These principles have guided me in ministry at Spirit of Christ Church!

When I'm asked what guiding prinicples have helped me in my ministry,these are just my thoughts: I have been influenced by ministers of many denominations who are concerned about evangelism Jesus said go and make disciples and he invited people to come and see. Jesus said go and make disciples and he invited people to come and see or stand on the corners to reach people. Meeting for coffee or a drink is a good way to build new relationships. Use third spaces for ministry (keith anderson) Be confident in your faith! Know the real history and orgin of the movement Be creative in buildng your ministry Care less whether people think you are you are legitimate, do your ministry! Be visible in your community. Know your mission. Pray often, many times a day. Be present to people not just on Sundays in church. Know that not everyone will understand you or agree with you, but follow your calling. Keep the baby, get rid of the bathwater(Stephanie Spellars) Honor tradition, don't be handicapped by it. Innovate in your ministry Don't be afraid to learn from those outside your tribe on growing your church or ministry. Find out who is your tribe (seth godin) Find your target audience (rick warren) People are seeking belonging, more than truth, after belonging comes believing (James Mallon) Prayer for growth Find the 1% percent who are open to your ministry (michael piazza) Make the weekend experience central, put the best that can at the forefront (michael white) Making disciples your priority and the catechumenate or similar process key to this ministry (paul hoffman) Offer people hope and something they can believe in for this life now (joel osteen) Create irresistible enviroments (Andy Stanley) Pipe organs, classical music and hymns are not the only music to connect with people. Church growth is not a bad thing(Bill Easum) Focus on Jesus in your ministry and talk about him ofter(Paul Nixon) Your messge or sermons must be life changing, preach in series(Michael White and Andy Stanley) Three essentials for congregations Worship, Study, Service Embrace diversity, the classical western is not the only valid expression Your are a church planter,if you are starting from scratch, it requires a different set of skills(mostly entreprenurials skills) Not all contemporary music is bad and it connects to people who are unchurched. Your outreach should be focused on the unchurched and dechurched, if people have a active church leave them alone. Your church cannot be buildt on issues or the church you left behind. Be visible on social ministry personally and digitally Offer the best music that you can, regardless of style, but it must be done according to the size of your congregation. Study demographics, pew studies on the unchurched. Christedom is dead, and most people know little about the church today or were connected to church growing up. Use media and technology in your worship. Gather to eat often Celebrate often what is happening in the lives of your people. Preach relevant, selfhelp, and show them how the gospel relates to daily life. The majority of these do not cost money or can be done creatively when you spend money.