9 Things that worked in the church a decade ago...

[Sandy]

that don't work today.

http://careynieuwhof.com/9-things-worke ... ork-today/

Lots of this stuff floats around. Personally, I'm of the opinion that what works in the church is actually being a church, with a mission and purpose that is centered in what Jesus defined as the Ecclesia. Most of the stuff around like this is based more on the adaptation of business marketing techniques than on relationships that form a genuine group of people who are a body of Christ.

[William Thornton]

The flat assertion that certain specific things don't work anymore deserves the rejection of the entire article. If the title is a hook,then the author violates his own principle (gimmicks don't work).

Bah humbug on this entire genre. I read this stuff everywhere all the time. Often it is little more than chest thumping. Every now and then a small nugget is found.

[Haruo]

Clickbait.

[Dave Roberts]

Like most lists, this one is in the writer's context. It has the same problem that I have had with experts who always arrived with a package in a briefcase. I used to do adult Sunday School training. One of the first things I learned was that my context, or the context of the latest guru for a great program might offer nothing in the context where I was working. Having done interim work now since 2009, I have seen many different models in churches where I have gone. What has impressed me most is the necessity to read the context of a ministry before becoming the "answer man."

[KeithE]

We used Nieuwhof’s book in our Long Range Planning Group. I can't say it was real useful but did provoke some thoughts about what is wrong with our church (mainly our church is too stuck on past glory days - still a problem my opinion).

I notice the 9 things said in the link above (Jan 2016) are quite different from the 7 conversations we were supposed to have, or the ten reasons why churches don’t grow in his 2015 book.

We have recognized that we have not kept up with the computer revolution (a point Nieuwhof makes) and are trying to make more use of websites, TV displays in SS classes.

Our efforts are now on getting people in our doors with a set of classes - the Discovery Center. Starts Feb 27. Don’t know if it will work or not. See attached draft flyer. We are also putting example worship services (including our excellent Choir) on our website (not yet accomplished yet)