Comments on: Guest Blog: Gina McClain

By: A Community Conspiracy. | isaacdowning.com

A Community Conspiracy. | isaacdowning.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:22:07 +0000

[...] quote from Gina McClain on Swerve Blog really gets to the point: “What if you got crazy and pulled in a few churches within your [...]

By: Jared

Jared — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:15:13 +0000

I completely agree….we’ve got to have an intentional path/plan for them.

By: JUST PUDGE » 3 quick items of awesomeness...

JUST PUDGE » 3 quick items of awesomeness... — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:04:35 +0000

[...] You have GOT to check out this post by Gina McCain (OKC LifeKids Team, LifeChurch.tv). She gives some great insight here and asks some [...]

By: aaron

aaron — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:07:11 +0000

Church in a box. Who wouldn’t want it?

By: Marc Harper

Marc Harper — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:19:58 +0000

Well said! There is one more question for the conspiracy…. The research says reaching kids before they are 12 is the most strategic time for people to make a significant commitment to Christ. Why isn’t the intentionality to reach kids more important then the intentionality (and budget and energy) to reach their parents? What would that look like in churches and in a city with joint efforts?

By: What should I be doing? « Drew Davis’s Weblog

What should I be doing? « Drew Davis’s Weblog — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:42:53 +0000

[...] October 14, 2008 at 3:42 pm (Uncategorized) I currently follow 34 blogs via Google Reader, and while they are all more stimulating than mine they are not always the greatest source of information. Today though I was reading a guest blogger on lifechurch.tv’s swerve blog and I got hit smack in the face. (You can see it here) [...]

By: Check it out! « Princess Jes

Check it out! « Princess Jes — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:11:25 +0000

[...] Check it http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/10/14/guest-blog-gina-mcclain-2/ [...]

By: Gina

Gina — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:09:49 +0000

Will,
I imagine the process for change is challenging but I love the idea of bridging those gaps for the attender. good stuff.

Cycleguy,
I know. We’re hear some of that stuff too. I imagine it’s magnified in a small town.

All,
Thanks for the comments. My hope is that this not only instigates some conversations within your realm of influence but the thought taints your outlook on future projects and plans. Praying that God ruins us with a passion for just getting His work done.

By: Heady

Heady — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:36:10 +0000

Good stuff Gina. Wow. Not only has this open my eyes to needing to be more intentional in laying out a plan-of-action covering the BIG picture on the local church level but I also understand that we need to be intentional with a big picture plan for home. The framework to foster the right environment and provide good direction for spiritual growth will be so much more effective done on both levels - home & church.

I will be sharing your post to get people to begin or continue to think on this topic. We NEED to come together TO reach the MASSES.

Enjoyed.

By: Brandon Duff

Brandon Duff — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:25:31 +0000

Partnering with other churches is the only way to achieve what you have laid out. A small church would never be able to resource what you are talking about. That’s why partnerships and multi campus make so much sense. We live in a day in which people expect more of the church and if we don’t connect, we may well lose them. When I say lose them I don’t mean another body to fill a seat, but rather a soul that needs Jesus.

By: Kendra

Kendra — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:02:55 +0000

You know this kind of stuff just gets me all stoked up!! Let’s roll! Picture me as your armor bearer like in 1 Samuel 14:5-7 :)

By: Scott Rodgers

Scott Rodgers — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:44:38 +0000

Gina - Great leaders first ask the right questions. These are the right questions to ask.

By: princessjes

princessjes — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:32:13 +0000

Good thoughts Gina!
What if we did? Oh man, what if we had a clear plan, follow through, and took others along side us!
Good thoughts…conspiracy…I like it!
Food for thought, thanks!

By: Mandi

Mandi — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:47:20 +0000

Good stuff girl! This is definitely big picture stuff that has to be considered. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the things of the week leading up to the weekend. But, if you don’t take time to look at what the end result will be, you miss the big picture.
Every church is different, and that is good, because people are different. If we can come together and see that our way is not the only, or even the best, way it would revolutionize our churches, our communities, and the world! This applies to different ministries within our church as well as the different churches around us…Good stuff!! Hmmmm, now what to do next…

By: Lori Eilers

Lori Eilers — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:32:44 +0000

I am pickin’ up what you’re layin’ down, girl! I have just started as children’s pastor at a church in Tennessee and have begun this conversation with the youth pastor as to how we can work together to make sure all the “bases” are covered. I LOVE the word intentional! Our pastor is passionate about discipleship so God’s vision for the kids will be supported well! Love the idea of cooperating with other churches and will be praying about how that would look in our community. We did some of that at my last church and it was great!

By: Bill (cycleguy)

Bill (cycleguy) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:03:53 +0000

Gina: you ask a good question(s) at the end. We are in a unique situation in the small town the church I pastor is in. We started 4 years ago and now find ourselves (by God’s grace) the largest in the town and county. We are a threat to the other churches (we have been told this). We have been accused of trying to steal people and kids (we have been told this). ‘Course it is not true. We have never made any attempt to sheep steal. In fact, we have told pastors they can have all the Christians…we want those far from God. So in answer to your question(s) there is one of them. Competition drives far too many churches and it is magnified in a small town.

By: will

will — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:41:07 +0000

gina - you have nailed it. this is the question that must be answered by the church today. thank you for your challenging thoughts and questions.

for us, it has been a retrofit process, but we are moving out of traditional programming (something for everyone) to simple processes and pathways towards both individual and corporate progress. it is not an easy change for a diverse church of more than 5,000, but it is do-able! and oh-so relevant!

we recently looked at our programs that work (altar calls every message, new beginnings ministry, basic training, water baptism celebrations, and living stones (our membership class)) and identified the gaps between them. we are attempting to bridge the gap by creating a fluid process that any person, new believer or newcomer, can plug into and travel along until they arrive in a life group community and/ or service team. from there we challenge them to reproduce, multiply, and engage in community outreach and world missions.

I love the idea of connecting multiple churches with similar vision and values, but various strengths to accomplish a community-wide “potent conspiracy.” we are a church that God has blessed particularly in bringing people to Christ and uniting the nations, but a church down the road is far stronger at discipling Christians and deepening their understanding of their faith, then there are other local churches that are focused almost entirely on outreach and social justice. I always wonder what could happen if we linked up and did for people what we do best then passed them off to the next “spiritual growth center”, to see our community radically changed (in this case it would likely impact the nation as we are in the suburbs of Washington, DC!)

thank you for the thoughts. it helps me not to envy churches that start with this goal of process over programs for the purpose of progress and to realize all the great things God has uniquely blessed us with!