Rising Above the Plateau

Is it possible to take a church that has plateauamized (new word from the root plateau) to higher ground? The answer is yes, but it will not be easy! It doesn’t happen overnight- it is a gradual process. The following list has proven to be key factors for this giant task. It may not be exclusive but will definitely help make things happen in your church!

Make sure you have been called by God- At times life will be stressful, tiring, and you will often mentally overload. The only way you will move forward is by staying focused on the one who called you.

Let the people know you love them and are there to care for them- Visit their homes and especially make hospital visits (even to extended family members). Show genuine interest in their lives. Pray with them before you leave their homes.

Understand the mindset of the people- You cannot change a state of comfort unless you know how they got into that position. By understanding the details help them tear down the walls little by little. People arrive at traditions and comfort zones through a variety of avenues. Don’t be a dictator, be an aggressive leader AND shepherd. Ask questions and communicate clearly about all issues in the church.

Constantly promote unity- Promote a family atmosphere that expresses love for one another through action. Teach the church to be patient and gentle with one another. Church members will feel comfortable to bring their friends to a place where there is love in house! Ephesians 4:1-3

Preach Motivational Messages- Personal Evangelism, Devotion, Servant-hood, Participation, Worship, Unity, Real vs. Religious, Love, and Missions are subjects that should be promoted frequently.

Implement a special prayer time during worship services- The prayer during the offering doesn’t count! Encourage people to come to the altar and lift their request to the Lord. People are constantly encountering struggles and circumstance that cause pain and suffering in their life. Teach them to rely on God when life throws a curve ball. Also use this prayer time as an opportunity for people to pray for unchurched friends and family. Many will not come to the altar, but you can encourage them to turn their seat into an altar before God!

Give time and clear explanations for everything you feel God is leading you to do- Take several weeks or even months to implement new ministries or changes. During the process share ideas and encourage everyone to pray about those ideas over a period of time. Make sure the people know that you simply want to please God through the ministry of His church.

Don’t let one or two people cause you to give up- The ones who are comfortable and negative are not your enemies-they just can’t see beyond what they have become accustomed to. In most cases these are good people-just got some bad teaching along the way. Ask God to help you to overlook these few and move on. Try hard not to take any attack personally.

Constantly build relationships with new people- One major factor to getting past the plateau is fresh people in the church. The people need to see that you are bringing new faces to the services. Never give up on those relationships!

Prepare a membership seminar and lead the church to adopt it as a prerequisite to membership- The membership seminar should cover the basics of salvation and baptism, unity, purpose and responsibilities (including giving). Take the entire church through the seminar and every new member from that point forward. This starts new members off serving instead of ending up as pew demons (another new term).

Implement a corporate evangelism ministry- Get the people working together to get people the gospel. Use teams to follow-up on prospects and visitors. Send out letters and invitations through the mail.

Train leaders to carry out every ministry detail in the church- Don’t try to do everything-take people with!

Give people the freedom to be led by the Spirit of God- Don’t try to control every little detail-allow people (especially leaders) to make decisions on their own.

Plan ministry meetings regularly- Meet with your leaders and teachers to encourage and evaluate. Plan and pray for every ministry in the church.

Develop an aggressive children’s ministry- Reach children and teach them to hide God’s word in their hearts. All children’s ministries open the door to eventually reach the parents.

Implement new Bible studies throughout the week- Use these Bible studies to train and cast vision for leaders.

Promote missions giving- Develop a faith based missions strategy to support new church plants and missions world-wide.

Spend church funds wisely- Don’t buy everything you think you need right away. Yes, you have to spend money to do ministry, but you must pick and choose along the way. As the church grows a surplus of funds will become available. If you feel led to purchase something costly communicate clearly by giving the reason it is necessary and allow the church time to pray about the need.

Please add any details or comments to the list!