Proverbs 29:18 KJV
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 NIV
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
1 Corinthians 2:4-7
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
“you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect”
It’s worth measuring if it’s worth doing, and it’s worth doing if it’s Biblical and God called us to it. So, what do we measure as a church?
Salvations: Seeing People Saved
This city is completely full of people who are putting their faith in this world.
Philippians 3:8-11
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
To date as a church, we have had 75 salvations! Right now we’re averaging 10 salvations per year, and our goal is 10 years from now to get to where we are averaging 50 salvations per year.
Membership: Seeing People Committed to the Church
In order for us to really reach our potential as a church, we need to have people that are all in.
Romans 12:4-6a
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
Right now we have 50 members, we truly believe that if we keep reaching people, we can have this number closer to 300 10 years from now! That’s only 20% growth per year. We can do that!
Sunday Attendance: Seeing People Worshipping
The whole point of the church (the Bride of Christ) is to worship God…
John 4:23
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Currently, we average about 75 people on Sundays. In 10 years, we believe we can hit 500 on Sundays.
That is a 21% growth per year.
Budget: Having Resources to do Ministry
Doing ministry as a church costs money.
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Right now, our budget for 2018 is $142,335. Of that, about HALF is help from partner churches, so we are bringing in about $70,000 this year from within our church.
If we grow by 20% per year, and people keep giving at the same rate, we will have no problem hitting our conservative goal of $500,000 a year.
Staff: Having the Necessary People to Lead Ministry
We need more paid staff if we are going to do all of the things that we can do in this city.
Acts 20:28-31
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!
Currently, about half of my pay comes from our church and half comes from partner churches. We intend to close that gap over the next 4 years.
Our goal is to also add other staff over the next 10 years:
- Full time Associate Pastor over life groups
- Full time Worship Pastor
- Full time Administrator
- Full time College Pastor (on monthly support)
- 3 Part time Campus Pastors
Life Group and Campuses: Reaching People All Over Our City
God has planted our church, and you in Indianapolis. God has spread us all over town, to reach Indianapolis as a whole!
Jeremiah 29:7
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
We currently have 8 life groups, our goal is that 10 years from now, we have 30 life groups! That means that every life group needs to multiply 2 times.
Beyond that, there are huge pockets of our city that have little to no churches in them. Our heart as a church has always been that as we grow, we grow out into other areas of Indy, instead of just growing inside our 4 walls. In 10 years, our goal is to have 3 campuses a lot like this one, running between 100-200 people each.
Church Plants: Reaching People All Over the World
We are a missional church because our God is a missional God.
Psalm 96:3
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Our goal is to raise up a: Lead Pastor, Worship Pastor, Administrator, Finance Team Leader, Life Group Leaders, and a bunch of volunteers to pick up and move somewhere to reach people with the Gospel. Our goal is to plant 1 church like this in the next 10 years.
Diversity: Reflecting Our City
Revelation 7:9
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
We don't want to be diverse because it makes us feel better as a church, we want to be diverse because it reflects our mission field: Indianapolis is about 70% white and 30% other. Right now, we’re about 10% non-white, our goal is to be 30% in 10 years.
Training School: Raising Up New Leaders
Matthew 9:36-38
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
The harvest in Indianapolis is SO plentiful and we don’t have nearly enough people equipped and ready to work as major leaders in the harvest field. So, 4 years from now, our goal is to start a training school that trains up leaders to take us from willing to equipped and ready.
Discipleship Houses: Growing Disciples
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
4 years from now, we want to start 2 discipleship houses - one for girls and one for guys, and then add 2 every 2 years. (Organized through Living Faith, not purchased)
Addiction Recovery Houses: Breaking Addiction
1 John 2:16-17
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Within the next 8 years, we want to purchase 2 Addiction Recovery Houses.
Outreach Center: Taking Care of the Needy
1 John 3:17-18
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Our goal is to have ours at least started 4 years from now.
