Renovate or Die: 10 Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission

Renovate or Die

More Praise for Renovate or Die

"Bob has pastored healthy churches and helped people plant and grow healthy churches. With his wealth of experience and insight, Bob's remedies for what is killing the church are delivered in 'no nonsense' fashion. If you're REALLY ready to be challenged with a vision and strategies for truly becoming a movement, then Renovate or Die is for you."

—Donald Smith, Pastor and Ministry Strategist, St. Peter's United Methodist Church, Katy, Texas

Renovate or Die

10 Ways to Focus Your Church

on Mission

Bob Farr

with Kay Kotan

Abingdon Press

Nashville

RENOVATE OR DIE

10 WAYS TO FOCUS YOUR CHURCH ON MISSION

Copyright © 2011 by Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or emailed to permissions@umpublishing.org.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Farr, Bob.

Renovate or die : 10 ways to focus your church on mission / Bob Farr with Kay Kotan.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4267-1586-0 (book - pbk./trade pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Church renewal. 2. Missions.

I. Kotan, Kay. II. Title.

BV600.3.F37 2011

254.5—dc22

2011002218

All Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Lovingly dedicated to two bold, strong women in my life—my wife, Susan, and my mother, Patricia—whose relentless support of my convictions has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion to improve the Methodist Tribe.

My deep appreciation also goes out to my children, Amy and Joe.

I would like to thank Bart Hildreth for his tireless efforts in proofreading this book and encouraging me.

Thank you Kay Kotan, Tammy Calcote, Bart Hildreth, and Royal Spiedel for their tireless efforts in proofreading this book and encouraging me.

Thank you to Bishop Robert Schnase, Adam Hamilton, and Doug Anderson for your undying support and encouragement of this book.

CONTENTS

Foreword Adam Hamilton

Introduction: Renovate or Die

Section One: Ten Ways to Renovate Your Church

It All Starts with the Pastor

Understand Your Present Reality

Get the Basics Right

Create Momentum

Inspire through Experiential Worship with Life-Application Preaching

Think Strategies, Not Programs

Staffing for Leadership

Disciple with Clear Steps

Network, Network, Network, and Then Market

Dare to Simplify the Structure

Section Two: Five Strategies for Judicatory Leaders

Overview: Changing the Conference Culture Robert Schnase

Strategy One: Reorganize Roles and Resources

Strategy Two: Provide Every Pastor a Continuous Learning Community

Strategy Three: Coach for Performance

Strategy Four: Consult, Evaluate, and Hold Yourselves Accountable

Strategy Five: Engage Laity

Conclusion: Be a Five Practices Church

Epilogue Doug Anderson

Contributors

Bibliography

FOREWORD

I first met Bob Farr when we were both in our mid-twenties. He was serving a small church nestled (or perhaps better, hidden) in a neighborhood in south Kansas City, Missouri. Undaunted by a truly terrible location, Bob set about finding ways to give this church a future with hope. And to everyone's surprise, things began to happen at this sleepy little church.

Our friendship began at that time, twenty-two years ago, with long conversations about how to save the Titanic—how to reverse the decline of The United Methodist Church. In the years since, I've watched Bob learn, experiment, and lead local churches and an entire annual conference to work to create healthy congregations. In each church that he has served, the congregations grew numerically, rediscovered their sense of mission and purpose, and worked to be Christ's presence in their communities.

Over the years, I've watched Bob and been amazed at his passion, his dedication, and his tireless work, not only in the churches he serves but also at the conference level, to strengthen other congregations.

This book captures the vision, strategies, and learnings that Bob has gleaned, practiced, and taught over these years. There are many gems in this book. Read it carefully with other leaders in your church. Look for the key insights and critical strategies. You'll soon discover both a desire to renovate your church and the tools to effectively lead your church forward.

I know few people who have worked harder or more effectively at renewing and renovating United Methodist churches than Bob Farr. I'm grateful that he has finally written down what he has learned about this important endeavor.

Adam Hamilton

INTRODUCTION

RENOVATE OR DIE

IS YOUR CHURCH BUILT ON THE SAND OR ON A ROCK?

When I was ordained into the ministry in 1978, I had no idea that the whole world of the church was deconstructing. I had no idea that I was enrolling in a declining movement. I had no idea that over the next thirty years I would have to rebuild the churches I was appointed to serve.

Leonard Sweet writes that the mainline church faced a double whammy of postmodernity and post-Christendom (So Beautiful, p. 20). We, the church, built a system that produced members, believers, and consumers just as the world was shifting away from joining big institutions to wanting authentic movements that offered application behavior, clarity of beliefs, high expectations, and real relationship with hands-on, life-changing experiences.

For better than fifty years we, the mainline church, had produced church. We said to people, Come a little bit, do a little bit, give a little bit, and say a whole lot. That philosophy worked well enough. But it has also turned out to be a house built on sand. As Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch say in their book ReJesus, Christianity minus Christ equals Religion (p. 68). Or as Jesus once said,

You are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards. This book is about how to rebuild the house on the rock and escape the sinking sand. (Matthew 7:24-27)

MAINLINE CHURCHES: COME A LITTLE BIT, DO A LITTLE BIT, GIVE A LITTLE BIT, AND SAY A WHOLE LOT.

I was born into a renovating family, the oldest of three boys. My mom and dad renovated houses throughout my whole time growing up. My dad was a firefighter by trade, which gave him blocks of free time. He didn't do nothing well, so he worked on the hundred-yearold house that we lived in. My mom and dad were always fixing something. They were never satisfied with how things were, whether at home, in the city of Creighton, in the fire district, in the Sherwood school system, or at the little Methodist church. Whatever they were involved in couldn't stay as it was. It had to be changed and improved. I learned early on that if I wanted to spend time with my father, I would have to learn to fix stuff. I learned from my mother that you couldn't stand still when you knew something was wrong. You had to speak up and do something about it.

Over the course of my years in ministry, I have participated in and led five congregations. Each either doubled or tripled in scope of ministry and worship attendance. Each was vastly different, from rural to city to suburban, from Missouri to Texas, Kansas City to St. Louis, from a hundredyear-old church to a new church start. All (except the church start) were in the midst of decline and dismay when I arrived. All cost me dearly and cost them dearly. But all celebrated God's renewing power when people and pastor together decided to do whatever it took to reach new people. Through all this I discovered that my passion and personal mission is to bring people—especially men who normally don't go to church—to Christ through the church.

WHAT'S STOPPING THE CHURCH FROM GROWING—PASTOR OR LAITY? YES! YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME!

Today, I serve as the director of the Center for Congregational Excellence for the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church. Our conference is in the midst of rebuilding and finding new direction and vitality. I have also discovered that until you are convinced of something so completely that you believe that God gave it to you, it's unlikely you will put enough skin into the game to be successful. Jesus talked about it as the difference between being the hired hand and the shepherd.

THE MYSTERY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW ALL THE TIME.

Renovating something always contains a bit of mystery. Rebuilding and heading in a new direction is scary. And until you get into a church, you don't know its true nature. Yet in the mainline church, we tend to study stuff to death. It's as though we believe we can figure out anything if we study it long enough. We also take inordinate amounts of time doing this. We plan, we look, we talk, we think, and we wait until just the right time when we think everybody's on board before we act. Our lengthy processes cost us time and energy. News Flash: There is never a convenient time to renovate, and everybody is never going to be totally on board.

As Reggie McNeal told Leonard Sweet in Sweet's book So Beautiful, These are the best of times to be the church. These are the worst of times to be a church (p. 23). I do not know why we are the chosen leaders (lay and clergy) who are being called upon to lead the church in this time.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, BUT LEAP.

But the fact is, we are. Surrounded with mystery, with imperfect plans in hand, we must move forward. We may be like Abraham, who probably wondered the same thing when God called him to go to a new land. The time is now! Convenient or not—we must find our moral courage.

RENOVATION AND INNOVATION, NOT JUST REDECORATION

I once visited a friend whose home had been recently renovated. He was eager to show me all the changes he and his wife were so proud to share. As we toured each room, I inquired about the changes made in each. Some rooms had been painted. Others had new wallpaper. Some had replaced carpet and new furniture. My friend had revarnished a vanity and replaced some countertops. I asked him what he had renovated. He was stunned, asking, Didn't you see all the changes?

WE NEED TO GO BACK TO GO FORWARD.

The truth is that the home had not been renovated. The home had been only redecorated. To those living there it felt all different, but to an outsider there were no major differences. This is what churches do all the time. They redecorate with the latestwhatever, but to outsiders there’s no major difference from what they last experienced. Yetto the insiders it feels new, andthey don’t understand why they don't get new results. Again as Sweet says, We need to push the reset button on Christianity.

Redecoration is about the cosmetics—an attempt to spruce up the place. Redecoration is making things more appealing on the surface—visually more appealing most of the time. Redecoration does not call you to make any real structural changes, so it is much easier than renovation, and it normally happens without any professional assistance and with much less expense. Redecoration is definitely less risky than renovation.

Renovation, on the other hand, is closely associated with innovation, which involves starting something new from scratch. Innovation is a result of originality and creativity. Innovation is something you birth; it's new life. Renovation contains all these things, but begins with a shape, a history, and a form. It carries burdens and traditions from the past, which require additional tools.

Renovation is to refurbish, revamp, remodel in a major way, restore, modernize, or reinvent. Renovation is often more expensive, risky, and is always extremely hard work. The unknown lurks behind each wall. It takes a discovery process or you will just blow it up, which on some days will feel like the easier, more productive way to go. Until you pull off the drywall, you have no idea what you will discover. Renovation may mean that a wall needs to be moved or completely removed. You may discover, for example, that all the electrical wiring needs to be replaced to meet current building codes. The pipes may be leaking and in need of replacement. You might have termites that have completely destroyed a load-bearing wall. You just won't know until you tear into the walls.

So how do we apply these concepts of redecoration and renovation to our church? Quite simply, our only option is renovation. Over the past thirty years, the church has tried decorating with dismal results. We've tried to redecorate by tweaking a program, renaming a ministry, putting up a different sign, painting the building, changing the parking, and so on. We've done the easy things that we could do ourselves. We've done the things we could afford to do. We've done all we knew how to do.

Although the efforts are admirable, we have not done enough. It is now time for