Consulting and Coaching for Healthy Churches

Church Consultants have a tendency to look at the parts of the church rather than looking at the whole. Healthy churches are made up of healthy parts. One must be careful to not misdiagnose the symptoms. The degree to which a leader can diagnose is dependent on the severity of the problem. Cheryl Mabey illustrates this complexity with an analogy of a doctor and his patient:

In a Type I Situation, the patient has an infection which the physician can treat with an antibiotic. The problem is relatively simple and the physician (leader) has the resources to treat the disease.

In a Type II Situation, the patient has a chronic disease, such as high blood pressure. The physician may treat it partially through medication, but the patient shares in his or her own care by monitoring diet, exercise, stress, or other life-style factors. Both the physician and patient share in the responsibility for solving the problem.4

In a Type III situation, the patient has a medically untreatable disease, such as an advanced stage of cancer. The options for treatment are negligible and the physician recognizes that the patient assumes responsibility for facing the future. The physician may be a support, but the locus of power in handling such a crisis is the patient’s alone.

The Tennessee Baptist Convention is composed of churches that fit each of these types. Ministering and restoring these churches to health depends on the situation. Consultants and Coaches are all needed if Type II and Type III churches are to be restored to health.

Whitesburg First Baptist Church (Sunday School in a Real Church)

In 2006, the Sunday School at First Baptist Church in Whitesburg was averaging 33. Last year the church reported an average attendance of 50 in Sunday School with 60 in worship. This represents a 66% attendance increase in just three years. The church was recognized as one of our Fastest Growing Sunday Schools for 2008 in the Small size churches (99 or less in Worship attendance).

Mark Buehler, Sunday School Director, shared three basic keys to explain their growth in Sunday School. First, Buehler shares that the Sunday School must be undergirded with prayer. One-half hour prior to the start of Sunday School, the doors of the church are open and members gather to pray. God is answering the prayers of these members.

Second, the Biblical command to make disciples is taken seriously. FBC’s goal is first and foremost to seek God. They believe if they are pleasing to the Lord, He will provide the growth. Last year, each Sunday School member was challenged to read the entire Bible in one year and to participate in weekly Bible study and worship.

Third, the importance of Sunday School is highlighted weekly. The pastor encourages people to stay for Sunday School during every church service.

The church faces a common barrier for growing Sunday Schools, finding and enlisting leaders. Getting the right people to teach the right class and encouraging people to move outside their comfort zone to step up and serve have been their greatest challenge. Buehler believes that encouragement and affirmation are the keys to motivating leaders.

Zig Ziglar stated, “As important as the past is to the present. The most important thing to the present is how we see the future.” Buehler’s advice to other Sunday School Directors is to never give up or look back “Always, always, always” look ahead and up to God to seek His will.”

Sunday School in a REAL Church!

God has certainly blessed New Providence Baptist Church in Loudon. Over the last three years, the church has grown from 204 in Sunday School to 265 and enrolled 267 new Sunday School members. The church was recognized by the Tennessee Baptist Convention as one of our Fastest Growing Sunday Schools for 2008 in the Medium size churches (200-400 in Worship attendance).

Pastor Gary Smith, Minister of Education, wrote that the key to the growth of Sunday School at New Providence has been that they are well-organized and intentional in their approach. In order to deal with the growth, the church built and recently moved into a new building providing additional space for Youth and College. Growing churches have this attitude declared by Robert Schuller:

When faced with a mountain, I will not Quit! I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay…and turn the mountain into a gold mine, with God’s help.

New Providence has effectively utilized Friend Day, It’s A New Day and the resource 3:16 to stimulate their congregation toward growth. The church created an emphasis on their own called Operation Transformation that proved to be the most successful in promoting the work of Sunday School as the Evangelism, Assimilation, and Discipleship Arm of the church.

Two goals have been set for their Sunday School. First, to enhance their Preschool Department to attract and retain more Young Married Couples. Second, they desire to strengthen their Youth Ministry to balance their vital adult ministry with a strong emphasis on Marriage and the Family.

Pastor Gary’s shares a quote from Allan Taylor’s Sunday School Done Right, to other Sunday School Directors and Pastors: “Sunday School is alive and well and it is the largest organized army we have to mobilize toward the Great Commission.”
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A Winning Team

The thrill of victory! Eight years ago, my boss talked me into playing golf at the annual Tennessee Baptist Religious Education Association retreat. I was hooked immediately and have worked at becoming a golfer. One thing that I had not experienced was playing on a winning scramble team (at this retreat), until last Thursday. The teams are randomly drawn based on handicaps. Each team has a decent chance of winning. What made the difference this year?

Our team was composed of people with complementary skills. Each golfer brought something to the table and each golfer contributed meaningful shots during the round. Jonathan Probes got on a roll putting and sank several 10-12 footers to save par or make a birdie. Starting on the first hole, someone would hit a great shot that would allow our team to have decent chances to stay even or gain a point on the competition.

The team also was dedicated to a common purpose. First, we recognized that the main goal of a scramble was to have fun and enjoy the fellowship. Second, each team member understood that the purpose of the game was to get the ball in the hole.

Lastly, each of us was willing to be mutually accountable to the other team members. In order to win, it took all of us contributing. In order to win, we recognized that it didn’t matter who hit a great drive, or stuck the approach shot close to the hole, or who sunk the puck. It only mattered that we avoided the woods, landed on the green, and someone knocked it in the hole.

Dan Bruce, Jonathan Propes, and I made a great team that was able to win a golf scramble. Is your Sunday School leadership functioning like a winning team? Are you composed of leaders with complementary skills committed to a common purpose or goal and for which they are willing to be mutually accountable?