Planning Strategy

Systems Design and Development

Preliminary Proposal

EVANGEL UNIVERSITY

Masters of Organizational Leadership

MOL 680: Systems Development Project

submitted by

Heath Beard and Quentin Beard

August 17, 2017

1.  Title and Background Summary – We are confronting the organizational problem of retention rates in American churches.  Statistics reveal that churches retain less than 10% of people that walk through the doors of the church building on an average Sunday morning.  We find that the churches that we Lead Pastor; Sioux Falls First, in Sioux Falls, SD and Heritage Church in Baxter, MN, both face the challenges of keeping people after they have visited the church.  There are various factors to this dilemma, including the consumerism that has crept into the church that is often coupled with the unwillingness to commit to a local church.  People carry the baggage of unrealistic expectations into local churches and when they find that the church can’t respond to their “wants,” they continue shopping for the perfect church.  The major problem with this philosophy is that it is antithetical to the invitation of Jesus to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”  It also continues to be a fruitless search as they will eventually find deficiencies in every church that will instigate the tour of churches.  Some churches have implemented an attractional model of ministry that is geared towards the consumer, but falls short of the mission of making disciples who follow Jesus regardless of the cost.
2. Significance of the Problem – This problem has several layers at its core.  The first of which is the practically of people following Jesus. There is a huge difference between converts and disciples.  The act of discipleship requires those to stick to a community of faith in hopes that each person would grow and mature in the kingdom of God.  The bible is clear that those who “endure to the end will be saved.”  Without digging into much theology, the importance of people living for Christ and producing fruit is necessary as a believer plants himself in a church.  The second issue is simply a business issue of cash loss.  If 10% is the national average this means that 90% leave.  In a practical sense money and resource leave as well.  Let’s say that 100 people come through churches doors in a year . . . that means 10 stay and 90 leave.  The average person brings in a $1000 per year.  This means that $90,000 leaves the church.  WOW!  Think about the amount of money on this very low number of people that visit a church in a given year.  What type of ministry could do with that kind of money.  This is without a doubt a significant problem.  
3. What do you Hope to Change?  While the retention rates are a very realistic challenge in the modern American church era, we believe there is an effective plan to respond the high turnover rate in the church and increase retention.  Here are a few things that we hope to change by responding to the church organizational problem of retention rates:

1. Increased commitment – We understand that our churches will not be for everybody, however through improving systems and culture, we believe that we will see the commitment level increase for those who are searching for a home church.  We hope to raise the retention rate to 35% in both of our churches.  We hope to see them take ownership through serving with their talents as well as investing financially through their resources.  There will be a greater sense of buy in if people grasp the idea of ownership, even over membership.  They will be less likely to abandon ship for the “next best thing.”  
2. Increased connection – God created people for community.  One of the greatest needs that people have as they walk through the doors of your church is meaningful relationships.   It says in Psalms 68:6a, “God sets the lonely in families.  We hope to “close the back door” of the church by creating irresistible environments of authentic love, care, and acceptance.  While we can’t cater to their wants, we hope to meet their spiritual needs.[c]
3. Increased clarity – We want people to know who we are and why we exist, but also the “simple steps” they can take to be part of our church families.  Sometimes churches inundate people with choices and decision fatigue sets in, which causes them to go try the next church.  From signage to connection opportunities to ways to get involved, we hope to create onramps for new people to engage in the community life of our churches.  There will not be a question in their minds on how they move to deeper levels of commitment in our churches.  

1. Approach to Solving the Problem – The methodology will increase as the course MOL660 adds knowledge.  However, at this point, the steps of methodology are as follows.  

1.  Understand the Problem

2.  Identify a goal of realistic retention

3.  Identify 3 to 4 mechanisms to employ

4.  Evaluate that goal every month

5.  Monitor and evaluate inside each mechanism

6.  Continue to remember the “marathon” of process

1. Schedule Summary – Here is a timeline of the “action steps” that we will take to increase the retention rate and opportunities to evaluate along the way:

1. Within the first two weeks, we plan to get current statistical analysis of retention rates in the churches based on 2017 data.  
2. Immediately implement methods of getting visitor to fill out a connection card in which our staff will make 3 connections with them the first week they attend our churches.  Planning Center Online (PCO) is our church management software in which we are to track and assess the data we collect on the people.  
3. Every month evaluate the assimilation methods to see if we are aggressive enough in making the relational connection to the visitors.  We will be able to use the metrics provided through PCO.
4. Within 2 months of the visit, we want to create a “pathway” for the visitor to take steps to increase their commitment by getting to know more about the mission, vision, values, and beliefs of our church.  This would be followed up by spiritual gifts tests so that we know their strengths as well as opportunities to get involved and become an owner (member).  We would evaluate every 6 months to see if retention rates have increased as well as the level of involvement of each family.  
5. Within 3 months of their first visit, we want them to have 7 meaningful relational connections with people in our churches.  It is much more difficult to uproot them if they are relationally intertwined with other people in the church family.   The greatest way to increase their relational connections is by getting them into our Life Groups.  

We feel that within a year, we should see significant increase in the retention rates of both churches as people are connected, growing, and serving through the local church.