REVEAL interview notes
October 14, 2008
Here are some more notes from the interviews at the conference…again, more commonalities of the top churches…
Three Practices of these churches (top 15)
1. Make the destination clear.
2. Make the spiritual ‘on ramp’ non-negotiable.
a. The greater the expectation, the higher the commitment
3. The senior pastor is involved, and the champion of the process.
How to embed the Bible in everything you do.
1. Don’t shy away from expository preaching/teaching. (exegesis)
2. Take away the excuses.
a. 10/10 covenant:
i. read the bible for 10 minutes,
ii. pray 10 minutes a day,
iii. connect with 10 people in a small group,
iv. pray for 10 people to accept Christ.
b. Include a bible lesson in every ministry activity.
c. Do things with email, web for getting people into the word.
d. Don’t make scripture something only “pastors” can “do”
3. Model scripture as the church’s foundation.
Jason Cooper
REVEAL notes…
October 14, 2008
Notes from Greg Hawkins concerning the commonalities between the highest scoring churches…
4 Things We found about these top churches:
1. They get their people moving. They are focused on making disciples of Jesus. They get them moving early, create a clear path of next steps. They offer a plated meal instead of a buffet. New people are given one clear next step.
2. They embed the bible in everything and in everyone. They make it pervasive. Clearly teach the bible, usually expository. Start with scripture in order to help people make the application on their own. They make it accessible through classes, email, online, etc.
3. They create ownership. They emphasize that everyone has a role in the body. Not just belonging, but identifying with the church. They train them to lead and disciple. They hold them accountable.
4. They pastor the local community, not just the church. Aggressively understanding the needs of the community and working to meet those needs. Create high expectations for their people in serving the community. They form partnerships with other churches/organizations. They are intentional in making serving a platform for sharing the gospel.
5. (bonus) the following churches, they all have leaders consumed with making disciples and modeling it…
Jason Cooper
Notes from REVEAL…
October 14, 2008
Greg Hawkins – notes
Top 5 discoveries as the survey expanded to other congregations (much of this is highlighted in the book Follow Me).
1. Reading and reflecting on scripture is the most powerful catalyst for personal spiritual growth.
2. Developing core Christian beliefs is crucial for those in the early stages.
3. Personal spiritual practices are the building blocks for spiritual growth.
4. Serving is the most catalytic experience offered by churches. Especially serving those in need, outside the church, on your own. There is a continuum from church offered experiences to serving on one’s own.
5. Spiritual community is vital, but it migrates from organized to organic.
What did people want from the church? Top 5
1. Help me understand the bible in greater depth.
2. Help me develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
3. Provide strong programs for children.
4. Challenge me to grow and take next steps.
5. Provide compelling worship services.
Jason Cooper
Notes from REVEAL…
October 14, 2008
A couple notes from this morning's session…
Key factors for spiritual growth through the four stages…
1. Personal engagement with the bible
2. Biblical community
The toughest chasm in growing from segment to segment is the last jump…from close to Christ to Christ centered.
More later…
Jason Cooper
at the REVEAL conference…
October 13, 2008
Well…it’s October 13th and I just flew into Chicago, got my rental, drove to my hotel, grabbed dinner at Chipotle (yum!) and am getting ready to head to Willow Creek tomorrow for the REVEAL conference. I look forward to gaining some good insights and ideas on helping the church do a better job of discipleship.
I will hopefully be able to post a few comments over the next two days.
Jason Cooper
REVEAL conference…
August 19, 2008
This is just a quick FYI type of post, but I am getting excited about the upcoming REVEAL conference at Willow Creek. It is October 14-15 and as my previous posts [1,2] on this topic suggest, it looks like there will be some good insights into how to “catalyze” spiritual growth in the church.
My hope is that the conference will help churches focus on principles and practices that contribute to discipleship and not just “sell” programs and curriculum.
On a side note, the REVEAL follow up book is now out…FOLLOW ME. I have it and have started digesting it and will comment on it in the future.
Jason Cooper
REVEAL in the Christian Standard
July 28, 2008
A recent issue of the Christian Standard contained an article that talked about the REVEAL study that Willow Creek Community Church has been talking about a lot recently. (Also the subject of my previous post)
I thought the article was a good summary. So here is a link: Changing the Way We Do Church, by Darrel Rowland.
Let me just say that there is a tendency to “bash” Willow, and I personally am not sold on their seeker model, but this study is not about abandoning the seeker model as some have proposed. If you have questions about that last statement, leave a comment and I will clarify.
Jason Cooper
REVEAL-ing Insights from Willow Creek
July 9, 2008
One of my frustrations in ministry is how to sort through all the different programs, groups, campaigns, curriculums, conferences, bookd, etc., that are available out there. There seems to be a self-imposed pressure within churches to do the latest, greatest, trendy thing that churches are doing. We get so focused on creating programs that will draw bodies that we forget about purpose and philosophy of ministry and strategies for creating real growth in individuals.
Several years back I was able to participate, along with my church at the time, in some ongoing discipleship training that attempted to force churches to look at everything they are doing in order to come to a discipleship focus as a church. This meant defining discipleship, clarifying discipleship as THE purpose of the church, and developing a unified philosophy of ministry and therefore a strategy for facilitating real spiritual growth in individuals. Ever since then, this has become a lens through which I filter everything I encounter regarding ministry.
In this process, we took a survey that evaluated how our people were doing in terms of a four phase discipleship plan. We found that true growth had nothing to do with how long someone had been a Christian, or how long they had been going to church. True growth had to do with how much the individual “owned” their own personal, spiritual growth.
Over the last year or so, Willow Creek has begun putting out some of the best material I have seen in regards to ministry…they call it REVEAL. It is not a program to mimic, or curriculum to use, or small group material, or any of the traditional stuff. It is the results of asking the question “Are we accomplishing our purpose of making disciples?” The answer to that question was…no, not really. They found that spiritual growth was happening at their church, but that it had no correlation to a person’s involvement in church activities. The people that grew were the ones that “owned” their own personal growth.
Notice that this is not a condemnation of their seeker-driven philosophy as some have wrongly asserted. Their results paralleled the results my church had discovered. The difference is that we discovered it with the help of a much lesser known parachurch group utilizing a much more basic survey than the REVEAL survey. The great thing about REVEAL is that it is getting noticed on the national scene.
In both the survey I participated in and the REVEAL survey, the results hold true in churches across the board. So, if you are a church leader of any sort, please take time to check out what they are finding. If you have comments or questions, please leave them and join in this discussion.
I hope to write more about REVEAL in the future.
Jason Cooper
