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Abstract

In the early 1990s, the Fellowship Bible Church of Little Rock, Arkansas--which had grown from a membership of 59 to one of 2000--must deal with its first hint of bad news: a survey of its members had revealed that as they stayed longer in the church they became less satisfied with it. In an attempt to address the problem, church leaders focus on the vehicle which had been their previous strategy for maintaining members'' enthusiasm: so-called "seasons of life" groups were small sub-congregations in which members could meet and socialize with other members their own age. The case describes the decision of church leaders to change this arrangement dramatically: the "seasons of life" groups would be, in effect, phased out and replaced with "common cause" groups. These new groups were to focus on specific efforts to help the broader Little Rock community--whether by mentoring poor children or assisting local non-profit groups. The short main case describes the innovation envisioned by church leaders in the context of the congregation''s challenges and, in effect, leaves open the question of whether the "common cause" idea is a good one, and what its benefits and pitfalls might be. The case epilogue describes in detail the "common cause" system as it actually developed. The case serves both to raise organizational strategy issues (how should the church work to fan the enthusiasm of its members?) and as a vehicle to discuss volunteer management.This case was written for potential, but not exclusive, use in conjunction with the book "Half-time: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance," Robert Buford (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. 208 pages).

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Abstract

In the early 1990s, the Fellowship Bible Church of Little Rock, Arkansas--which had grown from a membership of 59 to one of 2000--must deal with its first hint of bad news: a survey of its members had revealed that as they stayed longer in the church they became less satisfied with it. In an attempt to address the problem, church leaders focus on the vehicle which had been their previous strategy for maintaining members'' enthusiasm: so-called "seasons of life" groups were small sub-congregations in which members could meet and socialize with other members their own age. The case describes the decision of church leaders to change this arrangement dramatically: the "seasons of life" groups would be, in effect, phased out and replaced with "common cause" groups. These new groups were to focus on specific efforts to help the broader Little Rock community--whether by mentoring poor children or assisting local non-profit groups. The short main case describes the innovation envisioned by church leaders in the context of the congregation''s challenges and, in effect, leaves open the question of whether the "common cause" idea is a good one, and what its benefits and pitfalls might be. The case epilogue describes in detail the "common cause" system as it actually developed. The case serves both to raise organizational strategy issues (how should the church work to fan the enthusiasm of its members?) and as a vehicle to discuss volunteer management.This case was written for potential, but not exclusive, use in conjunction with the book "Half-time: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance," Robert Buford (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. 208 pages).

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