Focus on Reproduction, Mentor's Guide, MG12

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F O C U S O N R E P R O D U C T I O N

Giving People a Little More Incentive

(Adapted from a true story) One church, in an effort to get more people interested and involved in their growing church, determined to give visitors a little more incentive to come to their Sunday services. The church began to advertise to the public that every Sunday after service they would be conducting a raffle where the lucky winner could win as much as $800! When asked about the advisability of such a tactic, those involved said, “Why shouldn’t we use any means at our disposal to lure and woo people to a service that will not merely promise a handful of dollars but the eternal treasures of life in Jesus Christ?” Not only was the raffle successful, increasing the number of worshipers in the service, it has emboldened the church to think of even bigger and better “lures” to get the lost to come hear the Good News. What is right or wrong in such an approach to church growth? Without the authorization of any parent church or ministry, a dear couple determined to follow through on a burden they had had for some time. In an act of courage and faith, they began a Bible study with an intent to plant a church that would be self-sufficient and godly. God has blessed their effort; in less than two years they have grown to a robust congregation of 300 active members, all who love the Lord and the “first family” of the pastor with their whole hearts. A gentle strife has been brewing lately, because a group feels more and more that the authority of the pastor and his wife seem almost absolute and dictatorial; nothing can be done or decided in the church without their involvement and endorsement. Some are suggesting that this goes against the teaching of the Bible on the lordship of Jesus, who is the Church’s one true and only head. If the church asked you to give a teaching on this, how would you advise them to apply the lordship of Jesus to their situation? God Is in This

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Let’s Start Our Own Service

In a growing but small urban church, the young people are completely frustrated with the traditional congregational services. Although the pastor’s teaching is fresh and edifying, and the believers in the church are loving and caring, the styles embraced in the services are so traditional and old fashioned that many of the young people coming to the church feel left out and alienated. The pastor, affirming our