Highlights of 2009

I'm sure I'm gonna forget about 1,000+ memories worth writing down but here are a few highlights from 2009 that stand out to me. If you remember something worth while please leave a comment!

• We moved to Sunday mornings (from Friday nights) and we moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Enfield, CT from the Longmeadow Community House in Longmeadow, MA.
• My longtime friend Scott Steglinski came to New Day for the first time on Easter Sunday and got saved and then later water baptized.
• New Day had our first water baptism (Neil Butler) on January 4th (we went on to baptize 17 others throughout the year).
• We broke 100 (total attendance) for 1st time Aug 16th and broke 100 (adults only) on Oct 4th.
• We baptized 6 people at once on Dec 13th.
• My old buddy from high school James Stephenson came to New Day for the first time, got saved and got water baptized shortly after.
• My brother Tony started coming to New Day cosistently and joined a growth group too.
• New Day started growth groups in Oct and had 69 of 75 sign up (our average adult attendance at the time was 75).
• I hired Rachel Axtmann as kid's director, Peter as financial organizer, Bethany Souza as growth group director, then Danielle Ramirez as administrative assistant.

Declaration of Faith

The Bible gives several examples of people's "declarations of faith." Luke 23:39 records the declaration of faith of one of the criminals that hung next to Jesus when he was crucified.

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" ⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." ⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." ⁴³Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Daniel 3:28-29 records Nebuchadnezzar's declaration of faith once Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego were rescued from the fiery furnace.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

John 20:26-28 records Doubting Thomas' declaration of faith.

²⁶A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." ²⁸Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Well yesterday I had the privilege of hearing my daughter's first declaration of faith. Here's what happened. Ally got Disney's Snow White DVD for Christmas and yesterday Kristin was looking for it so they could watch it together. Well after looking around for quite some time (and after Kristin got very frustrated) we still could not find this DVD. I joined the search and we turned over every item in our house. We looked upstairs, downstairs, we lifted the couches, turned over the cushions, etc. etc. Finally, in frustration we all sat down and Kristin suggested we pray and ask Jesus to help us find the DVD. Allyson prayed something like this: "Dear Jesus, please help us to find the movie. Amen." No joke - immediately after we prayed we got back up to keep looking for the DVD trusting by faith that God would help us find it when Kristin saw it hanging inbetween the tree branches of our Christmas tree (one of the kids had shoved it in the tree). Allyson in near disbelief shouted "Jesus IS real!!!" She was beside herself with excitement. It was such a special moment. And THAT was Ally's declaration of faith.

All of us at some point in our spiritual journey need to make our own "declaration of faith." There's no right or wrong way to do it. I love that the criminal on the cross next to Jesus simply said "Remember me" and Jesus responded "Today you'll be with me in paradise." It's not in the words we say but the sincerity of our hearts. When was YOUR declaration of faith? If you haven't made one, I'd encourage you to do so right now!

Missing My Kids

My kids are away in VA right now. It's been like 3 days or something and I totally miss them. Specifically, I miss talking to them. I love hearing their little voices and discovering what's on their minds, etc.

And this got me thinking about how God must feel when some of his kids are away (i.e. they are prayerless, backslidden, etc.) I'm sure that He misses us terribly when we don't pray or when we drift away from Him.

When I do see my kids I can't wait to give them gifts and take them out to eat and do fun stuff with them. I wonder what God is waiting to do with those who return to him? I'll bet he has blessings in store. In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, the father was overjoyed when his son returned home. And I know that God feels the same way when we return to him.

Is it time to return to God? Is it time to come home to a church family? Is it time to give your life back to Jesus?

Perfect Conditions

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done."

I remember when we started New Day Church we couldn't find a space to meet on Sunday morning, which is what we originally wanted. And since a nearby church was just about to start a Saturday evening service, we decided to start meeting on Friday nights. In retrospect that's probably the worst possible time we could've chose to meet. But again, Sunday morning wasn't an option for us when we first started. It's not that no spots were available, it's that we couldn't afford to meet in any of those spots. But we didn't let that stop us. We prayerfully chose March 21st 2008 as our first meeting and said that even if we had to meet in someone's living room we would have our first meeting at that time. We didn't wait around for perfect conditions to start. As grateful as I am for our first meeting location (the Longmeadow Community House), it was a terrible place to meet for church. It was built back in the day before microphones were used so it naturally amplifies everything. This is a nightmare for a modern day church with a band, etc. Everything echoed so bad you could practically come back Saturday morning and hear Friday's worship and message still bouncing off those high ceilings. And talk about less than ideal conditions for our kids meeting space. They met right behind the adults with only a thin wall separating us from them. In addition to the terrible acoustics, we had to compete with all the noise the kids were making as they had a blast in kids church! Those were crazy times. But we didn't let that stop us. And when we first started we only had 2 people on the worship team. That's hard to believe now since we currently enjoy three drummers, several bass guitarists, several acoustic/electric guitarists, lots of talented vocalists, etc. But we started with two singers and NO musicians. Those were not perfect conditions for leading the kind of worship I had in mind. I could go on forever. I still often work in my unfinished basement which gets cold in the winter. When that happens I have to come work upstairs which is hard because I have two young kids and my house isn't big and it's easy to hear them playing and talking while I'm trying to work. My point is this: If we had waited for perfect conditions, we'd still be waiting. But instead, after starting from scratch with only 6 people inititally, we now have over 100 meeting regularly (and on Sunday morning now! Praise the Lord!)

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." How can you apply this verse to your own life?

Missing Out

Yesterday at Costco Kristin bought some Pop Tarts for the kids. I happen to know that Pop Tarts are delicious when they're toasted, but when I went to toast Ally's Pop Tart she said she wanted it not toasted. I said "Ally, these are really good toasted." But she said "no". I said "Ally, you've never had them toasted. How do you know you won't like it?" She still said "no". So I bent over and said "Ally, I'm your dad and I love you. I only want good things for you. I've had Pop Tarts toasted and they are delicious. I really think you'll like it if you give it a try." Guess what she said? Still a "no".

This got me thinking. How many good things do we miss out on when we say "no" to God? We say "no" because we don't trust God. Ally has every reason to trust me but for some reason she didn't. And in the same way, we have every reason to trust God but for some reason at times we don't. And what happens when we don't trust God? WE MISS OUT!

I personally want to get to the place where if God says "do it" I trust him enough to obey. My challenge will be to realize the truth: that God's way is always better than our way, just as a toasted pop tart (in my opinion) is always better than a non-toasted pop tart.

Know that even if you've been saying "no" to God for quite some time, it's never to late to start saying "yes." As I was writing this blog Ally came over to me with a change of heart. I stopped writing, toasted her pop tart, gave it to her and then heard her say "Mmmm, this is good Daddy."

I think everyone who says "yes" to God has a similar experience. All I can say is "Try it!"

Delegation

Why is delegation an important topic to learn about? Because effective delegation: increases job performance, relieves job burnout, decreases workloads, builds teamwork, alleviates stress, allows you to get more done, etc.

I just finished a great little book called If You Want It Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself! by Donna M. Genett, Ph.D. Here's a summary of what I've learned.

1. Effective delegation requires advanced preparation. BEFORE you meet with someone to delegate responsibilities you must think through 1) what you want done, 2) how you want it done, 3) when you want it done, 4) as well as what authority you're willing to give to the person doing the assignment

2. Then you must clearly define and describe each task you delegate to your staff. You need to be specific and ask for the instructions to be repeated back to ensure he/she fully understands what is expected.

3. Then you need to clearly define the time frame within which the task must be completed. Your staff can't turn something in "late" if YOU never gave them a deadline.

4. Next, you must define the level of authority your staff has to complete the task. Do they have the authority to only recommend what should be done (i.e. research options and propose the best alternative)? Do they have the authority to inform and initiate (i.e. research and select the best course of action; inform me why it is best; and then initiate the selection)? Or do they have the authority to act (i.e. full authority to act with respect to the task or project)? Your staff can't step outside the bounds of their authority if you haven't explained the boundaries to them.

5. When a task or project becomes larger and more complex, it's important to build in checkpoints. They help you make sure things are going in the right direction. The checkpoints should be close together in the beginning of the project. Later, after the person demonstrates competence and shows he or she is headed down the right track, the checkpoints can be spaced further apart. That way, you don't let a lot of time go by during which the project is invisible to you. If things get off track, you can catch them before they get serious.

6. Conclude the delegation process with a debriefing session to discuss: 1) what went well, 2) what could have been improved, and 3) what has been learned. Both the delegator and the delgatee should share their answers to these questions.

Note: these points can be applied upward, when receiving a project, as well as downward, when delegating one. If you aren't given clear instructions on a project your boss delegates to you - go ahead and ask for 1) the desired results for the project, 2) the time frame for completion, 3) your level of authority, and 4) when you'll meet along the way to make sure you're on track.

My First Growth Group

History was made last night. I led my first New Day Growth Group. When we started the church, I said that someday I wanted to have growth groups. However, being the great man of faith I am (sarcasm), I never imagined we'd be up and running so soon.

Our mission is to lead people to become mature followers of Jesus. We define M.A.T.U.R.E. as someone who is "M" making spiritual progress, "A" attending church, "T" tithing, "U" utilizing their gifts in the context of New Day Church, "R" reaching out by inviting people to church, "E" every week. And our groups help people become mature. You make spiritual progress as you study the Bible with others each week. By building relationships with people in your group you're encouraged to attend New Day more faithfully. When you are a part of a group you are encouraged to know that others are giving of their financialy resources toward the work of God - not just you. Each group has to serve together so that covers the "U" in "M.A.T.U.R.E." And each group must reach out and do a servant evangelism project together once a semester so that covers "R".

People really seemed to like being at group. At a Growth Group you get to meet new people, eat delicious food, have fun, hear other peoples story, and grow spiritually. Groups are great! I really enjoyed meeting last night. It's kind of funny that we call them groups, because we really could call them "parties". When you have 15 people over your house - it's a party!

We had 69 people sign up to participate in a growth group. Last month our average adult attendance was 76 so that's about 90% of our average adult attendance signed up for groups. A lot of growth group books say you're doing good if you have like 30% so this is just wonderful.

Bethany & Gerson have been a HUGE catalyst for groups getting started at New Day. I remember when I first met them how they said "we're looking for a church with small groups." They have been the ones working with me for about 6 months planning out this first semester of groups. And they've done a great job!

I absolutely love the fact that New Day now offers church on Sunday and then groups on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Five out of the the seven days of the week, there's a New Day service or group. I love it! That makes me feel so good. Sunday may be over, my group may have already met - but there's two more meeting tonight, and then another meeting on Thursday. This is just fantastic. I look forward to the day when New Day offers something every single day of the week!

Well, that was all over the place I know. But I just wanted to record something about the first week of New Day Growth Groups. This is history in the making for our church and I'm very excited about it!

FEARLESS (preview)

Here's a sneak peak at the new series we're about to dive into THIS SUNDAY. Don't be AFRAID to drop by!

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear. They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison and slams the doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life wholly untouched by anxiety. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your head and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, and doubt, what would remain? Envision the day when you can trust more and fear less. Can you imagine your life without fear?

Miss Church

I read a great blog post this morning by Mark Batterson (he's the guy in the photo and the pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC). I want to re-post part of it here:

"I've always wanted to pastor a church that people love so much that when they miss church they actually miss church. I don't want people to feel bad about missing church because they didn't do their "religious duty." I want them to feel bad because they actually missed out on what God is doing and saying. I want them to feel bad because there is no place they'd rather be and nothing they'd rather do more than go to church. I know I'm stretching the meaning of the word "church." The church is not a building. In fact, you can't go to church because you are the church. But I mean "church" in the sense of corporate gatherings of Christ followers. I think it ought to be the most exciting, most enjoyable, most challenging, most convicting, and most affirming hour of the week."

I (Mike) couldn't agree more!

Spiritual Maturity Test

I believe the Scriptures show that God measures our spiritual maturity in part by how much we love other people.

Check out these verses and let it remind you how important it is that our faith in God results in love for people.

• John 13:34, love each other
• John 15:12, love each other in the same way I have loved you
• John 15:17, this is my command - love each other
• Romans 12:10, love each other, take delight in honoring each other
• 1 Thessalonians 3:12, may your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9, love each other
• Hebrews 13:1, keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters
• 1 Peter 1:22, show sincere love to each other...love each other deeply with all your heart
• 1 Peter 4:8, most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other
• 1 John 3:18, lets not merely say we love each other, let us show it by our actions
• 1 John 4:11, since God loved us so much, we surely ought to love each other
• 1 John 4:12, no one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us (people get a glimpse of God and what he is like through our loving actions)
• 2 John 5, we should love one another

Why not make it your goal today to let your love for God be demonstrated through your loving actions towards others?

Biblical Giving

At New Day we believe biblical giving is systematic, proportional and sacrificial. We talk about money at New Day because stewardship is part of discipleship. And our mission involves making disciples. Check out the explanations given by Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Stroope in their book "Money Matters for Church".

Systematic

It's systematic in that we want our people to decide how often they're going to give and then to give, without the church always having to plead for it. In the same way that they pay their mortgage, rent and car loan on a regular basis, they should give faithfully and regularly to the church. In other words, biblical giving is consistent giving. If people are paid once a month, we suggest that they give once a month; if they are paid weekly, they could give weekly, as the Lord blesses them. The important point isn't so much when to give but that giving should be a regular habit. That way, we don't have to waste precious time in a worship service pleading for funds that our people should be giving on a regular basis without being asked.

Proportional

Proportional giving teaches that if God has blessed you with much financially, then you should give much financially. If he's just blessed you a little financially, then you should just give a little. And if God has not blessed you financially at all, then you're of the hook!

Sacrificial

Biblical giving is sacrificial. It should change your lifestyle. If we give a convenient gift that can be given without much thought - without any prayer - if we can reach into our wallet or purse or write a check and it doesn't really change anything in terms of our values or our lifestyle, then it doesn't meet the criteria of being sacrificial.

Debating Theological Issues

Is it pre-tribulation or post-tribulation? Are the gifts of the spirit for today? Is it once saved always saved? So many people today are arguing over these things AT THE NEGLECT OF HELPING PEOPLE GET SAVED. I have no interest in wasting my time debating these kinds of things (that doesn't mean I don't know what I believe and why I believe it - I just don't want to argue with people about it).

I love what Mark Batterson wrote recently:

I think the second kind of distractions we have to avoid in church circles are theological distractions. We need to study to show ourselves approved. We need to know what we believe and why we believe what we believe. But we can get so busy arguing about theological nuances that we lose sight of the Great Commandment and Great Commission. Sometimes, when a person is endlessly arguing theological nuances, I want to blurt out: people are going to hell. Let's get our theology straight. And we need to call blasphemy and heresy on the carpet. But let's get some perspective. In the words of Titus 3:9: "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." True theology doesn't just lead to endless arguments. True theology leads to action. Let's follow Jesus' example: "I must be about my Father's business."

I also like what Steven Furtick wrote:

I was at a gas station the other day and there were too many options. Do you want a car wash? Is this credit or debit? Enter your zip code. Enter your PIN. Do you want to donate money to a charitable organization? What kind of gas do you want? Do you want a receipt? I was so confused. All of this wasn’t what I came to do. After about six or seven options, I said, “I just want gas.” We sometimes do the same thing to people in the church. Are you a Calvinist or an Arminian? Baptism by immersion or sprinkling? Have you kissed dating goodbye? Or on the mouth? Do you believe in all the gifts of the Spirit or only 73% of them? And then we wonder why they’re confused. It’s probably because they’re thinking, “this isn’t what I came here for. I don’t know all that. I just want Jesus.” Right here is where we usually write them off by saying they don’t care about the Bible or theology. Possibly. But maybe they just don’t care about debating and taking stances on secondary issues at the expense of their primary desire: Jesus. This isn’t to say that these things don’t matter or that their inherent beliefs aren’t worth considering. There’s a place for them. Behind the bold, clear proclamation of Christ. If you’re going to err, err on the side of simply giving people Jesus. Because that’s simply what most people want.

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!

Hunting for New Meeting Space

It's Friday night September 11th at 6:50pm. I'm at TGIF's in Enfield eating the $5 special with my family and Dan & Danielle Ramirez, and I get a call. The short version is that the new owners of the food services at the Crowne Plaza (now a Holiday Inn) want us to start paying over triple what we currently pay for rent each week effective immediately. The day before we got this call our staff met for our monthly strategic meeting to discuss (among other things) other possible meeting locations, because we're very close to having grown out of our current meeting space. So, having needed to move out, and facing a huge increase in what we pay, New Day is on the hunt for a new location.

Yesterday I set up an appointment with Eric (a realestate agent Lester Jarvis found), to look at a huge commercial space for lease behind the Gold's Gym on Route 5 in Enfield, only a couple miles from where we're at now. I meet with him on Wednesday at 9:30am.

I also stopped by Asnuntuck College and inquired about meeting there. Someone is looking into whether they would even consider it, and they are going to get back to me soon.

Rachel Axtmann hooked me up with her parents realestate agent and he collected all our info and is looking for spaces that fit the criteria.

Everyone in the church is praying. When I first sent out an email about all this, I received 53 emails back from people saying "We're praying." What a comfort to know this whole process is covered in prayer!

My brother is a realestate agent too and he's going to be helping me today to find space that would meet our needs. We're looking for 1) a good location, 2) an affordable location, 3) Sunday morning availability, 4) ample parking.

I crunch the numbers yesterday to determine what we could afford (I'm not going to post them here. Sorry!). We now know exactly what we can and cannot afford. I'm very encouraged by the story of my friend Scott Axtmann, a fellow church planter, who recently got a lease space for his portable church for only $3,000 (when they were asking $11,000). That's what God can do!

My favorite option of all the options we looked into was the Enfield High School. The location isn't far from where we're at now, it has enough seats and space so we could grow there for a while, there's plenty of kids classrooms, we'd never get bumped like we do now in the Crowne Plaza because nothing happens at the school on Sundays, there's tons of parking, it's affordable, etc. And whoever comes to our church now would only have to drive minutes farther to get there.

We also looked at the old Kia dealership on Route 5 in Enfield (very close to where we meet now). It's like 56,000 sq feet though! And we only need anywhere from 7,200 sq ft (double what we have now) to 10,800 sq ft (triple what we have now). We currently use 2,400 sq ft for our adults (that's 200 chairs max) and 1,200 sq ft for our three kids class rooms for a total of 3,600 sq ft.

Jon and Sarah Watson came with Kristin, me and kids yesterday since they were off work and helped us look around and investigate our options. It's so great not to be doing this by myself. I totally feel the support of everyone from our church. And it inspires me to continue working hard and to continue to trust God in this situation.

Remember, our theme is TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY! Historically, the church has GROWN through adversity. And we know that God works for the good in all situations for those who love him (Romans 8:28).

That's yesterday's progress. I thought since everyone's praying I keep you updated with a progress report! I've got to get going now. Lot's to do today! Lot's of new locations to consider! Please say a prayer for me!

My Week September 7 - 13

If you fail to plan you plan to fail! And if YOU don't schedule your week, SOMEONE ELSE will! Planning an effective week begins with asking the right questions...

Scheduling Questions:

1. When is date night?

2. When is my day off (family day)?

3. When will I work on my sermon this week?

4. When will I "work ON" the church by completing assignments in my senior pastor coaching network?

5. When will I work on developing growth groups this week?

6. When do I have meetings this week?

7. Who do I need to connect with this week?

Monday: off for Labor Day (picnic at Stanley Park)

Tuesday: date night, sectional meeting (9am-12:30pm), work on coaching network assignments: listen to The Stewardship Seminar (1-4:45pm)

Wenesday: sermon prep, finance meeting with Peter (12pm)

Thursday: develop growth groups: prepare for leaders training this Sunday, monthly strategic meeting (7-10pm)

Friday: day off (family day)

Saturday: 1/2 day of doing whatever is left to do, Fall Quest at Six Flags (going to Planet Shakers concert and getting back stage to meet them too!!!)

Sunday: Church in Bellagio Ballroom, kick off of Kids Church (ages 6-11), growth group leaders training (1pm-4pm), follow up with guests from service (1st & 2nd time guests, 1st time givers, people who requested info and/or prayer, etc.)

Big Rocks Go In First

Let me share a great story with you that I keep in mind when scheduling my week.

An expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."

The time management expert replied, "Really?"

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.

"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No," the speaker replied, that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.

What are the 'big rocks' in your life -- time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all." So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first. "

Fusion Chapters 7-9

Fusion is a book on turning first time guests into members at your church. Here are a couple of things that stood out to me:

Chapter 7: Sticky Situations

• If newcomers don't connect with someone soon, they'll be gone in four to six months.
• Too many churches fail to recognize the importance of plugging in second-time guests and new attenders.
• The more friends a person has in a congregation, the less likely that person is to become inactive or leave the church. Our need for human connection is undeniable.
• You can't just hope people will make friends in the church. You must encourage it, plan for it, structure for it, and facilitate it.
• If you want your second-timers to stick, you must understand that relationships are the glue.
• Three sticky situations: growth groups, fun events and service teams
• Research shows that new people must make friends within four to six months, or they will not stick.
• Fun activities give people the chance to get to know each other in a more social environment, which leads to deeper connections and relationships.
• Service teams provide an ideal opportunity for your second-time guests to form relationships with other people in the church.
• People's most basic need in life is relationship.
• People connect to a church when they develop meaningful friendships and are trusted with ministry responsibility. Newcomers need something to do and someone to know.

Chapter 8: Taking Ownership

• Responsibility and ownership go hand in hand.
• Responsibility precedes ownership, and ownership precedes membership.
• If your newcomers do not find relationships and take responsibility within the church, they will not stay long.
• The goal we have for each new person at New Day is threefold: 1) We want them to return, 2) We want them to build relationships, 3) We want to give them responsibility
• As your volunteers serve you and the church, you are serving them by providing them with an outlet to take on responsibility and become more deeply connected.
• Allow people to belong before they believe.

Chapter 9: Full Circle

• Membership class is the commencement ceremony for your assimilation system.
• Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. ~Seneca

Conclusion

• The Principle of Spiritual Readiness: God will never give you more than you are prepared to receive.
• God works in conjunction with our level of readiness.
• You are speaking something to your first-time guests already. What are they hearing?
• The Kingdom only grows by one person at a time. So focus on the one, and the one will turn into many.

Fusion Chapters 4-6

Fusion is a book on turning first time guests into members at your church. Here are a couple of things that stood out to me:

Chapter 4: Making Contact

• If you want to have any hope of assimilating your guests, you cannot let them leave without knowing how to connect with them.
• Well-organized use of Connection Cards will allow you to gather the pertinent information on roughly 80 percent of your first-time guests.
• First-time guests want to remain anonymous. That's why EVERYONE EVERY WEEK needs to fill out a Connection Card. Regular attenders only need to fill out their name and most current email address. The regulars fill it out each week FOR THE SAKE OF THE FIRST TIMER.
• The Connection Card is important because of the need to follow up with people in a way that will make them want to keep connecting with the church, for their own spiritual development.

Chapter 5: Creating Fans Through Follow-Up

• Not following up...is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain.
• People think the Church is "on the take". Giving a free book at the end of service and mailing them a $5 gift card shows them that the Church is "on the give." Also, growing churches usually spend $400 to $500 dollars on evngelism for each person who walks through teh door as a first-time guest. Talk about an investment! Isn't it worth $5 for the free book and another $5 for the gift card to follow up with your guest in a way that will make him or her much more likely to come again?
• In golf, as in life, it's the follow-through that counts. Same is true in retaining your guests. You've gotten them this far. You've built momentum. Don't stop mid-swing!

Chapter 6: They're Back

• When your guest returns for a secon dlook, you've won 80 percent of teh battle of gaining new regular attenders and have drastically increased the chances that they will begin a journey with Christ.
• With second-time guests you're looking for anything that will get them to take a step toward involvement. Getting your second-time guests involved in situations where they can connect with others is the key to making them stick.
• At this crucial point, it is more than worth your while to meet and exceed your second-time guests' expectations (with another small gift) so that they'll continue the process toward becoming regular attenders.

Fusion Chapters 1-3

Fusion is a book on turning first time guests into members at your church. Here are a couple of things that stood out to me:

Introduction

• God is consistently blessing His church with regular guests. Are we doing all we can to accept and honor His blessing?
• If we have only 2 first time guests a week, that's still 104 FIRST TIME GUESTS EACH WEEK!
• What are you doing with the gifts (the first time guests) God sends your way each week?
• If you're not keeping your first time guests, you must change something! Insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results.

Chapter 1: The Power of Assimilation

• A gift always demands some form of reciprocity and that my response, or lack thereof, speaks volumes to the giver.
• How you respond when you've been given a gift - and what you do with the gift itself - proves just how much you really appreciate it.
• First time guests are gifts from God.
• Encouraging people to stick around our churches ins not about making our auditoriums look full and our numbers impressive; it's about leading them to faith in Jesus.
• Assimilation moves people from the "crowd" to the "congregation" (see diagram below)

• Before the bridge can be crossed, it has to be built.
• The average church is experiencing about a 1/20 assimilation rate (New Day is currently experiencing a 1/6 assimilation rate - praise the Lord!)
• Just because you have a strong rate doesn't mean you are doing all you can do. Your rate can always get better.

Chapter 2: Biblical Hospitality

• The church is a family expecting guests.
• Assimilation is simply well-planned biblical hospitality through service.
• We ought to serve our guests better than a business would serve its guests. They are in it for dollars, we are in it for destinies!
• The more prepared a church is to receive guests, the more guests it receives. Why would God send new people to a church that is not ready to welcome and nurture them? He will never give us more than we are prepared to handle.

Chapter 3: Seven Minutes and Counting

• Impressions are based upon instrinct and emotion, not on rational thought or in-depth investigation.
• Seven minutes is all you get to make a positive first impression. In the first seven minutes of contact with your church, your first-time guests will know whether or not they are coming back. That's before a single worship song is sung and before a single word of the message is uttered.
• Every first time guest needs to be greeted, directed (told where things are), treated (given refreshments) and seated (led to open seats).
• Greeters should practically radiate the underlying message you want to send to your guests: "We are nice people, and we are glad you are here!"
• A smile can be picked up at 30 meters away. But a smile that doesn't engage the eyes is automatically interpreted as false.
• When a guest asks for directions, your staff person or greeter should not just point out the way. Instead, they should provide a personal escort.
• Food is our common ground, a universal experience (that's why we provide some for our guests). It also provides a welcome, comforting treat in any situation.

Roots and Foundations

As a tree gets bigger above ground, it's roots must go deeper underground. I'm no expert on trees but it makes sense to me that the roots must first go deeper underground before the tree can grow bigger above ground. The roots going deeper underground is preparation for the growth about to take place above ground.

In the same way, before the building is built above ground, the foundation must first be laid below ground. The foundation below ground is preparation for the growth about to take place above ground .

As it relates to New Day, we have been working really hard to develop deep roots underground in preparation for the above ground growth. We've been working on structuring each department (children's department, worship arts department, growth group department, etc). We've been getting organized and structured. And I've watched with my own two eyes that as we've developed deep organizational roots underground our church has been able to support more growth above ground. And if we're going to continue to grow, we've got to continue to deepen our roots and our foundation.

As it turns out: The only way to go up is to go down!

Water Baptism: Infant Baptism?

Throughout the New Testament, we only have records of adults being water baptized. Water baptism represents a decision that one has made to leave the old life of sin and then lead a new life of following Jesus. Infant baptism may reflect the parents' faith, but it doesn't reflect the faith of the baby.

I think the logical question then becomes: What is an appropriate age for water baptism? The Bible does not address a specific age that's a minimum requirement for water baptism. The real issue is one of the heart. When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip in Acts 8:36-39 if he could be baptized Philip responded "If you believe with all your heart, you may." Someone is old enough to be baptized when he/she is old enough to understand the decision being made. I personally tend to trust the parents discretion as to whether or not the child understands the commitment they are making.

Water Baptism: Sprinkling vs. Immersion

At New Day, when people want to be water baptized we dunk them under the water (immersion). We don't sprinkle them with water. Since we have so many people with Catholic backgrounds at New Day I thought this was worth explaining briefly.

"Yohanan the Baptizo", or John the Baptist was literally called "John the Immerser." In Greek (the language the New Testament was written in) there's a word for "immerse" and another word for "sprinkle". "Baptizo" means to immerse. If the gospel writer Matthew wanted to let us know that John sprinkled people (Matthew 3:13-17), he would have used another word: "Rhantizo."

All this to say: John the Baptist was the immerser, not "Rain Man."

Church Systems

Today I start round two of my senior pastor coaching network with Nelson Searcy. I just finished round one which was one year and now I'm starting round two which will last another year. Here's a little picture that will help explain why I'm doing the coaching network again. Sorry the font is so small!

Repitition is a must if you want to master a subject.

Anyways, in this coaching network we spend one year learning and then implementing the eight systems of the church. The church, like our body is made up of systems. In our body we have the circulatory system, the reproductive system, the cardiovascular system, etc.). When all the systems in our body are working properly it's called health. When one (or several) of the systems isn't working it's called disease. In the same way the church is made up of systems. When the systems are working properly our church is healthy. When the systems aren't working properly disease sets in.

A system is any ongoing process that Saves You Stress, Time, Energy, and Money, and contributes to produce results. And the results you are getting (or not getting) at your church are the result of your systems. The systems are only giving you the results you've set them up to give! That's why it's so important we set up our systems properly. Note: Systems are no substitue for God. You must create and implement your systems in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

With that said there are eight major systems in the church. Here's a very brief overview:

1. The Weekend Service System: how we plan, implement and evaluate the weekend services at our church
2. The Evangelism System: how we attract people to our church
3. The Assimilation System: how we move people from first time guests to members
4. The Small Groups System: how we fill and reproduce small groups at our church
5. The Volunteer System: how we mobilize people for ministry at our church
6. The Stewardship System: how we develop generous givers at our church
7. The Leadership System: how we develop leaders at all levels of our church
8. The Strategic System: how we constantly evaluate and improve our church

The key to effective systems is to have both good systems AND good people to run the systems. I think this chart here explains it well.

Since I'm always talking about or referencing my senior pastor coaching network, I thought I'd write a little summary and share with you what I'm talking about! :)

Communion

The gospel narratives (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-30) and First Corinthians 11:17-34 teach us that there are six integral parts of the communion celebration.

1. Jesus' body.

In Luke 22:19 Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you..." Isaiah 53:5 predicted that the Messiah to come would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; that he would be punished for our sins, and that by his wounds we would be healed. In dying on the cross, Jesus gave up his body to be sacrificed in our place for our sins. When we eat the bread during communion it's a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made in his body for us.

2. Jesus' blood.

Matthew 26:27 says that after breaking the bread Jesus took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood...It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." In the Old Testament the Jews would sacrifice an animal for their sins. They would first place their hands on the head of the animal and confess their sins. Then the animal was slaughtered in the presence of the sinner and it's blood was poured out. This was an illustrated lesson that the animal was dying in their place for their sins. When Jesus told his disciples that his blood would be poured out as a sacrifice he was informing them that he would die in their place for their sins. So when we drink the wine (or juice) during communion it's a reminder that Jesus poured out his blood as a sacrifice in our place and for our sins.

3. Remembering.

In reference to the bread Jesus told his disciples in Luke 22:19, "Do this to remember me." And in reference to the wine Jesus told his disciples (according to 1 Corinthians 11:25), "Do this to remember me as often as you drink it." When we eat the bread and drink the wine/juice we are to remember the sacrifice Jesus made with his body and remember the blood he poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. It's easy to forget all our Savior has done for us and communion is a time to remember. As we think on all Jesus has done for us we should well up with gratitude, which leads us to the next part of the communion celebration.

4. Thanksgiving/Praise

When someone gives you a gift the natural response is to say "thank you." The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God's gift to us is Jesus! And we ought to praise him for that. Both Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 record that after Jesus and his disciples ate the bread and drank the wine, they sang a hymn before heading out to the Mount of Olives. The hymns they sang during the Passover meal were from Psalm 113-118, which were hymns of praise and thanksgiving. Take Psalm 118:1 for example: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever." When we think on all Jesus has done for us we ought to express back to him an attitude of gratitude in our praise and worship. This is why songs are a part of the communion celebration so people can vent their gratitude to God.

5. The New Covenant

In Luke 22:20 Jesus says in reference to the cup of wine, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people..." This new covenant is also spoken of in Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, and First Corinthians 11:25 (which are the other classic passages of Scripture on communion).

The Passover Celebration (old covenant)

In the Old Testament God gave the Israelites the Passover ceremony to celebrate. The Passover was the celebration of Israel from their deliverance from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Passover was when the Israelites remembered that God had sent Moses after 430 years of slavery to deliver His people from Pharaoh, just as He had promised Abraham. You see, in Genesis 15:13-14 God promised Abraham, "You can be sure that your descendents will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth." In light of this prophetic Scripture God sent Moses to Pharaoh and demanded of him to let God's people go. Pharaoh refused so God sent ten plagues to convince him to cooperate. Just before the tenth plague God gave Israel the Passover ceremony. They would take a lamb and sacrifice it, applying its blood to the doorway of their homes and when the angel of the Lord came through to destroy the first born, if he saw the blood applied to the home, he would "pass over" the house.

Communion Celebration (new covenant)

In the New Testament Jesus gave us the communion ceremony to celebrate. Communion to us is what Passover is to the Jews. It is a reminder of our deliverance from the bondage of sin. Sin was going to cause the death of all of us as the Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 (The wages of sin is death...). Before we accept Jesus as Savior we are like the Egyptians in that we are under God's judgment with death awaiting us. But after we accept Jesus as Savior and apply his blood to our hearts by faith (not literally as the Israelites did in their doorways), so death has also "passed over" us.

The Passover ceremony is a part of the old covenant and the Communion ceremony is a part of the new covenant. Since Jesus, the lamb of God, fulfilled the Passover, by dying "once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people" (Hebrews 9:28) we no longer need to participate in the Passover rituals.

6. Hope.

Jesus said in Matthew 26:29, "Mark my words - I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom" (see also Mark 14:25 and Luke 22:16,18). And in First Corinthians 11:26 Jesus said "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again."

From these passages we are hopeful of two wonderful future events.

First, we have hope that Jesus is coming back again. First Corinthians 15:52 speaks of Jesus' return saying "For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." This is the event we know as The Rapture of the Church, where the dead in Christ will rise first and then along with them those of us who are still alive to meet the Lord in the air and be with him forever. When we take communion we ought to think about the fact that Jesus is coming back for us and that it could happen at any moment!

The second thing we have hope for is Jesus establishing his earthly kingdom for a thousand year period (often referred to as the Millenial Reign of Christ). In Acts 1:11 when the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven after his resurrection, an angel appeared to them and said, "Men of Galilee...why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Just as Jesus left the earth, one day he will return to the earth! And when he comes we will rule and reign with him for one thousand years before returning to heaven. And things on earth will be during that period as God intended in the beginning. What a glorious time that will be as Jesus leads the nations! When we take communion we must keep in mind that although things are not currently as God would like them to be, someday he is sending Jesus back to rule and reign and set things in order. Evil will be overcome and God and his followers will ultimately triumph!

I know that's a lot but all six elements are integral parts to the communion service. Let's review once more before ending:

1. Jesus' body

2. Jesus' blood

3. Remembering

4. Thanksgiving/Praise

5. The New Covenant

6. Hope