Rainer, Thom & Sam Rainer. Breakout Churches. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2009, 252 pp
BV652.25.R365 2004 ISBN
#0-310-25745-X
Continued from previous post
6.
The VIP Factor
This chapter is similar to the
Hedgehog Concept in Good to Great.
The VIP factor is the “Vision Intersection Profile.” Rainer opens with the
shocking statement that breakout churches do not seek to discover their vision.
The key phrase is “seek to discover.” These churches all have a clear,
compelling vision, but in Rainer’s words, it “was a vision that discovered
them.”
When the vision of the leader
can be matched with the gifts and passions of the congregation, then the church
can find what community needs it can adequately meet. Most often, the leader’s
passion came first, then the people’s passions were molded to his.
Rainer states that of the 427
church’s his team looked at, only 6% of the pastors were passionate. The others
were motivated by survival, conflict avoidance, self-promotion, tradition, or
fear.
For the congregation passion,
the church didn’t rely on spiritual gift inventories or surveys. They created
an atmosphere were people’s passions bubbled to the top and gave the people
permission to follow them. What isn’t clear is how they filtered out the
passions that did not align with the leader’s.
7.
A Culture of Excellence
This chapter is patterned after
Collin’s “Culture of Discipline.” Closely tied to the VIP Factor, breakout
churches found the intersection of the leader, people, and community and
demanded excellence in every ministry that fell within that intersection and
usually let other ministries die. These churches also gave ministry leaders and
workers, both staff and volunteer a high degree of freedom, but with a high
degree of expectations. Rainer came up with a quadrant similar to Collins
discipline/entrepreneur quadrant, but Rainer’s is expectation/freedom. The
chart below shows the quadrant arrangement. All the breakout churches were in
quadrant 2. The comparison churches in each of the other quadrants are listed
in the quadrant.
|
1
High Freedom
Low Expectation
7
Comparison Churches
|
2
High Freedom
High Expectation
13
Breakout Churches
|
|
3
Low Freedom
Low Expectation
25
Comparison Churches
|
4
Low Freedom
High Expectation
7
Comparison Churches
|
The breakout churches also had a
generally acknowledged “do not start” or “stop doing” list. They simply didn’t
do things that didn’t fit their VIP Factor or that they could not do well.
8.
Innovation Accelerators
Patterned after “Technology
Accelerators” in Good to Great, the
key idea of the chapter is that breakout churches use innovation as aid to
growth, not to cause growth. The concept seems a little subtle. Is it really
possible to say that an innovation did or did not cause the growth? The real
issue seems to be one of how the church filters innovation and how much it relies on innovation.
Rainer states that most churches
are either Traditionalist/Resistors or Innovator/Embracers. The first is
troubled by change and generally resists all change. Twenty four of the 39 comparison
churches fit this category (69%). The latter see innovation as the “magic
bullet” or panacea. They blindly follow the latest innovation. Fifteen
comparison churches fit this category (31%). Like the little bear in
Goldilocks, breakout churches had the “just right” approach to innovation.
Again, the difference seems to be not on the speed of innovation, but on the
wisdom and discernment of the leadership.
Rainer finally addresses this
when he comes back to the VIP Factor. The church has to evaluate technology
with regard to how well it fits within their vision intersection.
The book digresses into a
discussion of how innovation could become “the tail wagging the dog.” True, but
Rainer uses this section to drive home more importantly how that most of the
comparison churches didn’t have a dog to wag. The dog, of course, would be the
main mission/vision of the church and leaders. There’s the problem. It’s not
the innovation.
The book also includes the old
warning that innovation can be a trap. What you use to bring them is what you
have to use to keep them. Rely on innovation and you could get stuck with the
innovation long after it ceases to innovative.
9.
Big Mo or Blind Erosion?
This chapter is based on Collin’s
chapter The Flywheel and the Doom Loop.
The big mo is, of course, momentum. Rainer says that the momentum is caused by
a variety of things including the longer tenure of breakout pastors. Other
factors include, preaching, Biblical authority, and prayer.
Blind erosion, on the other
hand, stems from lack of accountability, poor theology, and ignorance and
resistance on the part of the leaders. In the comparison churches, the
laypeople had little understanding of their doctrinal beliefs and little evangelistic
zeal. Many concluded that there were alternate ways to heaven.
Rainer lists six types of
leaders who have the resistance to change that leads to erosion.
Ø
The burned leader is demoralized and hurt. He is
unwilling to try great things for God out of fear of conflict.
Ø
The ignorant leader lacks interpersonal skills
and basic leadership abilities.
Ø
The lazy leader takes advantage of low
accountability.
Ø
The theologically weak leader has doubts about
some basic tenets.
Ø
The conflict avoider is like the burned leader
except that conflict avoidance is a basic personality issue and not the result
of previous conflict.
Ø
The accolade seeker lives for recognition. He
spends time on pastoral care and things that will increase his value in the
eyes of the people.
1o.
To Become a Breakout Church
The last chapter is Rainer’s
wrap up to reinforce salient issues one more time. The most beneficial section
is the final chart on page 200.
Some steps toward breaking out
Acts 6/7 Leadership
Ø
develop core biblical values.
Ø
Pray for Christlike Spirit in all areas.
Ø
Decide in God's power to love the people of the
church no matter what.Seek to lead your church to an outward focus, beyond the
walls of the congregation.
Ø
In God's will make a commitment to stay with the
church long-term.
The ABC Moment
Ø
Seek outside counsel to help you see the church
from an outsider's perspective.
Ø
Be a lifelong learner through numerous media.
Ø
Pray for your critics and maintain an attitude
of love toward them.
Ø
Be prepared for the reality that most crises
will be the result of conflict with Christians.
Ø
Pray that God will allow you to see beyond the
crises and see His work in the difficult moments.
Who/What Simultrack
Ø
Deal quickly but compassionately with a major
people problems.
Ø
Develop a high expectation culture in the church
that will attract more of the right people.
Ø
Work on major structural needs in the church
will simultaneously working on the people issues.
The VIP Factor
Ø
Discern your passions for ministry is a leader.
Ø
Discover the gifts and passions of the members
of your congregation.
Ø
Discover the needs in the community.
Ø
See where the above three factors intersect, and
focus many resources at this vision intersection.
Culture of Excellence
Ø
Attempt to do all things with excellence in
God's power.
Ø
If the church cannot do something with
excellence, consider discarding or discontinuing the effort.
Ø
See innovation as a means, not as an end.
Ø
Carefully evaluate each innovative opportunity;
be open but cautious with innovations.
Big Mo
Ø
Learn that the success God gives is often a
beginning point for another opportunity for success.
Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the questions answered
here have already been addressed in the body of the work.
Appendix B: Selection Process and Research Steps
1.
Determine
the Criteria for Selection
Ø
26 conversions in at least one of the past five
years.
Ø
Maximum of 20:1 evangelistic ratio in the past
five years.
Ø
Five years of sustained growth.
Ø
No change in senior pastor during the decline,
breakout and growth.
2.
Locate a
Database of Churches
The team gathered data on 52,333 churches.
3.
Apply the
Two Evangelistic Screens
The evangelistic screens reduced the number of churches to
1,936.
4.
Seek Other
Screening Data from Remaining Churches
The team asked the 1,936 churches for more extensive data
over the past 10 years. Only 881 churches responded.
5.
Apply
Breakout Screen
This screen reduced the number of churches to 211.
6.
Apply
Consistent Leadership Screen
The senior pastor stayed the same in only 17 churches.
7.
Begin
Intensive Research on Screened Churches
Detailed scrutiny ruled out 4 more churches.
8.
Research the
Breakout Churches
1. Gathering
internal and historical documents on the churches.
2. Gathering
published material on the churches where available.
3. Conducting
interviews with staff and laity.
4. On
site observation.
5. Testing
according to Good to Great.
6.
Testing against comparison churches.
Appendix C: Selection Process of Comparison
Churches
This is a brief explanation of
how Rainer’s team picked the comparison churches for each breakout church.
Ø
Size: the comparison church had to have an
average attendance within 10% of the breakout church’s.
Ø
Geography: The comparison church had to be in
the same state or a contiguous state.
Ø
Demographics: The two communities had to be with
20% in size.
Ø
Doctrine: If the breakout church was part of a
denomination, the comparison church came from the same denomination.
Appendix D: Synopsis of Churches Selected
This section gives a short
synopsis of the 13 breakout churches. Most of the information has already been
anecdotally mentioned within the main body of the book. They are listed below
for easy reference.
Bethel Temple Community Church, Evansville, IN
-
Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, IL
- Central
Christian Church, Beloit, WI
Fairfield New Liife Church, Farfield, CA (Nazarene)
-
First Gethsemane Baptist Church, Louisville, KY
- Grace
Church, Christians and Missionary Alliance,
Middleburg Heights, OH
- Grace
Evangelical Free Church, Allen,
TX
Grove City Church of the Nazarene, Grove City, OH
- Korean
Central Presbyterian Church, Vienna,
VA
Lenexa Baptist Church, Leneza, KN
- Southwest Baptis tChurch, Amarillo, TX
- The Temple Church,
Nashville, TN
- Xenos
Christian Fellowship, Columbus,
OH
Appendix E: Church Readiness Inventory
This 50 question inventory is
one that Rainer’s former organization, Church Central, uses in preparation for
a consultation. It covers many areas of church life including prayer, strategy,
evangelism, fellowship, staff, vision, leadership styles, relationships, and
conflict. Permission is granted for the survey to be used in the book
purchaser’s local church.