First Steps in Turnaround: Recognize, Organize, Mobilize

This is the first part in a series which comes from the 2016 Turnaround 2020 Plan Book written and compiled by Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Director of Congregational Ministries. A full version of this plan book is available by download at www.Turnaround2020.net or by hard copy from Congregational Ministries, 573-785-7746.

I received an unusual combination Father’s Day/Birthday gift this year. The gift was a print out of plans for a new picnic table for the backyard along with the promise of assistance with the labor to construct the project. The plans had been selected based on seating capacity and the design features that would allow an umbrella to be placed in the center of the octagonal shape of the picnic table.

Investigating the plans for shaping rectangular boards into an octagonal pattern revealed a series of angled cuts and pocket holes for screws that seemed a bit complex but manageable. Further investigation of the size of the table and the amount of lumber included suggested that it would be heavy. Indeed, it appeared it would be very, very heavy. Since we planned to place the table in the backyard to take advantage of shade from our large pecan tree, it appeared that the very, very heavy table would need to be moved several times each year to mow the grass.

Evaluating the plans against our carpentry skills and with the notion of mobility in mind led us to scrap the elaborate octagonal shaped table in favor of a traditional rectangular picnic table.

Churches and their leaders who plan and work toward turnaround must use the same kind of process to discern the right plan to both take advantage of the human resources available in the congregation and reach the unchurched and dechurched population in the community.

Turnaround 2020 will assist General Baptist churches to discover and to achieve their full redemptive potential by the year 2020. Many participating churches will see significant increases in attendance. Others will double or triple in size as they realize the potential the Lord has placed before them. Still others will see revitalized programs and more effective ministries as a result of Turnaround 2020.

Turnaround, by simple definition, results in something different. Change can be awkward and frightening or it can be pleasant and rewarding. Undergirding our overall approach to turnaround in existing congregations are four core principles that will always show up in turnaround.

1. An outward focus will be regained or intensified.
2. Members will display responsible, high-expectation behavior.
3. A clear discipleship process will be in place.
4. Leadership and relational skills will constantly improve.

Turnaround 2020 is offered to maximize Kingdom impact by equipping and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission. Many of these churches are already well down the road of turnaround. Others are just beginning that sometimes daunting task. Thus in addition to this plan book, coaching and mentoring opportunities will also be organized for those who are willing to make that level of higher commitment.

Gregory Tyree, in his doctoral thesis, describes churches in need of turnaround as established churches that have experienced one or more of the following:

• numerical decline or plateau,
• serious conflict,
• severe demographic shift,
• have become non-evangelistic with few, if any converts,
• felt the blow of some inside or outside force resulting in decline, financial loss, ministry ineffectiveness, or some other ecclesiastical malady.

When viewed in this context the need for turnaround may relate to the need for community or economic renewal. Many urban communities as well as many small towns and villages face the prospect of severe demographic shift due to bleak economic conditions. Also when viewed in this context the need for turnaround may relate to the need to regain church health. An unhealthy church cannot deal well with conflict nor will it be attractive to new converts.

Turnaround 2020 has been designed by General Baptist Ministries to address the turnaround needs of our General Baptist churches. The program cannot, however, address all the turnaround contexts indicated in the well thought out description referenced earlier. Turnaround 2020 can, however, address three important areas of turnaround found in numeric decline, the lack of evangelism and ministry ineffectiveness.
These three areas will be addressed through a plan book produced annually to provide assistance with assessment, systems development and leadership training. A storyboard of real life turnaround efforts reported by a variety of churches will also be developed as a companion piece and included on the website. The plan book will be freely distributed by download and made available to all who request it.

In addition to the plan book, Turnaround 2020 will organize regional and virtual coaching experiences for those who will commit to participation. These coaching experiences will be designed to meet the needs of those churches grouped together by common factors such as location, church size or associational membership. Coaching sessions will generally be scheduled quarterly for fall, winter and spring sessions. Additional sessions will be arranged on an as-needed basis. If interest develops and if technology is available virtual coaching through on-line or live streaming sessions will be arranged. Coaching sessions will require a covenant agreement and a small registration fee to maintain accountability.

In some cases both the local leader and the local congregation will benefit most from a one-on-one mentoring connection with another leader and a congregation already engaged in the turnaround process. These mentoring connections will be facilitated by General Baptist Ministries and will include both a covenant agreement and a fee schedule that is appropriate to the level of engagement desired.

You really cannot debate the wisdom of Bill Easum when he insists that only four processes grow a church and anything else has little to no impact. These four core processes are:

• Inviting people to Christ and the Church,
• Connecting with those who show up so they return,
• Discipling those who stay, and
• Sending them back out into the world to be neighborhood missionaries.

People win people and the people most likely to be reached are those already included in our friend and family connections.