The Big Mo'
One of the things I have learned as a pastor and church planter is to appreciate the power of momentum (The Big Mo'). For about our first year we didn't really understand this and the potential it has to generate growth, life change, and bring glory to God. I rarely preached strategic or creative series, we didn't understand 'seasons' of growth in a church, and we did little to capitalize on a 'big day' when God sent us one.
Here's some things I have learned about this:
a) Preach in series and time those series to begin at big times (School starting back, first of the year, Easter, etc.) -- numerous times the series will keep people coming back and help make church a habit. For the unchurched, getting up on Sunday morning is not a habit yet and they may come to your church but only once a month ... series help them become habitual attenders.
To help with this: know your attendance patterns, know the school calendar, know when UGA plays at night in Athens ... you get the idea.
b) Keep the Mo' going: after a big day how can we keep the Mo' going?
1) Pray: first, last, and always
2) Send out a mid-week communication to your folks that celebrates what happened and anticipates what will happen
3) Throw a twist in the next week's service ... keep it exciting and the Mo' building
4) Pray some more
5) Keep your key leaders onboard, involved, and pumped up! Encourage them, pray for them, challenge them, pour vision into them so they can fuel the vision as it catches on throughout the church & community.
c) The church leadership CAN generate momentum!! Enthusiasm is contagious and if folks see the leaders excited and passionate ... they will get excited and passionate to serve, invite, pray, witness, worship, etc.
d) Typically summer is sort of a down time for churches and other times of the year are more plateau times. Plan something big, do something especially creative during these times. Help folks understand that God doesn't plateau or take vacation. The folks that missed it will hear about it and the folks that were there will learn that God is ALWAYS at work even when we are not.
For example: we did a real creative series in June (a down month for us). We even had 2 guys repel out of the ceiling!! Yes, attendance was down but excitement was up and it generated some Mo' that has helped make this summer one of our best.
It took us over a year to learn these things and we're still learning the power of Mo'. But is an awesome time in the church when you see clearly God working!!
(Read the Book of Acts ... Paul was a master and getting the Mo' going as he planted churches, encouraged them, and put leaders in place to keep it going!)
