Once they've made a commitment to grow spiritually, we ask them to take C.L.A.S.S. 301 and learn more about how God has shaped them for ministry. They learn a lot about themselves during this class. They also get a chance to meet with a guide who helps them find ministries that fit their unique spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (S.H.A.P.E.).
At the end of the class, everyone is encouraged to sign a ministry covenant committing to use their S.H.A.P.E. in ministry. That moves the person from the Committed to the Core. Saddleback is built on thousands of lay leaders who've made a commitment to ministry. They really do form the core of our church!
If you've read The Purpose Driven Church or attended one of our conferences at Saddleback, you've already heard about the first five levels of commitment. Now we've added a new one - the Commissioned. These people are committed to being a part of the P.E.A.C.E. Plan. We've had more than 7,700 people at Saddleback participate in either local or global P.E.A.C.E. trips. These are people who take the Great Commission seriously.
Another way we spur commitment at Saddleback is the weekly commitment card.
Each week we encourage attendees to fill out a simple card, and thousands of lives have been changed through it. Why? Writing down a commitment makes it real. We encourage people to write down how God has spoken to them during the service, to write down prayer requests, and often we'll ask for specific commitments in relation to the message - like a commitment to take a particular class or help out in a project. You won't see your congregation make spiritual commitments unless you ask them for commitments. And you have to offer them an opportunity to make their commitments real by writing them down.
A third tool we use is our weekend message notes.
We provide fill-ins for weekend messages each week. Why? People forget 95 percent of everything they hear within 72 hours, according to the U.S. Air Force. That's a statistic that'll depress a pastor!
How will your people grow if they forget everything you teach them? You need to encourage them to write it down. The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.
Think about it. You're studying all week to prepare a message that speaks to your people. You're throwing out spiritual gems. But if they aren't writing those gems down, they're just bouncing off the heads of your congregation. The only way they catch those gems is if they write them down.
These three tools have played a crucial part in Saddleback becoming a more spiritually mature congregation. I encourage you to try them in your church as well. It's a goal with eternal implications.
One day everybody in your church is going to die. They'll stand before God and have to give an account for what they've done with what God has given them. Part of our job is to help get them ready for that test.
How will your church do?
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers. Copyright 2005 Pastors.com, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
