When are people "reached"?
Published: Fri, 03/04/16
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When are people "reached"?Now let me give you a practical definition of assimilation. A person is thoroughly assimilated when his or her name is scribbled on the back of half a dozen phone books. That person is loved and included. That person is well on the way to becoming a disciple. People who know a lot of Bible facts but who are not loved and included, on the other hand, are prime candidates for inactive status. They are not on the path of discipleship; they are on their way out of the church. One survey reports that 75 percent of church dropouts said they left their churches because they didn’t feel anyone cared whether they were there or not.1 Here is the remedy for that: Thoroughly assimilate one couple or two people every quarter. Let me clarify what I’m saying. First, I am talking about the average class of ten. If you are already averaging twenty, then, of course, you would need to assimilate two couples per quarter. (You also need to start a new group. You are quickly losing your status as a small group.) Second, I am talking about actual attendance, not about enrollment. In churches that use class rosters, average attendance is normally about 50% of the average enrollment. If you do a good job of building relationships within the group, you can increase the percentage to above 50 percent, sometimes as high as 75 percent or better. Be careful, however. The point is not to increase the percentage. The goal is to reach people. If you are concerned only with percentages, why not just delete from your roster everyone who does not attend regularly? That will instantly increase your percentage. Of course, those folks may be offended that you deleted them, but your class will look more successful. If, on the other hand, you leave these sporadic attendees on the roster, you will be more likely to invite them to monthly fellowships, which is likely to get them back on the track of discipleship. Finally, note that I am talking about net gain. You will always experience some attrition. Some will move away or become inactive. Normally, attrition is about 5 to 10 percent per year. In other words, a church has to attract 5 to 10 percent of its current attendance in new members just to stay even. A class of ten will need to attract one new member every year just to stay at ten. Still, a net gain of two new people each quarter is an attainable goal. SummaryIf you want to double your class every two years or less and you are currently averaging ten, you will need to add one person each quarter during the first year. (You’ll also need to replace people who move away or become inactive.) If you do this, you will be well on your way to doubling in two years or less. To help you do this, set a goal of reaching and assimilating two people or one couple per quarter. The way to begin is to take responsibility for the task, which is the subject of the next chapter.
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