Principles and Practices of “Next Level”

Churches

DirectionsDiscoveries&

PURPOSE PLACES

QUESTIONS DISCOVERIES DIRECTIONS

Deepening/Strengthening and Broadening

(fresh vision, new directions)

PURPOSE

PLACES

Louisville to Birmingham

Knoxville/Chattanooga to Memphis

from ...

QUESTIONS

- What “model” or type of church life do these churches represent?

- How are they organized for their ministry?

- What accounts for their effectiveness?

- What kind of groups ministry do they have?

- What do they do relative to missions?

- How do they handle leadership transitions?

- What kind of staff do they have?

DISCOVERIES

• Rich/Powerful Worship

• Biblical Preaching/Teaching Focus

• Cultures of Sacrificial Service and Giving

• Massive Small Group Ministries designed to create Connections and Spiritual Growth

• A global view of the Gospel; It is for everyone, everywhere

• See the poor as having a claim on their time and resources

• A belief that following Jesus is serious, can’t be taken lightly; It cost you your life!

DIRECTIONS

“PREACH the WORD”(Hear, Learn, Do)

 “Preach the word! Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and

teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ...” 2 Timothy 4:2-3

 “ ... continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of ... the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make

you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to

be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing

from whom you have learned them ...” 2 Timothy 3:13-14

“ ... be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves ... he who looks

into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer

but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

James 1:22, 25

What CAN we do?

- Message series driven by Book-by-Book studies begins next week: 9 weeks in Galatians with a series entitled ‘Right from the Start, Right to the Last’

- Group studies based on in-depth Bible Book Studies and Biblical Teachings

- Student programming which includes “Christian Apologetics” and Biblical Studies

- Children’s programming which includes Scripture Memorization and Bible Book Knowledge

“LOVE ONE ANOTHER”(Build Community)

  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you

also love one another.” John 13:34

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” 1 John 3:14

What CAN we do?

- Heighten emphasis on “Care/Support” groups

- Continue to build a culture of acceptance of everyone

- Strengthen our ability to continue to Coordinate Care Ministry to church and community members

- Add/expand ministry to people with special needs. (Widows, Families with Mentally/ Physically challenged family members)

“REMEMBER THE POOR”

“They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing

which I also was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10

What CAN we do?

SEE: Recognize the poor around us, especially children trapped in poverty.

UNDERSTAND: The poor of the world are so much more poor than we can imagine; They are not just poor, they are impoverished, they are cold and hungry and sick.

ACT: Accept that we can’t just see them, feel badly for them,but we have to actually do something for them.

“If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things

which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” James 2:15-16

“HONOR THY FATHER” (Serve and Give)

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I

am a Master, where is My reverence?” Malachi 1:6

“You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ by saying,

‘The table service of the LORD is contemptible.’” Malachi 1:7

“You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it, says the LORD of hosts. ‘And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept

this from your hand?’ Says the LORD.” Malachi 1:14-15     

“‘Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts. But you said, ‘In what

way shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In

what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings?”

Malachi 3:7-8

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’

says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such

blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” Malachi 3:9-10

What CAN we do?

- Call each other to accountability for actually giving our lives to Christ in service and sacrifice.

- Reorient our priorities to use our resources so that God is honored and His house is provided with the “meat” to feed His work.

Anniversary Sunday August 29th

We will call for a special offering to accomplish three things:

1. Fulfill our Tithes for the year to date

2. Care for God’s House

3. Help the Poor

“GO YE THEREFORE”

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have

commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

Matthew 28:19-20

What CAN we do?

- Provide an appropriate mission experience opportunity to every member of our church

- Conduct both service and evangelism actions locally and globally

What CAN we do?

- Focus our support financially for missions in the poorest and/or unreached parts of the county, nation and world

- Become a “Missional” church ... study, learn, give and go!