Trinity church has borrowed a ministry model from Rick Warren’s Church in Saddleback CA. The diagram below illustrates how Trinity leadership views their place in their community. The diagram also creates a model the church applies in order to create disciple building movement within the congregation. The five concentric circles represent the spiritual condition of every person whom Trinity church contacts.
1. The outer circle is the general community at large, and specifically those within driving distance of the church building. Trinity Church views itself as a change agent, responsible to reach into the community. They purposely build relationships and sponsor connection events which would attract members of the community to Trinity.
2. The crowd is a subset of the community, and is made up of any person who comes to an event or weekend service at Trinity. They have made a step toward becoming involved. They may or may not have made the decision to make Jesus Lord of their lives. Nonetheless, they are regularly coming, and depending on Trinity to move them forward in their spiritual journey.
3. The congregation is made up of those who not only attend Trinity on a regular basis, but also have made Trinity their church home. This group may, or may not be involved in ministry events, yet they have completed steps for formal membership.
4. The committed are those who are connected, and involved in the ministry of Trinity Church. These Trinity members seek to learn about and become equipped to use their spiritual gifts in ministry.
5. At the church’s core are those who have completed the church’s spiritual formation classes, and are actively using their own spiritual gifts in ministry. They are serving in some aspect of church ministry and are committed to their own spiritual growth, and that of those within their own sphere of influence.
This model has helped Trinity shape the programs within the organization to address the complete range of spiritual needs of those the ministry contacts. The fruit of this model is that Trinity is a growing, spiritually healthy church, aware and seeking to meet the spiritual needs all those they encounter.
How often have you encountered a church focused on growth of the congregation and committed? How many months can go by without any new commitments to Jesus Christ occurring? How many opportunities will they miss to connect with those who are investigating Christ’s claims?
The same question can be asked about a church that focuses too narrowly on the community and the crowd. A church can be tunnel visioned on meeting the seeker – skeptic in their midst that the gospel become weakened, and those committed or at the core are not challenged to take up Jesus’ call to holiness, or personal obedience to the Gospel.
Trinity Church intentionally allocates resources on developing programs, events and tools which are designed to meet individuals’ needs across the entire spectrum. As spiritual needs are met, individuals find the encouragement, instruction, support and loving, quiet expectation that they can move from one circle to the next. The ministry paradigm, from the pulpit to the children’s church, is focused on this same goal.
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