Less than 10% of all congregations are soaring with faith and are on a God-empowered spiritual strategic journey to live into their full Kingdom potential. Another 10% may be strong but not soaring.
Is your congregation one of these? Are you sure? Do not limit what God can do through your congregation even if you are not currently at least a strong congregation.
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Ask God to empower your congregation to soar with faith by engaging in 13 pivots during 2026.
Pivoting takes more than just the pastor and staff making changes. It must also be embraced by lay leaders.
The willingness to make essential pivots must be the commitment of a minimum of 21% of the average number of adults gathered during a typical week for worship.
Proactive shift
This group must proactively shift the culture of your congregation to one which embraces the new thing God wants to do in and through you.
First, pivot beyond just inviting people to accept Jesus as Savior to having them be embraced by a lifelong journey of walking with Jesus.
Second, pivot from focusing on growing your congregation to growing God’s Kingdom by transforming your context or the people groups you serve.
Third, pivot from overworking and trying too hard to push your congregation forward to surrendering to God’s leadership as He pulls you forward.
Fourth, pivot from strategic planning to engaging in a spiritual strategic journey through a future story of missional ministry empowered by God’s leadership.
Fifth, pivot from a bounded focus on going a certain direction to a centered approach of allowing a continual discernment process to navigate your journey.
Sixth, pivot from a strategic focus on what Jesus did to a spiritual focus on who Jesus is as God’s Son.
Seventh, pivot from the program of discipleship to the process of disciple-making.
Eighth, pivot from a focus on people being sent to the joy of people receiving the witness of Christians and the transformational difference Jesus makes in their lives.
Ninth, pivot from primarily counting how many people gather for worship to how many people scatter in missional engagement.
Tenth, pivot from a focus on building up the congregational organization to doing those things which empower the congregation as an ever-changing vibrant spiritual organism.
Eleventh, pivot from a memorized vision statement or motto to a visionary story of what God is up to in and through your congregation.
Twelfth, pivot from project-focused and directed steps in missional action to missional engagement that reflects how God is calling each believer to serve.
Thirteenth, pivot from multiplying through new campuses to multiplying through new congregations who may soar way past the journey of your congregation.
For associational leaders, plan to establish an annual goal to help 15% of your member congregations to pivot toward soaring with faith. Over the next seven years you could impact the effectiveness of the Kingdom service of 100% of your congregations. How many congregations will you encourage to pivot during the first year?
Each of the following 13 columns will provide a detailed explanation of a specific pivot.
Can’t wait? Email me at BullardJournal@gmail.com and ask how to obtain the inventory you can use in your congregation to assess where you are right now.
EDITOR’S NOTE — George Bullard spent five decades in Baptist congregational and denominational ministry. His ministry roles included three churches, three associations, three state conventions and one national entity. He began as a columnist for TAB Media Group’s publication The Baptist Paper in 2022. Bullard now serves as a strategic thinking mentor for Christian leaders through his ForthTelling Innovation ministry. TAB Media Group published his new book “Soaring with Faith: The Difference Maker for Congregations” — available on Amazon.
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