Developing the Church for a Greater Harvest
by John Kimball, Director of Church Development
The local church is Jesus’ primary expression of his love, grace and truth to the world. When a local congregation is healthy, it actively serves the people of its community, intercedes powerfully for their needs, and lovingly shares God’s Word (especially the gospel) so that hearts are aligned and the gentle rule and reign of Christ is extended. Just as the Christian life is a daily pursuit of purposeful engagement with the Savior on the individual level, so too “church life” is a continuous process of growth and change that leads to greater spiritual depth and a truly profound impact on the surrounding world.
The CCCC Church Development Team exists to help local pastors and churches foster ever-deepening spirituality and ever-increasing spiritual fruit for Christ’s kingdom. We come alongside and help bring alignment in critical areas of ecclesiology, discipleship, leader development and direct engagement of the community through both intercession and evangelism. While the principles we apply are biblical and common to every church, the actual approach is unique to each congregation. Every local body develops its own vision and mission strategy based upon its own divine design and community needs and distinctives.
Beginning with just a Director in 2007 and adding three team members in 2008, the CCCC Church Development Team is now made up of 15 co-laborers around the country and expanding every year. We continue to adapt our process over time to make it more local and to build critical relationships through clusters of pastors and churches in close geographical proximity. Our hope is that these clusters will be more focused on relationships and harvest engagement than on the task of teaching our process. Church development is not a program that can be completed, but is a way of church life that is continuously cultivated over time for an ever-expanding kingdom impact.
Could your church use a ministry shot in the arm? Are you seeing an increasing number of mature, Christ-like disciples being raised within your congregation? Is the gospel of Christ leading people to real salvation-encounters with Him on a regular basis through your church’s ministry? Are your members actively serving out in the community to share the love and grace of Christ with those who desperately need Him? The CCCC Church Development Process can help in all these areas and more.
Would you like more information? Please call the Conference Office at (651) 739-1474 and let’s talk about how the CCCC might come alongside your church for a more fruitful harvest.
