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March
13, 2007 | Issue #44 |
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The Big Idea, recently released as part of Leadership Network's Innovation Series with Zondervan, outlines a strategy for churches to creatively communicate one "Big Idea" during each week's worship experience and see people live it out. The ideas are based on how the leaders of Community Christian Church (Naperville, IL) and its NewThing Network plan weekend message content that integrates with adult, student and children's curriculum. Lead author Dave Ferguson responds:
How did The Big Idea originate?
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Every Sunday, church attendees are bombarded with dozens and perhaps hundreds of little ideas. It starts perhaps with a clever but "little idea" saying on the sign out in front of the church building. It continues with a few more little ideas in the program or bulletin that you are handed. Throughout the worship service, the singing, the announcements, the teaching hit you with several more distinct little ideas. There is no way someone can actually live out all those little ideas!
Jen's Story
Jen Pedley came to Community Christian Church in 2000 and soon made a commitment to follow Christ. She was then baptized, began doing life with a small group of believers and joined a vocal team. In 2004, she and her husband Ken packed up their kids, leaving behind a job and home to move with a group of people from Chicago to the Detroit area to start 242 Community Church. Why? The Big Idea of following Jesus to accomplish His mission.
Jen shares how The Big Idea impacted her life . . .
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Too often the message conveyed through all these little ideas is that the Bible only has to be heard and does not have to be lived out. Our experience is if we can communicate one Big Idea every week to adults, students and children and insist that they live it out, then we begin to create communities of transformation and not just information.
What are one or two "lessons learned" about
communicating the Big Idea to others?
Less is more. In the Matthew 4:19 account of Jesus meeting Peter and Andrew, he gave them one Big Idea . . .
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So Different From Their Parents
Young people under the age of 25 (Generation Y) have significantly different views from their Baby Boomer parents. A national survey of 18-25 year olds on politics, social attitudes and life goals show that while they are more tolerant of immigration and gay marriage, their life goals are much more superficial. |
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Web 2.0 Growing Faster Than Online Video, News
Web 2.0 sites--defined loosely as those allowing users to "talk" to their "friends" via e-mail, messaging, blogs, and other social media tools--are the fastest-growing category on the Web, doubling traffic over the last year. That put Web 2.0 ahead of categories including news and information, ISPs, video and movies and family resources. |
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Mega Donors on the Rise
21 Americans gave at least $100 million to charitable causes in 2006, setting a new philanthropic giving record. Warren Buffett's $43.5 billion donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and several other organizations was the biggest commitment. But even without it, 2006 was a blockbuster year. Not counting Buffett's gifts, wealthy Americans committed $7 billion, compared with $4.3 billion in 2005. (Chronicle of Philanthropy 2/22/07) |
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Externally Focused Church Conference
Are you an externally focused church looking for the next step in your community involvement? Are you curious about what it means to be externally focused, and are looking for practical strategies and systems that work?
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Learnings Blog
From hot books to hot churches, the Leadership Network Learnings Blog offers an insider's tour of what we're learning and thinking. The smorgasbord of ideas and observations is updated several times a week by various Leadership Network staffers, based on what we're learning. |
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Growing a Recovery Ministry: Context-Sensitive Innovations and Christ-Centeredness Define Successful Programs
by Meagan Taylor
Successful recovery ministries rely on Christ and divine guidance as central to their continuation. Prayer--by the leadership, over the ministry and at every gathering--is the answer these churches give most often when asked how they have developed. This paper shares the stories of several churches and ministries that have successfully gone through the process of growing a recovery ministry. Download this free resource to read these powerful stories. |
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| You
can find valuable information on a variety of ministry
topics by visiting the Leadership Network Advance
Archives. |
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Growing a Recovery Ministry |
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Beyond "Making Budget" For Your Church |
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Missional Skills for Missional Thinkers |
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The Engagement Matrix: Enlarging The Heart, Expanding the Kingdom |
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