Gerson P Santos Associate Secretary Introduction Membership amp Discipleship Nurture amp Discipleship Journey Recommendations Membership Nurture amp Retention 19651990 Mainline denominations lost one third of their ID: 718867
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Slide1
Membership, Nurture & Retention
Gerson P. Santos
Associate SecretarySlide2
Introduction
Membership & Discipleship
Nurture & Discipleship JourneyRecommendations
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide3
1965-1990 - Mainline denominations lost one third of their
membership
2001 study of Adventists - 73 percent of those reared in the Adventist Church stayed
…
this has dropped to 60 percent.
Membership, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide4
Christian leaders tribute the current situation to faulty
discipleship
The foundation problem of the church is that it embodies “superficial discipleship.”
Membership
, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide5
Total number of mainline Protestant adults has decreased by roughly 5 million during that time (from about 41 million in 2007 to 36 million in 2014).
Membership, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide6
© 2008 by David T. Olson www.TheAmericanChurch.org
Membership, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide7
© 2008 by David T. Olson www.TheAmericanChurch.org
Membership, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide8
© 2008 by David T. Olson www.TheAmericanChurch.org
Membership, Nurture & Retention - IntroductionSlide9
Membership, Nurture & Retention - Introduction
The 2015–2020 World Church Strategic Plan
The “what” and the “why”:
Structure, Objectives, KPIs—
and the reasons they were adoptedSlide10
Membership, Nurture & Retention - Introduction
Reach Up to God
Reach In with God
Reach Out with GodSlide11
In the last 50 years a total of
33,202,016
people have been members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Global membership and loss, 1965–2014
Net loss rate =
39.25%Slide12Slide13
Question: “Overall, to what extent do you think the congregation needs to increase or improve its efforts in caring and nurture?”
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide14
Discipleship
in
Christian Churches Is Not Effective
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide15
“The church is not adequately preparing the next generation to follow Christ faithfully in a rapidly changing culture.”Slide16
Millions of young Christians are disconnecting from church as they transition into adulthood.
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide17
The Great Commission is our Mission
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Slide18
DISCIPLE
MEMBER
Differences between the member and the disciple
wants
receive bread
and fish
Goes
and fishes!
wants
to grow
wants to
reproduce
is conquered.
is formed!
doesn’t want
to leave the church pew
willing to go out and serve!
likes to be
comfortable
willing to
sacrifice!
gives out
part of his resources
surrenders
his life!
remains on
the routine
is an
iN
no
VAt
or
!
waits to receive
his task
looks for his
responsibilities
complains.
obeys and
denies himself.
waits for
opportunities
creates
opportunities
waits to
be visited
goes out
to visit
remains in
the bunker
goes on the
battlefield
guards the
conquered
territory
goes on
new exploit
keeps the
tradition
breaks
paradigms
dreams about
the ideal
church
works to
turn it
REAL!
goal is to be
in heaven
goal is to win
souls to be
with him in heaven
preaches the
gospel to win
new members
preaches to
make new
disciples!
attends
evengelistic
meetings
does
evangelism
waits for
the revival
participates
in it!
“I will think”
“Here am I,
send me”
valuable
indispensable!Slide19
“This is why evangelism must be our continual priority, and this is why discipleship must be our goal.”
Billy GrahamSlide20
The greatest barrier to
disciplemaking
is the default system
The great commission is to make
disc
iples.Slide21
GC Nurture & Retention Summit - 2013
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide22
“First sign of a culture at risk for ethical collapse , there is not just a focus on numbers and results but an unreasonable and unrealistic obsession with meeting quantitative goals.”
Marianne
M.
JenningsSlide23
GC Nurture & Retention Summit - 2013
Membership, Nurture & RetentionSlide24
MEMBER
MISSIONARY
MINISTER
DISCIPLE
SERVE
GROW
SHARE
KNOW
1
3
2
4
Discipleship
P
rocessSlide25
Discipleship
Journey
Personal Level:
Relationship
Theology
Ministry Slide26
Discipleship
Journey
Community Level (small groups):
Gospel foundations
Adventist Doctrine
Service & LeadershipSlide27
Questions to ponder:
Do you have a plan for making disciples?
Does your plan work?
What are you doing to present your people mature in Christ?Slide28
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people... The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’” (MH, 143)
“God retains his blessings because His people do not work in harmony with his methods.” (7T, 18)Slide29
Recommendations:
Every union to have an active discipleship program
Adopt attendance counts as standard, so that pastors and elders know who is slipping away.
Special training in nurture/retention/
discipling
, as well as evangelism, in every ministerial training program.
Implement comprehensive, practical training in conflict resolution & reconciliation throughout the world church.
Each division and each union to hold a conference on nurturing, discipling, retaining and reclaiming, in which data and good practice are shared with conference and mission leaders, pastors and elders.