NURTUREANDHEARTRETENTIONPreventingChurchEvasion

ARELIABLEEVASIONPREDICTORWouldhelpleadersto

•  Identifythoseingreaterrisk• Providepriorityministerialsupport

WRONGQUESTION• Howtokeepmembersinthechurch?

BETTERQUESTION• Howtoattachtheirhearts(emotions)toheaven?(Col.3:1-3)

HEARTRETENTIONXBODYRETENTION•  ForemostconcerninJesuspreaching(ex.Matt.5-7)

HOWTOINHERITETERNALLIFE(Luke10:25-27;Mark12:29-31;Matt.22:37-39;Deut.10:12)

•  “Stayinginthechurch”wasnotJesus’answer•  ToloveGodwithallpossiblecapabilities(andneighbor)wasHisanswer

WHENMEMBERSLOVEGOD•  Theywillhaveeternallife• Allthingsworktogetherfortheirgood(Rom.8:28)• Churchretentionwillbetheconsequence

TOLOVEGOD•  It’sarequirement(Deut.10:12)•  Shouldnotbeinword/talk,butindeedandtruth(1John3:18)•  Isrevealedbylovingthebrothers(1John4:7-21)•  ThemostimportantNurtureendeavor

TOLOVEGODItisrelatedto

• KeepingHisCommandments(John14:15,21:15:10;1John2:4-6;5:3)

• KeepingHisWord(John14:23)

ASURPRISINGWAYTODEVELOPTHATAFFECTION

POSSESSIONSXAFFECTIONSPossessionsarecarriersofAffections(Matt.6:19-21)

“Donotlayupforyourselvestreasuresonearth,wheremothandrustdestroyandwherethievesbreakinandsteal;butlayupforyourselvestreasuresinheaven,whereneithermothnorrustdestroysandwherethievesdonotbreakinandsteal.Forwhereyourtreasureis,thereyourheartwillbealso.”

FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVINGWillplacetheheartinheaven/God’sdwellingplace

ONLYTWOOPTIONS“Thereareonlytwoplacesintheuniversewherewecanplaceourtreasures,-inGod’sstorehouseorinSatan’s;andallthatisnotdevotedtoGod’sserviceiscountedonSatan’sside,andgoestostrengthenhiscause.”

EllenG.White,CounselsonStewardship,page35.

TOLOVEGOD•  Themostimportantchoiceforeternallife• Maybestartedandincreasedalsobyfinancialspiritualgiving•  Financialspiritualgivingisrelatedtoeternallife

JESUS’SHEARTRETENTIONPROGRAM• AdivinestrategytokeeptheheartinHiskingdom• Meansmuchmorethansimplytokeepthebodyinthechurch

FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVING• MustbeconsideredasanintegralpartofthelistofAdventistPersonalPietypractices(McIver,2015)

• MustbeassessedandstudiedforNurtureandRetentionpurposes

PRACTICESPOSITIVELYCORRELATEDTOTITHING(MCIVER,2015)

•  SabbathSchoolattendance• OpenandclosetheSabbath•  StudySabbathSchoolquarterly• ReadandreflectontheBibleeachday• Prayoftenduringtheday

ARETHEYRELATEDTOSPIRITUALGIVINGBYCHANCE?Oraretheyallintegralpartsofasamesystem?

WHENINVESTMENTSANDHEARTAREONTHEEARTH(ParableoftheSower-Matt.13:22)

• Peoplearedeceivedanddistressedbythepossessions• God’swordischoked• Personbecomesspirituallyunfruitful

LOVEOFTHINGSANDTHISWORLD(1John2:15-17)

Impliesin•  Lossofspiritualsight•  Lossof“theloveoftheFather”• Heartevasion•  Increasedchurchevasionrisk

LOVEOFMONEY&DESIRETOBERICH(1Tim.6:9-10)

• Drowns“menindestructionandperdition”.•  “…arootofallkindofevil…”•  “…forwhichsomehavestrayedfromthefaith…”•  ItisaChurch’sEvasionRiskfactor

MONEYGETTINGXSPIRITUALITY“…devotiontomoneygetting”issomethingthat“deadensthespiritualityofthechurchandremovesthefavorofGodfrom

her.”CS,20

MONEYGETTINGXSPIRITUALITY• Howtorecognize“devotiontomoneygetting”andspiritualdeadstate?•  Isfinancialunfaithfulnessandevidenceofspiritualdeath?

THEEVIDENCEANDITSEXTENDEDINFLUENCE“…hethatwillwithholdfromGodthatwhichHehaslenthim,willbeunfaithfulinthethingsofGodineveryrespect….”1T198

AGRADUALDEVELOPMENT• Devotiontomoneygetting•  Spirituallydead• Allkindsofimaginableunfaithfulness• Apostasy• Churchevasion

ASADRESEARCHAllSADmemberswholeftthechurchfrom2015-2017

90.83%

85.49%

83.26%

78.75%

81.00%

83.25%

85.50%

87.75%

90.00%

92.25%

Tithepattern:36monthsbeforebeingremovedfrommembership.

2015 2016 2017

94.01%

90.36%

88.76%

86.00%

88.00%

90.00%

92.00%

94.00%

96.00%

Offeringpattern:36monthsbeforebeingremovedfrommembership.

2015 2016 2017

Anaverageof86%:notithingrecord: Anaverageof91%:noofferingrecord:

JESUS’HEARTRETENTIONSTRATEGY“…Througheveryinvestmentmade[inGod’streasury],theywillbecomemoreweddedtothecauseofpresenttruth…”CS73.

RELATEDTOSPIRITUALPROSPERITY“…WithholdingfromGodAlwaysbringsacurse.SpiritualprosperityiscloselyboundupwithChristianliberality…”CS49.

THEMOSTSPIRITUALLYPROSPEROUSCHURCHES“…ChurcheswhoarethemostsystematicandliberalinsustainingthecauseofGodarethemostprosperousspiritually.”3T405

CHURCHGROWTHXFINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVINGTheworkofimpartingoftheheavenlygifts“isthelifeandgrowthofthechurch.”6T448.

FINANCIALSPIRITUALGIVING• Highlyrelatedtochurchgrowthandspiritualprosperity•  Isexpectedtoincreaseretentionrates•  It’sabsence–apredictorofapostasy

NURTURE&RETENTIONSTRATEGY•  Toassessandcarefullyfollowchurch’sspiritualfinancialgivingpatterns.•  Identifypotentialapostasy/churchevasionrisk.•  Prioritycare,includingvisitation,tothoseingreaterrisk.

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STRATEGIESTO

•  Strengthenspiritualsystematicgiving•  Establishappropriateinterventionswhenneeded.