Sundays @ 10:30am

In Stuttgart… at 607 S. Park Ave. (across form the big blue water tower)

And in Malvern… 214 S. Main (across from the Ritz theater)

Our (almost) 60 minute experience is packed with humor, live music, creativity, a message based on our lives and what God has to say about them, and much more.

The very first thing we’ll ask of you is simple: relax. You’re with friends. Even if you’ve never been in church before, you’ll have no worries about being flagged as a “newbie” or finding yourself “volunteered” to make seven dozen cookies for the first graders.

You will discover that we are people who take God seriously but take ourselves much less seriously… it is okay to laugh at ourselves. Worried about what to wear? Just dress like you would for a Saturday of shopping. We are comfortable here. You will see a lot of jeans, shorts, flipflops, boots and camo.  Our dress code is simple… please do.

In person and online… 10:30 AM FB LIVE AND YOUTUBE

Here is what you can expect:

As you arrive, find a parking space you like and head inside.  In the lobby, you will find our Adult and Student Cafe (the children have their own cafe in our children’s area).  Signs will direct you toward restrooms, our children’s check-in station, our preschool areas, our children’s area and our student/adult worship theater.

After you check your children into FirstLook and 252, you are ready to head into the Adult/Student worship theater.  Don’t worry, we won’t do anything in there to put you on the spot or to single you out.  We don’t do anything weird that will make you uncomfortable.  Just sit back, enjoy your cafe items and get ready for some smoke’n music and great encouragement for your life from God’s Word… encouragement that can begin making a difference in your life that very week.

The Church In Malvern Parking

We have two places to park and two entrances.  Park in the front, on Main St. and follow the sign to the correct front door or you can park in the back and use the back door.  The back public parking lot is beside the newspaper building (on the courthouse square) and you can see our back door from there too.

Our Children: FirstLook and 252

Our preschool (birth – K) is called FirstLook and our children’s area (1st-5th grade) is called 252. FIRST LOOK and 252 are exciting environments designed just for children and they have a blast. You can feel safe and secure as our ministry partners working with children have all been screened and have all cleared a background check.

Download the Parent Cue App to help you continue the teaching from home.

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Why do we have such a high focus on Sunday morning children’s experiences?

We believe your child must have exciting, engaging, fun and relevant teaching to help them learn to pursue God.  We accomplish this with a great team of leaders who help your child get engaged with God.  Sadly, if a child is brought into the adult/student worship theater you are actually hindering the potential for them to pursue God.  A child in the adult/student experience learns that God is for big people, not for them.  The learn that going to church is boring.  And the impact is not just on the child, adults are impacted too.  A parent is so focused on trying to keep a child quiet the adult gets very little out of the experience.  Students and adults around the child are distracted as well… one child who gets noisy (and let’s face it… most do) attracts the attention of the entire room and that makes it very difficult to stay focused.  The best opportunity for your child to grow and flourish is inside of our children’s ministry.  We have spent great time and effort making it the best around so that it becomes the best hour of every kid’s week.

FIRST LOOK and 252
When your family arrives at Stuttgart Harvest Church or The Church in Malvern bring your children to the kid’s check-in table (they have their own cafe inside their area). Here you will receive a security tag with a number on it and that number will be assigned to your child and written on their nametag. Once your child has been checked in, they can head into our FIRST LOOK (Birth through K) rooms or to the 252 Shop (for children first grade through 6th grade).

We have a secure computer kid check-in system and someone will be there to help you get your kiddos checked in.

All Children’s workers have been screened and have cleared a background check.

When the Adult/Student Worship Experience is over, you can check your child out of using the security tag that was given to you at Check-In.

252 and FIRST LOOK are not about information, but transformation.
We Believe Kids are World Changers!

Not just biblical stories, but a biblical worldview.

We strive to teach God’s truth in ways that impact a child’s choices and actions. Creativity and imagination are precious resources for penetrating their language and culture. Kids must be needed, valued, and connected. Their church experience must be relevant to their daily lives. Kids have time, availability, and enthusiasm to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. A kid’s day-to-day existence is not sidetracked by many of the complications that distract their adult counterparts. By teaching them to develop a biblical worldview, we can ignite an awakening that will impact generations to come. For the same reason that Jesus gave his attention to kids, we believe kids grow best when nurtured by loving mentors and teachers.
Call To Action

We believe in bible action, not just bible study.

We believe that kids are not just the church of tomorrow, but that they can be World Changers right now.

We understand that after age twelve most people’s beliefs are set for life.

Therefore, our purpose is to inspire world changers by equipping kids to:

1. KNOW GOD
Does God exist?
What are the attributes of God?
What is the character of God?
What is prayer?
What is worship?

2. INTEGRATE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW
How and why was the world created?
What is the nature and purpose of humanity?
Why did God create me?
What is good and evil?
How do I make right choices?

3. DISCOVER TRUTH
What is truth?
What does the Bible mean to me?
How can I experience God?
What spiritual authorities exist?
What happens after we die on earth?

4. MAKE CHRIST KNOWN
What is the Church?
What is the mission of the Church?
How does the body of Christ function?
How can I help others know Christ?
How can I pray for others?

5. OFFER THEMSELVES IN SERVICE
What gifts has God given me?
How can I use my time and money to serve God?
What can I do to serve the church?
What can I do to serve my community?
What can I do to serve those in other countries?

What is FIRST LOOK?
TRANSFORMATION
FIRST LOOK provides a fun and simple way to reach preschoolers with the transformational truth of God’s Word. Through creatively taught Bible stories and active learning, preschoolers can begin to realize that church is fun and God’s love for them is real.

Our Groups… Care Starts There

Everything we do is a step toward involvement in a small group. It is in the small group that you live life together as a caring community… it is in a group that you begin to journey together. We sign up for groups three times a year so the next group sign up is not far away (January, May, and September).

John 17:21 (NLT) I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

Romans 1:12 (NLT)  When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

Community: Experiencing life in unity as we grow.  Deep life change happens as we do life together.

We believe our church must grow LARGER (connecting more and more people with Jesus) and SMALLER at the same time (by starting more and more small groups).

Bigger as we reach out, smaller as we connect deeply to a smaller group of Christ-followers (in a small group).

It is in the small group that you live life together as a caring community… it is in a group that you begin to journey together.

Fill out the contact form on the main web page for details about our next group signup month.

Our Start and Our Pastors

During the summer of 2009, God began to bring together the vision of a small group of people and a church starter. That vision was simple… create a place where anyone, from any walk of life, could connect with God… a vision to remove the barriers that that so easily keep people out of the church and away from the Good News that Jesus is the way to connect with God the Father. As the vision grew, so did the task of starting a church for imperfect people.

That was Stuttgart Harvest Church and in 2021 they did it again and started The Church In Malvern.

Each one is the perfect place for imperfect people. If you feel you have it all together in life then you won’t be happy there. We are imperfect people but we love and serve a perfect God.

We are farmers, nurses, homemakers, business owners, children, students, college students, adults, senior adults, technicians, mechanics, teachers, business people, carpenters, truck drivers, laborers, brokers, artists, musicians and much more… all imperfect… all part of the harvest… all in the harvest … we are Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern.

Meet Harley

Founding pastor and Lead Teaching pastor, Harley was a student minister for 17 years before launching into church starting in 2005. Harley, along with a newly formed launch team, started Stuttgart Harvest Church on February 14, 2010. Stuttgart Harvest Church went on to start its first church in 2021… The Church In Malvern.  Harley and Vanessa gratefully serve God by loving others and seeing lives eternally changed by God at Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern.

Meet Cole

Cole and Beth were part of our initial church launch team for Stuttgart Harvest Church before Cole joined the staff. Since then, Cole has taken on more and more responsibilities, part of the launch of The Church In Malvern, one of our Teaching Pastors, and overseeing a number of ministries as he leads many of the ministry partners at Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern.

Meet more of our Teaching Team

Bryce Massey joined our teaching team in 2021 and is a full time business man in Malvern, Ar.

Jeremy Jones Joined our teaching team in 2022 and is a full time farmer not far from Stuttgart, Ar.

Our Beliefs

Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern

Christian beliefs help us understand our world. We see not only wonderful Good but also violent evil. We often ask, “Why?” Basic Christian beliefs can help us grapple with questions that have baffled people for centuries.

As we learn the essential beliefs of Christianity, we begin to discover who we really are. God’s Story tells us our identity is not derived from possessions, abilities, looks, nor how others see us. Rather, our identity comes from how God sees us.

Christian beliefs also direct our behavior. Today we desperately need men and women of integrity, people who are living examples of Biblical values. The Holy Spirit gradually transforms us into the likeness of Christ Himself. Christian beliefs build Christian character.

Finally and most importantly, Christian beliefs help us draw near to God. As we look into the Scriptures, we come to know the Author of Scripture. Biblical truths become a window into the heart and mind of God. If we know and live what the Scriptures teach, we will resist shallow claims that misrepresent God and His story. God is personal and seeks a continuing love relationship with us that is real and personal. He has told us about Himself and what He requires of us. All the rich knowledge of God is expressed through our Christian beliefs based on the Scriptures..

If we approach the Scriptures with humility and a willing heart, Christian beliefs will strengthen our faith and ignite our souls.

The Scriptures
The Bible is the historical record of God, actually written by man but inspired by God’s Spirit and contains no error. It is truth provided for the believer as a tool to know the heart of God. It reveals the plan, purposes and will of God for all time. The Old Covenant prepared the way for Jesus and now God has made a New Covenant with man as explained in the books forming the New Testament. Today, the Old Covenant can help us understand the implications of the gospel for our lives and it can illuminate our understanding of God’s way in the world. The old covenant and law have been fulfilled by Christ and therefore we are not under the old law but now under the law and grace of Christ as expressed in the New Covenant.

Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 31:31–34; 36:1-32; Ezek. 36:26–27; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 6:14–15; 7:4–615:4; 16:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:6; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 8:8–13; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

God in three persons
There is one and only one living and true God. He is intelligent, spiritual, and personal. Being the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. God is not bound by the natural laws He created and our limited minds cannot fully understand the complexity nor mind of God. But through Scripture, God has revealed to us what He wants us to know for now. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence or being.

God the Father
God as Father is the Giver and Sustainer of life, the seen and unseen. He is all loving, all just, all wise and all powerful. He is the true God and the One who judges righteously and test the heart and mind. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ; however, He is fatherly toward all men.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

God the Son
God as Son is the perfect representation for the Father in human form. He is fully human and fully divine. Immanuel, God who came to live among us, for one purpose… to redeem the world. Born of a virgin, He had no human sin within Him. He is equal with God the Father but humbled himself by taking on the form of a servant (man) and became obedient to a death on a cross. He knew that only through the shedding of His blood would the sinless Lamb of God be able to secure forgiveness and remission of sins. He arose on the third day following His death as He declared and now lives and reigns with the Father in glory awaiting His final triumphant return. His Spirit lives in all believers as the living, ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

God the Holy Spirit
God as Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and unrighteousness, works in the life of each believer to produce godly character qualities and demonstrates Himself, in the life of the church, through special abilities given to each believer to carry out the work of the church. He is Comforter, Teacher, Wisdom, and Counselor.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

Humanity
Man was created in the image of God by a special work of God. The finest of the creation – God said, “It is very good!” Man was created purposefully and lovingly male or female which is identified in our very genetic code, xx or xy, a design by God. God’s special creation, mankind, is even known by God in the womb.
One of the many purposes of God’s treasured created man is to populate the earth from within the love and safety of marriage. And it is only within a marriage, between a man and a woman, that God placed the intimate connection of sexual contact.
Man was created innocent but with a free choice whereby he sinned against God. At that moment, man and all of his descendants, fell from his original state of being in a perfect relationship with God, others, and creation. Because Christ died for all, every person, from every background, no matter their life choices, is worthy of respect in Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

Salvation
Salvation is the gift of God for all humanity and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus as Lord (boss, leader, owner) and Savior (God, who came to live among us, the perfect Son of God who died for the sins of the world, once and for all). It was obtained by the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. He shed His own blood for our sin that we might be rightly related to God.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.

Baptism
Baptism is the initial step of obedience by one who has declared his faith in Jesus. So important was this step that, as far as we know, every single convert in the New Testament was baptized (there is no example of a non-baptized believer with the exception of the thief on the cross). At baptism, the invisible work of the Holy Spirit is visibly dramatized in the water as it visualizes the death, burial, resurrection of Christ and now new life offered through the Spirit. For all we may not understand about baptism, we can be sure of one thing, it is a holy moment commanded by God. Baptism is the first step of a believer. If it was important enough for Jesus to command, isn’t it important enough for us to obey? And if it is important enough for Jesus to do, isn’t it important enough for us to follow?

Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; 2:41; 8:35-39

Sin and Grace
When one becomes a believer, he is free from sin’s penalty of death but not from sin’s power. A battle rages within the believer between the carnal and spiritual natures. When the believer confesses sin, Christ forgives and cleanses from sin. Sinning grieves the Holy Spirit, brings shame on the cause of Christ, hinders a believer’s relationship with God and others and causes the believer to endure the consequences of sin.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God and shows us His goodness. All who have accepted Christ and are set apart will never fall from grace but will endure the end. Believers may sin and grieve the Holy Spirit, but they will be kept by the power of God.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

Church
The church is a group of believers brought together by the Spirit of God to carry out the Great Commandment by practicing the Great Commission. Each church is an autonomous body operating under the leadership of Christ as the Head of the Church.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is an opportunity for personal examination and reflection as we observe the “Lord’s death until He comes.” The bread and cup are symbols of His body and blood which were broken and spilled out for our salvation. This is done in “remembrance” of Him until He comes again.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

Our Values… at our core

Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern

What are we all about?  Great question… and here is the answer: We Are Helping Lives Change by Loving the Father, Family, and Friends… that makes Jesus smile and we want to make Jesus smile.

Our Values, at our core, are made up of elements that guide how we work together to accomplish the great task above.

Core values… At our core… These elements come together to form our ethos and we have three levels (tiers) of values.

At our core… Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern Values… (Level 1 Value; the top tier: worship)
Worship: Say + Do = Worship… the question is who?

…Worshipping God with our lifestyle. True worship leads toward life change.
I know I am worshiping Jesus alone when:
Everything I have is at God’s disposal (money, time, relationships, stuff, emotional margins, etc.)

Every decision I make throughout the day is worship… the question is this… is it worshiping God or is it worshiping someone/something else?

How am I living my worship every day?

Mark 12:30
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

At our core… Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern Values… (Level 2 Values… the next tier: acceptance, service, community)
Acceptance: We throw lifelines, not rocks.

…Beginning right where you are and growing one step at a time. We throw lifelines, not rocks.

I will know I am accepting others like Jesus when:
People who have hurt me/or don’t agree with me… I’m ready to see them.
The person comes in… who nobody thinks they ever will come in… other people turn their heads but I turn around and go to them.
I’m moved by love and compassion to an ongoing investment in the life of someone others just judge.

How have I proved this week that people matter to God?

Matthew 9:36
When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Service: We serve to get better.

…Investing in lives inside and outside of Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern. We don’t wait until we get better before we serve, we serve to get better.

I will know I’m serving like Jesus when:
I’m willing to go way outside of my comfort zone to serve someone in and out of the church.
I’m willing to do something that might be humiliating (foolish, humble).
I’m willing to try and fail and try again.
I’m willing to do anything needed.

Where am I serving in the church and who am I apprenticing?
Who is a searching person in whom I am investing?

Mark 10:45
For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

Community: Care starts there.

…Experiencing life in unity as we grow. Deep life change happens as we do life together.

I will know I am in community like Jesus when:
I make being in a small group a priority over other things… Jesus did.
I have an abundance of Love, grace, and forgiveness for people who have irritated or hurt me in my small group.

What new priority is God developing in my life as a result of participating in a group?
John 17:21
My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
Romans 1:12
I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.

At our core… Stuttgart Harvest Church and The Church In Malvern Values… (Level 3 Values… the last tier: multiplication, focus, change.  These are all about growing bigger and smaller at the same time)
Multiplication: We were born to grow.

…(growing bigger) Multiplying Christ-followers, Groups, and churches throughout the world. The church is not here for us. We, the church, are here for the world.
How have I helped the starting of a church this year?
When will my small group grow into two groups?
Who is the searching person I am serving toward Christ?
Acts 13:2-3
[2] One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them.” [3] So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

I will know I’m multiplying when:
I consistently have someone not deeply involved in a church sitting with me on Sundays.
I’m willing to help new groups start by joining a newly forming group and helping to lead.
I’m participating in a long distance new church launch team.

Focus: We pass by the good to grab the great.

…(growing smaller) Simply leading people toward intimacy with God, community with Christ-followers and influence with those searching. We don’t try to do everything; we do a few important things well.
What good thing have I stopped doing to make room for the best thing?
Am I keeping “next steps” simple, obvious, and narrow?
Ephes. 1:11
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

I will know I’m focusing when:
I can clearly explain to someone else our vision, our values, and our strategy.
I am more concerned about keeping the main things the main thing rather than just doing more.
I am willing to stop doing some good ideas (even if they have become traditions) so we can focus on the best ones, the clearest, most effective next steps (I have a “stop doing” list).

Change: As we grow we change.

…(becoming more and more effective) Evaluating and creatively innovating for effectiveness. Our environments are continually changing and improving.
Am I evaluating and making better everything I do with the church?
1 Cor. 9:19-22
[19] Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: [20] religious, nonreligious, [21] meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, [22] the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.

I will know I’m changing and creatively innovating for effectiveness when:
I evaluate what I participated in with SHC and come up with a list for me to do to help it be better next time.
For each step I’m involved with, I look for engaging and extraordinary ways to help next steps more obvious and clear.
In my mind and actions effectiveness is more important than tradition.