5-page paper synthesizing the 3-5 ideas from the readings that made the greatest impact on you, and how those ideas apply to yo

Description of the Proposed Project

Scope of the Project

I will send a survey to eighty Assemblies of God churches in Southern California to determine which churches have less than 200 in attendance, and to discover whether their attendance had either plateaued or declined for the past three years. The survey will also determine pastors who wish to participate in the project. Out of the responses, I will select four churches in the Southern California District of the AG to participate in the project. I will complete the selection process by January 2012.

An electronic spreadsheet will be available by December 2011, which will permit the local churches to input data on each attendee, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, gender, birthdates, and areas of ministry interest. Pastors and other church officials will be educated on how to operate the church’s electronic spreadsheet and how to do the weekly input. They will also learn how to take attendance, produce weekly reports and name badges, and send out first, second, and third-time guest letters.

As project director, I will visit each church one Sunday per month to ensure that each person fully understands the project and properly implements its guidelines. The project will run for a year, although I will gather meaningful data after three months for project reporting. Each project will be evaluated by entering the church’s historic data of attendance and income for the past three years into an electronic spreadsheet. The historic data will be entered on a month-by-month basis. Based on the information entered, I will make projections as to the levels of attendance for the next twelve months. For instance, if the attendance declines at the rate of 0.5 percent for three years, the project would indicate the expected attendance for the next year. As I place the actual attendance into a comparison chart, I will record and report the differences for the project.

Once I determine the differences between expected attendance and actual attendance, I will assess if the differences are statistically sustainable. If a church experienced statistically sustainable growth, it will indicate a successful project. If a church does not grow or indicates a decline, I will also report those results.

The project will focus on churches with an attendance of 200 people or less. It will primarily examine how business strategies in retention can help a church grow. It will not address other factors that could result in growth, such as evangelistic efforts, special speakers, use of specific preaching techniques, community outreaches, and so forth. The expected rate of annualized growth should range between 3 to 5 percent.

Phases of the Project

The project will include five phases: research, planning, implementation, evaluation, and writing. A timeline has been developed for each phase to help assure that the appropriate amount of time will be available for each phase as the project proceeds.

Phase 1—Research

The research phase will be divided into two major categories. The first section will provide a biblical-theological review regarding God’s plan for growth in each church. The second section will provide a general literature review regarding how the implementation of church growth strategies, coupled with business strategies, can help a church grow.

Biblical-Theological Literature Review

The Biblical-theological Literature Review will focus on three main themes: (1) imago Dei—humankind’s reflection of God; (2) community—a reflection of God’s triune nature; and (3) a biblical emphasis on the importance of financial health in the church.

As one understands the fact that God created humanity in His own image, one can truly comprehend the great doctrines of the Bible. This chapter will focus on how free will relates to a person’s ability to follow God in every area of life, including church growth. Furthermore, the chapter will address the issue of work, an aspect of the imago Dei, and how it impacts the growth of the church. The communal aspect of being made in God’s image provides an understanding of how God wishes for His people to communicate with Him and fellowship with one another. Chapter 2 will examine the value and empowerment of community and how it relates to God’s plan for growth.

The second chapter will also emphasize the importance of financial health in the church by studying what the Bible says about money and possessions. The research will address the proper use of money, wise investment strategies, and stewardship through the preparation of a will. Believers must see the relationship between stewardship and church growth.

General Literature Review

The General Literature Review will focus on three key issues: (1) the importance of closing the back door, (2) converting first-time guests into second-time attendees, and (3) helping new attendees come into a personal relationship with Christ and become assimilated into the local church.

Closing the back door is integral to church growth. Research will focus on identifying the physical barriers to church growth as well as unveiling the attitudes necessary for church leaders to develop in their quest for church growth. Turning first-time guests into second-time attendees is one of the important aspects in any church growth program. Chapter 3 will discuss practical ways to welcome first-time guests as well as illustrate the importance of contacting first-time guests subsequent to their visit. As church leaders understand the thought processes and responses of first-time guests, they can increase the likelihood of the first-time guest returning for a second visit.

All church growth programs require an intentional plan for assimilating new attendees into the church community through the development of friendships and coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 will address ways the church can increase assimilation through friendship, tasks, small groups, and spiritual growth.

Phase 2—Planning

The planning phase of the project will include preparing an outline of the operation of the program, developing parameters for program participants, contacting potential participant pastors to determine their interest in the project, and interviewing those pastors to explain the program. I will also develop all the material that will be needed in order for each church to execute the program each week.

Parts of the program have been developed over a period of time, often times through trial and error. This project helped me focus on putting the program into written form. The concept of using the various forms contributes to the success of the program. Once all the concepts are formalized, I will write an easy-to-follow outline for pastors and church leaders.

The project will determine which churches need help. To acquire this information, I will survey the General Council church’s vital statistics to discover which churches could benefit most from a biblically-based business strategy to stimulate church growth. Based on the results of the survey, I will target the neediest churches because my goal is to help churches that do not have resources to help themselves.

Initially, I will send out a survey letter to approximately eighty pastors in an effort to locate churches that need assistance and are located within a couple hours from my home. The goal is to generate at least four potential churches to participate in the project. When a pastor indicates interest, he or she will receive an interview form as a means of providing necessary information for determining eligibility to participate in the project.

Once four churches have committed to participating in the project, I will conduct an interview with the pastor and provide a practical explanation regarding the program. During this initial meeting, we will set a date to launch the project and provide training.

In preparation for the project, I will design various forms and letters for the church to use as they implement the project:

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  Registration Card
  
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  Welcome Card.
  
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  Missing in Action (MIA) Letter
  
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  First-Time Guest Letter
  
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  First-Time Guest Letter (with Contribution)
  
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  Second-Time Guest Letter
  
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  Second-Time Guest Letter (with Contribution)
  
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  Third-Time Guest Letter
  
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  Third-Time Guest Letter (with Contribution)
  
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  30-Day Follow-Up Letter
  
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  Excel Database Spreadsheet for recording attendance and other information
  

Phase 3—Implementation

The implementation phase will consist of training, launching the program at a Sunday morning service, and following up after the Launch Sunday with more training and feedback. Furthermore, I will attend each church one Sunday morning per month in order to monitor the program and provide additional training. Each week’s current attendance, along with historic attendance information, will be entered into an electronic spreadsheet.

The training will involve meeting with the pastor and his or her staff to teach them how to use the Registration Card on Launch Sunday and the Welcome Card once the system is in operation. Other training will focus on how to use the Welcome Card, how to follow-up with visitors, how to use the nametag system, and how to input the data collected from the Registration Card or Welcome Card into an electronic database. By recording Sunday morning attendance, the church can easily acknowledge visitors and contact regular attendees who have missed service.

Each church will need specific training regarding the implementation process for Nametag Sunday. On this day, the church must provide additional volunteers to help attendees acquire their nametags. Volunteers will assist visitors at a separate table. Volunteers and staff need particular training to assist in this process. I will attend the church on the Sunday they designate as Nametag Sunday so as to provide assistance in the process. On the Monday following Nametag Sunday, I will instruct staff members on how to enter the Sunday attendance into an electronic database. Once the information is placed into the electronic spreadsheet, I will train the staff about how to process the information. This will include using the data to create follow-up letters to guests as well as contacting regular attendees who were absent.

Furthermore, the church leaders will receive training regarding other personal touches that can help create community within the church. These practical tips not only improve existing relationships within the church, but also provide opportunities to assimilate new people into the life of the church. Although some of these techniques are simple, they can have a profound impact on people. Chapter 4 will provide details regarding assimilation tips.

Phase 4—Evaluation

The evaluation process will take place in two phases. First, the weekly attendance of each church will provide a means to monitor the project’s impact on a weekly basis as well as an overall perspective of the entire project. After the completion of the project, the attendance records will provide a means by which to measure the church’s growth over the duration of the entire project. The evaluation will compare the attendance of the church at the beginning of the project to its attendance at the end of the project. The churches will participate in the project for three months to one year. The final evaluation will indicate whether or not the project created an increase in the weekly attendance.

Second, I will compare the weekly attendance with the attendance from the previous years as a means of identifying attendance trends. Since the project is targeting churches that have plateaued or declined in recent years, it will be quite important to consider the trends in attendance. The trends will predict what the current attendance should be based on previous attendance records. For example, if morning worship attendance for the past three years was 100, ninety-five, ninety, respectively, for the same Sunday on the calendar (for instance, the first Sunday in February), attendance would be expected to be eighty-five for the first Sunday in February for the current year. If the attendance is ninety-two for the current year, this indicates a 2 percent increase over the past year and an 8 percent increase over the expected attendance based on the trend. Statistical charts will illustrate the attendance for the previous three years and the current year. I will use the trend measurements whenever possible.

Phase 5—Writing

The writing phase of this project will begin with chapter 2, the Biblical-theological Literature Review, which I will write in July and August of 2012. Chapter 3, the General Literature Review, will be written in September of 2012. I will write chapter 4, Description of the Field Project, in October of 2012. Chapter 5 will be written by the end of October 2012. I will develop the project prospectus, which provided clarity to the project initially, into chapter 1, which I will write last.

Chapter 2: BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW