01/01/17

Focus on Balance, Track Your Growth

We all want to grow, right?

So it makes sense that often leaders issue the call to "Grow our organization!"

But here's the problem with focusing on growth:  If growth is your yardstick for success, you may be setting your organization up for collapse.  After all, when cells of the body grow unregulated, we call it "cancer."  Without health and balance, growth can be lethal to an organization.  Yet, if the reverse is true, if we focus on health and balance, the natural result is growth.  It happens without us having to drive the numbers.

So yes, TRACK your growth.  It will give you solid feedback about the health and balance of your organization.

But FOCUS on health and balance.

The SpiritGroups program supports congregations in creating healthy, balanced churches through small group ministry.

A HEALTHY congregation is an ENGAGED congregation.

I've heard it said that most churches operate kind of like a football game.  There are 22 players on the field, all in need of rest, surrounded by 55,000 people in the stands, all in need of exercise.

If the board and the minister and your tiny band of faithful volunteers are the only ones "on the field," you're missing tremendous opportunities to support the rest of your congregation along their spiritual path.

Small group ministry serves to ENGAGE every member of your congregation from the moment they walk in the door.  (More on this in a future post, no doubt!)

So, what about BALANCE?

SpiritGroups programs focus on five areas that each member of your congregation can cultivate, ideally with the support of their small group family. These areas include:

COMMUNION - Taking time each day for prayer, meditation and other activities that connect the individual to the Divine.

CONNECTION - Being a proactive part of a like-minded community where each individuals can be and express who they have come to be.

COMPASSION - Reaching out to those in your spiritual family when times get hard, when life sends them a punch to the gut, or when a little extra love and support goes an extra long way.

COMMUNITY - Reaching beyond our church walls to be of service to the greater community in ways that align with our core beliefs for the benefit of those who may or may not agree with our religious philosophies.

CHALLENGE - Staying on the leading edge in your spiritual journey.  Challenge causes us to forego spiritual complacency so we can expand in our awareness of who we are.

Our training programs provide infrastructure for your congregation to assess their spiritual progress throughout the year, seeking ways to celebrate strengths, serve together, and stretch into deeper awareness of who they are.

If you'd like to take our Spiritual Self-Assessment Tool to explore how these five elements show up in YOUR life and ministry, you can click here to get started.  We'll keep you posted with additional tools and "next steps" to equip your congregation on their journey to create a heaven on earth.