NURTURE AND HEART RETENTION• It is a Church’s Evasion Risk factor MONEY GETTING X SPIRITUALITY...
Transcript of NURTURE AND HEART RETENTION• It is a Church’s Evasion Risk factor MONEY GETTING X SPIRITUALITY...
NURTUREANDHEARTRETENTIONPreventingChurchEvasion
ARELIABLEEVASIONPREDICTORWouldhelpleadersto
• Identifythoseingreaterrisk• Providepriorityministerialsupport
WRONGQUESTION• Howtokeepmembersinthechurch?
BETTERQUESTION• Howtoattachtheirhearts(emotions)toheaven?(Col.3:1-3)
HEARTRETENTIONXBODYRETENTION• ForemostconcerninJesuspreaching(ex.Matt.5-7)
HOWTOINHERITETERNALLIFE(Luke10:25-27;Mark12:29-31;Matt.22:37-39;Deut.10:12)
• “Stayinginthechurch”wasnotJesus’answer• ToloveGodwithallpossiblecapabilities(andneighbor)wasHisanswer
WHENMEMBERSLOVEGOD• Theywillhaveeternallife• Allthingsworktogetherfortheirgood(Rom.8:28)• Churchretentionwillbetheconsequence
TOLOVEGOD• It’sarequirement(Deut.10:12)• Shouldnotbeinword/talk,butindeedandtruth(1John3:18)• Isrevealedbylovingthebrothers(1John4:7-21)• ThemostimportantNurtureendeavor
TOLOVEGODItisrelatedto
• KeepingHisCommandments(John14:15,21:15:10;1John2:4-6;5:3)
• KeepingHisWord(John14:23)
ASURPRISINGWAYTODEVELOPTHATAFFECTION
POSSESSIONSXAFFECTIONSPossessionsarecarriersofAffections(Matt.6:19-21)
“Donotlayupforyourselvestreasuresonearth,wheremothandrustdestroyandwherethievesbreakinandsteal;butlayupforyourselvestreasuresinheaven,whereneithermothnorrustdestroysandwherethievesdonotbreakinandsteal.Forwhereyourtreasureis,thereyourheartwillbealso.”
FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVINGWillplacetheheartinheaven/God’sdwellingplace
ONLYTWOOPTIONS“Thereareonlytwoplacesintheuniversewherewecanplaceourtreasures,-inGod’sstorehouseorinSatan’s;andallthatisnotdevotedtoGod’sserviceiscountedonSatan’sside,andgoestostrengthenhiscause.”
EllenG.White,CounselsonStewardship,page35.
TOLOVEGOD• Themostimportantchoiceforeternallife• Maybestartedandincreasedalsobyfinancialspiritualgiving• Financialspiritualgivingisrelatedtoeternallife
JESUS’SHEARTRETENTIONPROGRAM• AdivinestrategytokeeptheheartinHiskingdom• Meansmuchmorethansimplytokeepthebodyinthechurch
FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVING• MustbeconsideredasanintegralpartofthelistofAdventistPersonalPietypractices(McIver,2015)
• MustbeassessedandstudiedforNurtureandRetentionpurposes
PRACTICESPOSITIVELYCORRELATEDTOTITHING(MCIVER,2015)
• SabbathSchoolattendance• OpenandclosetheSabbath• StudySabbathSchoolquarterly• ReadandreflectontheBibleeachday• Prayoftenduringtheday
ARETHEYRELATEDTOSPIRITUALGIVINGBYCHANCE?Oraretheyallintegralpartsofasamesystem?
WHENINVESTMENTSANDHEARTAREONTHEEARTH(ParableoftheSower-Matt.13:22)
• Peoplearedeceivedanddistressedbythepossessions• God’swordischoked• Personbecomesspirituallyunfruitful
LOVEOFTHINGSANDTHISWORLD(1John2:15-17)
Impliesin• Lossofspiritualsight• Lossof“theloveoftheFather”• Heartevasion• Increasedchurchevasionrisk
LOVEOFMONEY&DESIRETOBERICH(1Tim.6:9-10)
• Drowns“menindestructionandperdition”.• “…arootofallkindofevil…”• “…forwhichsomehavestrayedfromthefaith…”• ItisaChurch’sEvasionRiskfactor
MONEYGETTINGXSPIRITUALITY“…devotiontomoneygetting”issomethingthat“deadensthespiritualityofthechurchandremovesthefavorofGodfrom
her.”CS,20
MONEYGETTINGXSPIRITUALITY• Howtorecognize“devotiontomoneygetting”andspiritualdeadstate?• Isfinancialunfaithfulnessandevidenceofspiritualdeath?
THEEVIDENCEANDITSEXTENDEDINFLUENCE“…hethatwillwithholdfromGodthatwhichHehaslenthim,willbeunfaithfulinthethingsofGodineveryrespect….”1T198
AGRADUALDEVELOPMENT• Devotiontomoneygetting• Spirituallydead• Allkindsofimaginableunfaithfulness• Apostasy• Churchevasion
ASADRESEARCHAllSADmemberswholeftthechurchfrom2015-2017
90.83%
85.49%
83.26%
78.75%
81.00%
83.25%
85.50%
87.75%
90.00%
92.25%
Tithepattern:36monthsbeforebeingremovedfrommembership.
2015 2016 2017
94.01%
90.36%
88.76%
86.00%
88.00%
90.00%
92.00%
94.00%
96.00%
Offeringpattern:36monthsbeforebeingremovedfrommembership.
2015 2016 2017
Anaverageof86%:notithingrecord: Anaverageof91%:noofferingrecord:
JESUS’HEARTRETENTIONSTRATEGY“…Througheveryinvestmentmade[inGod’streasury],theywillbecomemoreweddedtothecauseofpresenttruth…”CS73.
RELATEDTOSPIRITUALPROSPERITY“…WithholdingfromGodAlwaysbringsacurse.SpiritualprosperityiscloselyboundupwithChristianliberality…”CS49.
THEMOSTSPIRITUALLYPROSPEROUSCHURCHES“…ChurcheswhoarethemostsystematicandliberalinsustainingthecauseofGodarethemostprosperousspiritually.”3T405
CHURCHGROWTHXFINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVINGTheworkofimpartingoftheheavenlygifts“isthelifeandgrowthofthechurch.”6T448.
FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVING• Highlyrelatedtochurchgrowthandspiritualprosperity• Isexpectedtoincreaseretentionrates• It’sabsence–apredictorofapostasy
NURTURE&RETENTIONSTRATEGY• Toassessandcarefullyfollowchurch’sspiritualfinancialgivingpatterns.• Identifypotentialapostasy/churchevasionrisk.• Prioritycare,includingvisitation,tothoseingreaterrisk.
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STRATEGIESTO
• Strengthenspiritualsystematicgiving• Establishappropriateinterventionswhenneeded.