Grace Church of Philly - Simple Church Model

Simple Church Model
Grace Church of Philly
2009

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

How do we intend to carry out the Lord’s command to “make disciples” of all the nations of the world?
By having biblical values and practical discipleship commitments.

Our Values (TRIM)
Transformational
Relational
Incarnational
Missional

Our Discipleship Commitments (4G)

Biblical Basis for 4G
1 Peter 2:4-10 - 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Gather – Grow – Give - Go
1 Peter 2:5, 9 …you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house
(WE GATHER), to be a holy priesthood
(WE GROW), to offer spiritual sacrifices
(WE GIVE) acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
(WE GO).

The ‘Simple Church’ Approach

Clarity
Clarity is the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by the people.

Clarity of Commitment
Our plan to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20) is where the rubber of our vision meets the road of practical ministry.
GCP exists to Gather in Christ, to Grow like Christ, to Give to Christ,
and to Go for Christ.

Clarity of Commitment
Our discipleship commitments are also our discipleship process.
This brings simplicity, clarity, and unity to the ministry process.

We Gather at GCP
Gathering in Christ:
Gathering involves a gospel- centered celebration where diversity comes together in unity in the worship of Jesus Christ as Lord.
Gathering is primarily Sunday AM worship

We Grow at GCP
Growing like Christ – understanding and applying the implications of the gospel for all of life
Growth takes place best in relational environments where the Bible is studied and applied.
Primarily happens in Grace Groups

We Give at GCP
Giving to Christ
Giving involves the stewardship of one’s life for gospel and kingdom purposes, includes the use of one’s time, treasure, and talents.
Primarily happens through serving the church and the community in tangible ways.

We Go at GCP
Going for Christ – ministering the gospel to the church, the city, and the world
Going includes those venues outside the church where one’s gifts may be used to strengthen and advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ both locally and globally.
Primarily happens through strategic and natural efforts to share the grace of Christ.

Clarity of Values Empowers Our Commitments
TRIM
Transformational
Relational
Incarnational
Missional

TRIM
Transformational
Prayerfully depending on the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to transform any life.

TRIM
Transformational
The grace of God means that there is no one alive who is beyond the hope of redemption and transformation in Christ Jesus.

TRIM
Relational
Joyfully offering love and grace to everyone regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey.

TRIM
Relational
First, this means we will actively cultivate redemptive relationships with believers as well as non-Christians.
Second, we will be conscious of and welcoming of non-Christians in our midst.

TRIM
Relational
Third, we will communicate not just what we believe but why, in a way that invites questions, engages people in dialogue and takes a process approach(not a crisis approach) to communication.
“Many people simply have ‘process personalities’ – they will never come to faith if they are pushed. They need to come in stages.” - Tim Keller

TRIM
Incarnational
Practically living out the gospel of grace within the culture.

TRIM
Incarnational
We want to be deeply involved in our communities.
“We don’t back away from godless people but instead embrace godless people because we understand the hearts of lost people conquered by the lordship of Jesus builds the Kingdom.” –Ed Stetzer

TRIM
Missional
Intentionally committed to engage those who either do not know or misunderstand Jesus.

TRIM
Missional
Being intentional about and absolutely committed to adapting everything we do in worship, instruction, community, and service so as to be meaningfully engaged with the non-Christian society around us.

TRIM
Missional
Being missional, we understand that we are co-citizens with non-Christians and seek to build redemptive relationships in the culture instead of totally separating ourselves from the culture.

TRIM
Each of the TRIM values undergirds and empowers every aspect of the 4G commitments.

Our Gathering is Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, and Missional…
Our Growing is Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, and Missional…
Our Giving is Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, and Missional…
Our Going is Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, and Missional…

How we fulfill our commitments (4G) should always reflect our values (TRIM).

Clarity – Measuring the 4G’s
“What gets evaluated gets done.”
Q: Will evaluation aid progress?
A: Seriousness and urgency will be encouraged and the right things will be focused upon, if evaluation occurs.

We should measure horizontally not vertically, i.e. we cannot measure one’s relationship with God; we can only measure levels of involvement.
We should measure at each level in our process, i.e. the entire 4G (gathering, growing, giving, going).

We Must Have a Decongestant Attitude
Congestion is anything that hinders the sequential movement of people to greater areas of commitment.

Movement To Commitment
Movement is the sequential steps in the process that causes people to move to greater areas of commitment.
We NEED a simple process that moves people.
We want to relieve congestion!

Movement Patterns
What are our patterns of movement?
1 Peter 2:5-9
Becoming a spiritual house >>>>> being a holy priesthood >>>>> offering spiritual sacrifices >>>>> showing forth His excellencies.

Movement Patterns
Gathering>>>>>
Growing>>>>>
Giving>>>>>
Going>>>>>
Transition Transition Transition

Movement
We are interested in both qualitative and quantitativemovement.
Quantitatively we are concerned about the number of people in the 4G’s.
Qualitatively we are concerned about deepening the quality of our values (TRIM).

Alignment
Alignment is the arrangement of all ministries and staff around the same simple process.
Alignment maximizes the energy of everyone involved.

Alignment
“When a local church body is not united in the same direction, the body is ineffective. The world watches this confusion... A simple church is a congregation designed around a straight- forward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth.”

Alignment
Unite around the process
Unity is important in the values (TRIM) that empower the commitments (4G) and in the commitments themselves.

Alignment
New Ministry Alignment
How to check the fit of new and existing ministries:
1. Does it align with our 4Gdiscipleship commitments? (Ministry additions must fit the 4Gsto be launched.)
2. Will this ministry accomplish one of the 4Gs and express our TRIM values?

Alignment @ GCP

Ministry Forum*
The monthly 90-minute meeting of Ministry Forum is divided into three segments:
First Segment– Motivational Word or Training.
Second Segment – Small Meeting. Meet in four teams with Leadership Team member directing the four separate meetings, i.e 4G. Actual planning and work should be done in this segment.
Third Segment – Large Meeting. Leadership Team member gives a short synopsis of what was discussed - issues raised and suggestions given.
*In the pre-launch stage, the leadership team is the Ministry Forum.

Ministry Forum
GCP Organizational Structure

Ministry Forum
Eight Key Questions
We should always ask the following eight questions at each meeting. Even if it seems redundant, we should do it each week.
Are more of us gathering as His Church?
Does our gathering reflect our values?
Are more members of the church involved in intentional growth environments?
Do our growth venues reflect our values?

Ministry Forum
Eight Key Questions
We should always ask the following eight questions at each meeting. Even if it seems redundant, we should do it each week.
Are more of us giving of ourselves and our resources to serve others?
Does our giving reflect our values?
Are more of us involved in reaching into our community and the world with the gospel?
Does our going reflect our values?

Focus
“Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process.”

Focus
1. Eliminate non-essential programs
Ephesians 5:15-16: Pay close attention to how you walk – not as unwise people but as wise – making the most of the time because the days are evil.
Be wise stewards of time.
Be wise stewards of money.

Focus
2. Limit Adding
We must be careful not to add.
We must have the “less is more” approach.
We must provide options, not more programs.

Focus
3. Reduce Special Events
Use special events strategically so that they serve one of the 4Gs (gathering, growing, giving, going).

Focus
4. Easily Communicated
We must be able to easily communicate the simple process.
It must be our conviction and who we are.
E.g. Our 4G discipleship commitments are the discipleship process.

Focus
Gathering – continue developing a welcoming, relevant, biblical Sunday AM worship experience that reflects our values (TRIM)*.
Growing – strengthen and expand Grace Groups and other venues for growth that reflect our values.
Giving – developing service and stewardship opportunities in the church, the city, and the world that reflects our values.
Going – develop means to model and encourage glocal outreach that reflects our values.
*TRIM Values – Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, Missional.

Transitions
Developing and Defining Strategic Transitions
How do we move more people into more consistent gathering (i.e., Sunday worship)?
How do we move more people from gathering into growing (i.e., Grace Groups)?
How do we move more people from growing into giving?
How do we move more people from giving to going (both locally and globally)?

Transitions
Church-wide events, membership class, and other special events serve as bridges, or transitions, into one of the four segments of discipleship.
Bridges to Gathering
Bridges to Growing
Bridges to Giving
Bridges to Going

Transitions
Examples:
A church-wide picnic can be designed to introduce new people to the church and invite them to worship; or to take time to introduce small groups and their leaders to service opportunities.
A retreat can be focused on building relationships and introducing people to growth or service opportunities.

Transitions
Any special event needs to be designed as a bridge to transition people into one of the four segments of discipleship (4Gs).

Complexity
“Church complexity is costly. The cost is beyond time and money. The kingdom is not expanding. Lives are not being changed. Transformation is not happening. Churches are not growing” (Simple Church, p. 228).

Committed to Simplicity
May we gather in the name of Christ, reflecting our core values.
May we grow in the likeness of Christ, reflecting our core values.
May we give to the glory of Christ, reflecting our core values.
May we go for the sake of those who do not know Christ, reflecting our core values.
Core Values: Transformational, Relational, Incarnational, Missional.

Grace Church of Philly - Simple Church Model

by Grace Church of Philly

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