by Justin
Making Connections in the Church
3:08 am in Matters of Faith by Justin
I was recently given the position of Connection Pastor at The Grove Church. The title is irrelevant in the one sense that I would still be serving without it, but in another sense it gives me a purpose and direction in my service. Let me tell you a little but about my responsibilities and then I’d like to get your feedback.
I need to come up with a plan to create an environment where real and deep connections can be made within the church body. Processes need to be made to prompt – but not force – relationships grow.
Another responsibility is to make every guest feel welcomes and loved. The Grove Church is a church where everyone is welcome, but you need to work at maintaining a culture of openness. A natural tendency of a group is to turn inward.
Currently the plan is to have a first impressions team who greet, talk with, and escort guests throughout the building. Every guest needs to be greeted by at least seven people preferably before the worship service ever begins. We will collect their information via a “connection card” which begins our “touching and tracking” process where over time they will receive letters and phone calls. Our church wants to be a velcro church!
Some churches are great with guests, only to drop them once they join. “My job is done,” they feel. If you were to abandon your baby, you could get in serious trouble. How many churches abandon newly born-again Christians. That cannot and I pray will not happen at The Grove Church. My plan is assign regular attenders and members a care partner who keeps up with them, prays for them, and is their “pastor” in a sense. They will at regular intervals get an email/text prompting them to connect with those under their care. Again, I want to prompt and not force ministry to take place. These care partners will also try to move people to study or service groups so that they can make real friendships in the church. The worship service is not where these relationships are made! People will leave The Grove Church – that is a fact of life. My goal is that nobody leaves because nobody cared to talk and care for them.
This is my plan for guests and regular attenders/members. What ideas do you have to move people from the crowd to the core of the church and help people make genuine connections with others?
- Justin
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Getting involved in small groups. Sunday school, home groups, cell groups whatever you call them is one of the best ways to get connected. Groups need to be no more than 12-20 and have a plan to create other groups when they reach 10-12 people.
Thanks, that is part of the plan. Our small group strategy launches in January and ideally I would like a connection partner out of every small group.
That is good.
One of the things I remember from my classes is that when people are connected with small groups that is the best way to form connections.
It is a good idea to have a several ways to connect. One church we attended had both home groups and Sunday School. This church also had a Sunday evening service as well as small groups on Sunday night. The Sunday evening service was mostly attended by senior adults. The attitude of the church, I think it was modeled by the senior adults was, to do as much to reach as many people as possible. Those who were going to attend evening service would. By having small groups at the same time more people were involved. All this to say have options and accountability.
Further don’t start off to big. Have a plan/goal of where you want to be in 6 mos, 1 yr, 2 yr etc but be prepared to change as the Spirit leads or as needed. It is easier to vision cast if you have a plan of what you want.
Also, have a plan for the small group to be able to run without you. Work towards having leadership in place who can run the small groups and you can oversee. This is good for 3 reasons 1:) as it grows there will become a time when you can’t handle everything 2:) It is a part of discipleship to train others 3:) There may come a time when you move on to other opportunities.
With the young adult ministry we have been working with for a couple of years. We have a goal to transition from lead by us to being lead by the young adults and we are facilitators. Our goal is to have a ministry that can run without by next fall. This means we aren’t doing everything. In reality this probably isn’t going to happen but we are working that way and challenging the young adults to step up. With in 10 yrs they will be the “younger” leadership of the church. If we don’t train them we aren’t following Christ’s command in Matt 28.
Sorry this is so long.
I (in my youth) attended a church that had a S.A.L.T. Group (Service and Leadership Team) the people in the SALT group were the contacts perple in the other small groups you are talking about. It was cool to be the go between, but it had a lot of responcibility. On top of being a part of another “small group” the SALT people were relyed upon for any extra help needed (even at the last minute). I remember getting a call from some activity orgnizer asking if I could show up 2 hours or so erily to help set up for the event, then come to find out only two of us were there to set up the entire thing, both SALT members. The Coolist thing was we each understood the responcibility and went to work and there was no grumbling from either of us.
My experience in this service and leadership position has taught me much about the way Jesus Christ cared and taught us. He was the ultimate example of service and often without notice went about caring for the lowliest of people humbaly, without complaint. This is how we take true leadership, by being of service to others.
God bless you on you position, I hope you excell at sharing God’s love for people.
-D
Good Job bro! I don’t know you very well at all, however in your posts you can see wisdom, and passion. In everything give it to God brother, and I know I don’t have to dsay this, but for other pastors out there, never rely on man centered ways. They always fail.
Give it to the Lord brother. I may not have the right to be, but I’m proud of ya. Good job!