Reaching for the Goal!

Written: 1/9/2009

FEBRUARY: CHURCH GROWTH SHARES MONTH

Reaching for the goal!

By Dr. J. Allen Goss

Director, Church Growth & Development

The year is 1980, the year Church Growth & Development was created and the total local church membership in the Central Texas Conference is 123,388.

The year is 1980 and the original goal was to secure one SHARE for every 10 members of local churches. That would be 12,338 SHAREHOLDERS giving $45 per year for a grand total of $555,210 to start new churches. Wow! What a dream, what a vision, what a goal!

Fast forward to last year, 2007, and the total local church membership was 162,511, and increase of 39,123. The United Methodist Church in Central Texas is growing and making new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, thanks be to God!

Since the original vision was cast in 1980 the Central Texas Conference has started 41 new churches and 33 of those are a viable and vital part of the conference today. In 2007 these churches had 10,933 members and 229 profession of faith.

The original goal was modified along the way to secure one SHARE for every 15 members of the local churches. So, do the math. Today we have 162,511 members and a SHARE is now $60, so that would be 10,834 SHAREHOLDERS  x $60 for a grand total of $650,040 every year to start new churches in the right places with the right pastors at the right time.

When every church promotes the SHARES program in February we can reach for the goal.

What a difference our SHAREHOLDERS are making every year by their faithful giving, continuing to start new churches to reach new people, younger people and more diverse people.

Since 1980 the need for new churches has not diminished. The population growth for the conference continues to increase. The opportunity to plant more new churches continues to increase. The opportunity to train new pastors to plant new churches continues to increase.

The goal of The United Methodist Church over the next four years is to plant 650 new churches in the United States, and to train 1,000 new church planters. To help reach this goal, we will send at least four pastors to the New Church Leadership Institute to be trained in 2009.

People are longing to be a part of a mission that is bigger than them-selves, a mission that will make a difference in the world and will transform lives. You are invited to join the movement, become a SHAREHOLDER and reach for the goal.

Remember, February is CHURCH GROWTH SHARES MONTH! Will your church be reaching for the goal?

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