Are you ‘up a Willow Creek without a Hybels?’ Trying to carbon copy the modus operandi of another church is just one of the stupid things veteran pastor and author Geoff Surratt warns those of us interested in building healthy congregations.
Sure, it was the catchy book title that caught me, but Geoff’s deep passion for the Church, and his position as head church planter for Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, has given him some great advice that I really needed to hear.
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Synopsis:
With a world of good intentions, congregations that are trying to grow often do counterproductive things. Geoff Surratt tells us what some of those things are and why Saddleback Church is working to plant 100 churches per year.
Pastors Do Too Much Ministry
Surratt says pastors routinely fail to delegate their work to capable workers, which leads to burnout and inefficiency. Clergy too often fall victim to building a ministry in lieu of a deeper relationship with Christ.
Pay Attention to the Congregational Life Cycle
Churches come and go, ministries come and go. Ailing churches should take seriously the corporeal nature of their congregations and, when the downhill slide comes, work to give resources to vibrant ministries while there are still resources to share.
Don’t Be Afraid to Call in Consultants
Ailing congregations need to realize their blind spots, which they, by definition, can’t. So outside eyes are key. This doesn’t mean pricey pros, but frank opinions of others who can shed light on our blind spots are critical.
About Geoff Surratt
Geoff Surratt recently joined Saddleback Church staff as Pastor of Church Planting. Before that he served Seacoast Church based in Charleston, South Carolina overseeing their 13 campuses. He has over twenty-seven years of ministry experience in a variety of roles in local churches, and works frequently with other churches across the country in strategic planning and staff development. Geoff is the author of several books including The Multisite Church Revolution and 10 Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing. Geoff lives in Orange County, California with his wife Sherry. They have two amazing children and the most beautiful grand daughter on earth.
Books Geoff Recommends
Switch – Chip and Dan Heath
Viral Churches- Ed Stetzer
Bonhoeffer – Eric Metaxas
Sponsors I Mentioned:
Church Post- If you are looking to improve your church’s communications you’ve got to check out this great email platform. I’ve found it easy-to-use, reliable, and John, Debra and Kim are great to work with.
Wistia- If you’re still hosting your videos at YouTube or another ‘free’ video sharing site you know the drawbacks. Wistia helps me put out great looking videos and see who’s watching for how long. The Wistia staff is easy to work with and very professional.
The Grow My Church Store – Everything from mugs to pens to fridge magnets, this is a promotional products store aimed at helping churches become closer communities, more hospitable, and welcoming. I started this store and shop there often because I couldn’t find anywhere else to go for these products.
