The Elder's Long Term Goals for CBF
The Three Foci
The following goals all center around three main foci:
1. We want to exalt Jesus the Messiah.
2. We want to edify His disciples.
3. We want to promote and add to His kingdom.
Why do we do this? We are obeying Paul’s injunction,
For us, this is no mere projection-based planning but is instead the realization that only through prayer and obedience to God’s Word can we become a catalyst in helping bring about a future that aligns with God’s perfect will. We do not want to develop a strategic plan so that we can just cross one more item off our “to-do list” like some churches develop a “mission” and “vision” statement. We hope to create a culture of strategic thinking. For our elders, strategic planning is not an annual retreat. It is a part of daily decision making and we hope to make it so for the rest of CBF.
Church-growth statistics show that in growing churches the pastor has been there an average of 12 years. High clergy turnover diminishes momentum. It takes 5 to 7 years to get to know people, build trust, and get the building blocks in place so significant growth can take place. We are coming up on the twelve year mark of my ministry so (God willing) we should be just coming into our real momentum as a congregation.
1. We want to exalt Jesus the Messiah.
2. We want to edify His disciples.
3. We want to promote and add to His kingdom.
Why do we do this? We are obeying Paul’s injunction,
- Ephesians 5:15-16 HCSB Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise-- (16) making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
For us, this is no mere projection-based planning but is instead the realization that only through prayer and obedience to God’s Word can we become a catalyst in helping bring about a future that aligns with God’s perfect will. We do not want to develop a strategic plan so that we can just cross one more item off our “to-do list” like some churches develop a “mission” and “vision” statement. We hope to create a culture of strategic thinking. For our elders, strategic planning is not an annual retreat. It is a part of daily decision making and we hope to make it so for the rest of CBF.
Church-growth statistics show that in growing churches the pastor has been there an average of 12 years. High clergy turnover diminishes momentum. It takes 5 to 7 years to get to know people, build trust, and get the building blocks in place so significant growth can take place. We are coming up on the twelve year mark of my ministry so (God willing) we should be just coming into our real momentum as a congregation.
Discipleship
1. Of the congregation at large:
a. The elders will constantly work toward achieving Bible literacy within the congregation and will promote a lifestyle that is under the authority of Scripture.
b. We will offer support in the areas of emotional, social, and physical needs through various counseling, support, and caring ministries; and provide relief, when deemed appropriate and resources are available, to special needs as they arise locally and in different parts of the world.
c. Through Bible studies, prayer groups, cell groups, fellowship, seminars, and retreats, every member will be trained into spiritual maturity and encouraged to become disciple-makers of Jesus Christ.
d. Every member will be equipped for a significant ministry by helping them discover the gifts and talents God gave them and be assisted in discovering their personal life mission in the world.
e. We will strive to involve everyone in family and various relational ministries.
(1) We hope to build a “college and career” class (18-25 years of age). This would be a monthly get together at the church (neutral territory with a nursery!). We would give the members a topic and some verses ahead of time, allow them to think and pray over it and then arrive prepared to discuss the issue. Topics could include: Financial advice (budgeting, dealing with school loans, obtaining scholarships, interest rates, and credit cards); coping with being alone (i.e. separated from family); extreme changes in circumstances and relationships; career determination, balancing ministry and job, finding a job, resume writing, job interview skills; the difference between your career and your job and how to cope with the temporary job, dealing with peer apathy about God.
(2) Senior single group
f. Do an eight week series on “What we believe” for the new people. Design it to be used as a video based class with workbook that can be taught to new members.
g. Do a series of videos on Adonaic basics and distinctives like the concept of Ezrach’ or why we observe the seven feasts to be made available on the site.
h. Develop an Adonaic display or information booth in the hallway including banners advertising upcoming feasts and pamphlets on key issues.
2. Of the congregation’s leadership:
a. We will continue to train and ordain our own staff needs. We’d like to help sister churches by providing them with quality trained staff and use the opportunities available at these churches to provide our trainees with experience in the field.
b. We will actively seek out and identify potential teachers and leaders, determine their spiritual gifts, passion, and personal ministry style and offer them appropriate training opportunities.
c. CBF will minister to the particular needs of spiritual leaders and co-workers and their families to enhance their continued devotion and faithfulness to the Lord. We will do this by:
(1) Focusing the senior elder's attention on the leadership and leaving the majority of the weekly care of the congregation to the other elders.
(2) Offering opportunities for fellowship, refreshment, and vision casting twice a year.
(3) Regularly recognizing their efforts both publicly and privately.
d. We hope to minister to the needs of retiring CBF full-time Christian workers. In anticipation of this, we need to develop a holistic view of church leadership that uses the Old Covenant's priesthood as a touchstone. We will need to lay out in broad, generalized strokes, the possible evolution of the pastor's ministry, allowing the church to reap the benefits of his/her wisdom and experience as they age, while allowing room for growth and change in the leadership and even the vision of the church over time.
e. To get all the elders and deacons that we’re going to need and have them actually be qualified, discipleship and training is a CRITICAL issue. Will need to be two-phased:
(1) On the low end, we need to mentor and train the new believers to raise the overall quality of the congregation
(2) We need to constantly improve the counseling training, primarily for the elders but also for the deacons. Should the counseling training for the deacons differ?
a. The elders will constantly work toward achieving Bible literacy within the congregation and will promote a lifestyle that is under the authority of Scripture.
b. We will offer support in the areas of emotional, social, and physical needs through various counseling, support, and caring ministries; and provide relief, when deemed appropriate and resources are available, to special needs as they arise locally and in different parts of the world.
c. Through Bible studies, prayer groups, cell groups, fellowship, seminars, and retreats, every member will be trained into spiritual maturity and encouraged to become disciple-makers of Jesus Christ.
d. Every member will be equipped for a significant ministry by helping them discover the gifts and talents God gave them and be assisted in discovering their personal life mission in the world.
e. We will strive to involve everyone in family and various relational ministries.
(1) We hope to build a “college and career” class (18-25 years of age). This would be a monthly get together at the church (neutral territory with a nursery!). We would give the members a topic and some verses ahead of time, allow them to think and pray over it and then arrive prepared to discuss the issue. Topics could include: Financial advice (budgeting, dealing with school loans, obtaining scholarships, interest rates, and credit cards); coping with being alone (i.e. separated from family); extreme changes in circumstances and relationships; career determination, balancing ministry and job, finding a job, resume writing, job interview skills; the difference between your career and your job and how to cope with the temporary job, dealing with peer apathy about God.
(2) Senior single group
f. Do an eight week series on “What we believe” for the new people. Design it to be used as a video based class with workbook that can be taught to new members.
g. Do a series of videos on Adonaic basics and distinctives like the concept of Ezrach’ or why we observe the seven feasts to be made available on the site.
h. Develop an Adonaic display or information booth in the hallway including banners advertising upcoming feasts and pamphlets on key issues.
2. Of the congregation’s leadership:
a. We will continue to train and ordain our own staff needs. We’d like to help sister churches by providing them with quality trained staff and use the opportunities available at these churches to provide our trainees with experience in the field.
b. We will actively seek out and identify potential teachers and leaders, determine their spiritual gifts, passion, and personal ministry style and offer them appropriate training opportunities.
c. CBF will minister to the particular needs of spiritual leaders and co-workers and their families to enhance their continued devotion and faithfulness to the Lord. We will do this by:
(1) Focusing the senior elder's attention on the leadership and leaving the majority of the weekly care of the congregation to the other elders.
(2) Offering opportunities for fellowship, refreshment, and vision casting twice a year.
(3) Regularly recognizing their efforts both publicly and privately.
d. We hope to minister to the needs of retiring CBF full-time Christian workers. In anticipation of this, we need to develop a holistic view of church leadership that uses the Old Covenant's priesthood as a touchstone. We will need to lay out in broad, generalized strokes, the possible evolution of the pastor's ministry, allowing the church to reap the benefits of his/her wisdom and experience as they age, while allowing room for growth and change in the leadership and even the vision of the church over time.
- Numbers 8:24-26 HCSB "In regard to the Levites: From 25 years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting. (25) But at 50 years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve. (26) He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties."
- Deuteronomy 12:19 (see also 14:27) HCSB and be careful not to neglect the Levite, as long as you live in your land.
- Luke 1:7-9 HCSB But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. (8) When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, (9) it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9-11 HCSB For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain. Is God really concerned with oxen? (10) Or isn't He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop. (11) If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
e. To get all the elders and deacons that we’re going to need and have them actually be qualified, discipleship and training is a CRITICAL issue. Will need to be two-phased:
(1) On the low end, we need to mentor and train the new believers to raise the overall quality of the congregation
(2) We need to constantly improve the counseling training, primarily for the elders but also for the deacons. Should the counseling training for the deacons differ?
Worship
1. We hope to engage every single family member in corporate and personal worship; in prayer, caring, and service as necessary prerequisites to acceptable total worship.
2. We would like to see several worship teams (including a teacher, musicians, vocalists, and media people) develop, each being capable of independently developing a worship service from the ground up.
3. We will continue to develop the Rubicon service, in anticipation of continued congregational growth and the need for a regular second service.
2. We would like to see several worship teams (including a teacher, musicians, vocalists, and media people) develop, each being capable of independently developing a worship service from the ground up.
3. We will continue to develop the Rubicon service, in anticipation of continued congregational growth and the need for a regular second service.
Evangelism
1. We will facilitate separate language (specifically Spanish and/or ASL), age, and cultural congregations within one church.
2. We will mobilize believers to reach out to the Spanish population and other residents in our area through all available means of evangelism.
3. We would like to get to the point where we are equipping and sending out one full-time Christian worker every year.
4. We will work toward equipping and sending out at least 50 adult members on short-term mission projects every year.
5. We will plant sister churches and/or adopt additional local or out-of-the-area mission churches. See also trained staff under Discipleship.
6. We look forward to continued cooperation with Come Be Free ministries in touching the lives of inmates and their families, providing them with real help and hope.
7. We will honor all of the new members of the church during the past year with a New Member Covered Dish Supper.
See also Growth Rate.
2. We will mobilize believers to reach out to the Spanish population and other residents in our area through all available means of evangelism.
3. We would like to get to the point where we are equipping and sending out one full-time Christian worker every year.
4. We will work toward equipping and sending out at least 50 adult members on short-term mission projects every year.
5. We will plant sister churches and/or adopt additional local or out-of-the-area mission churches. See also trained staff under Discipleship.
6. We look forward to continued cooperation with Come Be Free ministries in touching the lives of inmates and their families, providing them with real help and hope.
7. We will honor all of the new members of the church during the past year with a New Member Covered Dish Supper.
See also Growth Rate.
Facilities
1. We are on the verge of finishing our third major building project.
2. We hope to build a choir loft/storage room and baptistery.
3. We will rearrange the walls in the south building to provide two larger rooms.
4. We will begin the development of a church library.
5. We are going to move the nursery to the north building, allowing it to expand while being more available to the parents during the church’s services.
6. We anticipate developing alternative power sources for the church (e.g. solar and/or wind) so that we can serve as an emergency shelter for our people and for the community. Solar boiler for the heating. Solar panels for some electrical. Micro wind generator.
7. We would like to improve the quality of our community walking path.
8. We hope to improve our resources for our congregation’s children by doubling the play park area and adding a softball field.
9. We would like to build/set aside a small prayer chapel, open 24/7 for the use of those who are seeking a quiet place to pray and meditate throughout the week. Our difficulty is the liability of having the building open 24/7. So, the elders suggest the following solution:
a. Designate a small portion of the library as a prayer closet for members who have keys.
b. Develop a drive-in area with a bench and a cross and beautiful flowers where folks from the community or those who attend but don't have keys yet may come to pray/meditate outside.
10. We will improve our parking lot.
11. Vegetable/bread presentation display for inside church.
2. We hope to build a choir loft/storage room and baptistery.
3. We will rearrange the walls in the south building to provide two larger rooms.
4. We will begin the development of a church library.
5. We are going to move the nursery to the north building, allowing it to expand while being more available to the parents during the church’s services.
6. We anticipate developing alternative power sources for the church (e.g. solar and/or wind) so that we can serve as an emergency shelter for our people and for the community. Solar boiler for the heating. Solar panels for some electrical. Micro wind generator.
7. We would like to improve the quality of our community walking path.
8. We hope to improve our resources for our congregation’s children by doubling the play park area and adding a softball field.
9. We would like to build/set aside a small prayer chapel, open 24/7 for the use of those who are seeking a quiet place to pray and meditate throughout the week. Our difficulty is the liability of having the building open 24/7. So, the elders suggest the following solution:
a. Designate a small portion of the library as a prayer closet for members who have keys.
b. Develop a drive-in area with a bench and a cross and beautiful flowers where folks from the community or those who attend but don't have keys yet may come to pray/meditate outside.
10. We will improve our parking lot.
11. Vegetable/bread presentation display for inside church.
Landscaping
1. Build sidewalks around the north building.
2. Establish the shade gardens on the north side of the north building
3. Build outdoor bulletin board
4. Build fencing around the trash containers
5. Build compost bins
6. Extend orchard
7. Establish berries
8. Outdoor utility sink to wash vegetables and dirty hands next to Gleaner's Corner
9. Finish west side flower gardens including the fountain pool
10. Finish the walking track, including the loop (need TONS of wood mulch!)
11. Double the play area park and fence it in
12. Establish the ball field (give to Justin Ewing?)
13. Build up the picnic area with a privacy fence/hedge on south end and a fire pit.
2. Establish the shade gardens on the north side of the north building
3. Build outdoor bulletin board
4. Build fencing around the trash containers
5. Build compost bins
6. Extend orchard
7. Establish berries
8. Outdoor utility sink to wash vegetables and dirty hands next to Gleaner's Corner
9. Finish west side flower gardens including the fountain pool
10. Finish the walking track, including the loop (need TONS of wood mulch!)
11. Double the play area park and fence it in
12. Establish the ball field (give to Justin Ewing?)
13. Build up the picnic area with a privacy fence/hedge on south end and a fire pit.
Mitzvoth
1. Develop a part-time, non-profit business that will provide income for members who through job loss or seasonal jobs are temporarily without work.
2. We are continually working on improving Gleaner’s Corner, our community garden that provides extra food for our congregation’s families and the area food pantry.
3. We will continue to use both Gleaner’s Corner and our church’s herbal beds to offer ongoing classes in gardening, composting, harvesting, long-term storage, cooking, baking, and naturopathy.
4. In conjunction with our ongoing campaign to connect with and support our local emergency services personnel, we will offer regular classes in first aid and disaster, search and rescue, land navigation, fire fighting, etc.
5. We would like to develop an alternative to Alanon and Narcanon that is more biblically based, Christ centered, and helps integrate addicts into the main body of the congregation.
2. We are continually working on improving Gleaner’s Corner, our community garden that provides extra food for our congregation’s families and the area food pantry.
3. We will continue to use both Gleaner’s Corner and our church’s herbal beds to offer ongoing classes in gardening, composting, harvesting, long-term storage, cooking, baking, and naturopathy.
4. In conjunction with our ongoing campaign to connect with and support our local emergency services personnel, we will offer regular classes in first aid and disaster, search and rescue, land navigation, fire fighting, etc.
5. We would like to develop an alternative to Alanon and Narcanon that is more biblically based, Christ centered, and helps integrate addicts into the main body of the congregation.
Finances
1. We hope to be without debt, freeing up more of God’s money for ministry.
2. We would like to make it possible to accept automatic deposits for those who prefer that method of tithing.
3. We will develop a comprehensive stewardship model that focuses on all aspects of giving and living responsibly as God’s stewards of the earth.
4. We will strengthen the area of stewardship through teaching moments in sermons, newsletters, bible studies, and the Sunday School.
See also Growth Rate.
2. We would like to make it possible to accept automatic deposits for those who prefer that method of tithing.
3. We will develop a comprehensive stewardship model that focuses on all aspects of giving and living responsibly as God’s stewards of the earth.
4. We will strengthen the area of stewardship through teaching moments in sermons, newsletters, bible studies, and the Sunday School.
See also Growth Rate.
Growth Rate
- Proverbs 14:28 HCSB A large population is a king's splendor, but a shortage of people is a ruler's devastation.
We would like to continue growing the congregation by 5% per year. The formula we're using for population growth is Pf = Pp (1 + i)n where Pf is population future and Pp is population present.
Year Reg. Attend Budget Debt Reduction (principal only)
2012 150 $160,000 $190,000
2013 158 $168,000 $173, 200
2014 166 $176,400 $155,560
2015 174 $185,220 $137,038
2016 182 $194,481 $117,590
2017 191 $204,205 $97,170
2018 201 $214,415 $75,729
If we could get 50 families to commit to raise $1500 each over a period of a year (using garage sales, etc) we could have the principle paid off by the end of 2018. Or if 200 people would provide $7 more a week than they usually give that would also take care of it. Putting on something of a sprint would save the congregation a substantial sum in interest.
2019 211 $225,136
2020 222 $236,393
We've enjoyed an average growth rate of 18% since 2000. That was growth rate was generally matched in the budget over the long haul though not necessarily from year to year. As of February 2012, we have 82 families that are members or have expressed that they would like to make this their home church. Of those, approximately 101 could be considered individual wage earners.
If we look at the income statement for January 2012, the weekly offering average is $32.13 per person. That would be and yearly average of $1670.77 per person. If everyone is giving 10%, this would put the annual income of our people at $16,707.70.
If we look at the final income statement of 2011, we see that the average yearly offering is $1,716.14. If everyone is giving 10%, this would put the annual income of our people at $17,161.40.
Meanwhile, what's going on in the county?
According to the 2010 US census data, the median income for a household in the county was $40,893, and the median income for a family was $47,192. Males had a median income of $35,138 versus $22,227 for females. 7.8% of the population and 5.8% of families were below the poverty line. 10% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The population in 1900 was 20,945. The population has been in steady decline since with a few decades showing an increase. Here is the census data:
1900 20,945
1910 19.723
1920 18,800
1930 16,641
1940 17,701
1950 17,374
1960 17,149
1970 17,294
1980 19,286
1990 17,290
2000 16.957
2010 16,434
The population in 1900 was 20,945. The population has been in steady decline since with a few decades showing an increase. Here is the census data:
1900 20,945
1910 19.723
1920 18,800
1930 16,641
1940 17,701
1950 17,374
1960 17,149
1970 17,294
1980 19,286
1990 17,290
2000 16.957
2010 16,434
Issues to Deal With
What we need to do to make these goals
1. The elders need to be organized along lines of care rather than merely alphabetical assignations. DONE
2. Pastor needs to start caring more for the leadership. They are his “care list”. DONE
3. Need to start moving counseling load to elders. DONE
4. Need to determine how best to start moving people to the elders. How do we tactfully say that to the people who call until they get used to it? DONE
5. We need to consider a scanning tool to track attendance to free elders to focus on caring for people rather than standing around with a clipboard (which can be offensive). DONE
6. We need to start moving toward having all team leaders be either deacons or elders.
7. We should program a staff person (and any needed secretary) for each 100 active members into our mindsets and our budgets. I say mindsets because we are going to have to train and prepare these people.
8. We need to staff to grow (i.e. staff before the population increase; to get the population increase).
a. We can either substantially invest in our lay leadership or,
b. We can hire staff whether from outside or inside
9. Staff before we build to grow and be willing to go to multiple services as soon as we can have 75-100 people in the service. We are already preparing for this by developing the once-a-month Rubicon service and the once-a-week Ironworks. When we need the room, we’ll already have the structure, the leadership and the mindset needed to create a second, dedicated service.
10. Need to teach teams to delegate to volunteers as much as possible. For instance, Ray needed to learn to delegate or the building program was limited to what he can do. Similarly, hospitality team doesn’t need to serve every meal. They need to ORGANIZE every meal and try to get as many people involved as possible.
11. When we do build we need to seriously consider the north-eastern part of the complex as a potential site.
a. It allows us to keep the present entry
b. It allows us to keep the work done on landscaping.
c. It allows us to keep the new parking area near the entry.
d. It puts our newest building in the most visible area from the two highways.
12. Improve the classroom atmosphere
13. Improve communication and tact
14. Improve the Ironworks service (particularly the music); have a free-standing offering box available
15. Improve the process of integrating the new people.
a. Communicate better to them the way things are done and what is expected of them.
b. Continue developing ways to tie them quickly to an elder who can begin working with them.
16. Clarify and improve the roles and ministries of the Gemilut Haredim team
17. Establish once and for all some form work for the temporarily or seasonally unemployed.
18. Congregational financial security
a. Go to second service rather than build next time. Get building paid off.
b. Continue teaching:
i. debt-free living
ii. self-reliance
iii. mutual interdependence rather than worldly dependence
iv. Encourage bartering
v. develop the distributed gardening concept
vi. Begin self-reliance classes
1. Canning
2. Pickling
3. Long-term food storage
4. Cooking from scratch
5. Budgeting and financial management
6. Herbalism and naturopathy
7. Candle-making, candle lamp making
1. The elders need to be organized along lines of care rather than merely alphabetical assignations. DONE
2. Pastor needs to start caring more for the leadership. They are his “care list”. DONE
3. Need to start moving counseling load to elders. DONE
4. Need to determine how best to start moving people to the elders. How do we tactfully say that to the people who call until they get used to it? DONE
5. We need to consider a scanning tool to track attendance to free elders to focus on caring for people rather than standing around with a clipboard (which can be offensive). DONE
6. We need to start moving toward having all team leaders be either deacons or elders.
7. We should program a staff person (and any needed secretary) for each 100 active members into our mindsets and our budgets. I say mindsets because we are going to have to train and prepare these people.
8. We need to staff to grow (i.e. staff before the population increase; to get the population increase).
a. We can either substantially invest in our lay leadership or,
b. We can hire staff whether from outside or inside
9. Staff before we build to grow and be willing to go to multiple services as soon as we can have 75-100 people in the service. We are already preparing for this by developing the once-a-month Rubicon service and the once-a-week Ironworks. When we need the room, we’ll already have the structure, the leadership and the mindset needed to create a second, dedicated service.
10. Need to teach teams to delegate to volunteers as much as possible. For instance, Ray needed to learn to delegate or the building program was limited to what he can do. Similarly, hospitality team doesn’t need to serve every meal. They need to ORGANIZE every meal and try to get as many people involved as possible.
11. When we do build we need to seriously consider the north-eastern part of the complex as a potential site.
a. It allows us to keep the present entry
b. It allows us to keep the work done on landscaping.
c. It allows us to keep the new parking area near the entry.
d. It puts our newest building in the most visible area from the two highways.
12. Improve the classroom atmosphere
13. Improve communication and tact
14. Improve the Ironworks service (particularly the music); have a free-standing offering box available
15. Improve the process of integrating the new people.
a. Communicate better to them the way things are done and what is expected of them.
b. Continue developing ways to tie them quickly to an elder who can begin working with them.
16. Clarify and improve the roles and ministries of the Gemilut Haredim team
17. Establish once and for all some form work for the temporarily or seasonally unemployed.
18. Congregational financial security
a. Go to second service rather than build next time. Get building paid off.
b. Continue teaching:
i. debt-free living
ii. self-reliance
iii. mutual interdependence rather than worldly dependence
iv. Encourage bartering
v. develop the distributed gardening concept
vi. Begin self-reliance classes
1. Canning
2. Pickling
3. Long-term food storage
4. Cooking from scratch
5. Budgeting and financial management
6. Herbalism and naturopathy
7. Candle-making, candle lamp making
Cautions
We have two principle groups in our congregation that the elders refer to as the Adonaists and the Traditionals. We need to be very careful to not allow that dichotomy to grow into a schism.
In our opinion the Adonaic group needs to consider the Traditionals as a missionary/service endeavor. The Traditionals have already been “gracious” in letting us pursue our explorations so the burden of grateful service is thus already on the Adonaists.
We need to push the “don’t judge each other” on a consistent basis. We need to be careful about having all Adonaists in leadership.
We need to provide church get-togethers that are non-Adonaic.
i. Church anniversary in October
ii. Church picnic in summer sometime in May
1. Potato sack races
2. Face painting
3. Big banner proclaiming
iii. Fifth Sunday potlucks (4 a year)
Dunbar's Numbers and the Implied Thresholds
What is Dunbar’s number?
Dunbar’s number is a theoretical limit to the number of people with whom we can have strong social relationships. The actual number developed by the British anthropologist Robin Dunbar, was a range between 100 and 230, depending on the type of social interaction. Popularly however a round figure of 150 is generally used. Essentially, we are cognitively unable to invest the required time and energy into any more relations than that.
How do we get past Dunbar’s Number?
Encourage diversification in social networks
Not everyone has to know everyone else. If, for instance, I know 150 people and each of them know 149 other people (I would be the 150th in each of their networks) it would be possible to have 22, 350 people linked in one tier. Obviously there’s going to be some overlap, but even if you cut that in half (with everyone knowing a couple of people in each of the other people’s network) you’d still be able to build a church of roughly 11,000 people with many hundreds of possible connections available for each person. So we need to promote social diversification. People will naturally link more closely with some rather than others. They’ll have more connections with family or co-workers or those who have the same interests/hobbies. That’s going to come easy. We’re going to have to actively push people to “cross pollinate.”
We need to work at helping them link in different ways. They could connect with others who live in their geographical areas for example. They could connect with members of their Sunday School classes, or the choir, or the ushers or those who are in their age group.
Strategically target network nodes
Each of the leaders needs to work hard at diversifying the networks they each have. It would be helpful if each of the seven elders worked at differentiating our respective networks of 150. Theoretically, if each of us could care for 150 separate people (with me being the locus of each group), we could methodically oversee 1,044 people. That doesn’t mean we have deep, intimate relationships with each of them. It simply means that we know their names, something of their lives and that we have developed enough of a trusting relationship that they’ll likely come to us if they need us.
Which leads us to the next issue.
Emphasize the building, maintenance and strategic use of a database.
In leading people we are only as good as our memories but nothing says all our memories have to be contained within our skulls. Elders are not required to remember every detail of every person they meet and the fact of the matter is that they simply can’t. What matters is not so much data retrieval but the use of that data. It’s not as much what you remember about them as it is how you treat them – how you use what you DO know.
Data management systems can work. If you have a good database on a person and you quickly review that database before meeting them for counseling or whatever, it’s amazing how the casual recall of their children’s names or the reference to their pet or the recollection of an important event in their lives can quickly bring them to a level of intimacy with you. Regular review of names along with photographs can help you address them by name when you see them.
One of the most important aspects of contact databases is the ability to add “tags” to the basic information. Tags would include related interests or possible associations the person could have. Tags can range from vocalist, to senior citizen, to voting members to former addict. These tags allow you to group people by these various associations and also enable you to assist them in making diversified connections throughout the church. See point one “Encourage diversification”.
Periodically “ping” them
Submariners will occasionally send out a “ping”, a pulse of sound, then listen for the reflections (echo) of the pulse. We can “ping” our people by sending them birthday cards, anniversary cards, short notes, calls, emails or texts. It keeps us within their network of 150 and gently reminds them to think of us.
We can also encourage “pinging” between members of our social networks by either consciously developing smaller groups or by mentoring certain members to care for those smaller groups. Teach them to “ping” and the connections remain stronger without necessarily taking all of your time.
Keep things efficient
Efficiency is the main predictor of group size. The more efficient the communication lines the larger the group can be. The less social squabbling, the less effort required to maintain social “grooming” and the larger the group can be.
For instance, Dunbar predicts natural thresholds at 5, 15, 35, and 150. Each of those levels are also approximately where many churches tend to “hesitate” in their growth. Once they consistently surpass a given threshold, they will often quickly grow to the next threshold where they may again “hesitate” in their growth.
Dunbar’s Number explains why big groups are made of smaller, more manageable groups like companies, platoons and squads – or like branches, divisions, departments and committees. No human institution can function above 150 members without some hierarchies, ranks, roles and divisions.
Dunbar’s number is a theoretical limit to the number of people with whom we can have strong social relationships. The actual number developed by the British anthropologist Robin Dunbar, was a range between 100 and 230, depending on the type of social interaction. Popularly however a round figure of 150 is generally used. Essentially, we are cognitively unable to invest the required time and energy into any more relations than that.
How do we get past Dunbar’s Number?
Encourage diversification in social networks
Not everyone has to know everyone else. If, for instance, I know 150 people and each of them know 149 other people (I would be the 150th in each of their networks) it would be possible to have 22, 350 people linked in one tier. Obviously there’s going to be some overlap, but even if you cut that in half (with everyone knowing a couple of people in each of the other people’s network) you’d still be able to build a church of roughly 11,000 people with many hundreds of possible connections available for each person. So we need to promote social diversification. People will naturally link more closely with some rather than others. They’ll have more connections with family or co-workers or those who have the same interests/hobbies. That’s going to come easy. We’re going to have to actively push people to “cross pollinate.”
We need to work at helping them link in different ways. They could connect with others who live in their geographical areas for example. They could connect with members of their Sunday School classes, or the choir, or the ushers or those who are in their age group.
Strategically target network nodes
Each of the leaders needs to work hard at diversifying the networks they each have. It would be helpful if each of the seven elders worked at differentiating our respective networks of 150. Theoretically, if each of us could care for 150 separate people (with me being the locus of each group), we could methodically oversee 1,044 people. That doesn’t mean we have deep, intimate relationships with each of them. It simply means that we know their names, something of their lives and that we have developed enough of a trusting relationship that they’ll likely come to us if they need us.
Which leads us to the next issue.
Emphasize the building, maintenance and strategic use of a database.
In leading people we are only as good as our memories but nothing says all our memories have to be contained within our skulls. Elders are not required to remember every detail of every person they meet and the fact of the matter is that they simply can’t. What matters is not so much data retrieval but the use of that data. It’s not as much what you remember about them as it is how you treat them – how you use what you DO know.
Data management systems can work. If you have a good database on a person and you quickly review that database before meeting them for counseling or whatever, it’s amazing how the casual recall of their children’s names or the reference to their pet or the recollection of an important event in their lives can quickly bring them to a level of intimacy with you. Regular review of names along with photographs can help you address them by name when you see them.
One of the most important aspects of contact databases is the ability to add “tags” to the basic information. Tags would include related interests or possible associations the person could have. Tags can range from vocalist, to senior citizen, to voting members to former addict. These tags allow you to group people by these various associations and also enable you to assist them in making diversified connections throughout the church. See point one “Encourage diversification”.
Periodically “ping” them
Submariners will occasionally send out a “ping”, a pulse of sound, then listen for the reflections (echo) of the pulse. We can “ping” our people by sending them birthday cards, anniversary cards, short notes, calls, emails or texts. It keeps us within their network of 150 and gently reminds them to think of us.
We can also encourage “pinging” between members of our social networks by either consciously developing smaller groups or by mentoring certain members to care for those smaller groups. Teach them to “ping” and the connections remain stronger without necessarily taking all of your time.
Keep things efficient
Efficiency is the main predictor of group size. The more efficient the communication lines the larger the group can be. The less social squabbling, the less effort required to maintain social “grooming” and the larger the group can be.
For instance, Dunbar predicts natural thresholds at 5, 15, 35, and 150. Each of those levels are also approximately where many churches tend to “hesitate” in their growth. Once they consistently surpass a given threshold, they will often quickly grow to the next threshold where they may again “hesitate” in their growth.
Dunbar’s Number explains why big groups are made of smaller, more manageable groups like companies, platoons and squads – or like branches, divisions, departments and committees. No human institution can function above 150 members without some hierarchies, ranks, roles and divisions.
