Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Introduction!

 

Prayer

Mark 10:46-52

Introduction:

 

     A.   I can remember the church I grew up in from age 6 through almost 16.  It was about the same size when we moved as it was when we started attending there.  A few folks passed away.  A few others came and joined but not that many.  We just maintained.  Maybe decreased!  We tried different programs!  We had revivals!  We did everything we thought we were suppose  to do, but we did not grow.

 

          Then we moved.  We started to a church that was growing.  It grew to the place we were putting chairs out in the isles.  They had to start talking about building.  I don’t remember that church doing any revivals!  I don’t remember them doing any programs!

 

          What was the difference?

 

     B.   As I think back, I think it probably had to do with practices!  What is a practice?

 

     C.   Pastors come and go, and they all have these programs they

          want to try.  Isn=t this just another program that will come

          and go?

    

D.   How is this different?

 

Trans:

As we start a series on AThe Five Practices of Fruitful

Congregations@ these are just some of the questions we’ll

look at this morning!

 

I.   Let=s look at our scripture:

 

     A.   This is a scripture Bis. Bruce Ough used to identify four

          qualities of healthy congregational life.

 

B.   I haven=t read that sermon, but as I look at the text, I can see the four qualities he cited emerge.

 

C.   Radical Hospitality - The blind man was a nobody, but Jesus Radically accepted him!

 

     1.   It is easy for us to be hospitable to people who are like  us or who we see value in.

     2.   It is radical hospitality for us to be hospitable to  people who by all earthly standards are nobodies. 

     3.   That is what Jesus did here in our scripture today!

 

D.   Passionate Worship - Look how passionately the blind man addresses Jesus and with what expectation he had that Jesus would do something!

 

     1.   We all rely heavily on God!

     2.   We all are blessed much by God in our everyday lives!

     3.   Do we expect God to do something in our lives?

     4.   How passionately do we address God?

     5.   How much expectation do we bring to worship?

 

E.   Faith-Forming Relationships - Jesus models this with his disciples!

 

     1.   Jesus had 12 disciples that he spent most of his time  with. This miracle happens when Jesus is traveling along

          with his disciples.  This is a teaching moment!

     2.   He believed in faith forming relationships!

 

F.   Risk-Taking Service - This is just one time that Jesus reaches out to the outcast and down-trodden; it can be risk taking to do that. What will others think.  What will other Christians think?

 

G.   From those original thoughts, Bis Schnase added one more: Extravagant generosity.

 

H.   We will look at these more fully and how they effect our ability to be a fruitful congregation in the weeks ahead.

 

II.  Thus, the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations emerge:

 

A.   What is a practice?

 

1.      I can remember my years as a lay person in the church.

2.      The new pastor arrives; what new program will they want to try?

3.      Here we go again.

 

B.   A practice is not a program.

 

1.   Revivals are programs.

2.   When I was a layperson, we had Friend Day!  Friend Day is a program!

3.   Brunches, Ice Cream socials, or any planned dinners are programs!

1.      V.B.S. or Sunday School is a program!

 

C.   A program is only effective if the practices of the church are effective.

 

     1.   Most obviously, if we have a program and we only talk to each other, it will fail in its ability to bring new  people into the church.

     2.   If we have the practices in place, everything we do as we  gather as the church will draw people to Christ!

 

D.   Practices are those things we do every day and everywhere we are as a church; they are a part of our make-up.  They are, in some cases, a part of our DNA, but in others, they can be learned.

 

E.   Our practices, affect everything we do.

 

F.   Programs come and go, but our practices should be with us whenever we gather as the church.

 

III. The adjectives used to describe the practice intensify the practice

in the Bishop Schnase’s book.

 

A.   Only when these practices are done to excellence do they really make us a fruitful congregation!

 

B.   Just exercising the practice so so, on any of these, leaves room for growth.

 

IV.  So what are the AFive Practices@ the Bishop names:

 

A.   Radical Hospitality: when people encounter the church for worship, small groups, or any activity they must be met with Radical Hospitality.  What is that and how can we do that?  We will look at that.

 

B.   Passionate Worship: how can our worship be passionate, not only for us, but also for the visitor who walks through the door? How can our worship be more than just going through the motions?

 

C.   Intentional Faith Development: how can we organize what we do so that people encounter Christ in worship and are really discipled in faith Aintentionally?@

 

D.   Risk-taking mission and service: this should be an outcome of being discipled in faith, finding our place to serve.

 

E.   Extravagant generosity: what is this talking about?  How do we go about it?

 

V.   What difference will it make for us as a church? 

 

     A.   It will make the difference whether or not we continue to grow!

 

     B.   It will make the difference whether or not we are able to make  disciples for Christ in an effective, fruitful way!

 

Conclusion:

A.   So are you ready to take an honest look at ourselves?

 

B.   Let=s determine to grow as we look at ourselves in the weeks ahead.

 

C.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, let’s commit to do that!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion