The Church Revitalizer

THE

CHURCH

Nov/Dec 2018 Vol 5 Issue 6

Revitalizer A Revitalization Retreat in Every Issue

Developing Significant

Benchmarks IN Church Revitalization

“The only magazine dedicated to Church Revitalization.�

From The Editor Developing Strategic Benchmarks for Revitalization Church Revitalization Benchmarks are the result of actions. A benchmark is a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed. For the local church working in revitalization and renewal they identify completed actions of projects, activities, or tasks. Most revitalization strategies develop these actions in the past tense when writing them. That is so they are easily marked off when they are completed. Benchmarking is a way to anticipate near future performance against an external desired criterion. As we explore the creation of critical benchmarks for the renewing church in this edition of the magazine, remember that if crucial benchmarks are not achieved, the church revitalization project will probably not be successful. If it does survive the beginning stages without achieving the benchmarks, it will usually be stunted in its growth far into the future. Reviewing your action steps towards achieving a benchmark allows you to see the progress you and your church are making. When all actions connected with a benchmark are completed, the benchmark can be checked off as having been accomplished. Achieving benchmarks along the journey of revitalization allows the church an occasion for celebration. Effective benchmarks will demonstrate the following characteristics: They will be consistent with the renewing church’s vision, values, mission statement, and church structure plan. -They will be realistic in terms of time projections, prerequisites and sequence. -They will demonstrate a steady flow of relationship between benchmarks with no breaks. Developing benchmarks is not fixed in concrete but can be adapted to any size church revitalization project. Every writer in this edition has had to develop benchmarks for revitalization. Within this edition we want to look at Developing Strategic Benchmarks for Revitalization. Stay connected, more is coming!

ChurchRevitalizer.Guru

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the Founder and Directional Leader of Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and Executive Editor of the Church Revitalizer.

Contents

Benchmarking a Strategic Planning Process Tom Cheyney

p. 10

Benchmarking Your Ministry Terry Rials

p. 12

When I Was Murdered Don’t Become a Blockbuster Church Lee Kricher

Joel Breidenbaugh

p. 22

THE LEADERSHIP LINK… Evaluating Revitalization Michael Atherton

p. 30

GARDENING Model for Mentoring Young Leaders George Thomasson

p. 34

p. 16 The Revitalizer

Book Review Rob Hurtgen

p. 62 4

•ReClaimed Church: How Churches Grow, Decline, and Experience Revitalization •Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in America’s Hearthland

Nov/Dec | Vol 5, No 6

Seven Benchmarks of Church Health Markers on the Road to Revitalization

Bob Whitesel

p. 46

You Don’t Lost Weight by Stepping on the Scale Bud Brown

Steve Smith

p. 38

Are Your Developing and Overcomer Culture in Your Church? Darwin Meighan

p. 52

p. 50

A God-Called, Sold-Out, Risk-Taking Model is Imperative for Revitalization

Dealing with Baggage

Tracy Jaggers

David Jackson

p. 68

p. 72

Also in this issue:

How Are We Doing? p. 58

Milemarkers for a Vibrant Children’s Ministry p. 18

Pain, Problems, and Possibilities: Catalysts for Positive Change p. 62

Bill Hegedus

Tell the Story p. 28 Ron Smith

Small Group Benchmarks p. 40

Mark Weible

Ken Priddy

Benchmarks of Revitalization p. 66 Kenneth Priest

Fred Boone

Facing Reality p. 78

Superiority of Lead Measures Over Lag Measures p. 44

Steve Sells

Chad McCarthy

Pete Tackett

I know it When I see It p. 80 5

THE

CHURCH

Revitalizer Volume 5, No. 6

The Church Revitalizer Is published bi-monthly by Renovate Publishing Group 1906 West Lee Road Orlando, FL 32810 Email: ChurchRevitalizer.guru

PUBLISHER Executive Editor Dr. Tom Cheyney Associate Publisher Mark Weible Associate Publisher Circulation & Marketing Tom King

The Church Revitalizer Q&A: What is The Church Revitalizers purpose? To help churches that need to be reinvigorated and renewed effectively receive help in issues that revitalizers face everyday. Articles, resources, and information are gathered from authors all over the country who have been through, or may currently be in, the revitalization process and we want to share their knowledge. How can I write for The Church Revitalizer? Contact us at Goba@goba.org How do I get help with subscription issues? Go to churchrevitalizer.guru to renew, order a gift, or resolve any issues. May I reprint articles? Yes, if it’s for church education, for small group purposes, is less than 1,000 copies and is not offered for resale. Please contact us for more information.

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Brand Manager Tom Cheyney Magazine Designer & Format Editor Ashleigh Cheyney Director of Advertising Renovate Staff Web Ad Traffic Director Mark Weible For subscription information contact this office at: www.churchrevitalizer.guru/subscriptions. Subscriptions donations are $30.00 per year for six issues, $52.00 for two years (12 issues). Outside the U.S. add $10.00 per year prepaid.

Stock images from ISTOCK Photo, Unsplash or where otherwise noted. Š Copyright 2018 Renovate Publishing Group

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Checkout our lineup of resources that will help you revitalize your church.

www.RenovateConference.org/bookstore

Benchmarking a Strategic Planning Process By Tom Cheyney Do you not know that those who run in a race all run? And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air (1 Cor. 9:24-26). A common mistake made in declining churches is to be driven by their calendar and not compelled by critical benchmarks. Benchmark planning is one of the most important aspects of the renewal planning process, because project benchmarks are the most visible indicators of project progress. Benchmarks typically mark critical decision points, the completion of major project tasks and the ends of various project phases. Benchmarks are tools used in project management to mark specific points along a revitalization project timeline. Essentially, you want to make the most important events of your revitalization project as benchmarks so that they are easily viewed and mapped by the church revitalization team. Benchmarks are given additional significance over tasks in a plan so that the revitalization team can track the tasks while the congregation can focus on forward progress.

What are Benchmarks? Benchmarks are the results of actions. They identify completed components of your projects. (These need to be written in past tense as they show completed actions.) Benchmarks measure progress in your project. In our Church Revitalization Boot Camps one exercise we experience is when church leaders along with their pastor identify where they are as a church presently. Then they also define where the church needs to go in moving forward toward

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renewed health and vitality. Benchmarks are important because: they can tell you if your church is falling behind the needs of the community, and allow you to refocus and catch up on your revitalization strategy. They also help your revitalization team to intercede at a moment’s notice, and allow you to diagnose reoccurring issues that have yet to be resolved in the declining church. When Benchmarks are arranged in logical sequence, and relationships between the benchmarks are established, a strategic plan has been outlined. Completed tasks are actions required to accomplish the benchmarks. A benchmark may be “four new Home Groups launched.� What actions need to take place for that to happen? The actions might include, potential members identified, leaders enlisted and trained, meeting space secured, and materials ordered. Critical benchmarks must be achieved or the objective will not be attained and the church most likely will not move to the next desired level of growth. There may one hundred benchmarks to accomplish in the next twelve months, but only half a dozen would be critical benchmarks.

Characteristics of Effective Benchmarks What are the characteristics of effective benchmarks? They are consistent with vision, values, mission statement and church system design, and they are realistic in terms of time projections and sequence to enable a steady flow of relationships between benchmarks. In revitalization the development of benchmarks may be many but there will only be about twelve significant ones. Not everything is critical. There may be only ten to twelve critical benchmarks in a church revitalization process.

Seven

Here are Benchmarks Towards Success in Your Revitalization Project. Ask yourself the following: Is There a Clear Vision for Renewal? Every church member knows the objective in revitalization is to bring back renewed health and vitality to the congregation. Whatever the vision is it needs to be clearly and succinctly communicated in a memorable, easy to embrace way. This vision comes from God’s leading, not man’s invention, but “without a vision the people perish.”

Is There a Clear Strategy with Distinct Goals in Place? There is a plan to achieve the vision for revitalization. Church leaders are operating with reasonable, attainable, measurable and worthy goals. They have the resources in place to complete them.

Has There Been a Great Team Recruited? You will spin your wheels and never have good traction if you fail to recruit a great team in your church. You simply can’t do it alone. Consider this, because someone was a good fit yesterday doesn’t mean they always will be. Church members are always the greatest assets, but they can also be the greatest hindrance to achieving success if they are the wrong people. Continually assessing whether the right players are in place is critical to the revitalization progress.

Is There a Resolve to Persevere and Endure? I never knew how big this one was until I was in a church that was already in decline and I had come to restart it. Some of the people that I thought were the most dedicated actually were not. That hurt the congregation. If a declining church wants to be successful in renewal, there must be a strong, committed core of people who are in it for the long haul, regardless of the setbacks and disappointments, which will naturally come.

Is There a Communal, Celebratory, and Fun Atmosphere? People in revitalization need to have fun! There should be a joy in the revitalization journey. Team members need to know that they are valued, that they are part of something bigger than today, and that they can laugh, cry, and do life together as a family. Revitalization team’s loose commitment and get bored quickly when renewal is not mixed with fun and celebration.

Have the Tasks Been Divided Equitably? I was naive early in my leadership as a pastor to believe everyone shared my work ethic. They don’t. If a declining church is going to succeed, everyone must pull his or her weight. There can be no dawdlers. There is much hard work to be done.

Is Communication Fluent and Frequent? This is a tough one, because as the church begins to grow again, people will naturally know less and less about everything. There’s a danger of silos developing if people aren’t continually engaged as a team. A huge challenge for any successful revitalization effort is effectively communicating with the entire congregation.

Tom Cheyney is the Founder & Directional Leader of the RENOVATE National Church Revitalization Conference (RenovateConference.org). Some of Tom’s books include: The Church Revitalizer as Change Agent, Slaying the Dragons of Church Revitalization: Dealing with the Critical Issues that are Hurting Your Church; and Church Revitalization in Rural America: Restoring Churches in America’s Heartland. Tom lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Cheryl and travels all over North America assisting declining churches by bringing revitalization and renewal to the congregations.

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