Evangelism Deficit

For many years I have been saying that there is a discipleship deficit in many of our churches. I’m not alone, nor in any way leading the pact in stating this obvious fact. In fact, the fallout from within the church from Covid-19 with many people leaving or diving deep into conspiracies, hyper partisanship, and unrighteous anger added to the alarm that at least a noteworthy number of our people were not as well discipled as we may have thought. I have made the statement many times that Covid-19 shows us we have a discipleship problem in the church. I believe that is true, but I have come to qualify that statement. I now believe that the negative consequence from Covid-19 (and this was happening before Covid-19) was just as importantly an evangelism problem. 

I see two problems with our evangelism (there’s certainly more than these two). First, there is the problem of the object of conversion. That is, who or what are we converting people to? There is probably not a Baptist or evangelical church that would say that Jesus isn’t the object of their conversion. Most, if not all, would say, “we are trying to win people to Jesus”. But because the emphasis in the preaching, or in the culture of the church is on some other ideology, then a syncretism is happening that mixes the gospel with some other type of “gospel” that is not the gospel and leads to a conversion to something other than Jesus. That could be extreme political partisanship, moralism, the American “good life”, political conservatism without Christ, Christian nationalism etc. When I was an IMB missionary in Brazil, we saw the results of syncretism. When the Portuguese Catholics were trying to convert the African slaves enmeshed in African spiritism, they found resistance. However, when they began to blend Brazilian Catholicism with African spiritism, then they begin to win converts. I would say that the same reality is happening in the American church.

The second problem with our evangelism is probably playing an even more significant role. According to Carey Nieuwhof the numbers of pastors who say that their church is very effective at outreach fell from 13 percent in 2015 to 1 percent in 2023. In addition, many churches that are growing are not growing through conversion growth - some say as low as 3 to 5 percent. Again, according to statistics quoted by Carey Nieuwhof, 43 percent of SBC churches report no baptisms in a calendar year and an addition 34 percent baptize 1 to 5 people. Therefore, 77 percent of SBC churches baptize 0 to 5 people during a calendar year. 

We have an evangelism problem as much as we have a discipleship problem. In fact, as seen below, evangelism and discipleship feed off each other. Healthy discipleship leads to evangelism and healthy evangelism leads to discipleship – they are two sides of the same coin.

In the context of church decline and evangelism weakness, how should we approach the evangelistic task? That is, what are some principles and practices that especially need to be stressed in our churches if we are come out of our evangelism deficit? 

First, the pastor/leader must model evangelism - The “principle of the leadership lid” says that people will rise no higher than their leader. Although there are exceptions, this is generally the case. When we as leaders are not involved personally in evangelism, our people will not either.  As Tim Beougher says,

  As we begin the process of church revitalization, we need to pause and conduct an honest assessment of our lives. Are we really living as though we are “on fire” for the Lord, or is too much of our life lived at room temperature?

The lead pastor as well as the other pastors/elders will set the evangelistic tone for the church. That doesn’t mean that each pastor will have the same skills, opportunities, or fruit as it pertains to evangelism. Some have an evangelistic gift that drive their evangelism more than others. However, all should be actively engaged in seeking opportunities for gospel conversations and setting an example before their congregations of an “On Mission” lifestyle. 

Second, balance evangelism with discipleship - Often as Southern Baptists we look at the Great Commission in Matthew 29:18-20 and we say, “We got to get on with evangelism…we got to get out and reach our communities for Christ…” And that certainly is true, and I wish that all our churches would say, believe, and do that. But the Great Commission is more than just about evangelism…really it is has two tracts. First, growing as disciples and second, making disciples. That is, our going deeper in our relationship with Christ (discipleship) and our going further in our communication of Christ with our world (evangelism). Evangelism that is absent of a holistic discipleship is a violation of the Great Commission and can lead to false converts or superficial disciples.

Third, remind your people of lostness - Often in churches in need of evangelism, people have lost that sense of awfulness concerning the lostness of human beings. Emphasize repeatedly the spiritual condition of lost people…that they are separated from God and without hope. One of the dangers we have today is what is called practical inclusive-ism. That is, we cognitively believe John 14:6 (I am the way, truth, life no one can come …), but we don’t practice it. We act like it is not true and that others who don’t embrace Jesus are going to heaven. Emphasize the utter lostness of humanity without Christ. 

Fourth, train people in sharing the Gospel - In stagnant and declining churches (sometimes even in growing churches) most people are not sharing the Gospel. First, it’s important that our people are trained in what is the Gospel message. Make sure they have a good grasp on the Gospel. In fact, I believe it should be a part of a church’s membership process to not only have a prospective member explain their personal encounter with the Gospel, but also to be able to articulate the Good News. Second, your people need to be trained in practical ways, how they can have gospel conversations. 

Fifth, change the evangelism approach - Evangelism should not be seen, especially in modern times, as a one-sided presentation. However, it needs to be approached as a two-sided “relationship cultivating” conversation. That is, it is essential to treat people like friends, allow them to talk and ask questions, give them time and space to consider the truths shared, and set the tone for further conversations. A good evangelistic tool that helps with this kind of approach is: 3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide. 

Sixth, look for practical community ministry that can lead to evangelism - We need not be afraid that we’re slipping into the social gospel if we look for ways to meet community human needs and when possible, connect them to having gospel conversations. As Andrew Davis writes:

Missional churches find ways to connect with the surrounding community in which ministry to the body and soul are well-harmonized and properly proportioned. These ministries become a fruitful matrix of relationships in which the gospel can easily be shared.

Seventh, establish a missional approach to evangelism - Somewhat like the above principle, a missional approach to evangelism emphasizes a “go, be, and tell” approach rather than relying totally on the program approach of “come and see.” Some of the old approaches of evangelism that counted on people being attracted to a church building or event are not as effective today. (Although, this model is still very effective in some contexts) However, we need a missional approach that puts the church in the community instead of depending totally on the community coming to us. 

Eighth, emphasize that church members take ownership of their mission field - Generally in an unhealthy/non-evangelistic church, the members have outsourced evangelism to pastor/staff, programs, or mission organizations, e.g., IMB, NAMB. However, every believer has a mission field that can be evangelized, e.g., workplace, neighborhood, workout place, children’s activities, sports teams, etc. Your people need to be trained to think like missionaries on a foreign field and to see their daily world as their unique mission field that they are responsible to cultivate for the gospel. 

Ninth, make reproduction as part of the DNA of the church - The significant problem with much of the discipleship done in our SBC churches is our disciples were never expected to reproduce themselves. Disciple making requires personal investment of one’s life into another person’s life. This is what disciple making looks like. This is God’s grand scheme to reach the world — disciples discipling others who will in turn disciple others. Relational discipleship was Jesus’ method of winning the world to Himself.  Although Jesus had the crowds and spoke to the masses, that is not where He spent most of His time and energy. He quietly poured His life into twelve men, eleven of which would go on to multiply themselves many times over. As Dr. Robert Coleman says, “Jesus staked His whole ministry on twelve men. He was not trying to impress the crowd, but usher in the kingdom.”

Lastly, evangelism is about the glory of God - When reintroducing evangelism to a church that has lagged in outreach, we must stress its correct motive — the glory of God. Too often in our churches the motive for evangelism was tied to lesser or non-biblical motives, e.g., church growth, survival, etc. However, the ultimate motive for evangelism is the glory of God…that He would be glorified through the salvation of individuals. Jesus said to the woman at the well that the “Father seeks people who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth.” As A.W. Tozer said about this passage, “Jesus is not primarily seeking workers or witnesses, but He is seeking worshippers…” We must have a healthier motive for evangelism than just pragmatics or guilt if it is going to take root in our churches — it must be the glory of God! 

Churches that have lost their evangelistic edge will often become inwardly focused and more concerned about their comforts and concerns than they are about their community’s lostness. Evangelism is an antidote to the inward focused and self-centered consumerist mentality. We need a radical confrontation with the Cross of Christ where we die to our self-focus tendencies and learn to take up His Cross and follow Him on mission, individually and corporately, into the lives of the multitudes of people in our mission fields. Renewed churches will return to the centrality of the Great Commission. May it be so with the churches of the CBA!

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin 

Association Mission Strategist

Sources & References:

 “5 Disruptive Church Trends that Will Rule 2025” YouTube. Uploaded by Carey Nieuwhof, 2 January 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PKOHKEqhf4&t=562s

 https://outreachmagazine.com/features/77707-beyond-numerical-growth.

 :5 Disruptive Church Trends that Will Rule 2025”, Nieuwhof 

http://equip.sbts.edu/article/church-revitalization-begins-personal-revitalization/

Davis, Andrew M. Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again (p. 205). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

 2 Tim. 2:2

 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI, Revell, 1972), 91.

Christmas Imagination

Christmas is that time of year that requires of us the draw on our imaginations.  Imagination is something we normally assign to our children at Christmas time.  Santa Claus, flying reindeer, elves, a living snowman, and other magical creatures are just some of the characters of our children’s imaginations.  A great amount of mystery and wonderment overshadow their eager minds as they await the arrival of Christmas and imagine the activities of these stealthy characters.  But as much as they exert their imaginations, there always remain the unanswered questions…there always remains mystery.  How can Santa cover the whole world in one night?  How does such a fat man get down a 2’x2’ chimney?  How do reindeer fly?  The questions are innumerable, and the answers are many times either unsatisfactory or unforthcoming.  However, that does not dampen their enthusiasm for Christmas – at least at a young age.  Although their questions can’t be answered, they are able to embrace the mystery of things unseen - allowing their imaginations to create a world of wonder. Imagination creates an unseen world of gingerbread houses, wintery castles and giant sleighs led by soaring artic deer that thrills their childish hearts and builds excitement until the Day arrives.  Such is the wonder of a child’s imagination.

However, imagination is a God given gift that is not to be discontinued once we leave the innocence of childhood.  In fact, the true meaning of Christmas requires the full-fledged employment of our imaginations.  See in your mind’s eye and hear with the ear of your soul the words of John as stated in his Gospel:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1,14).

We understand that God’s Word reveals to us the objective truth of the incarnation – that God became man in the Person of Jesus Christ.  God taking on the form of man in Bethlehem’s manger is not imaginary fiction – a fanciful fairy tale for Disney movies.  Instead, it is the ultimate reality of all realities.  However, just because the incarnation is fact – objective eternal truth – doesn’t mean that it is totally explainable.  The incarnation is a divine mystery that will always necessitate the use of our imaginations to glory in its beauty.

Most of us are very practical people.  We don’t think of our faith in terms of deep, baffling, and indescribable mysteries.  We expect our Christianity to be simple and plain.  We expect our preachers and teachers to tell us what to do and not do.  We live in a pragmatic age, and we have reduced our faith to a set of no-nonsense principles.  But there are parts of our faith that cannot be fully apprehended with the mind.  Pragmatic Christianity cannot fathom the depths of these two indescribable facts: that the one, true God exists in three divine Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and that God the Son became a man. That is, that in one Person existed from the moment of His conception in the womb of His virgin mother, two separate and complete natures - eternal God and authentic manhood.  The Bible tells us that Jesus was God come in the flesh, but it doesn’t tell us how it can be so – how two natures can exist in a single person, perfect deity and perfect humanity.  It is a beautiful mystery!

The greatest theological mind of all time, the Apostle Paul, understood that even his amazing intellect could not bridge the incarnational gap.  He spoke to the Colossian believers of his charge to proclaim the mystery hidden for ages and generations and he spoke of that mystery as in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Therefore, this Christmas let us not pass over the most earthshaking truth without serious reflection, meditation, and especially without imagination.  Marvel at the mystery of the Almighty in a virgins womb, of the Sovereign becoming the subject, of the Creator becoming the creation – of the fact that when Mary was holding that little baby, she was holding God…when she looked into that small round face, she was looking into the face of God!

As English poet John Betjeman puts it in his poem Christmas:

This most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue, A Baby in an ox’s stall? The Maker of the stars and sea Become a Child on earth for me?

Let’s be children this Christmas season and use our imaginations, informed by the Word and the Spirit, to contemplate the greatest and most sublime of all Mysteries – God becoming man and making His home among us!

Paula and I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Association Mission Strategist 

Why Church Planting

One of the CBA’s Strategic Focuses is Starting Churches. Despite the church planting boom in the United States (and in the SBC) over the last several years, there can still be resistance to planting among existing churches. I addressed some of the common objections to church planting in a previous article. However, with this article I want to address church planting from a more positive stance - that is, what are the reasons for church planting? I’m going to provide several “factors” that give the rationale for starting new churches. The first factor is…

1. The Biblical Mandate Factor - Although the phraseology “church planting” is not mentioned in the New Testament, the concept is certainly assumed and practiced. The Great Commission Mandate to “make disciples” was fulfilled by the starting of new churches. Many of those churches would send out others to plant new congregations. Unless we’re convinced that our present number of churches are sufficient to reach the lostness in Rutherford County and beyond, then we need to start new churches. Why? Because it is necessary for us to be obedient to the biblical mandate to “make disciples”!

2. The Evangelism Effectiveness Factor - The late missiologist C. Peter Wagner claimed, “Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.”  Numerous studies have shown that new churches are more effective in evangelism for its growth. In fact, studies have revealed that church planting has replaced crusade evangelism as the preferred and most effective means to evangelize. The fact of the matter is that new churches are more effective in reaching younger people, new residents, and the de-churched/unchurched than existing churches. It’s not that existing churches cannot reach these demographics, it’s just that new church plants, for a variety of reasons, have an evangelistic efficiency not present in most established congregations. 

3. The Survival Factor - If we believe our movement is important -  if we believe that the  modern Southern Baptist Convention (even with its controversies) with its theological, educational, and missiological directives are worth preserving and propagating, then we must plant new churches. More specifically, if we want to have a Concord Baptist Association of churches to continue to exist, and more importantly, to have significant gospel impact in Rutherford County, we must not only put an emphasis on renewing our existing churches, but for our own future survival, we must plant new churches!   

4. The Kingdom-Focus Factor - The sad reality is most churches are only concerned about their own turf and institutional survival. However, the church is not the “end” in and of itself, but she exists for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Our churches must strive for health, but health will require that they become more Kingdom-centric and that will include, among other things, a focus on seeing new churches started. Charles Spurgeon had this Kingdom mindset. He said: 

    “It was really disgruntling that any brother should be frightened about another chapel coming with in a mile of him in such a city as London. They might go and put up a whole street of them around the Tabernacle, if they like.” C.H. Spurgeon 

      If we really see our churches as the means to the ultimate end - the advancement of the Kingdom, then we must infuse church planting into the our DNA. That leads to the next factor.

5.  The Healthy DNA Factor - A healthy DNA of reproduction needs to be infused into our churches. This new reproduction DNA needs to be instilled in our members individually, but also in our churches corporately. Just as in many churches we have not included reproduction as an expectation in the discipling of our members, so we also have failed to see the need to include it in the mission of our corporate expression. This absence of reproducing DNA has resulted in a less vibrant church as could have been. In a PhD dissertation researching 624 SBC churches that had planted a church, attendance rose 21.5% for the five years after a church plant. Additionally, monetary growth was favorable in 7 of the 8 variables tested, including designated gifts (77% increase) and tithes (48%). Kingdom focused reproduction will be accompanied by spiritual health in the sending church. 

6.  The Flexibility Factor - Flexibility is the great challenge to established churches. We all know the difficulty of leading an established church entrenched in its preferences through change. However, that is not the problem with a church plant. A new church start, due to its limited financial and human resources, must be creative, innovative, and flexible in order to flourish. In fact, church plants often are incubators of excellent ideas that benefit other established churches. The freedom to create from scratch a ministry blueprint absent all the prohibitors contained in an established congregation is a tremendous benefit.

Church planting is an absolute necessity for the health, progress, and continuance of the churches of the Concord Baptist Association. We cannot ignore the need to extend God’s Kingdom in the CBA through the starting of new churches and expect that our presence will continue as it is indefinitely, even in an established association.  Church planting will not diminish our existing congregations, but rather will ensure our survival, relevancy, and vibrancy. But far above the “survival” motivation, we should be propelled to move forward in church planting by our missional mandate - making disciples! 

In Rutherford County, church planting will not happen without our pastors and churches being on board. Our CBA Starting Churches Team led by Thomas Agnew (pastor of Grace Church in Smyrna), have worked to develop a strategy to see new works happen in Rutherford. We were pleased with the Plant Rutherford luncheon we had in November of 2023 and the number of pastors/leaders present who expressed interest in supporting at various levels new church starts. We are beginning to see a few potential planters in the pipeline on their way to possible church plants.  

Let me finish with this quote from the late Tim Keller concerning the value of planting. Although it pertains to planting in an urban context, I believe it applies equally in our setting. He wrote:

“The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for(1) the numerical growth of the body of Christ in a city and (2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else — not crusades, outreach programs, parachurch ministries, growing megachurches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes — will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting.”

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin

Association Mission Strategist

Christmas - A Good News Story

One of the phrases that come to mind when we think of Christmas is good news. 

This idea of good news wasn’t something that began with the Advent of Christ. It is rooted in the Old-Testament as God’s story of redemption is unveiled. The word in the Old-Testament in the Hebrew is bazar.  This word literally means “to bring good news”. In its noun form it is “the one who brings good news” or it can mean, “the act of bringing good news.”  This word in its root occurs about thirty times in the Old-Testament. For example in Psalm 96:2, the poet/psalmist declares: “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”   (Psalm 96:2)

Not only do you see the Psalmist use this word bazar, but also the prophets. For example the prophet Isaiah declared: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." (Isaiah 52:7)

So the poets and the prophets employ this word bazar (good news) over and over again declaring our God is coming near, there is good news coming. But then there is a long span of time of nothing- complete and utter silence. The poets are not writing, the prophets are not speaking – for four hundred years there is no messenger from God saying bazar, Good News! For four hundred years, the people wait. But then one day – one ordinary normal day as it were - there was a man named Zechariah and he was a priest and was chosen by lot to enter into the Temple and burn incense. And what happens – behold, all of a sudden an angel – a messenger of God shows up. It is Gabriel and he says:  “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” There is the word again, except now it has changed from bazar to euangelion – from the Hebrew to the Greek expression of bringing good news. Later there were these shepherds – simple shepherds out in the fields watching over their sheep that would be used for the Temple sacrifice. Then suddenly messengers from heaven - first an angel and then a host of angels and they say: “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy   that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”    (Luke 2:10-11) 

This is the Good News story of Christmas. God Himself shows up- in the midst of our lostness, in the midst of our loneliness, in the midst of our darkness, in the midst of our brokenness - He shows up - the hope of God, the freedom of God, the reality of God breaks into the world. And this is good news of great joy for all the people!

After the death, burial, resurrection, and subsequent ascension of Jesus back into heaven – this phrase to be a messenger of good news is used exclusively for one group of people -no longer the poets, no longer the prophets, no longer the angels, no longer even Jesus in a primary sense - but exclusively for followers of Christ – you and me! 

Christmas is a Good News story! We are to proclaim the Good News that was promised by the poets and prophets and was fulfilled in the coming of Messiah and now this message has been handed down to us. So, when we become those kinds of churches, when we become those kind of people – churches and people who own the role of messenger sent by God to declare and live out the good news, then there will be more joy in our lives, in our churches, in our families, in our schools, in our places of employment, and in our community.

Surely, we can see in our cultural moment of increased conflict, confusion, isolation, despair, and a world otherwise devoid of good news - the tremendous need for the church (our churches) to be unremitting conveyers of good news. Therefore, let us as individuals and as churches of the CBA make this Christmas and every Christmas, and all the days in between – let us make it about the Good News – living the Good News and proclaiming the Good News!

Paula and I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Association Mission Strategist 

Objections to Starting Churches Answered

As you know, the Concord Baptist Association has adopted three strategic focuses – Sending Churches, Strengthening Churches, and Starting Churches. It’s this last one, Starting Churches, that I want to address in this article.

In the last several years’ church planting has risen as a significant emphasis across much of the North American denominational and evangelical world. Numerous church planting networks such as Acts29, Sojourn, Summit Network, Stadia, and the Send Network of our own North American Mission Board (NAMB) among many others, have been active in equipping, training, and resourcing church planters. In fact, NAMB’s Send Network is the largest church planting network in North America. This renewed focus on church planting has not come without its problems. Failing plants, poorly assessed planters, insufficient training, inadequate resourcing, lack of willing and qualified planters are just some of the issues facing church planting. However, whatever problems and obstacles facing church planting shouldn’t preclude the absolute necessity of starting new churches. We wouldn’t say that about church revitalization for example – that just because it’s difficult and has many obstacles that it shouldn’t be attempted.

Church planting needs to be high on our radar, especially in Rutherford County with its explosive growth and underserved areas of gospel work. However, there can sometimes be this thinking, among pastors and church members, that church planting shouldn’t be a priority. Usually, they will raise several common objections to starting new churches. I want to take the rest of this article to answer some of these most common concerns.

First, some say that...

1. It Hurts Existing Churches

This is often the objection of the churches that are afraid of the competition. But there

are several reasons why this argument is not sound. First, church planters usually

focus on reaching the unchurched, de-churched, and lost. Good church planters don’t

want to focus on transfer growth for their plant (although with some plant models, a

group will come from the sending church to form the initial core). Second, God is

able to grow His church in multiple places. If our theology is that man grows the

church, then we will be worried about a new church taking away from us. However, it

is a fallacy to believe that one church’s rise is another church’s decline. God will

grow all His “healthy” churches and we need not fear that new church plants will stop

the purpose of God for our congregation. Third, new church plants can be a rising tide

that lifts all boats. That is, as Mark Clifton has written, “...

the more new churches that are planted in a region, the greater the spiritual impact on that region and the

better spiritual environment for all churches in that region.” The reality is where you witness a region saturated with church planting; you have greater health and growth among existing churches.

2. There Are Already Enough Churches

This is akin to saying that there are too many pleasant drivers on I-24! Interstate 24 is not over-served with pleasant drivers and the United States, and particularly Rutherford County is not over-served with churches! The fact is population growth
is far outpacing church planting in North America. We’re closing more churches then we are planting. There are fewer churches in America today per capita than there were at the beginning of the 20th century. The data in Rutherford County is just as bleak. The best numbers we have is that the percentage of unchurched in Rutherford County is around 75%. And when we consider that Rutherford County has changed significantly over the last 20 years with explosive growth much more diversity, then we realize that we need new churches to reach these diverse populations that some of our existing churches have a difficult time attracting.

3. We Need To Focus On Revitalizing Our Existing Churches

We should certainly focus attention on revitalizing existing churches, but that does not preclude focusing on church planting...it’s not an either/or, but and a both/and option. But the reality is, here in Rutherford County among Southern Baptists, if not planting new churches would enable revitalization of existing churches, then we’d have no struggling churches! Church planting has not been an emphasis in the CBA for
several years. However, at the same time many of our churches have declined considerably. I believe that a lack of church planting has aided in our decline and if we have hope in reversing our downward trends, church planting has to again play a prominent role. Church planting has the real possibility of infusing life into our existing churches, especially those that get involved at some level in planting.

It must be noted that new churches can sometimes be more effective in reaching
the lost than our existing churches in that they are more flexible, make quicker adjustments, can engage lostness in more innovative ways, and are not held back by the baggage of harmful traditionalism (not all traditionalism is harmful). Revitalization is important, but it must be remembered that many churches in need of revitalizing will refuse to count the cost and will eventually die. Therefore, good stewardship requires that we portion our focus on the few that desire revitalization and also plant new churches.

4. Churches Getting Bigger Reach More Lost People

This argument against church planting is that we just need to focus on helping our existing churches grow...that church growth is the answer in reaching lostness. Obviously, we want our existing churches to grow. But the evidence tells us that most of the growth that comes to existing churches is transfer growth. As Tim Keller states:

“Dozens of denominational studies have confirmed that the average new church gains most of its new members (60-80%) from the ranks of people who are not attending any

worshipping body, while churches over 10-15 years of age gain 80-90% of new members by transfer from other congregations.”

Certainly, an existing church can make a strategic decision that it’s going to focus its growth on reaching the unchurched (and they should), but that is not typically happening. And even if the established church does focus on the unchurched rather than the churched, that does not diminish the need for new churches. There are some people that are easier for new churches to reach than established churches.

5. It’s Too Expensive

Yes, starting new churches isn’t cheap. However, maintaining existing churches, especially older churches in decline, is not cheap either. Maintaining aging facilities with their needed updates and repairs can be costly. New plants typically have less facility expense and staff to financially support. In addition, not all support for a plant is financial. Any church, regardless of size and budget, can partner at a level of involvement that suits their situation, e.g., prayer, donation of equipment, mission teams, use of facilities etc.

1. Too Small To Be Involved In Planting Churches

   This was touched on in the above objection, however many churches have the feeling that only larger and financially stronger churches can be involved in church planting. However, this is a significant fallacy and one that keeps small churches from experiencing the full blessing of involvement in the Great Commission. No church is too small to be involved in planting! Why? First, small churches can partner with other small churches to plant. In fact, this collaborative effort can be more effective because it brings multiple partners to the plant with their various gifts and resources. Second, small churches can partner in ways that fit their current reality. That is, there are other ways to partner in a plant other than financial commitment. Serious and strategic prayer, mission teams, equipment supply etc. are just a few of the myriad of ways that small churches can be involved in a very real way in planting. Lastly, it does not take significant financial investment for a small “Sending Church” to broker other partnerships for the church plant. A small Sending Church will not have sufficient financial resources to underwrite a new plant, but she will have connections with other churches, organizations, and individuals that can be brokered for potential partners.

2. We Will Be Involved In Missions In Other Ways

   It is certainly true that not every church has to be involved in church planting. However, it is required that a biblical New Testament church be invested in the Great Commission. The Great Commission includes here, there, and everywhere – Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Historically, the principal means by which the Great Commission has been fulfilled is through the planting of new churches. In fact, all we need to do is open our Bibles and read the New Testament

and we see the church at Rome, the church at Corinth, the church of the Thessalonians etc. These were all church plants! Church plants were the way the Great Commission was launched and is essentially how it has been carried out through church history. Many would agree to this when it comes to sending missionaries internationally – that they are going to plant churches. But the fulfilling of the Great Commission in a North American context today requires the same missionary mindset- that of planting churches for a diverse cultural and ethic landscape.

Objections to church planting lose their rationale when considered alongside the substantial amount of lostness in our region. We cannot have too many new churches! Even if all our churches were revitalized, healthy and filled to capacity every Sunday we would not be making a dent in reaching the high numbers of lost in Rutherford County. We must go all in to having healthy revitalized churches while at the same time laying it all on the line in starting new churches! Is this impossible? Yes, in our human flesh, it certainly is! But with a desperate dependence on God and wholehearted commitment to do, by His grace, whatever it takes – then it can happen even here to the praise of His glory! May He make the impossible become reality in Rutherford County!

Please be praying for our CBA Starting Churches Team as we work toward a strategy to see church planting become a reality in Rutherford County.

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Association Mission Strategist
Concord Baptist Association
219-615-9774
615-890-6409
wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org
concordbaptists.org

The Metrics of Church Health

Hello CBA Pastors/Leaders: 

The last almost 3 years, measuring ministry effectiveness has been extremely challenging. Almost every church has become smaller (not all) during the Covid reality. In general, the post-covid church will be smaller than the pre-covid church. However, that doesn’t mean that the church has not been effective and that there are not ways to measure this more obscure effectiveness. Even before Covid, I’ve long thought that we need a more comprehensive set of metrics to assess the health of our churches - which is the purpose of this article.  Especially during this season, it would be helpful to look at the metrics of connecting people to the church rather than putting the primary focus on who’s at church on Sunday morning in worship (not that measuring worship attendance isn’t important). However, in this present moment, following the metrics that lead (actions that lead to attendance) rather than only the lag metrics (worship attendance itself) is essential.[1]

Historically, in Southern Baptist Churches, success was measured in numbers, and those numbers were generally focused around the 3 B’s – Budget, Baptisms (Bodies), and Buildings. That is, if the money was coming in, and the attendance was growing with steady baptisms, and the building was adequate - well maintained and attactional - then the church, and more particularly, the pastor would be considered successful. While measuring these metrics is important and is necessary in gaging the overall status of the church, by themselves they are insufficient in assessing ministry effectiveness …and in fact, can cover up deep systemic church health problems. In fact, these numerical indicators can easily become an unhealthy way that a pastor seeks his identity.  In a blog article by professor Dr. Robert Scott Clark entitled The Killer B’s: Idols of the Minister’s Heart, he wrote:

These are the things by which ministers often define themselves. These are the things they covet. These are the status symbols: a growing budget, increasing attendance, and a bigger building. These are the idols that shape the program-driven church. These are the gods that drive the liturgy and the gods that promise rewards to those who serve them faithfully.[2]

Since church success is typically measured both by our congregants as well as our colleagues with these numerical factors, then they can become the objective of our ministry and the source of our identity. However, numbers tell us something, but they don’t tell us everything – they cannot tell us the underlying factors beneath the numerical increase or decrease. Churches can grow numerically without Jesus and they can decline numerically with Jesus. As Jared Wilson comments:

       Some things in ministry take a deeper wisdom to discern or decipher. These can’t simply be measured by counting heads. I would even argue that the more important a metric is the more difficult it is to quantify. This is one reason why Jesus appointed shepherds for his flock and not accountants.[3]

 Therefore, especially when it comes to measuring church health, it is important that we have a more complete and holistic set of metrics to gage our ministries. The following are some of the indicators to focus on in assessing the health of our churches. These metric indicators will be divided into two major categories, quantitative (those metrics that can be measured objectively through numerical quantifying) and qualitative (those metrics that are subjective and are more difficult to quantify). Some of this insight comes out of Jared Wilson’s book, The Gospel-Driven Church. 

Quantitative Metrics

First, the metrics of missional effectiveness. Just because numbers don’t tell the whole story of church effectiveness, does not mean they’re not an important factor to consider when measuring missional effectiveness. So, what are the areas that need to be measured in regard to evangelistic impact? Do look at the number of conversions and baptisms. However, in addition we need to measure the number of members trained to engage non-believers with the gospel, the number of members engaging lost people with the gospel, the number of outreach activities conducted with the total number involved in these missional undertakings, and the percentage of the budget apportioned to evangelism/missional endeavors. Tracking some of these numbers will require some creativity. However, measuring missional effectiveness in this new world requires assessing real world “on mission” engagement by membership.

Second, the metrics of discipleship effectiveness. When measuring quantitatively how effective the church is doing in discipling its members, the following can be helpful. Assimilation into church membership. I especially believe this is helpful if the church has an assimilation process with a discipling feature. That is, a new members class that explains the gospel, baptism and Lord’s Supper, basic elements of the nature of the church, and expectations for church membership. But also, the number and percentage of congregants in small groups as well as numbers engaged in other discipleship class offerings. The numbers involved in serving in and through the church is another key indicator of discipleship effectiveness. Budget giving trends, and particularly weekly per capita giving reveals a stewardship aspect of discipleship.

Third, the metrics of worship effectiveness. Obviously, measuring worship effectiveness is difficult to do quantitatively. However, the closest we can get is to measure our average weekly Sunday morning worship attendance. That number alone doesn’t necessarily indicate the quality of worship or the health of the Sunday morning gathering. However, it is important to look at trends in worship attendance. Continual downward trends can indicate problems with the health of the church. Another metric in this category would be the number of new and returning visitors. Along with this metric, measure the number of new visitors to your website and compare that with the new visitors to your church. If the number of new visitors to your website vastly outnumber the new visitors to your church, then the website could be the reason why they never checked out the church.[4] The metric of new visitors, and returning visitors, can indicate something about the attractional element of the church. 

 Qualitative Metrics

 It’s important when assessing church effectiveness that we move beyond only measuring inputs - attendance, giving, spending, etc., to measuring outputs - transformed lives, healthy congregations, exercising faith, hope, and love etc. However, the outputs are extremely difficult to measure. Some of the outputs can be measured as listed above, e.g. conversions and numbers engaged in missional outreach etc. However, many of these are qualitative metrics and require more work and discernment to measure. Here are a few to consider.

First, a growing love for Jesus. This requires a discerning pastor to measure. Are the people in your church growing in their love and devotion to Jesus? Is He increasingly at the center of their conversation, or do sports, weather, politics and the mundane make up the gist of their conversation? Does moralistic behavior (doing good) overshadow your people’s esteem for Jesus and the gospel– does legalism outweigh love for Jesus? 

 Second, a growing love for the Scriptures. A huge misnomer in some of our SBC’s churches is that we highly value the Bible. But my general observation is that we value it theoretically, but not necessarily actually. That is, we declare the inerrancy of Scripture, but deny its sufficiency. As Pastor David Prince stated, “Affirming inerrancy in principle, while rejecting its sufficiency in practice, is like saying your wife’s perfect while having an affair.”[5] So in our preaching, teaching, discipling, and living are we treating the Scriptures as reliable and sufficient. Do we see a growing hunger for the reading, the study, and application of the Word in our congregation? Is there a growing eagerness among the congregants to drink in the proclaimed Word on Sunday morning?

Third, a growing knowledge of doctrine. I realize that some people’s pursuit of knowledge of doctrine can be dry and purely intellectual, and not touch the heart or effect their living. However, just because some become puffed up with pride over what they know doesn’t mean that believers shouldn’t be growing in doctrine and theology. After all, theology is simply the knowledge or study of God. We cannot pit emotional love for God against an intellectual pursuit of God – both are necessary. Loving God with our minds is directed to us most notably in the great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). So how are your members growing in their knowledge of doctrine? Can they articulate the gospel? Do they understand basic doctrines of justification, sanctification, and glorification? Do they know the God’s grand scheme of salvation history- creation, fall, redemption, and restoration and how they fit into His story? 

 Fourth, a growing practice of prayer. A church that is becoming healthier is one that is seeing prayer as more of a priority. This doesn’t mean that because your church has a Wednesday PM “prayer meeting” that it has made prayer a priority. In fact, in many cases it is not. Indicators of growing in prayer are manifest in our churches when there are more expressions of absolute dependence on God; when there is more prayer being directed toward needs of spiritual maturity, evangelistic needs, and missional impact; and when corporate prayer is not just a line in the order of service, but is a meaningful expression of the church’s engagement and dependence on a sovereign God. 

 Fifth, a growing sense of the church’s purpose. One characteristic of a church becoming healthier is a growing corporate understanding of its unique purpose and identity. Do they know and can they articulate the church’s mission? Do they know the church’s values? Are they able to describe what makes their church unique? Can they express the church’s strategy of discipleship (if the church has one) and identify where they are (as an individual member) in that plan? 

 Sixth, a growing love for community. Community in this sense refers to the church community and the immediate community (neighborhood) in which the church resides. First, how well do the members of your church love one another? Are the “one another” commands of Scripture increasingly being carried out? Are the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the congregation being met by members of the body? Second, how well does the church love its neighbor in the community? Is the church as a corporate body sacrificially serving its community? Is the church leaving a mark in its community? Would the neighborhood notice or care if the church was to close its doors? 

 This list is not exhaustive. These are just some of the quantitative and qualitative metrics to consider when attempting to measure church health. They make up a new scorecard that is needed that goes beyond measuring size. Jared Wilson states it this way: “We will need the metrics of grace, which tell us not simply how many there are but more importantly how healthy those many are.”[6] In addition a new scorecard is needed as the 21st century church paradigm continues to transition further out of the attractional to the missional model, or at least has more of a balance of the attractional/missional model. Reggie McNeal states:

  The old church scorecard of how many, how often, how much—measures of church activity—is counterproductive to participating in the missional renaissance. The old scorecard keeps us church-absorbed. As long as we use it, we will continue to be inward focused, program-driven, and church-based in our thinking.[7] 

Therefore, it’s important that we measure! However, let us measure with metrics that matter – with an array of metrics that measure not only the size of the flock, but also its health!

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Director of Missions
Concord Baptist Association
219-615-9774
615-890-6409
wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org
concordbaptists.org

[1] Rainer, Sam. “The Number One Rule of Church Revitalization.”The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast, January 5, 2022.

[2] http://heidelblog.net/2013/01/the-killer-bs-idols-of-the-ministers-heart-2/

[3] Wilson, Jared C. The Gospel-Driven Church (p. 54). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

[4] https://tonymorganlive.com/2017/11/02/website-metric-church-front-door/

[5] David Prince on Twitter (September 30, 2016), https://twitter.com/davideprince/status/781963836177907712.

[6] Wilson, The Gospel-Driven Church, 55

[7] https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2012/spring/measuringmatters.html

Christmas Peace

Hello CBA Pastors and Leaders:

December is upon us and it’s one of our favorite months because it means Christmas time is here! It’s during Christmas that we hear much talk about “peace on earth and good will toward men.” There is this very real, but largely superficial call for peace in our world. And the reason is that there is this intrinsic understanding in people that the world that is, is not the world that should be – that the world that should be is one of peace, justice, and goodwill. But obviously, we live in a world that is anything but that – a world ravaged by war and conflict. In fact, our nation, these last couple of years of pandemic polarization and extreme political tribalism, have clearly demonstrated that we are a culture in conflict. Therefore, Christmas comes, and the world echoes the distant refrain of a Christmas Story they barely understand - peace on earth and goodwill toward men. In a sense, Christmas prompts people to contemplate, if only for a brief season, God’s original design – that we were meant to love one another (John 13:35); that everything and everybody were to fit together in harmony (Genesis 1:31), and that humanity was made with a purpose (Genesis 3:8). The mystique and aura of Christmas generates utopian feelings and longings among many for an Eden before the Fall – although they may be ignorant of the object of their longing. 

However, as Christ-followers we know this utopian “Eden” cannot be achieved by humanity - although the attempt has been made since the Fall when Adam and Eve tried to recreate their Eden by covering themselves with fig leaves. But through thousands of years of history the evidence is clearly in – with humanity, there will be no peace on earth…there will be no return to Eden. However, the promise of that first Christmas was not an immediate return to Eden…it wasn’t an announcement of instant and generalized peace on earth. In fact, the “Christmas card” angelic chorus to the shepherds actually says in the best translations, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” The peace that Christmas brings is real, but it is selective and conditional…it comes to those with whom His favor rests! Jesus was the announcement of peace and He through His virgin birth, His virtuous life, vicarious death, and victorious resurrection provided a way of peace and reconciliation between God and sinful humanity. Those who God has placed His favor on are those who have repented of their sin and placed their hope and trust in Jesus.

What does this mean to us practically this Christmas season 2021? It should arouse our sensitivities to peoples broken lives. Christmas not only awakens peoples innate awareness of God’s perfect design, but for many, it reveals the painful reality that their lives are broken and far from God. Peace on earth and goodwill toward men rings very hollow for them…the distance between the idyllic feelings of Christmas and the sad brokenness of their lives is immense and insurmountable in their eyes. This is why the Christmas season provides a terrific platform for our witness. We can tell people in the midst of their brokenness, who are yearning for peace, that they can have peace with God and begin a journey that will ultimately take them to God’s perfect design! 

I have many favorite Christmas carols, but high among them is, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”. The lyrics speak to both the perceived problem and the promised hope of Christmas:     

And in despair I bowed my head

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Yes, this Christmas 2021 we know that hate is strong and seemingly mocks the song - but we know that God’s invasion into this world through the Incarnation created a beachhead from which His peace would spread through His gospel into a world long laying in sin and error pining. Two thousand years after that beachhead was established, the battle continues to rage and the front advances. We are on the frontlines of that battle and our weapon is the Gospel of peace. Let’s wage war this Christmas season and beyond for the souls of people in the midst of their brokenness who cry out “there is no peace on earth.”

Paula and I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Director of Missions
Concord Baptist Association
219-615-9774
615-890-6409
wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org
concordbaptists.org

Essential Qualities of a Church I Would Plan

Not too long ago, someone asked If I was planning a church, what would it look like? That is a question that could illicit enough material to fill a book. However, as I contemplated what my answer would be to that question, I came up with the following qualities that I would want in a church that I would plan. These are not exhaustive, nor are they listed in an order of importance. These are qualities that not only would be helpful in a new church plant, but also in an existing church that was seeking renewal and health. Here they are: 

 1. Biblically Contextualized – I begin with this one because the kind of church I would plan would be somewhat dependent in what cultural/demographic/socio-economic context it existed. A church should be biblically contextualized. That is, it should not be “under contextualized” whereby the church becomes inward focused and limited in its reach. Nor should it be “over contextualized” where the authority of Scripture is surrendered to the culture. But sound biblical contextualization seeks to relate and adapt the communication and ministry of the gospel to your specific cultural setting without compromising the gospel or violating the authority of Scripture. 

2. Biblically/Theologically rich – The centrality of Scripture would be essential in a church I would plan. However, I would want it to go beyond the sometimes superficial adherence we give to “believing the Bible” while being very selective in its application. Instead, I would want the supremacy of Scripture to rule as the final arbiter of all things personal, cultural, and congregational. Preaching/teaching/discipling for depth rather than a shallow approach. 

 3. Christ Centered Worship – The spiritual/theological content would have preference over the contextual/practical aspects of worship. I believe Christ focused worship elevates the spiritual atmosphere of the church and fuels mission. However, although it would not be the driver of worship, the church I would plan would utilize a style/music that is contextualized in such a way that allows people to worship in a culturally relevant way without sacrificing any theological content or bowing to superficial cultural whims. 

 4. Discipleship Focused – If I were planning a church, I would plant intentional discipleship in its DNA. That is, there would be an intentional and strategic process to lead Believers to growing as disciples and making disciples (maturity and evangelism). 

 5. Ethnic and generational diversity – If contextually possible, the church would represent the ethnic diversity of its community, thereby giving a more complete picture of the Kingdom, and representing to our culture biblical harmony along racial lines. In addition, I would definitely want to see a multigenerational church where older generations would pour wisdom into younger generations, and younger generations would inspire older generations to finish well. 

 6. Missionally Engaged - Loving the community through a demonstration of the gospel through meeting community need as well as proclamation of the gospel through personal evangelism is essential in reaching today’s culture. The church I would plan would be very active incarnating into the community (living on mission) individually and corporately, emphasizing a “go, be, tell” approach rather than relying totally on the program approach of “come and see”. 

 7. Meaningful Membership - I would want to see a church that took membership seriously through better membership orientation and more accountability. 

 8. A Simplified Structure – Complexity diffuses, and simplicity concentrates effectiveness. I would plan a church with a structure that would place more focus on a few priorities to have greater impact. 

 9. Authenticity/Transparency – I would want to see a church where there is space for believers to be open and honest and have interdependent relationships where the one-another commands of Scripture are carried out. Obviously, this would require building a healthy Sunday school/small group culture and also modeling before the congregation by leadership authenticity and vulnerability. 

 Certainly, many qualities could be added to this list. But these are just a few of the traits I’d want to see in a church I wound plan or incorporate into an existing church to bring it to greater health. Maybe you can think about a few of these qualities for your church.

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin. Director of Missions Concord Baptist Association 219-615-9774 615-890-6409 wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org concordbaptists.org

A Look at Rutherford County

Lately I have been doing a deep dive into Rutherford County demographics using the Missioninsite community analysis tool that I have access to through the TBMB. Looking at Rutherford County, I’d like to make the following general observations about what we can currently see and project over the next 5 years plus. I realize the data from which I’m making these assumptions is for the county and may be somewhat different in your particular community. There is some uniformity across Rutherford County, but there are certainly differences between Murfreesboro, Smyrna, LaVergne … between our rural and suburban areas.  But I believe these observations are broad enough that they will relate to every church regardless of setting. Some of these will be obvious - facts that we’ve known anecdotally by just living in Rutherford County and observing the significant change and growth.

1.   We have grown and will continue to grow – Rutherford County growth has been almost 30 % since 2010 and is projected to grow 10.8 % over the next 5 years. That is compared to the State’s projected growth of only 3.3%. The interesting point of this growth is that family households are growing as fast as the population indicating that the increase population per household is from additional children.

2. Ethnic stability over the next 5 years, with slight percentage growth in Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans – There is definitely ethnic change occurring in Rutherford County, but it is not happening at the dynamic rates that are happening in more urban contexts. However, since 2010, there have been growth in every ethnic group measured (Asian, African American, Hispanic/Latino) except whites which have decreased 2.26%.

3. We are getting older and younger at the same time – Over the next 10 years the projections are that ages 17 years and younger and ages 55 years and older will increase as a percentage of the total population. As a comparison to the State, Rutherford County is younger and is experiencing growth of children of school age (as evidenced by the building of the need of more schools). 

4. The time to reach school age children is now – The good news is that Rutherford County has significant school aged children especially at the early elementary (5-9) and the late elementary to middle school (10-14) levels. Rutherford’s comparative index (Rutherford County compared to State) is significantly higher among early elementary (5-9). However, early elementary (5-9) is projected to decline as a percentage of children from ages 5 to 17. In other words, children are aging through, but not being replaced at the same rate at the younger levels. 

5. We have economic stability in moderate prosperity – The average household income is $84,902 and is projected to grow by 12.7% to $95,678 over the next 5 years. The number of families with annual incomes above $100,000 is 35.4% of all family incomes and is projected to grow in the next five years. While poverty is always an issue, Rutherford County’s percentage of the population living below the poverty line is lower than the national average (11.1% versus 12.3%). While obviously not as prosperous as neighboring Williamson County, Rutherford has general economic diversity and a stable middle and upper middle-class population.

 6.  We are characterized by a traditional family structure – That is, of the households with children under 18, married couple households are increasing as a percentage while single parent households are decreasing. Rutherford’s percentage of single parent households with children is less than the state. For example, married households with children have gone from 68.2 % (2010) to 72.1% (2020) and is projected to grow to 72.4% in 2026. By contrast, single parent households have gone from 31.8% (2010) to 27.9% (2020) and is projected to be 27.6% in 2026. While this does not indicate that there shouldn’t be an emphasis on ministering to single parent households (28% is still a significant number), it does show that in comparison to other counties and regions, the family structure is characterized by a higher percentage of married couple households with children.

 7. Local marital status trends reveal national developments on marriage and singleness – Although Rutherford County marital status reveals a community of adults more likely to be married than the state average, the percentage decline of married adults fell from 55.7% (2010) to 51.3% (2020) and is projected to hold at 51.3% over the next five years. The percentage single, never married, in Rutherford County is higher than the state average and is projected to grow as a percentage over the next five years. Although there is no way to measure, it can be assumed that a portion of the single, never married group, are couples living together. 

 8. Post Highschool Education is becoming more common - The educational attainment level of adults has been rising over the past few years and it projected to continue to grow. When compared to the state, the educational attainment of adults, especially in the some college, associate degree, bachelor’s degree categories, is higher. Obviously, the presence of MTSU contributes to rising education levels.

 9. A continued occupation status shift – Rutherford County continues to shift from a blue collar to a while collar occupation driven economy. The white collar/blue collar worker percentage for Rutherford County is 61.5% and 38.5% respectively. 

 There are many implications to these demographic trends in Rutherford County. Clearly, there are more than I can delineate in this article. But here are just a few of the more obvious inferences.

•  Our mission field is growing, and we must prepare to reach it – We need our existing churches to be healthy and we need new churches if we are going to seize this opportunity harvest before us.

• Our mission field is more diverse, and we must intentionally target it – The exciting thing about our Rutherford County mission field is that God is increasingly bringing the world to us. If we consider ourselves to be Great Commission Baptists, then we have both a duty and privilege to reach those whom He is bringing. 

• Churches must get family ministry correct – There is so much of Rutherford County’s culture that centers on families. A growing number of school age children, the above average percentage of married households with children are just a few of the demographic trends that point toward “family” being an essential focus for our churches. Without making the family an idol, churches that are going to be effective in reaching the Rutherford County mission field are going to be those who figured out an effective family ministry for their particular context. 

•  Aging Baby Boomers remain an evangelistic target – As mentioned above, Rutherford County is becoming older and ages over 55 are increasing as a percentage of population. Many of these aging Baby Boomers are disconnected from Christ and the church and are still looking for purpose as they live out their retirement years. 

•  We have the economic foundation to carry out God’s mission – Rutherford County is generally a prosperous area and that means most of our churches exist in areas where there is economic stability and vitality. I realize this may not be true for every church context – there remains areas of economic hardship in Rutherford County. However, the resources that are in the Rutherford County harvest field should be sufficient for our churches to fuel the mission of God locally, nationally, and internationally. 

•  A continued paradigm shift among churches is needed to reach more educated/white collar populations – Obviously this does not mean that we do not focus on reaching less educated/blue collar. In fact, there are tags of connection between both groups, and we have many churches that have done a good job in reaching both. However, some of our churches are rooted in ways of doing ministry that appealed to a blue-collar way of doing things many years ago. As Rutherford County grows out into the less populated areas with people who come with more education and white-collar occupations, churches will need to adjust to reach them.

• Ministry to singles will need to be a focus for some churches – Rutherford County is growing in singles, particularly in the single, never married category. Some of these will be young professionals moving into the area for their first job. Others will choose to remain here after they graduate from MTSU. There are numerous philosophies of singles ministry. However, the important point is that churches recognize this rising demographic and develop strategies to reach them for Christ and incorporate them into the family of the church. 

In my opinion, there has never been a more exciting time to live in Rutherford County. It’s exciting because our mission field is growing and changing. I’d much rather live and minister in a growing and dynamic mission field than one that is stagnant and declining. If we’re going to reach the mission field that God has given us, then it’s our missiological task to have a good understanding of what that mission field looks like. That’s what a good demographic deep dive can help us with. With that being said, we are now able to generate demographic reports for your church free of charge. You will need to contact Michaela by email at: michaela.malkiewicz@concordbaptists.org. She will just need to know the radius of the survey that you want, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5 miles. Generally speaking, the more rural the church, the larger the radius, and the more urban the church, the smaller the radius of study. If you need help with interpretation of data, I’d be glad to come and help explain. 

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Director of Missions
Concord Baptist Association
219-615-9774
615-890-6409
wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org
concordbaptists.org

Indicators of the Need for Revitalization

As you know, in Southern Baptist life over the last several years, much needed attention has been placed on church health/revitalization. Many churches get defensive around the word “revitalization”. But in a real sense, all churches need to be in a constant process of revitalization. However, some churches are at places where they need to go through an intentional process of revitalization. 

The initial question is: How does a church knows if it needs revitalized? Most church members, if they have any spiritual discernment, know this instinctively. They know by observation, and even feel, that the church is in decline…that a spirit of apathy and hopelessness has taken grip. However, there are some factors, both objective and subjective, that can be observed that indicate that a church needs renewal. 

First, there are the numerical indicators of decline. Generally speaking, over a five-year period if there is numerical decrease in metrics such as, baptisms, worship attendance, Sunday school/small groups, and missional involvement, then the church is in steady decline and in need of revitalization. There are exceptions to this. For example, a church that has begun the revitalization process, a church that is transitioning itself to become more effective, or a church that is tightening up its membership process will often find, at least initially, that its numbers will decline while at the same time the church is becoming healthier. 

Second, a church needs revitalization when its members value its preferences over mission - over reaching the lost! This is a significant issue among some SBC churches. Preferences are lifted to the level (and sometimes above the level) of doctrine and gospel. What are these preferences? In some churches they generally center around music, programs, times and number of church services, preaching styles, bible translations, leadership structure etc. The point is, in a dying church many members have prioritized personal preferences above any interest to fulfill the mission of the church.

Third, dying churches tend to be program dependent for stability and growth. What I’ve discovered in working with declining churches is that they are often looking for a “silver bullet” to turn them around. Generally, for Southern Baptists, this means a new program or a new dynamic preacher. The problem with this is that keeps them from dealing with the real sin issues in the church and making the difficult changes to become healthy again. In addition, normally the programs are of a past era that are no longer effective. Furthermore, for the program dependent church, they fail to see that a purely attractional methodology that was once effective is no longer connecting to the community. 

Fourth, lack of flexible governing structure. Many of our church constitutions and governance styles prevents the church from making decisions in a timely manner and unbiblically ties the hands of pastors and church appointed leaders to lead the church. Southern Baptist churches are congregational, but that doesn’t mean congregational control. God appoints and the congregation affirms leaders to lead the church in accordance with Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The extreme democratization of our churches and the outdated burdensome restrictions of some of our constitutions create disunity, eliminates needed flexibility, and guarantees continued un-health.  

Fifth, a church in need of revitalization generally lacks biblical unity. I say biblical unity because unhealthy churches can unify around preferences, traditions, nostalgia, or even the status quo. But generally, a church that becomes inwardly focused inevitably begins to turn on itself with divisions and arguments among church members. These carnal and sometimes demonic divisions will kill and suck life out of the church. When the church becomes “the peoples” then Jesus will eventually agree and let them possess it!

Sixth, no meaningful membership process. A common characteristic of a church in need of revitalization is a membership process that lacks any standards or expectations of what it means to be a member of one of Christ’s church. Generally, there is a lack of any real examination of a member candidate as to the genuineness of his/her salvation. In turn, too often unconverted people are becoming members of our churches with full voting rights and some even become leaders in the church. In addition, the unwillingness to carry out church discipline (sometimes even for the most blatant sins) in accordance with Matthhew18 grieves the Spirit and minimizes His work in our congregations. 

Seventh, a church in need of revitalization generally has no compelling vision. Churches in decline generally just exist week-to-week without any clarity as to why they exist. Maintenance over mission is their ongoing reality. Ask a member of a church in need of revitalization what uniquely identifies their church as distinct from other churches and you’re likely to get a blank stare. 

Eighth, a church in decline is generally aging upward. Because of the church’s resistance to needful change then it becomes increasingly difficult to reach younger generations. Therefore, the aging congregation no longer fits their community’s primary demographic. Unless a way is found to reach younger people, then the church will age out to eventual death. 

Ninth, normally, a church in need of revitalization has a discipleship problem. Too often our discipleship is superficial and haphazard. It lacks scriptural depth and practical application. It is almost always absent of any expectation of reproduction (making disciples). The sad result is some members with long tenure in our churches with little spiritual discernment and maturity. 

Tenth, another indicator of a declining church is deteriorating facilities. This is not always the case. Sometimes unhealthy churches will put more emphasis on maintaining its building than investing in reaching their community for Christ. However, in general, the physical structure will follow the spiritual shape of the church. A dated facility, potholes in the parking lot, leaky roof, shabby and antiquated nursery etc. are indicators of church headed in the wrong direction.

Eleventh, the last sign of a church in need of revitalization is they are increasingly unrelatable to their communities. Because of their reluctance to biblically contextualize the gospel, they create unnecessary hurdles for people to cross to hear the gospel. In a sense, they are hiding the gospel from the very people they are commanded to evangelize – sometimes in the misguided defense of not “compromising with the world.” Often the declining church can even begin to blame the community for their decline. They are irritated that the community is no longer attracted to their church and excuse their decline by blaming it on the deterioration of the world, the decline of the nation etc. They mistakenly believe that the community is there for the church instead of the church being there for the community.  

There are many other signs of a church in need of revitalization. Not every church in need of revitalization will necessarily have all the above indicators. However, if any of these factors show up, then that is something that needs to be addressed. In a sense, every church needs to be in continual process of revitalization. 

If you think your church may be hitting some of the above indicators, then I am available to lead your church’s leadership through a visioning process that will deal with issues of revitalization. If you want to talk about that process, please contact me.

In His Service,

Dr. Wes Rankin
Director of Missions
Concord Baptist Association
219-615-9774
615-890-6409
wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org
concordbaptists.org