http://www.cumcmemphis.org | Shane Stanford's vision for the ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee

1. Christ United Methodist Church

2. Sunday School
 80 new people have joined a Sunday School
Class. This means they request to be put on the
Sunday School roll.
 2 New Sunday School Classes created.
Membership
 26 new people have joined the church from July
10th - Oct. 9th.

3. Children's Ministry
 From January - July 2011 we were averaging
around 175 children each Sunday.
 From July - September we are averaging 206
children each Sunday.
 Since implementing the new children's
program in August we are averaging 233
children each Sunday.

4. Connection
 225 new people have been entered into Shelby
database system. This means they have either
signed pew pads, connect cards or joined the
church.
Worship Attendance
 Our average worship attendance is up 11.4% year-
to-date.

5. Giving
 Our giving deficit is now approx. $2,500 per week-
- a decrease from a giving deficit of approx.
$9,400 per week.

6. Questions that Transform the Way We Think About Church
1. If you want to reach people no one else is reaching, we
have to do things that no one else is doing. What are those
things for Christ Church in the Memphis metro area and
beyond?

7. Questions that Transform the Way We Think About Church
2. The Idea for the next generation's most innovative
products and ministries will most probably not come from
the previous generation. How are we ‘harvesting’ the ‘next
generation’ concepts and ideas for implementation,
celebration and evaluation?

8. Questions that Transform the Way We Think About Church
3. What ideas do I believe are impossible to do in our
area or ministry but if we could do them now, fully
resourced, would fundamentally change our ministry
effectiveness? What are those ideas for Christ Church?
What keeps us from implementing them?

9. Questions that Transform the Way We Think About Church
4. We are all emotionally ‘in love’ with at least one thing that
we should have gotten rid of years ago or, at least, used
more often but didn’t. What are those ideas, ministries,
programs, personnel, traditions, habits, etc. for Christ
Church? What keeps us from making those changes now?

10. Questions that Transform the Way We Think About Church
5. When our memories exceed our dreams, the end is
near. In what ways, areas, ministry initiatives, endeavors,
objectives for Christ Church are we celebrating and
referencing the past more than projecting and expecting
the future? If you don’t name them specifically, you
continue the pattern.

11. Imagine a Church…

12. A Cohesive Leadership Team…
…Create Organizational Clarity.
Over-communicate Organizational Clarity…
…Reinforce Organizational Clarity.

13. To glorify God by making, maturing and
mobilizing disciples as we love Jesus and
love like Jesus in the world.

14. Worship Glorifying God in All Things Care Doing Life
Together Share Practicing Generosity Grow Making
Disciples Who Make Disciples Serve Being the Hands and Feet of
Jesus.

15. Worship  Department of Worship Arts Care
Department of Congregational Care Share
Department of Operations/Generosity Grow
Department of Community Life Serve
Department of Serving & Outreach

16. So then let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since
we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s
throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2
and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He
endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy
that was laid out in front of him… (Hebrews 12: 1-2a)

17. We have built a cohesive leadership team.
We have created a clear organizational structure.
We have communicated our mission and vision.
Now, Imagine…

18. So Take a Moment to

19. Glorifying God in All Things

20. Glorifying God in All Things
…by worshipping at multiple times, in multiple
places, through multiple styles, for multiple
demographics.

21. 6 Common Perceptions of Churches
From “You Lost Me” by David Kinnaman
Churches are…
1. Creativity Killers
2. Boring
3. Anti-Science
4. Repressive
5. Exclusive
6. Doubtless

22. 6 Commitments from Christ Church…
Build a Church That…
1. Cultivates New Ideas
2. Engages Worshippers
3. Provides a Thoughtful Gospel
4. Shares Possibilities
5. Invites and Includes
6. Is Honest and Real

23. Worship Arts @ Christ Church
Focus on Unchurched/Dischurched
11am Sundays @ Christ Church.

24. Worship Arts @ Christ Church
“We will harvest ‘Next Generation Possibilities’ by investing in
‘Next Generation People and Ideas’…”
Christ Church 5 Smooth Stones, Rule No. 2.

25. Doing Life Together

26. What the broken pieces tell us.
-- 25% of our children need significant psychological
intervention.
-- 60% of all marriages end in divorce.
-- 80% of addicts relapse without ongoing recovery connection.
-- The rates of addiction and abuse are now higher among
Christians than non-Christians.
-- Over 700,000 Memphians do not attend church. However,
80% of respondents still reported seeking help first from the
church when faced with relational or emotional crisis.

27. Congregational Care @ Christ Church
Lay Ministry Care Program—
“Every member in ministry, using their spiritual gifts
to care for their brothers and sisters…”
Spiritual gifts. Spiritual journey.
Equipped. Engaged. Employed.

28. Congregational Care @ Christ Church
The Mosaic Ministry—
Referral Consortium of Therapists, Counselors,
Psychologists and Social Workers
• Family counseling referral.
• Support groups.
• Recovery programs.
• Educational assessment.

29. Congregational Care @ Christ Church
“We will reach for those no one else is reaching… sitting
at the city gates and by the hot, dusty wells of our
community… by doing the things no else is doing to
reach them.” Christ Church 5 Smooth Rules, Rule No. 1

30. Practicing Generosity

31. Generosity @ Christ Church
A Letter from Tessa…
Full of heart ache and resent towards those in the church… I felt like an out cast for not
living a pure and blameless life.
I sought to make sense of my struggles and pitfalls.
More then once I found myself on my knees… seeking God for help and direction.
Determined… I would be responsible for my own faith and growth in this faith.

32. Generosity @ Christ Church
A Letter from Tessa…
And I am so thankful that I heard your segment on the radio… leading me to the
church where I can learn and now tithe…
I hope you and your wife found this letter encouraging, because your words that day,
through God's will, touched my life and I found it encouraging.

33. Generosity @ Christ Church
Christ Church Global.
Across the Street… Around the world.
Online Campus.
Live streaming. Archived.
Worship anywhere @ anytime.

34. Generosity @ Christ Church
Christ Church Fund 4-2morrow
Ministry endowment.
Capital development.
“Some of our best gifts haven’t happened yet…”

35. Generosity @ Christ Church
The Joshua Committee
Long-range planning.
“Celebrating a faithful heritage by living faithful over the next horizon…”

36. Generosity @ Christ Church
“Our dreams will always exceed our memories…”
Christ Church 5 Smooth Stones, Rule No. 5.

37. Making Disciples Who Make Disciples

38. Community Life @ Christ Church
Acts 2:42
“The devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teachings, to
Fellowship, sharing of the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer…”

39. Community Life @ Christ Church
Barna reported in 2009:
71% of Americans, when asked, would like a deeper understanding of
Scripture whereby its principles spoke wisdom to their everyday lives.
77% of those who regard themselves as ‘regular church attendees’, when
asked, believed First Hezekiah was a book in the Old Testament.
People who pray and read their Bible on a regular basis have lower blood
pressure.

40. Community Life @ Christ Church
Re-cast for ministries that provide for growth and personal spiritual
formation:
Walk to Emmaus
 The Next Generation Disciple Bible Study
 Christ Church Connection

41. Making Disciples Who Make Disciples
LiFE Journey (Living in Faith Everyday)
A Family Ministry Continuum
From birth through life
Excellence in ministries to all age levels
How does the church become relevant at every stage and age
period?

42. Making Disciples Who Make Disciples
We commit ourselves through our resources and our
relationships to build successful ministries for all of our age-
levels—
From children- where 75% of all people who will come to know the Lord
will do so during this age range.
To senior adults- where the fastest growing segment of the church lives.
To individuals with special considerations– where the church must
become the first line of defense
To our world’s most successful in worldly standards– where oftentimes
success on earth is mistaken for significance in the spiritual realm.

43. Community Life @ Christ Church
Mid-Week Discipleship Refine and Re-Cast
Proximity Study Series
Topical Grace Groups
Christ College
“As you go about life, make disciples. Include them.
Teach them. Send them…” (Jesus- Matthew 28)

44. Community Life @ Christ Church
2012 FamilyMatters Initiative
Marriage Conference 2012
May 2nd-3rd: Dr. Ted Cunningham
Educational Counseling
Spring 2012: Dr. Ronnie Kent

45. Community Life @ Christ Church
Foundry Leadership Initiative
Leaders After Jesus’ Own Heart.
Leadership Luncheon Series.
CEO of a Fortune 500 Company-- AutoZone
Legendary ‘Game Changer’ for Global Communication Theory
Former Chair/CEO of Saks 5th Ave.
Chief of Medicine, UT Medical Center

46. Community Life @ Christ Church
 Beyond the Horizon Program.
2011- Laurie Beth Jones
author of Jesus CEO and The Four Elements
Learning Modules w/ Asbury Seminary.
Willow Creek Leadership Summit
The Wilson Speakers Series
Making leadership development a ministry endeavor.

47. Community Life @ Christ Church
As long as a ministry reflects our values—
“No matter how much we love it, if it does not work,
we will throw it out…
And, No matter how much we hate it, if it works, we will try it…”
Christ Church 5 Smooth Stones, Rule No. 3.

48. Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus

49. Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus
 14,000 people per day die from inadequate food and water sources.
 70% of the world lives below the USA standard for poverty.
 30% of the world is starving. But, the USA threw away enough food
last year to feed the entire world twice– and spent $30 billion on diet
products.
 AIDS is the leading cause of death for women, ages 18-30 in
Memphis.
 Crime is the leading cause of death for men, ages 18-30 in Memphis.

50. Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus
And, “The Cycle of Poverty”--- For instance, the number of times a child is read
to in the first three years of life significantly impacts their reading proficiency by
the 3rd grade. The number of proficient 3rd grade readers from one generation
determines the formula for the number of prison cells we build in the next
generation.
Want to impact our world-- imagine a church that reduces crime by making the
work of young moms a holy and sacred act.

51. Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus
Re-commitment and support for our affiliated partnerships and missional focus
areas such as:
Binghampton
SOS
Cornerstone School
MARRS
CMDS
Christ Community Medical and Mission
Reach 2020: To have 50% of our ministry plan committed to ministries that
serve as the “hands and feet of Jesus” in our community and beyond.

52. Serving & Outreach @ Christ Church
Focus One:
The Serving Initiative
52 weeks of ministry focus
Strategic Action Plans
Local Missions
International Missions

53. Serving & Outreach @ Christ Church
Focus Two:
The Parish Model
“We grow larger by growing smaller…”
Missional Communities: The Hands and Feet @ Home– In
the places where we live.

54. Serving & Outreach @ Christ Church
Parish– Who are they?
A Parish is doing life together in the place where you live.
They care for one another in times of transition.
They might worship together every quarter.
They may serve together in several projects every year.
They study Financial Peace in the fall.
They have Lenten dinners each Wednesday in the spring.
They watch for new people in their community.
They take care of the lonely and forgotten people around the corner.
They cry together. Share together. Pray together. Serve Together.
They are not a small group. They are not a mission team. They are not a task
area or committee. They are all of the above... and more.

55. Serving & Outreach @ Christ Church
They are sons and daughters with aging parents.
They are parents with troubled children.
They are single and married making the most of family.
They are teachers, lawyers, doctors– the have and have less.
They are doubters, divinely inspired, broken, and well healed.
They are the people you eat lunch with… the ones you take lunch to… the ones
who make the lunch you enjoy… and the ones who clean up when the meal is over.
They are you. They are we.
They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our family.
They are our church.
We are more than the sum of who we know.

56. Serving & Outreach @ Christ Church
“We will seek to serve as though resources are sufficient,
servants are in full supply, and the Spirit is welcome and alive
in our church family…” Christ Church 5 Smooth Stones, No. 4