The DNA Update for United Methodists for Mid-July 2014 with Dr. Don Nations

The DNA Update for United Methodists for Mid-July 2014 with Dr. Don Nations
In This Issue: 
•What Does Your Outside Say?
•You Need Outside Help If . . .
What Does Your Outside Say?
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” may be an old maxim containing some truth but sometimes the cover tells you a lot about a book . . . or a church.  Allow me to share about two site visits I made recently.
The first campus contained several buildings.  There was a sanctuary/education building which seemed well kept, a house used as an office, a mobile home (older trailer), another non-descript building and a dark and faded playground seemingly filled with outdoor and indoor toys.  The trees were hanging down low making it hard to see the campus when driving by and the plants had grown up and now covered the bottom of discolored sign which announced the 8:30 am contemporary worship service.  The color scheme was out of the 1970s and there were few signs on the building.  It turned out that this was a declining church filled with older members, many who remembered the church in its heyday in the 1980s.  Attendance was declining, there were very few families with younger children and the preschool mostly functioned separate from the church.  The early morning contemporary service had few people in it and most of them were over the age of 50.
The second church met at a middle school.  There was nothing glamorous about the school and it was set off of the road behind its track and athletic fields.  The church had to set up and tear down each week.  There were signs pointing to the church at nearby intersections, colorful banners along the roadway and one or two smiling people waving to drivers as they entered the driveway.  The cafeteria/auditorium had bright banners on the outside clearly showing the area for children and the entrance to the worship space.  Several people were greeting at the doorway. Inside there was water, coffee, donut holes, lifesaver mints, an information station and an electronic giving station.  The church is growing and has many families with young children.  It is only two and a half years old and the growth has been so substantial that the church is moving to two worship services soon.
What does your outside say to those who are passing by?
You Need Outside Help If . . . 
•Worship attendance is lower than it was three years ago
•There are few professions of faith
•Finances are an ongoing challenge
•Few first-time guests are present in worship
•Most first-time guests do not return for a second visit
•Most people in the church cannot quickly share the mission, vision and or values of the church
•There is more talk about maintaining buildings than reaching new people
•The demographics of the congregation are not similar to those of the community
•The church recognizes that it needs to make significant changes
•There is persistent conflict
If any of these are true for you, contact us today and let’s talk about how we can be of assistance – don@dnacoaching.com. 
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DNA Coaching
6339 Sturbridge Court
Sarasota, FL 34238 United States
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