Transformational Church Tour
Transformational Church Tour
“There is no template for ministry that will eliminate our absolute dependence on the Father and our need to talk to Him daily,” said Mike Harland. Bruce Raley added, “Every church today must decide who we are, and what does God want our church to do.” We no longer live in the ‘five star church’ era of the 50’s and 60’s, and we are growing out of the ‘what’s hot now’ era of the 80’s and 90’s. In this ‘customized church era,’ leaders must be strategists, there is no ‘plug and play’ app for today’s church.
Just as our relationship with the Father is foundational, relationships with others must be a high value for today’s church. Jeff Pratt notes, ‘young adults know very quickly whether you are treating them as a project or a person.’ Discipleship takes place best in relationships, and we must be intentional in creating a system for connecting both inside the church and with those we have been called to reach.
Over 180 pastors and church leaders attended the Ohio Transformational Church Tour May 31-June 2. The three locations – Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati – provided an opportunity to learn more about the new tool. Bruce Raley, Mike Harland and Jeff Pratt from LifeWay lead breakout sessions for pastors, church leaders, worship leaders and student leaders.
According to Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, authors of Transformational Church, “Too often we’ve highlighted the negative realities of the declining American church but missed the opportunity to magnify the God of hope and transformation.”
Based on the
most comprehensive study of its kind, including a survey of over 7,000 churches
and hundreds of on-site interviews with pastors, Transformational Church takes us to the thriving congregations
where truly changing lives is the norm. Churches where:
- More people are following Christ
- More believers are growing in their faith
- More churches are making an impact on their communities
Based on the research findings, the Transformational Church Assessment Tool (TCAT) gives you a snapshot of the perceived present reality based on seven elements: missionary mentality, vibrant leadership, relational intentionality, prayerful dependence, worship, community and mission. This powerful online tool can help you quickly assess where your church is strong now and the areas that need development.
The assessment is now available through the SCBO website (www.lifeway.com/tc/ohio/). We have fifteen trained consultants in Ohio ready to partner with you to develop strategy recommendations for your church. Contact Steve Hopkins (SteveHopkins@scbo.org or 614-827-1820) or Dwayne Lee (dlee@scbo.org or 614-827-1824) for information on how you can enlist a Transformational Church consultant.
A ministry of the Cooperative Program giving of Southern Baptist churches in Ohio.
