An Overview of We Build People
By Earl Creps
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We Build People is ....
Biblical (top
of page)
The ideas expounded in We Build People are not new.
In fact, they were taught by Jesus almost 2000 years ago and are found
throughout the Bible. We Build People is simply a way of implementing
Jesus' instructions concerning the purpose of the church. Embracing We
Build People means being ready to step outside our "comfort zone"
so ministry can better reflect the teachings of Scripture. One of the
pastor's most crucial roles in adopting the We Build People philosophy
is managing these changes.
Inclusive (top
of page)
Putting a new model of ministry into practice takes time and
patience. But most of all it takes people! Throughout this process
you will have opportunities to involve church members in implementing
the We Build People philosophy in your church. This cannot
be bypassed. While the sermon outlines and other materials will help to
inspire the congregation from the pulpit, We Build People cannot
be introduced by announcement and sustained by promotion alone. Help your
people gain "ownership" of the philosophy, rather than them seeing it
as "just another thing the pastor is trying to get us to do." The pastor's
role is that of involving the people.
Intentional (top
of page)
One of We Build People's most striking traits is its
emphasis on specific goals. For years, churches have used numerical goals
to drive attendance and financial campaigns. We Build People is
different. It calls for a church to be intentional in its goal
of building individuals in Christ. The alternative is drifting from Sunday
to Sunday waiting for "something" (we don't know what) to happen. If "something"
does happen, we have no idea why, or how we can make it happen again.
We Build People instills intentionality at every level. Each
ministry of the church is tied to specific, measurable goals and is held
accountable to meet them. If things aren't working, you will know it and
be able to decide on avenues of improvement. In this sense, the pastor's
job is to work with leadership to set goals and navigate the church toward
the agreed upon destination.
About Mentoring (top
of page)
We Build People leans heavily on the concept of
mentoring. The idea is simple: the best way to change a life is
to expose it to another life that is headed in the right direction. Spending
time with a dedicated intercessor, for example, will teach more about
prayer than many sermons on the topic. We Build People is
best implemented by having the pastor mentor his key leaders in the model.
Later, mentoring is used as a primary method of discipling both new believers
and existing members. Mentoring works. Think about your own life. It undoubtedly
has been shaped by the people who opened their hearts to you. We Build
People uses this same process. The pastor takes on the vital
role of selecting and training mentors who can disciple others as well
as being a mentor himself.
A Process (top
of page)
It is very important to know what We Build People is
not. First, it is not a temporary promotional campaign. Rather, it is
a permanent way to restructure your church around a biblical purpose:
building people. Second, it is not a collection of books or courses for
which you recruit an audience. Jesus did not call us to fill classrooms.
He called us to make disciples. Instead of holding students in place to
maximize their exposure to curriculum, We Build People puts
a training process in place and moves people through it. The result
is disciples who are made ready to serve the Lord in the real world. The
exact curricula materials used in this process matter far less than the
process itself. The pastor's role is to engineer this process.
About Values (top
of page)
Much of church life is built around programs that appeal to
various age levels. These ministries are important, but they carry a risk.
Maintaining them can become an end in itself. Energy, talent, and money
(all in limited supply) tend to gravitate toward running ministries often
without regard for why they exist or their relevance to today's culture.
We Build People is different because it is value-driven.
Four non-negotiable values form the core of the model. They define its
purpose and provide direction. Instead of defining success as "having
a program for everyone," the church is challenged to measure itself according
to biblical values. Only those programs that implement the non-negotiable
values are put into place. The pastor's role is to be a value-driven decision-maker.
About Small Groups (top
of page)
Jesus wanted to influence the whole world, so He spent 3 years
with 12 men. He poured His life into theirs, knowing they would be left
to carry on His mission after His ascension. His plan would be regarded
as radical today in an era so devoted to building large Sunday morning
crowds. Having a full worship service is certainly desirable, but is not
sufficient to fulfill the Great Commission. The small group approach used
by Jesus and the Early Church is the key. We Build People depends
heavily on the small group format for one simple reason: it works. People
grow, learn, and work together most effectively in smaller teams. While
this is not a replacement for the larger functions of the congregation,
it is a necessary component of congregational life. The pastor can know
the joy of building people through the training of small group leaders.
A Philosophy (top
of page)
Pastors are always looking for a good idea. Ministry today is
vastly more complex than only a generation ago, so the number of good
ideas needed can be overwhelming. Problems have to be solved, plans have
to be made, outreaches have to be planned, etc. To complicate matters,
today's ministry climate gives fresh ideas a short shelf-life. What worked
this year may fail next year. We Build People affords a biblical
alternative: a comprehensive ministry philosophy that ties together individual
ideas and programs into a system that builds people. Having a philosophy
makes life much simpler. Instead of chasing ideas in a hundred directions,
the pastor can be a visionary leader who evaluates everything according
to how it fits into his God-given philosophy.
Flexible (top
of page)
The principles of the Scriptures never change, however, the
way they are expressed in local situations will vary widely. The basic
dynamics of We Build People can operate in any situation.
This is possible because the model provides flexibility. The local pastor
is free to select materials, set timelines, and adapt the model to suit
his situation. The inner-city congregation, for example, will not use
the same approach as the rural church, but both will build people by moving
them around the We Build People "base paths." Moreover, We
Build People can function at any level of the church. Every Sunday
school class, children's ministry, and youth function can be driven by
the non-negotiable values and structured to implement the We Build
People model on a smaller scale. The values and strategy are
the same, regardless of the size of group or nature of the activity! This
feature helps to coordinate the ministry programs of the church. The pastor
"coaches" the model so his staff can implement it successfully.
About Measuring (top
of page)
Some pastors and churches avoid goals because they feel setting
them intrudes on God's sovereignty. Others evade this responsibility because
they fear that by setting a standard, someone might measure their failure.
Both of these ideas deny a congregation one of its most powerful, God-given
assets: the ability to plan effectively. Without measurable goals, we
are not planning, we are only wishing. We Build People succeeds
because leaders know what they are trying to produce. Some of these outcomes
are measurable (e.g., ministry staffing), while others are more subjective
(e.g., spiritual maturity). However, pastors who know their people and
community can use both types of goals to assess where things stand and
where they need to go. Without regular evaluations of the church's progress,
even the best ministries can fall victim to complacency, or worse. The
pastor's role is that of quality control, defining the criteria and process
for measurement, and using it as a tool for continuous improvement of
the ministry.
About Leading (top
of page)
Perhaps the most dramatic difference between We Build People and
"business as usual" is the role of the pastor. While his conventional
duties of preaching/teaching, pastoral care, etc. all stay in place, leadership
takes on a new meaning. In We Build People the pastoral leader
is:
- A Servant Leader.
- A Change Manager.
- A Leader of the Leaders.
- A Navigator.
- A Mentor of Mentors.
- A Process Engineer.
- A Quality-Control Inspector.
- A Value-Driven Decision-Maker.
- A Trainer of Small Group Leaders.
- A Visionary Leader to the Congregation.
- A Coach to the Staff.
- A True Shepherd to the Flock.
We Build People is a philosophy that moves the church from
passivity to power. It takes the church to a higher level in making
disciples and advancing the Kingdom of God.
The We Build People Model
Defined (top of page)
We Build People is a philosophy not a program. As
a philosophy it is designed to help the local church to become driven
by the purpose of building people intentionally. We Build People is
a way to understand the mission of Christ and the Church and to apply
it in a very intentional and practical way. The We Build People philosophy
is not about taking people through four courses on how to become disciples.
It is about creating a dynamic environment that truly builds people for
God's glory.
We Build People is an "Intentional, Total-Church, Whole-Life,
People Building Process." By Intentional we mean that purposely
and strategically we manage the process that builds people. By Total-Church
we mean every ministry going on in and extending from the local church.
By Whole-Life we mean from the cradle to the grave. By People
Building Process we mean a process that reaches, disciples, equips,
and mobilizes people in the Kingdom of God for His glory.
The We Build People philosophy is designed to provide a
framework for the church to uniquely respond to the mission of Christ
and the Church. The We Build People philosophy provides
the pillars upon which the local church can develop its own unique expression
to accomplish its part in the global mission of God.
The We Build People philosophy is flexible and adaptable.
It is designed to work in any church size, context, structure, or ministry
philosophy. Fundamentally, the We Build People philosophy
seeks to help the local church follow the model that Jesus used to develop
His disciples and launch the Church. The We Build People philosophy
further seeks to help local church leadership develop a church which
reflects the Church described in Ephesians 4:11-17 which builds and
equips the saints to be united and effective in the work of ministry.
From We Build People Pastor's Kit. Copyright ©1997 General Council
Assemblies of God.
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