The Pizza Illustration

Our actions come from our thinking.

This strategy is about changing the CULTURE of your members – which is a bit like a pizza base. In comparison the pizza toppings are like the various programs you have.

Only after creating a pizza base do you add the toppings to a pizza.

If you have many toppings but no pizza base you doesn’t have a pizza! Also, if you have many toppings placed on a mouldy or burnt pizza base, there will be no fixing it – and yet this is how many churches try to fix their ‘evangelistic woes’, with programs.

Our suggesting is that we get the culture (pizza base) right first. The rest come together quite easily if we do!

Regarding pizza toppings (program ideas)

1. ‘Bridging’ programmes

We are wise to initiate programmes to connect with more people – after surveying our community, and also the abilities and desires of our members. This could involve running courses on marriage, finance and family that will help people; running interest groups; or working in existing community projects to connect with people there.

Check out success stores by Howard Webb of ‘Love your Neighbour’ here  

2. ‘Point events’

Then we can  fine-tune our ‘point events’ (at which the Christian message is communicated) – so all our other efforts periodically ‘funnel’ people toward places and times when the gospel will be shared, so they get that valuable opportunity.

3. Small group team-work

Then we can encourage our small group leaders to do a few things also that will connect with their group members friends and family. There is no limit to what these groups could do as their heart for their friends grows, and their creativity kicks in.

4. Establish a team of ‘passionate evangelisers’ as one of your ministries

Some people in our churches will have a particular passion to go out to reach people they don’ t know. If trained and grouped together, they could be effective in reaching out on streets, from house to house, and at special community events and programs, using surveys, doing BBQs, casually talking with people wherever they go (gently, respectfully, simply, cheerfully, clearly, etc.)! We even created a video series with 10 short videos to help churches group and train these people – check it out here. It is often said that about 10% of a church’s members will have a special passion for evangelism. They are a ‘resource’ to harness and channel (not an ‘inconvenience’ to ignore or squash).

5. Seminars

Having equipped everyone through the pulpit and small group, some might desire extra ‘specialist’ training to take it to another level. So, having some seminars for those interested in learning more could help them go to another level in their own efforts.

6. Partner with an ‘evangelist’ that suits your church’s culture

Ephesians 4:12 is the model. Biblically you could say that this is what our consultants are – but there will be others in your area also. Sometimes a guest speaker says nothing different to what you say – but the results are different. Having a different voice can help.

In summary, A.T. Consulting (All Together Consulting) is all about helping you create the pizza base (the culture). After that, you’d be ready to reconsider the pizza toppings (programs) that best suit your church and community . However – our caution is that one precedes the other. ‘You can’t fix a paradigm problem with a program solution.’  ‘Until we think differently very little will change.’