Greg Nettle

Greg is President of Stadia and Visionary Leader of The Rivertree Movement

Dream Big

May 17, 2012

I recently sat with a group of Kingdom leaders. We were asked to respond to one question: With everything you’re leading, what’s the biggest dream you want to see happen in the next 3-5 years? Wow! Not an easy question. A lot to sift through, pray about, process and simplify.

My response?

To transition the church in the U.S. to a movement of disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus.

1. Through new church planting domestically.

This entails 10 catalyst cities with 5 churches opening per year in each city.

2. Through new church planting globally.

This entails church planting in partnership with Compassion International and U.S. network churches in 6 key countries with 10 churches opening per year in each country. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, Cuba and North Korea.

3. Through learning communities focused on churches committed to making the transition to disciples who make disciples.

40 churches per year in learning communities through the SYNERGY initiative. […]

No Mediocre Marriage

May 8, 2012

Several years ago, my wife and I made a commitment that we would never settle for a mediocre marriage. We had both watched too many marriages that slid into mediocrity and eventually spiraled into divorce. For us, life is too short to allow our most important human relationship be anything less than stellar.

We also believe that one of the most important gifts we can give our children (second only to faith in Jesus Christ) is a healthy, vibrant example of marriage. The Bible teaches that our marriage is an example of how Jesus loves His church. We want to be the best living illustration imaginable.

Now, before I continue . . . marriage has not been easy for Julie and me. We both have very strong personalities, opinions, aspirations and ideas. For us, Gary Thomas’s question: “What if marriage is more about making you holy than it is about making you happy?” has certainly been true. BUT, along, the way, in the midst of the holiness, it has also made us happy. […]

Exponential thoughts

April 29, 2012

Another Exponential Conference has come and gone. The effects of the conference are here to stay.

I brought three leaders with me to Exponential this year–their first time. They were blown away. They loved the authenticity of the speakers, the willingness for leaders to relationally connect, the relevance of the topics.

Team Stadia, you hit it out of the park! Magical. Scott Todd was inspiring, the pool party brought us all together, I’ll never go to another Hard Rock without thinking of Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 and Gate-Crashers.

Todd Wilson once again was masterful in his leadership of Exponential. Kudos for bringing Geoff Surratt into a leadership role as well.

Rick Warren was, well, Rick Warren. Always insightful, always candid, always repeatable. ”We now have 1 billion people in the world who are dying of malnutrition. We also have 1 billion people in the world who are dying of obesity. […]

7 billion reasons . . .

April 24, 2012

by Greg
in Children at Risk, Random Thoughts, The Church
Comments ( 2 )

I awoke in the middle of the night. It was one of those times when, try as I might, sleep was not going to return. It was one of those times when I sensed that God wanted to speak into my life.

The burning question with which I had been wrestling? “Why plant new churches?” Since I had moved into my new role as President of Stadia I had been asked numerous times, “Why do we need more churches?”

What compels church planters to move away from family, friends, security . . . to begin a new church in a new community? What motivates investors to give thousands upon thousands of dollars to begin new works in God’s Kingdom? What drives followers of Jesus into the cities of America to share the Good News? What calls us to Ecuador to work with children at risk, work with indigenous church planters, to bring hope where there is none? […]

“One Of” eBook

April 23, 2012

eBook: “One Of”
Download Here

Over the past several years as RiverTree forged ahead to make the transition from being a purely attractional model church (discipleship takes primarily in the weekend gatherings) to a missional church that is attractive (discipleship takes place primarily in relationships as followers of Jesus are on mission together), our leaders kept asking for something to read that would help them on the journey. ”One Of” is our response to that need.

Our prayer is that “One Of” will help you wherever you are on the journey to becoming an individual or a church who is serious about Jesus’ command to make disciples.

One Of is a practical guide to transition your church into a movement of disciples who make disciples. It tells the compelling story of RiverTree (a church of more than 3,000 people), as they moved from a purely attractional model of church to become a missional church that is attractive. […]

What I love about Easter . . .

April 7, 2012

*Hiding Easter baskets.

*Reese’s peanut butter eggs.

*Easter egg hunts.

*Making “bird’s nests” with the kids.

*Dinner with family and friends.

*An early morning reading of the resurrection account.

*Gathering to celebrate with the church.

*The promise!

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ!” […]

The Edge

March 8, 2012

The SYNERGY Edge learning community gathers for the first time next week at RiverTree. 22 churches from across the country have made a 2 year commitment to learn together about the transition from attractional church to missional that is attractive.

What it’s really all about is how do we make disciples that make disciples? More than 120 leaders will gather to pour energy, seek God’s face and humbly serve one another on this journey.

Why? Because the church in the U.S. is in alarming decline. Less than 18% of the population is involved with a local Christian church of any denomination, stripe or color. Because the local church remains God’s chosen instrument of change in the world, the beautiful Bride of Christ, that which against the gates of hell cannot stand. Because the New Testament knows nothing about a follower of Jesus who is not a part of a local church. Because the church matters to God and MUST matter to us. […]

The obituary of the church?

February 21, 2012

I recently attended a gathering of church leaders who come together to share best practices, encourage one another and simply seek God’s guidance for the future. The churches these guys lead have average attendances of anywhere from 1,000 to 23,000 people. God has entrusted much to this group.

One of my friends at the gathering shared with me from an article he had recently read. The article was specifically about the decline and death of the church in America. The “obituary” cited three primary reasons for the church’s demise.

1. The celebrity role of the Leader. People are drawn more to the personality of the Pastor than to Jesus.

2. The consumer mindset of the attenders. People come to “get” rather than to “give.”

3. The competition between churches. Churches are more interested in building their own kingdom than they are in building God’s Kingdom.

I have to admit, I see all three reasons as serious viruses in the church across the country. […]

From 25 to 100 church plants per year!

February 5, 2012

This week I’ll be heading to lovely California for a Stadia Blue Sky strategy session. I’ll be joining 20 high impact leaders who, for two days, will be wrestling with one question: ”How does Stadia move from planting 25 new churches per year to 100?” High capacity business leaders, leaders from Compassion International, megachurch leaders, new church planters, college Presidents, leaders of the missional movement . . . visionaries will throw the play book out the window and simply seek God’s guidance for the future of His church.

What compels already busy people to invest time, energy and resources in new church planting? Let’s start with the fact that 77% of Americans are not attached to a local church in any meaningful way. The fact that the church in the U.S. has been in decline for decades. Or how about the fact that 21,000 children around the world die every 24 hours as a result of poverty or poverty related preventable diseases? […]

Why RiverTree partners with Stadia and Compassion

January 9, 2012

This past week was life-changing for me. I spent five days in Ecuador with 9 other Pastors from across the U.S., leaders from Compassion International (including President Wess Stafford), leaders from Stadia and my 13 year old daughter, Tabitha. Stadia and Compassion are making it possible for churches like RiverTree (Northern Ohio), The Crossing (Las Vegas), Mountain Christian (Joppa, Maryland), Parkview (Chicago), Shepherd of the Hills (Porter Ranch, CA) and MANY others to impact the world in an unprecedented way. By combining new church planting with caring for children at risk, we are seeing thousands of people place their faith in Jesus Christ!

In 2011, four new churches were planted in some of the most poverty stricken areas of Ecuador. In 2012, 12 new churches will be planted. In 2013, not only will we continue to plant churches in Ecuador, but we will also launch into several other countries that desperately need the hope of Jesus. […]

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