A big reason Steve Stroope’s Lake Pointe Church near Dallas, Texas has gone from 12 families to 11,000 members (in 33 years) is because this congregation pays a lot of attention to families.
Steve, who’s been at the helm of this conservative, evangelical church all 33 years says now, more than ever, families need vibrant Christian communities to help maneuver the difficulties before them.
In this interview, this polished executive not only tells us how Lake Pointe takes care of families, but how Steve, as a pastor, keeps on top of his game. Hear some encouraging words from a dynamic, seasoned pastor.
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Synopsis
When asked about the biggest challenges facing the North American church, Steve Stroope did not hesitate to point to broken family relationships that local congregations are well-poised to address. Here are my notes from the interview:
Equip Parents
Steve says Lake Pointe makes it clear that the church is not going to disciple kids – it’s up to the parents – but the church will help, by providing tons of resources – from sermons to book kiosks to help parents raise the Christian kids they want to.
Leaders Are Learners
Steve credits much of his development to committing to continuing education – reading widely, especially leadership books. He has been involved in a local leadership cohort that he credits with giving him the organizational skills that have led to more free time than ever before.
Hook, Book, Look, and Took
These are the 4 components of a good sermon: hooking people with relevance, like a good story, taking them to the Book (Bible) for answers, encouraging them to look at their lives, and giving them something to take away (took) from the sermon.
About Steve Stroope
Steve Stroope is Lead Pastor of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. He was called to pastor Lake Pointe shortly after its founding. Steve graduated from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, with a B.A. in Psychology and received the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Steve provides coaching to partnership churches and pioneer missionaries in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Cuba, Russia, Mexico, France, South Africa, and North America. He is a sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally. He has co-authored two books, Money Matters in the Church and It Starts at Home. His newest book, Tribal Church, was released in early 2012. He and Marsha have two grown daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter.
Books Steve Recommends
Axiom – Bill Hybels
The Rest of God – Mark Buchanan
Spiritual Leadership – Oswald Sanders
Sponsors I Mentioned
Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest Episcopal Seminary in the U.S., forming men and women for leadership in the church. In addition to the MDiv, Anglican Studies and DMin degrees are their Masters of Arts degrees with a fous on Theological Studies, Christian Formation, Religion & Culture, and Biblical Interpretation. Check them out at vts.edu
