe a part time Worship Leader or Youth/Children’s Minister.

10.  We must begin thinking 125 by:

A. Planning how and where we will seat 125.

B. Planning and preparing sermons and worship services for 125.

C. Keeping 125 in my thinking constantly.

D.  Finding some pastors whose churches are at 125 and are growing and get to know them. Learn everything I can from them. Take some leaders there so they too can SEE the next step!

Great work Kenneth – I look forward to hearing how God honors these changes!

Are you struggling to break the 65 Barrier at your church?

I’d like to offer you a FREE Copy of Breaking the 65 Barrier (normally $23.95)!

Just click the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of this blog and ask me for it – but hurry, I can only offer this for the next 3 days.

P.S. We’re exactly ONE MONTH AWAY from the start of my brand new Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network, where we work together to break the growth barriers that your church is facing.  For more information and to Apply Now, go to:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching/

The Little Things – A Saturday Quote

“It’s the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first class.”
J. Willard Marriott Sr., Hotel Executive

What Changes Are Holding You Back?

I often hear from church leaders who are just one or two small changes away from seeing big results in one area or another of their church.

It may be sending handwritten notes to first time guests (assimilation), planning their preaching calendar (worship planning) or printing custom offering envelopes and putting them in each week’s program (stewardship) but whatever the reason, the pastor is hesitant to make the change.

I like to say that some of the smallest tweaks to your systems can bring tremendous peaks in terms of your church’s effectiveness.

Here’s an email I received recently from one of my Coaching participants:

Nelson,

I’ve heard you say that other coaching participants have told you that this network is like drinking from a fire hydrant and it truly is….

More than that, I am realizing how many areas of the church that I’ve been neglecting from a leadership standpoint.  This network has been an eye-opener as to how much I really don’t know.

One specific area I wanted to let you know about – I had reservations about making the changes you recommended when it comes to offering envelopes.

I wasn’t sure  – because of the added cost of printing – whether or not to print custom envelopes and put the envelopes in the bulletin each week, but we bit the bullet and went for it anyway.

That one idea has paid for itself and then some!

The two biggest stewardship changes that we’ve made is collecting the offering at the end of each service and putting the offering envelopes in the program… small changes but huge results!!

Thanks for all that your team does – it is appreciated!

What changes are you holding off on right now that have the potential to increase your church’s Kingdom impact?

One of the reasons my Coaching Networks have been so effective is that it provides Pastors with proven systems knowledge AND the accountability (the nudge) to put that knowledge into practice.

We’re only one month away from my next Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network (it begins on February 18) and it may be a good fit for you.

For more information and to download your application, go to:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/telecoaching

When to Host Newcomers Receptions

Thank you for a very successful Fusion Webinar on Tuesday.

In light of the recent Fusion Webinar and the questions from it, I wanted to share again this post on hosting a regular Newcomers Reception as an environment to connect with new people at your church (click here for “How to Host a Newcomers Reception“).

One question that people often ask when I talk about doing the receptions is “when should we do it?”

Here are a few thoughts:

• Hold them when you think you can get a crowd - I aim for 30-60 people in attendance.  This will make the reception more enjoyable for everyone and reduce any potential awkwardness.
• Consider scheduling Newcomers Receptions about 1 month after key Big Days plus one in the summer.
• Here are a few good times:
  • March (one month after your February Big Day)
  • May (one month after Easter, depending on the date)
  • Late July (to connect with new summer attenders)
  • November (one month after your October Big Day)
  • and possibly a Christmas Reception
• Host the receptions on Sundays after your services. This will reduce the chances that the receptions will conflict with small groups or other activities.

The key to a successful Newcomers Reception scheduling is to do everything you can to have enough people to raise the energy level and reduce the “wierdo factor.” In other words, the more people who attend, the more likely it will be for newcomers to meet some people they can relate to.

P.S. For more information on Newcomers Receptions and other advanced Assimilation strategies, check out The Assimilation Intensive.

How to Handle Childcare in Small Groups (Free Downloads)

One regular concern that I am asked about when it comes to Activate (semester-based) Small Groups is “how do we handle childcare?”

Recently, my friend Roy Mansfield (Small Groups Pastor at Northstar Church in Panama City) shared some of his thoughts and best practices on how to best accommodate the children of Small Group participants.

He gave me permission to re-print his insights AND to share some of their documents with you:

We have a large number of children in our church. I’ve found that there are several issues that are often viewed as challenges but are really wonderful opportunities to have a much more effective small group.

We have a handout (see below) that we give to our small group leaders of different possible child care options that they can use as a tool to decide how their group will take care of the children in their group.

The first time the group meets together they see the makeup of the children and their ages. The leader leads the group to decide how they will take care of the children. I equip the leaders to look at the makeup of the physical home and children and then suggest the best way to care for the children.

This is s fantastic opportunity for the group!  The first time they meet together they have the opportunity to find a way to work together to care for one another. Leaders also have a sign up sheet (see below) that is used to give people the opportunity to take turns to watch the kids (if that’s the way they choose to care for the kids).

We also have groups do outreaches together. They all serve together at least once a semester in a Sunday service as well. As you will see from the sign up sheet we try to give as many people as possible a responsibility in the group. This transfers ownership to the group members as much as possible.

We do allow group leaders to list their group as “all children welcome” “unable to accommodate preschool children” or “unable to accommodate children” but we encourage as many groups as possible to be open to accommodate all children. See below for a sample groups list that we give to everyone to choose a group.

I hope this is a help.

Thanks.

Growing together…

Roy

Great thoughts – Here are those documents:

• Group Sign Up – Snacks, Childcare, Host Home (.doc)
• Small Group Childcare Options (.doc)
• Small Group Catalog (.pdf)

Thanks so much Roy!

P.P.S. Kerrick Thomas and Adam Bishop are hosting The Activate Webinar, all about semester-based small groups, on Wednesday, January 20.  Click here for more info and to register now.

P.S. If you want to take your church’s Small Groups System to the next level, consider applying for the brand new Small Groups Pastor Tele-Coaching Network that Kerrick Thomas and Adam Bishop are just about to begin.

Find out more and download your application by CLICKING HERE.

Free Events for Senior Pastors (Register Today)

I’m only a couple of weeks away from a very special series of Live Events, Free for Senior Pastors, that I’m calling “The Top 3 Growth Barriers Tour.”

I am partnering with a number of my coaching alumni (they’re serving as hosts) to make each of these Senior Pastor-Only Events FREE for you, as long as you pre-register.

It’s a chance to give back to the Church Leader Insights family and for me to get out and meet more of you “live and in person.”

Will you join me?  Here’s the information:

Are you STUCK?

Do you find yourself pushing against the same Growth Barriers week after week?

REGISTER NOW for the Breaking the Top 3 Growth Barriers seminar led by Nelson Searcy!

These LIVE EVENTS are coming soon to an area near you:

Tuesday, January 26 9:00am – 12:00noon Indianapolis, Indiana	Wednesday, January 27 9:00am – 12:00noon St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 28 9:00am – 12:00noon Gallatin, Tennessee (Nashville Area)	Friday, January 29 9:00am – 12:00noon Marietta, Georgia (Atlanta Area)
All Events FREE for Senior Pastors OnlyWhen You Pre-Register ($49.95 at the Door)

ATTENTION SENIOR PASTORS:

Join Nelson Searcy for one of these LIVE EVENTS in your area,

where you will learn:

• How to identify what is keeping your church from growing the way God desires
• How to identify the #1 barrier that holds back your church (it’s not what you think!)
• Your unique role as the Senior Pastor in removing these barriers forever (it’s not as hard as you’ve been led to believe)
• Specific “nuts and bolts” next steps to remove each barrier
• How to cooperate with God to experience His blessing in your church
• Plus much more!

P.S. These events are for Senior Pastors Only and are FREE if you Pre-Register ($49.95 at the door) — CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

A Spotless Reputation – A Saturday Quote

“The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation.”
– William Shakespeare, playwright

How to Promote Church Membership

Even though I know there are a number of different viewpoints on the topic these days, I remain a fan of Church Membership.

Church Membership, when used properly, is a valuable tool in helping the people in your church grow spiritually.

I’m often asked how we promote the Biblical idea of church membership, so here are a few ideas that will raise the value of membership at your church:

• Encourage membership as a part of your people’s spiritual growth. Their commitment to a spiritual community is part of their commitment to Christ.
• Preach on the value and role of church membership in the life of a believer. Include it in your preaching calendar as you would baptism.
• Make membership a requirement for leading small groups or leading a ministry. At The Journey you can’t lead a group if you’re not a member or aren’t going to be enrolled in the next membership class.
• Make use of a membership covenant. Make sure people know what they’re committing to when they become a member of your church.  A good covenant will draw people toward membership.
• Make sure that church membership is the ultimate goal of your Assimilation System. You want to assimilate people with the goal of them accepting Christ and joining the church.  Membership should be the last block of your Assimilation strategy.  Make sure you don’t overlook the end game as you work on your overall Assimilation System.

What can you do in the next couple of months to raise the value of church membership at your church?

P.S. To learn how we handle membership at The Journey, check out The Maximizing Membership Kit.