June 12, 2000
Church growth requires creative
response to changing environment
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___GLORIETA, N.M.--"Church growth is not so much a magic formula as it is a series of sensitive and creative responses to a changing environment," according to Steve Stroope.
___Stroope, who led Lake Pointe Baptist Church in Rockwall from 53 members in 1980to more than 5,000 in 2000, was one of the key speakers at the National Innovative Church Leadership Conference sponsored by Texas Baptist Leadership Center.
Innovative church conference highlights four working models
___"Three things make up environment," he said. "The first is our understanding of the mind of God. God does not change, but our understanding does. The second is the community in which we minister. And the third is the church itself."
___Stroope emphasized that every congregation has to find its own strategy and purpose and cannot merely transfer a program that works somewhere else and expect it to be effective.
___He quoted futurist and theologian Leonard Sweet who said congregations that try to "do Willow Creek find themselves up a Willow Creek without a Hybels."
___Willow Creek is an often-studied and imitated innovative congregation in suburban Chicago headed its visionary pastor, Bill Hybels.
___Reaching people requires a "clear, concise biblical purpose," a reliance on the sovereignty of God and intentional prayer, Stroope said.
___He and Minister of Education Carter Shotwell said the purpose statement of the church has "not changed much" in the 20 years since it was founded.
___Shotwell quoted the purpose statement: "Share the love of God with unchurched people in the Lake Ray Hubbard community and the world in such a way that they have the best opportunity to become fully developing followers of Jesus Christ."
___The purpose of the church is to reach unchurched people and then to develop them into fully developing followers of Christ, he explained.
___The church emphasizes four parts of the process of creating "fully developing followers," Shotwell said.
___"The first is to worship God. The second is to live by God's word. The third is to contribute to God's work. And the fourth is to have an impact on God's world. No one is there yet, and we must continue to develop in all four areas."
___When a person becomes a member of Lake Point, he or she makes five basic commitments, Stroope said.
___The first is to become involved in adult Bible fellowship. "A person can't join the church without making a commitment to go to adult Bible fellowship."
___The second is that the new member agrees to serve somewhere in the church. "There is no committee on committees, where somebody can get stuck in a job. We let people experiment in finding their spiritual gift."
___The third is to give in a biblical way. "We expect our people to give systematically, proportionately and sacrificially."
___The fourth is that "as long as they are a member, they will keep a list of three people they are actively witnessing to."
___The fifth is that at least once a year every member must work in the nursery. "He or she can choose the age group and whether it is in Sunday School or worship, but they are expected to participate at least annually."
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