GLC- Session 6

Mark Batterson & Heather Zempel-Session 6

Topic: Where Community Grows Best

“God will not grow our church beyond our ability to disciple people.” –Mark Batterson

Mark is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. He shared about how the story of his team launching a church in an expensive, highly populated metropolitan area. 73% of National Community is 20 something year old singles and they experience 20-30% turnover a year with 8 services a weekend at 4 locations.

Heather Zempel was a Senate staff person working in environmental engineering who was recruited by Mark to become the Discipleship Pastor of National Community.

When we try to replicate the technology (systems) of other people and churches by applying it to our own situation without considering the cultural context of our congregation we become frustrated and often times fail.

What are the catalysts that push forward growth in our ministry?

Zempel: Don’t confuse the outcomes with the methods. The outcome is people living in community with authentic relationships. There are a number of different ways to get there.

1. Be willing to experiment to the point of failure

“At some point we stop doing ministry out of creativity and start doing it out of memory. We stop dreaming and we start remembering. There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. -Batterson National Community Church embraces to creating a culture experimentation.

“ “If it doesn’t work, we will stop doing it, but if it does work we are going to work on making it better.” National Community began running their small groups on a 3 semester system. They start new groups in September, February, and June for an 8 to 12 week commitment. They found that people were willing to give the experiment a try, and people have embraced the idea. It gives them greater opportunity to be strategic, and for people it allows them to re-evaluate at the beginning of each semester to discern what kind of small group they need to be in for that point in their life.

Talking breaks in between the semesters allows small group leaders to refresh and determine their commitment about leading in the future. “It is not our job to feed people, but to teach people to feed themselves.”

NCC has found a number of their small groups have harnessed technology to stay connected throughout the week through mediums such as Facebook, blogging, emails, twittering, etc. Technology can be used to foster and encourage community if we do not use it as a substitute for also having times of face to face communication.

“We need to redeem technology and use it for God’s purpose.”-Batterson Ministry is so much more fun is when you give yourself the freedom to fail. We need to take God seriously and stop taking ourselves so seriously.”

2. Maturity does not equal conformity

Get people to their spiritual yield point, where they experience something that will forever change them. Zempel: Allowing groups to emerge from the creativity of the small group leaders because people are going to experience community in different ways. Free Market System of Small Groups-“We want you to build community and create disciples of Christ. How you do that is up to you.” Batterson: “We want our leaders to gain a vision from God and go with it.” “Let God be as original with others as He is with you.”-Oswell Chambers

3. Expect the unexpected

On a physiological level we have to disrupt the routines of our workouts so your body will grow. Likewise, we need to be cautious of making our spiritual disciplines routine. Don’t be afraid to mix up how we study scripture.

4. Love people when they least expect it and least deserve it

John 1:14 We need to live in community that creates a culture of grace and truth. NCC has found that the emerging generation wants the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is a catalyst for spiritual growth that needs to be combined with grace. John chapter 8: Jesus to the people “He who is without sin, let Him cast the first stone.”

Overall, this was an excellent session and it is so encouraging to see a community of believers in D.C. living out God’s purpose in that cultural context. I think I need to go on a church tour next summer to visit John Burke’s church in Austin, TX as well as Batterson’s in Washington, D.C. I am very excited for the last session!