Category: Book Reviews

7 Minutes and Counting

Posted in Assimilation, Book Reviews, Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Evangelism, WorshipLeave a comment

Stop-WatchToday, we continue talking about Nelson Searcy’s book Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church. Searcy titled chapter 3, Seven Minutes and Counting. In the chapter, he talked the importance of what happens to first-time guests during the first 7 minutes of their visit. He wrote,

 

Seven minutes is all you get to make a positive first impression. In the first 7 minutes of contact with your church, your first-time guests will know whether or not they are coming back. That’s before a single worship song is sung and before a single word of the message is uttered.

Common sense tells us that we never get a second chance to make a first impression, and unfortunately, first impressions are usually lasting impressions. If Searcy is correct in saying that guests are deciding whether they are coming back in the first 7 minutes, then the question becomes, “what’s actually being judged?”

Are they judging the building, the landscaping, the parking lot, the church sign, the entrance area, the lobby, the parking lot greeters, the door greeters, the bulletin? The simple answer is “YES“! They probably judge all those things, but keep in mind, they decide if they are coming back before they sing the first song or hear a word of the sermon.

As pastors, we usually spend a large portion of our week planning the worship service and preparing the message without being proactive in this important area. We should continue our practice of sermon preparation, but we should also give thought, time, and attention to helping our guests have a great first impression. As pastors, we should take the lead in this area.

In my next post, I will look at the 7-minute, first impression time Searcy refers to as the time “from the street to the seat.” Here are my other posts along these lines.

The Key to Keep Church Guests Coming Back

Posted in Assimilation, Book Reviews, Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, WorshipLeave a comment

fallsemester_serve2Let’s continue to look at Nelson Searcy’s rockin’ assimilation book, Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church. Today, we will look at God’s assimilation plan discussed in chapter 2.

But before we get into our discussion, let me encourage you to check out his blog and the free stuff that he is providing to help churches in their work for the Lord. Here are some helpful links to his website:

. . . . Now, on with the discussion. In chapter 2, Searcy wrote,

God has not only given us the responsibility of being hospitable to His guests, but He has also given us the perfect example of how to go about it. Jesus came to the earth to serve, not to be served. Throughout the New Testament, we see His examples of selfless service for those He had the opportunity to influence. And we’ve been left with the challenge of doing even greater things. When we serve our guests well, we reflect Jesus’ attitude and mindset toward them.

Although Searcy provided a thorough definition of assimilation in chapter 1, he sums up assimilation here as follows:

Assimilation is simply well-planned biblical hospitality through service. The head of our organization is the greatest server of all time. Doesn’t it follow that we should be the ultimate example of such service to our guests? With the right system in place, we can serve in a way that will truly touch lives for God’s kingdom.

For more details about  improving assimilation in your church, see the following posts:

Great Book on Assimilation by Nelson Searcy

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19_largeIn the next few posts, I am going to be discussing Nelson Searcy’s excellent assimilation book entitled, Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church. Searcy is the founding pastor of Journey Church in New York City and formerly served as the founding director of the Purpose Driven Community with Rick Warren at Saddleback Church. He has personally trained more than 20,000 pastors, church planters, and church leaders through Church Leader Insights.  I have been privileged to particpate in one of his 12-month coaching networks–I highly recommend it!

In chapter 2 of his book, Searcy discusses the concept of “biblical hospitality.” Here’s an excerpt:

The Church–your church–truly is a family expecting guests. And you should be ready to show them intentional hospitality when they arrive. While they are in your company, they need to feel comfortable and valued, no matter where they are in their spiritual development. When they leave, be proactive in giving them a return invitation they’ll be hard pressed to refuse. Your church is a representative of the bigger family of God. As you put a system in place to effectively integrate guests into the family, you will be able to fulfill part of the responsibility He placed on you when He prompted them your way. God is honored when you show your guests true biblical hospitality. . . . Assimilation is simply well-planned biblical hospitality through service.

I like the phrase “biblical hospitality” because it reminds us that being hospitable to others is biblical. When God sends guests to our church, He expects us to prepare for their visit, speak the truth in love, and minister to their needs. He expects us to meet them where they are, regardless of their level of spiritual maturity and move them closer to Christ.

As the church, we should put our best foot forward, treat our guests with kindness, and let people know we care.

Book Review: “30 Minutes to Raise the Dead”

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I just reread Bill Bennett’s excellent book called Thirty Minutes to Raise the Dead:  How You Can Preach Your Best Sermon Yet — This Sunday.  It reminds me of the two preaching books written by Jerry Vines because, like his books, it was well written and practical.  It is a very easy read if you are a pastor, but extremely helpful.

In the book, Bennett discusses Faris Whitesell’s 7-part definition of expository preaching.  Here are the seven parts:

Expository preaching must….

  1. Be based on a passage in the Bible, either short or long.
  2. Focus on the primary meaning of the passage.
  3. Relate the passage’s meaning to its context.
  4. Search for the timeless truths in the text.
  5. Organize these truths around one central theme.
  6. Employ the rhetorical devices of explanation, argumentation, illustration, and application to apply the truth of the passage to the hearer.
  7. See to persuade the hearers to obey the truth presented.

If you are a pastor and have not read Bennett’s book, find one and read it.  It is a little difficult to find, but you can click on the title above and find one at Amazon.  The book will be a blessing to you.

Book Review: “The Civil War in the Big Sandy Valley”

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I have always been a little bit of a Civil War buff.  I really don’t know much about the Civil War, but today I read John David Preston’s book called “The Civil War in the Big Sandy Valley of Kentucky.”  The Big Sandy region discussed in the book includes the following four counties:  Pike, Floyd, Johnson, and Lawrence.  Since I grew up in Floyd county and lived and worked in Pike county, I was particularly interested in this particular Civil War info.

You will find the book interesting if you are from the Big Sandy area.  You may find it interesting if you are from other parts of Kentucky.  One of the most prominent skirmishes took place near Prestonsburg on Middle Creek.  The two Civil War commanders involved were Col. James Garfield and Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall.

You can read more about this particular battle on the Middle Creek National Battlefield website.  You can also download an interesting brochure from their website about Eastern Kentucky Civil War battles and skirmishes.

If you know of other Civil War books that you would recommend, please share them here.