Multiplying recruiting unitsMultiplying recruiting units

Student group presentation on chapter 5 Student group presentation on chapter 5 of George Hunter’s book, “To Spread the of George Hunter’s book, “To Spread the

Power”Power”

Howard Culbertson, course instructorHoward Culbertson, course instructor

Southern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University

Rediscovering the Rediscovering the Importance of Recruiting Importance of Recruiting

UnitsUnits

Key relationships between Key relationships between growth and:growth and:

A church’s membership strengthA church’s membership strength The number, age, and mission of The number, age, and mission of

the church’s units (at every level)the church’s units (at every level)

General PrincipleGeneral Principle

There is a correlation between There is a correlation between a church’s number of units a church’s number of units

and its membership strength.and its membership strength.

Basic Principles of Basic Principles of Denominational GrowthDenominational Growth

Growing denominations start more Growing denominations start more churches than they close.churches than they close.

Declining denominations close Declining denominations close more churches than they start.more churches than they start.

Sunday School Sunday School MultiplicationMultiplication

Points from Richard Myers’ Points from Richard Myers’ Program Expansion: The Program Expansion: The

Key to Church GrowthKey to Church Growth

1. The number of church school 1. The number of church school classes determines how many classes determines how many persons can participate in the persons can participate in the church school.church school.

More classes, larger attendance

Fewer classes, smaller attendance.

• Congregations with the same Congregations with the same number of program groups and staff number of program groups and staff

will have about the same:will have about the same:

2. Correlation between program 2. Correlation between program groups, church staff, and church groups, church staff, and church

membershipmembership

church membershipchurch membership worship attendanceworship attendance church school attendancechurch school attendance women’s society and youth fellowship groups.women’s society and youth fellowship groups.

3. There is a strong correlation 3. There is a strong correlation between average Sunday school between average Sunday school attendance and the number of attendance and the number of

members received by profession of members received by profession of faith.faith.

Myers felt that expansion of Sunday Myers felt that expansion of Sunday school programs will lead to the school programs will lead to the expansion of the entire church.expansion of the entire church.

A world of trade-offsA world of trade-offs

Larger, more established classes Larger, more established classes take a better care of current take a better care of current members.members.

Newer, smaller classes are better Newer, smaller classes are better at bringing new members into the at bringing new members into the church.church.

General Principle two:General Principle two:

New units are generally more New units are generally more reproductive than older units.reproductive than older units.

Other factors important to Other factors important to this principle:this principle:

Whether a group’s mission Whether a group’s mission includes reaching new people.includes reaching new people.

Whether many of the groups are Whether many of the groups are relatively new.relatively new.

Whether or not the groups relate Whether or not the groups relate to the target populationto the target population

Principle three:Principle three:

When a new class flanks an old When a new class flanks an old stagnant one, the older of the two stagnant one, the older of the two may experience growth.may experience growth.

Sometimes old units flanked by a Sometimes old units flanked by a new unit will experience growth.new unit will experience growth.

Principle four:Principle four:

Old units that get new units Old units that get new units started may experience growth.started may experience growth.

Flake formula of Sunday Flake formula of Sunday School GrowthSchool Growth

Locate the prospectsLocate the prospects Enlarge the organizationEnlarge the organization Enlist and train workersEnlist and train workers Go after the peopleGo after the people

Modifications to the Flake Modifications to the Flake FormulaFormula

Baptist churches now do this annuallyBaptist churches now do this annually Baptists insist on multiplying units using Baptists insist on multiplying units using

classes small enough for relationships to classes small enough for relationships to formform

They try to enroll as many people as They try to enroll as many people as possiblepossible

One person is responsible to recruit and One person is responsible to recruit and train new teachers for these new train new teachers for these new classesclasses

Wesley’s Multiplying Wesley’s Multiplying “Classes”“Classes”

Wesley’s modelWesley’s model

Preach in as many places as you Preach in as many places as you can.can.Start as many classes as you Start as many classes as you can. can. Do not preach without starting Do not preach without starting new classes.new classes.

Wesley’s ClassesWesley’s Classes

Should be understood by their Should be understood by their agendaagenda

They were not like small groups we They were not like small groups we are familiar withare familiar with

People joining Wesley’s People joining Wesley’s classes made three classes made three

commitments:commitments:

To do goodTo do good To avoid all known sinTo avoid all known sin To pursue regularly the means of To pursue regularly the means of

gracegrace

Views on Wesley’s Views on Wesley’s ApproachApproach

Wesley’s objective is to help people Wesley’s objective is to help people to live as Christiansto live as Christians

1. Gloster Udy: these classes reflected 1. Gloster Udy: these classes reflected Wesley’s view that Christianity is not a Wesley’s view that Christianity is not a solitary religionsolitary religion

2. David Lowes Watson: the classes were 2. David Lowes Watson: the classes were accountability groupsaccountability groups

3. Hunter sees “accountability” as too 3. Hunter sees “accountability” as too legalistic. He feels the groups were created legalistic. He feels the groups were created for liberation, not discipline.for liberation, not discipline.

Wesley’s GoalsWesley’s Goals

His means of doing this was His means of doing this was through his classesthrough his classes

He hypothesized that the good He hypothesized that the good fruit in the church would emerge fruit in the church would emerge when God’s people met together in when God’s people met together in small house churches and classes small house churches and classes as the early church didas the early church did

Wesley sought to return to the “love, Wesley sought to return to the “love, faith, hope, courage, and vision,” of faith, hope, courage, and vision,” of the Apostolic churchthe Apostolic church

Wesley’s affirmation of the Wesley’s affirmation of the Church as a social Church as a social

phenomenon draws four phenomenon draws four on principleson principles

Power is available to awaken people in any Power is available to awaken people in any settingsetting– to awaken people and enroll them in classes to awaken people and enroll them in classes

were the two objectives of field preaching and were the two objectives of field preaching and lay witnesslay witness

Awakened people experienced grace Awakened people experienced grace through the ministry of the cells, most through the ministry of the cells, most often in hours of solitude following the cell often in hours of solitude following the cell meetingsmeetings

Once gained, faith is maintained Once gained, faith is maintained through fellowship within the through fellowship within the societysociety

People also grow in completeness People also grow in completeness of love in fellowshipof love in fellowship

Multiplying Units TodayMultiplying Units Today

Nine steps to starting new Nine steps to starting new groups within the churchgroups within the church

Define the target group of peopleDefine the target group of people Research the target audience and Research the target audience and

the ministry that would respond to the ministry that would respond to their needstheir needs

Find a committed lay person Find a committed lay person willing to be involved in the group. willing to be involved in the group. The person should identify with the The person should identify with the target grouptarget group

Train this person on how to start a new Train this person on how to start a new groupgroup

Begin recruiting before the first group Begin recruiting before the first group sessionsession

Find an appropriate place to meetFind an appropriate place to meet Stress the importance of the first Stress the importance of the first

several months. several months. Keep accurate records of the Keep accurate records of the

experience for reference in starting experience for reference in starting later groupslater groups

Build in monitoring and evaluation Build in monitoring and evaluation proceduresprocedures