Day-Long Institute

Growing Your Church from the Inside Out
A Day-Long Institute with Rev. Elder Don Eastman
Friday 8 July
Churches often have an open back door. As new people come into the church, others are leaving. The result is a plateau or decline in attendance. It’s true of many MCC congregations. Yet, that can change. Churches grow when people grow. People grow when they are fully engaged. To be fully engaged is to be wholehearted. It’s to be “all in.” So, what does it take for people in your congregation to be fully engaged? And, how can we learn and practice effective approaches to support healthy growth? That’s the focus of this full-day program.
Deadline for registration is 31 May! 
 
Program Content:
Understanding Engagement
  • Definitions/key concepts
  • Gallup engagement research
  • Twelve engagement statements
  • Other engagement research/literature
  • Three engagement practices
  • An engagement model
  • Thinking strategically
Making Connections
  • The Practice of Generous Hospitality
  • Pathways to connection and belonging
  • Establishing a culture and atmosphere of hospitality
  • Providing social spaces and opportunities
  • Facilitating connections for congregants, including newcomers
Cultivating Growth
  • The Practice of Spiritual Growth
  • Definitions/Key principles for spiritual growth
  • The continuum of stages of spiritual growth
  • Pathways to growth through worship, learning, community, serving, and giving
  • Providing opportunities for spiritual growth
Developing Leaders
  • The Practice of Servant Leadership
  • Definitions/Key principles of servant leadership
  • The roles and practices of servant leadership
  • Pathways to development as servant leaders
  • MCC denominational support to develop servant leaders
Measuring Success
  • Counting or Measuring: What’s the difference?
  • Focus on Outcomes
  • Implementing a ministry action plan
  • Assessing progress; A little growth counts a lot.
  • Church Management Software
  • MCC survey/assessment tools
    • Congregational Life Survey
  • Other survey/assessment tools
Learning Together
  • Helpful resources currently in use by participants
  • Establishing a continuing learning network for congregational engagement
Pre-program participant preparation
  • Pre-conference online survey of participants
  • Pre-reads distributed to participants
  • Books and publications
    • The Other 80 Percent by Scott Thumma and Warren Bird
    • Growing an Engaged Church by Albert W. Winseman
    • Church Marketing 101 by Richard L. Reising
    • Reveal: Where Are You? by Greg L. Hawkins and Cally Parkinson
  • Online information links
Post-program participant follow up
  • Post-conference online survey of participants
  • Periodic engagement learning network webinars