8 principles for churches that want to grow

A recent article by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and the resurgence discusses 8 principles of churches that want to grow.....

1. Begin with the end in mind and know how large you are aiming to be.
2. The larger the church, the more different that church is from other churches of the same theology and tradition
3. Change is inevitable
4. Don't assign moral judgements to size and change
5. If you want to grow you need to prepare for common changes now.
6. Be humble as a leader to seek the counsel of pastors ahead of you and receive their counsel.
7. Discern between guilt and conviction in seasons of transition
8. Pray and plan for people to meet Jesus.

To read the article in full visit  http://theresurgence.com/2012/05/07/8-principles-for-churches-that-want-to-grow

Ideas for Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday is an important festival in the life of the church.   It celebrates and commerates the promise that Jesus  made to send another counsellor and it also links Christianity and the Holy Spirit to an Old Testament festival Shavuot, a festival of Harvest. 
Following are some links to ideas about Pentecost and how to celebrate Pentecost.

Worship
Textweek
Lutheran Church of Australia
Lutheran Church of Australia planning page (only available 2 weeks before)
Wishing Well
Richard Fairchild's suggestions
phaith of saint phransus
Anglican diocese of Winchester


Youth
Rethinking Youth ministries suggestions

Children
Max 7 site
Uniting Church of Australia
Salvation Army Australia site
DLTK growing together
Sunday software's ideas
Teacher planet

Article
An article on preaching from cyberbrethren
St Pauls Kingsville church
Wikipedia pentecost article



Videos

Book: Go make disciples an invitation to baptismal living

This highly-informative handbook is intended to help congregations implement the task of making disciples in their own community.   Go Make Disciples provides updated resources for preparing adults for baptism or affirmation of baptism, and for Christian discipleship.  Appropriate for a wide range of Protestant denominations, especially Lutheran, Episcopal, Anglican, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed traditions.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

14 . . . . . Welcome to Making Disciples!

16 . . . . . Using This Handbook

18 . . . . . The Shift from Membership to Discipleship

21 . . . . . Shifting to Discipleship: Stories from the Field

23 . . . . . Understanding the Process for Making Disciples

26 . . . . . A Ministry of Welcome

28 . . . . . An Overview of the Disciple Making Process

30 . . . . . An Overview of Rites of Discipleship

32 . . . . . What Is Offered to People Who Are Already Baptized?

33 . . . . . Baptized People Are Invited to Discipleship

34 . . . . . Non-member Parents Requesting Baptism for Their Children

Getting Started

38 . . . . . Why Be Involved in Making Disciples?

44 . . . . . Why Should the Congregation Care about Making Disciples?

45 . . . . . Is the Congregation Ready to Do This?

50 . . . . . Evangelization and Making Disciples

52 . . . . . Encouraging Relational Evangelism

53 . . . . . Starting a Disciple Making Team

58 . . . . . The Pastor’s Role in the Disciple Making Process

61 . . . . . Recruiting and Training Team Members

63 . . . . . Leadership Skills

64 . . . . . Scheduling the Disciple Making Process

66 . . . . . Launch Guide for Making Disciples

68 . . . . . Fifty Ways to Involve the Congregation in Making Disciples

Inquiry

76 . . . . . Snapshot of Inquiry

77 . . . . . Welcome

78 . . . . . Actions of the Inquiry Stage

79 . . . . . Gathering Inquirers

82 . . . . . Suggested Outline of an Initial Inquiry Session

84 . . . . . Storytelling

87 . . . . . Identifying Sponsors

89 . . . . . Suggested Outline of Subsequent Inquiry Sessions

91 . . . . . Preparation for the Rite of Welcome

Exploration

94 . . . . . Snapshot of Exploration

95 . . . . . Reflection on the Rite of Welcome

96 . . . . . Exploration

97 . . . . . Actions of the Exploration Stage

99 . . . . . Suggested Outline of Weekly Exploration Sessions

101 . . . . Topics for Groups in the Exploration Stage

102 . . . . Intercessory Prayer for Disciple Making Groups

103 . . . . Discernment for Baptism

104 . . . . Preparation and Rehearsal for the Rite of Enrollment

Intense Preparation

108 . . . . Snapshot of Intense Preparation

109 . . . . Reflection on the Rite of Enrollment

110 . . . . Intense Preparation

111 . . . . Baptismal Preparation

112 . . . . Ideas for Lent and the Three Days

114 . . . . Suggested Outline of Weekly Sessions during the Stage of Intense

Preparation

116 . . . . Additional Suggestions for Sessions during the Stage of Intense

Preparation

119 . . . . Retreat for Candidates and Sponsors

120 . . . . Water Life: A Bible Study on Baptism and Water Images

122 . . . . Preparation for Baptism and Affirmation of Baptism

Baptismal Living

126 . . . . Snapshot of Baptismal Living

127 . . . . Reflection on Baptism or the Affirmation of Baptism

128 . . . . Baptismal Living Sessions

129 . . . . Ideas for the Easter Season

131 . . . . Mystagogical Reflection

133 . . . . Ministry in Daily Life

134 . . . . Exercises in Identifying Ministries in Daily Life

136 . . . . Preparation for the Rite of Affirmation of Vocation

137 . . . . Beyond Baptism and Affirmation of Baptism

Additional Resources

140 . . . . Scripture Reflection Methods

               African Bible Study or Collatio

               Visualizing the Text

               Martin Luther’s Four-Stranded Garland

144 . . . . Supplemental Models for Disciple Making Sessions

149 . . . . Small Group Blessings and Prayers

               Prayers before Reading the Scriptures

               Prayers and Thanksgivings after Reading and Praying the Scriptures

               Prayers and Blessings to Conclude a Session

               Additional Prayers and Blessings

156 . . . . Rehearsing the Rites

159 . . . . A Word to Preachers

162 . . . . Preaching to Catechumens

165 . . . . Sampling the Ecumenical Rites

168 . . . . Denominational Rites for Making Disciples

173 . . . . Constructing a Temporary Font

174 . . . . Praying for Those Preparing for Baptism and the Newly Baptized

176 . . . . Making Disciples in Intercultural Settings

181 . . . . Adapting the Process of Making Disciples to Your Congregation

183 . . . . Cata-What? A Brief History of the Catechumenate

186 . . . . Forming Christians, Transforming Congregations

189 . . . . Dates for Easter and Related Days

191 . . . . Contributors

193 . . . . Acknowledgments

195 . . . . Glossary

201 . . . . Bibliography

207 . . . . Contents of Companion CD-ROM
To order this book visit:
http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/17352/Go-Make-Disciples-An-Invitation-to-Baptismal-Living?c=257595

as this book has recently been released it is yet to appear on Amazon or on the list of their non US distributors....if you live outside the US or Canada visit http://www.augsburgfortress.org/company/international.jsp to find your local distributor

Top 100 contemporary worship songs - CCLI Songselect

Song Select - a division of ccli currently has made available a list of the top 100 contemporary songs sung in worship.

Along with this list a mp3 sample, lyrics, music for chords, music for vocals, music for lead...

This is well worth a visit for any church using contemporary worship.

Visit https://au.songselect.com/search/ccli-top-songs

Wiki 52: equipping sacramental church leaders to reach God's lost people

The 5 2 network is again presenting the wikiconference.

The 5 2 network   is a “how to” network equipping sacramental church leaders to more effectively reach God’s lost people. FiveTwo provides communication and knowledge through fivetwo.com, facebook and twitter. We also encourage collaboration and camaraderie through Wikiconference, our annual gathering, and FiveTwo Locals, regional gatherings happening regularly around the United States.

This year's conference includes:
34 speakers
Church Planting track
Multi Site track
Multi Ethnic track
Revitalization track
Missional Communities track
Leadership and coaching track
Organisational Development track
Worship Arts track

The conference is being held 24th to 26th September 2012 at Katy Texas. 

For more details visit http://www.wiki52.com/