measurement of success in a simple congregation

In my last entry I gave you an idea of what a simple church might look like. The next question is how to "get 'er done." Here are a few key concepts:

Clarity is "the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by the people." The church must have a clear blueprint for the making of disciples and everyone who attends or comes in contact with your congregation should be able to see how it all works--how a person becomes and grows as a disciple through your congregation.

Movement is "the sequential steps in the process that causes people to move to greater areas of commitment." It is never enough to move into the church. We must move through the process of becoming more what God would like us to be. It is the work of the church to assist us in this process.

Alignment is "the arrangement of all the ministries and staff around the same simple process." The church must be organized fully around its discipleship purpose/process. The team must rally around the what and the how.

Focus is the ability to eliminate ministries/activities outside the process/purpose and only add those ministries/activities that fit your church's process/purpose.

Here's to learning how to become a simple church.
plou