Proverbs 16 NLT

Vs 1: We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

Vs 3: Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

Vs 9: We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

Vs 26: It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

Vs 33: We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.

Only when we make good plans, always stay hungry, take big risks, and surrender it all to God will we experience victory!

Good plans paint a future picture by using past performance and present potential. You take both the history of what’s been previously accomplished and combine it with the present potential, to paint a picture of future possibilities. 

Past Victories:

• Hundreds of kids saved at Summer Break

• New Auditorium completed

• Easter 2019, 376 largest single service

• 400+ at the pool party this Summer

• 400+ at the Block Party this Summer

• Preschool & Childcare best year ever

• More engagements on social media than ever before

Present Potential:

• Surrounded by ever growing neighborhoods and communities
• Greenwood is growing exponentially
• The impact of our community spaces we will be creating that will draw and engage people
• This great facility, and the renovation of our South Building 
• Easy access with Worthsville Road interchange which expands our reach

So here’s the goal…now I’m telling you right now what I’m about to do terrifies me! Because once I say what I’m about to say, I can’t take it back. And whether anyone else judges me on what I’m about to say, I am going to judge myself on whether or not we reach this goal. For me this is incredibly risky, because if y’all don’t buy in, it isn’t going to happen, and I’m going to feel like a big fat failure! But, I believe based on our past victories and our present potential, if we all join in together, we can double in size over the next two years. That’s our BHAG.

Big Hairy Audacious Goal:

To double our attendance in 2 years!

Accomplishing our BHAG will take all of us…

…Becoming more magnetic!

…Giving to turn the vision into reality!

• Start giving

• Give regularly

• Give proportionally

• Give a tithe (10%)

• Give Generously

Now, the final piece to accomplishing our BHAG will take all of us…

…Inviting to help us double!

For years we’ve used a very specific strategy for connecting with people. We use big Sundays to invite our friends and neighbors to experience Friendship for the first time…no any Sunday is a great Sunday to invite a friend…but these are specifically designed for inviting people. Our hope is that many of those people will stick, and they invite their friends, and the process continues. 

• Christmas 2019: 400 in 2 services

• Easter 2020: 450 and relaunch 2 services for every Sunday

• All of our 2020 Events

• Christmas 2020: 500 in total attendance

• Easter 2021: 600 in total attendance

•  our 2021 Events

• September of 2021: Averaging over 500 in total attendance

Now, I want to let you in on a little secret…I don’t plan on stopping there! If God allows me I plan on leading Friendship for another 20 years. Next month marks our 15 year anniversary here at Friendship, so that would mean that I would have had the privilege of leading this awesome church for 35 years!

So here’s what I’m thinking, I don’t want to build another auditorium until we are at least doing 4 services. Let me show you why:

Using two services we can grow to an average attendance of between 715-825

By adding two other services (Saturday or Sunday evenings, who knows) that number grows to an average attendance of 1,155-1,375.

We could literally grow to being a church of over 1,200 without having to invest money in another building. That’s all money that could go to additional staffing (we really want to bring a worship person on staff, asap), ministries, other projects, all sorts of other things that help us become an influential and effective church for the glory of God!

In fact if we really wanted to get crazy, we could even do more services…basically squeeze every ounce of effectiveness out of these facilities for the glory of God.

Dave, are you all about the numbers? Remember the verse we read at the beginning? Remember how it talked about staying hungry? I believe God put us here to reach people for Christ and then help them grow spiritually deeper, financially stable, and relationally satisfied. If there’s one more person that needs that then we need to grow by one more person. 

Because every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God…

So, I’ve only got one thing left to say…