Rick Rusaw – At LifeBridge Christian Church

At LifeBridge Christian Church

At LifeBridge they focus on saving the lost and serving the least. They do that by helping the lost discover grace, then encourage people to grow in grace and to live gracefully(serve the lost).

All of their staff is required to volunteer 15 hours a week either in the community or church or both. “How can you lead where you aren’t willing to go?”

Often when we say service we mean serve us, but it needs to transition to serve others – Ephesians 2:10. LifeBridge values inside and outside service. They value the Little League coac as much as the children’s worker. LifeBridge is trying something where they took four small groups and are giving them back half of their giving to find some service to do.

Start with people who are already doing it.

Use big events as an entry point into consistent service. (painted three middle schools one summer)

If big events are the only thing you do for service then stop.

At LifeBridge everybody does something externally focused. Mens, womens, childrens, youth, small groups have an externally focused arm.

They measure all kinds of metrics at LifeBridge, but what they do not do is measure metrics on how service is impacting attendance, because they want to protect the integrity of their service.

Greg Nettle – Evaluate weekend

It’s key to determine the tipping point of a room, or the point at which a room will not feel empty. If it feels empty people won’t come back.

This weekend was a simple acoustic set. Reasons include it’s all the musicians that were available, and they try to simplify once every 4-6 weeks. They are trying to move away from a performance driven worship service.

Greg’s personal opinion: If the American church doesn’t shift dramatically it will shut down.

1980’s-present churches have used the attractional model to grow. However, Greg believes it’s outlived it’s usefulness as the area becomes more postmodern. We need to transition to a missional model. I agree.

So, RiverTree is trying to transition from a program driven church into a people development driven church. Three years ago they did away with membership, and now they ask people to partner with them.

This means you move from standardized to customized. You may need to write your own material or purchase customizable curriculum.
You move from scripted to Life Coaching.
You move from the goal being participation to Life Transformation.
You move from didactic teaching to debriefing life experiences.
You move from curriculum guided to life centric (relates to what is really going on in people’s lives)
You move from getting people “plugged in” to getting people “pushed out.” So , you run into challenges on keeping the organization going.
You move from growing into service to growing through service.
You move from generational segmentation to integrated. So, there may be a youth mission trip but grandparents go too. Youth are in worship bands. Children will lead prayers. They have moved away from “children’s or youth specials.”
You move from building the organization to changing people’s lives.

There are three ways people are transformed:
1. Information
2. Experiences
3. Relationships

The American church is heavy on Information yet only two people could in the room could come up with five sermons that have changed their life. Almost everybody came up with five relationships and experiences in half the time.

Relational and experience takes TIME.

Recommended Book: American Church in Crisis by David T. Olsen

Londen Institute Day 1

I’ve already stated the “Why people stay and why they leave.” in a previous blog tonight.

Here, because it is late and I have to be up at 6am, I will just plainly state that Paul stated basically the characteristics of an effective minister in one of his sessions and in a third session he defined leadership in the new millennium and compared it with the modern era’s context.

I can share more on it when I return.