Combining Contemporary Services for Momentum?

About six months ago (9-23-10) I posted on this blog my decision (supported by the pastoral staff) for not changing the amount and times of worship services Calvary offered.  I stated the reasons for such a decision.  (See the post at http://leadingcalvary.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html).  During these six months, we have continued to pray for the Lord's direction, observe closely what is happening and listen to what He might be saying.  At this point, I feel like God may be leading us to combine our contemporary worship services in order to gain momentum as we move forward.


As I stated in the 9-23-10 post, one of the primary reasons for having multiple services is to provide room for growth.  We want to be a congregation whose heart is on reaching those without Christ and making sure that there is room for them.  However, providing space for growth does not automatically produce growth.  There are other elements that are important for growth to take place.

Genuine growth can only be produced by God's Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:6-7).  So must seek Him and allow his power to work through us and around us.  Another aspect necessary for growth is what I would call momentum.  According to Wikipedia,

In classical mechanics, momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object (p = mv). Like velocity, momentum is a vector quantity, possessing a direction as well as a magnitude. 

But when I use the word, I mean the combination of congregational identity, confidence, enthusiasm, energy and shared sense of purpose.  Perhaps another way of describing it is a "snowball effect."  Once the snowball gets rolling, it picks up speed and size.  I believe this is part of what we need at Calvary in order to experience significant growth.  I also think that combining the two contemporary worship services can position us to gain that kind of momentum.

We are reminded that our objective is not numerical growth but to be a vibrant church that is well connected to God and that loves people.  We refer to this as spiritual and relational vitality.  Nevertheless when there is this kind of vibrant health, numerical growth will be a natural by product.

The reality is that we have not experienced growth in attendance to our English worship services for the last eight months or so.  In September I reported that our 8:15 am service attendance had been averaging below 200, our 9:45 am below 300, our 11:15 am fluctuated between 200 and 250 and our 12:45 pm (Spanish) service about 240.  Since then, the average attendance to the 8:15 am service has been about 180, 9:45 am about 250, 11:15 am about 200, and 12:45 pm (Spanish) right below 300.  (The actual average of the Spanish service for the first quarter of 2011 is 307.  The Spanish service is the only one growing in attendance at this time).  Our combined worship attendance is a little above 900.

Compared to previous years, the combined attendance to English services is at a low point for the first quarter of 2011.  In the previous four years, the highest combined worship attendance took place in the 2008--2009 school year.  For the 2010--2011 school year our combined worship attendance is very compatible with that.  The growth in the Spanish service has helped our combined attendance remain strong.

In the 9-23-10 blog post I noted that the combined attendance of the two contemporary worship services had been under 500 except for five occasions in the 2010 calendar year where it came close to 600.  Since then, there have only been two occasions where the 500 mark has been surpassed in the combined contemporary services.  I anticipate that Easter Sunday would be a third occasion in which this would be the case.  Having observed the patterns and trends, if we combine the two contemporary services, there would still be space for growth.  We may have to be creative on future Easter and Christmas musical Sundays.

The questions that arise when making such a move include:

• what time will the classic, contemporary and Spanish services be at?
• how will the Bible Fellowships work?
• when should such a change be implemented?
• what are some of the implications of such a change?

I have discussed this matter with the pastoral staff and with some leaders.  I have also received e-mails from church members regarding the issue.

The pastoral staff and I feel like the best option for times of services will be as follows:

09:30 am  Classic Worship (Contemporary Bible Fellowships)

11:00 am  Contemporary Worship (Classic & Spanish Bible Fellowships)

12:30 pm  Spanish Worship

Furthermore, we feel the best time to implement such a change will be May 1 of this year.

There are many implications of this.  We know that it will take prayer, cooperation, an effort to fill the worship center in such a way that we leave room for guests, longer walks from the parking lot, and continued volunteers in the children's area.  Furthermore, we hope that the momentum that builds up will leave us open for the possibility of starting a new worship service once God gives us the growth.  We don't want to become inward focused but to remain missional.

Before we announce this to the congregation, I am seeking the input of each Calvary leader.  Please pray about this and comment on this post.  I am also having meetings with the coordinating council and the deacons to seek their input.

I am confident that as we seek God's direction, he will make things clear.  May we be obedient in faith.  May he empower us to be all that he has called us to be.  May we lift his name high in such a way that others will be drawn to Him.

Can We Really Change the World?

Last week during my vacation, as I read the hotel-provided issue of USA TODAY (3-14-11), I read an article entitled "America's churches can help change the world."  I found it to be an interesting and compelling treatment of the role the church and religious leaders have historically played in being "prophetic" and transformational agents (sometimes negatively and sometimes positively).  Additionally, the need and the urgency for us to step up to the plate today in a world of turmoil and change is recognized.  In church circles, we often talk about "changing the world."  Sometimes that becomes cliche.  However, it is interesting when a secular newspaper says to the church and religious leaders, "C'mon, it's up to you to do something for the moral well-being of our world!"

You can read the article yourself here:

America's churches can help change the world

As we continue in our forty days of prayer "Seek God for the City" and we pray for the world, one country at a time, we need to have the conviction that we can actually make a difference!  As the people of God, we can be transformational agents in our city, our nation and in the world.  We don't do this on our own strength and wisdom but God does it through us.  We are his ambassadors!

When Pastor Rick Warren introduced his P.E.A.C.E. plan (http://thepeaceplan.com/), he argued that the church (not one local expression but the body of Christ globally) is the best agency, above governments and business, for addressing the world's largest problems.  In my opinion, one of the reasons we are not making a difference at that scale is that we really don't believe that we can.  I also believe another reason we fail in being global transformational agents is our preoccupation with internal affairs.  We are looking through a microscope when we should be using a telescope.

I believe that our God can use Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas to be a local and global change agent.  Calvary has already done so but the potential is so much greater.  For this to happen at a greater scale than ever before, there are certain necessary ingredients:

• a complete dependance on the Holy Spirit through constant fervent prayer;
• a clear sense of who we are and what we are about;
• a increasing vision of God's kingdom in the world;
• an intentional plan to partner with other churches, agencies and movements in prayer and work

None of these have magic or instant formulas.  They each involve a process of growth and development over time.  But we have to start somewhere.  Below I list some of the steps that we are taking in that direction.

1. Our forty days of prayer "Seek God for the City" have the intent of emphasizing our dependence on the Holy Spirit and the need for constant spiritual preparation for our mission as a church.  The themes and topics of our prayer guide are also intended to broaden our vision as a church as we pray for our city and our world.  I hope that this kind of thing does not end after the forty days but it becomes part of who we are as a congregation.
2. Our pastoral staff has been working on refining our strategy focus for a couple of months now.  In addition to our regular staff meetings, the staff is having extended day-long meetings and is planning a spring retreat.  Furthermore, we have calendared another leadership lab for key Calvary leaders on May 1 and a possible follow up on May 22 where we can get input from each.
3. In light of the financial situation in our area, and particularly in our church, the personnel committee has asked that I evaluate our current staff structure and recommend changes that are conducive to greater efficiency.  The stewardship and missions committee have endorsed that request and have expressed concerned about finding ways to reduce budget expenses.  In the next several weeks I will be working to identify areas where we can be more efficient as a church.
4. Given the above three steps, I expect that by the fall of this year there will be some ministry and program adjustments in our week-to-week operations.  I do not foresee major changes or a rebranding of our church.  However, I do see the need to refine what we are doing so that we can be a more effective disciple-making missional church.
5. We are looking at the possibilities of several strategic partnerships locally and globally also.  These should be in development and implementation by the second part of this year and the beginning of 2012, Lord willing.

These small steps, I believe, get us closer to positioning ourselves where God can use us in a bigger and greater way as transformational agents in the world.

Your role as a leader is crucial.  Pray, participate and believe God!  I know I am!

Forty Days of Prayer Begin Today

We are beginning our forty days of prayer today.  This emphasis which culminates on Palm Sunday is a focused effort in our congregation (and for churches around the world) to seek God's power and kingdom for the transformation of our cities and our world.


As a church we understand that being missional hangs on our dependence from God.  We seek God for vision, direction and power.  We understand that spiritual vitality is essential to the mission.


There is much work for Calvary to do as it lives out its mission in the city of McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley and around the world.  However, our church must be spiritually healthy, relationally strong and infilled with the power of God's Holy Spirit if we are going to make a difference.  That is why it's so important for us to pray together seeking God's face.


This week's emphasis (March 9 through March 19) is,


"Seeking God's FACE"


Psalm 24:6 and 27:8 speak of "seeking God's face."  We are praying that God would give us a hunger for being in his presence and that as we encounter his presence, He would do in us what it is His desire to do.  I hope that we earnestly do that this week.


The prayer guides we are providing give daily Scriptures, topics and prayers to help us focus on this theme.  Furthermore, it suggests specific prayer for segments of the population in our city.  This week we are praying for:

• women (March 9)
• youth (March 10)
• ethnic communities (March 11)
• the sick (March 12)
• families (March 13)
• the military (March 14)
• the poor (March 15)
• the homeless (March 16)
• pastors (March 17)
• agricultural workers (March 18)
• men (March 19)

Also, we are praying for each country in the world beginning with the Americas this week and ending with Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Each day of the week will have a list of countries as we pray for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

As we pray specifically for Calvary Baptist Church we pray that God would give us a clear sense of identity as a missional church.  That we would have a greater sense of what it means to be authentic disciples on mission.  That we would grow in our sense of purpose as the people of God as we practice the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  May we love God with all of our being, love others, and may that love be so evident that others would want to be a part of such a community of authentic disciples.

Take time to pray today and each day this week!