Church Multiplication Network Blog

Time to Celebrate

Jerilyn Osborn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:45:34 +0000

As you go about your ministry and trying to reach the lost, sometimes it’s great to hear encouraging stories from out in the field. Listed below are a handful of praise reports from your fellow church planters. We encourage you to take a few minutes to read over them and celebrate what God is doing in church plants across the nation.

“Our second largest community connection event was October 31. We prayed for 300 people to attend and God brought over 400. Thirty-six committed people helped us make this night full of smiles and connection.” - Pastor Jim Barton

“We set a new attendance record with 58 in October!” - Pastor Kerry Brown

“We had an awesome Kid’s Celebration Day on October 31. It was raining during the set-up and tear down, but the 2:00-5:00 p.m. window when the event took place was clear. Approximately 400 people were there.” - Pastor Andy Casper

“Each week brings news of how somebody has reached others for God. We are working together to bring health to the family of God.” - Pastor Mike Field

“God is doing incredible things in our people’s lives. People who are coming with a lot of pain and emotional baggage (divorce, depression, addiction, etc.) are being healed and beginning to follow Christ!” - Pastor Paul Stewart

What’s in a Logo?

Jerilyn Osborn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:50:04 +0000

There are a lot of things to consider when planting a church, such as who should be on your launch team or where you will meet for services. But did you realize that you should be putting some thought into your new church’s logo? Recently Collide Magazine highlighted some basic principles to consider when creating your logo and how a good logo can shape people’s perceptions of your church.

How does your logo stack up?

Giving Made Easy

Jerilyn Osborn — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:29:20 +0000

Hey Matching Fund Churches! Did you know that there is now an online giving option for you to replenish the Matching Fund? It’s true!

Simply visit the AG Web site and under the ‘Donate’ tab, click on ‘Search by Ministry’. In the ‘Ministry ID’ box, enter your church’s identification number, also known as your GPH account number. From there, follow the prompts and enter your payment amount and credit card information., making sure to note that your payment is a Matching Fund replenishment. It’s as simple as that.

And for those who are simply interested in getting involved and supporting church planting and seeing changed lives, you can give as well. Follow the same steps as above, making sure to designate your donation for the Church Multiplication Network.

If you have any questions about the Matching Fund or replenishments, call the CMN Matching Fund Specialist, Trevor Birch, at 417.862.1447 x 3504.

Nine Churches and Counting

Jerilyn Osborn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:53:42 +0000

Jack Thomas is the pastor of LifeStone Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which will launch in the Spring of 2010. Watch the video below as Jack shares the needs and reasons for planting a church on the South Side of Pittsburgh. LifeStone will be the ninth church planted out of Allison Park Church.

LifeStone Community Focus Video from Jack Thomas on Vimeo.

Why You Should Use Twitter

Jerilyn Osborn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:31:13 +0000

As church planters, you minister to those in your church and community by experiencing life with them. While that may be a huge circle of people, imagine how many lives you could reach through social media.

Collide Magazine recently did an article suggesting that by using Twitter, you could be a witness to more than just those who you see on a regular basis. By sharing your tweets, those who are unsaved and follow your updates are able see a difference in your life and your ministry could extend far beyond your local community.

We want to hear from you. What other forms of media are you using to reach out to a wider range of people?

Top 5 Joys of Support Raising

Jerilyn Osborn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:48:36 +0000

As a high school quarterback, I led the whole city of Dallas in two impressive stats: number of interceptions and number of times sacked! I was mainly to blame for our bust of a season because I would get so nervous, and my hands would shake so badly, that I developed a ritual of fumbling the first snap of every game. So terrified of messing up, I would literally sweat through my bed sheets the night before each game! The strange thing was after I got pummeled on that opening play, the game day jitters were behind me - and I was totally into it. With my adrenaline pumping wildly, there was no other place on the planet I would rather be…than on that field. All of that self-inflicted torture I brought on myself leading up to kickoff instantly switched to absolute joy at the completion of the first pass or touchdown.

Click here to read more by Steve Shadrach.

A Look at the Future

Jerilyn Osborn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:23:35 +0000

It’s no secret that in recent years there has been a change to the way church is done. From the methods to the atmosphere, the dress code to the venue, it’s just a little different than when you were growing up.

Taking into account various factors, Collide Magazine speculates on what the church of 2034 might look like, including church size, music and sermons.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think church will look like 25 years from now?

Ready for the Conversation?

Jerilyn Osborn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:41 +0000

The Church Multiplication Network Team is looking forward to seeing all of our registrants at the Multi-Site Forum tomorrow. We’ll get started at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow in the Palm Ballroom at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Minneapolis.

Get ready for 24 hours of conversation with your peers as well as experts in the field of church multiplication. And for those of you who haven’t signed up yet but will be in the area, there’s still time to register. Click here for more details and we’ll see you there!

Abilities and Responsibilities of a Coach

Jerilyn Osborn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:11:36 +0000

A coach must have the ability to understand what is required in the specific coaching interaction, and it is important, at the very beginning of the relationship, for the congregation and the coach to come to an agreement regarding the coaching process. Agreement should be reached about what is appropriate in the relationship and what is not, what is and is not being offered, and about the congregation and coach’s responsibilities. It is also very important to determine early on whether there is an effective match between the coach’s method and the needs of the prospective congregation.

The question of whether the chemistry is right to create a safe, supportive environment that produces ongoing mutual respect and trust. For this trust to be established the coach must show genuine concern for the congregation’s welfare and future. He/she must continuously demonstrate personal integrity, honesty and sincerity by establishing clear agreements, keeping promises, and demonstrating respect for the congregation’s perceptions, learning style, and personal being. A biblical coach will provide ongoing support for and champion new behaviors and actions. This will result in motivating the congregation to overcome the fear of failure.

Click here to read more by Sam Farina.

“I wanted to meet a need”

Jerilyn Osborn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:04:10 +0000

Ryann Johnson, a church planter from Chicago, explains why he chose to start an after-school program first and plant later.

Ryann Johnson from Church Multiplication on Vimeo.