State Of The Game Essays - Sports, Economy, Montreal Expos

State Of The Game Joey Simon English 1550 March 5, 2001 State of the Game Every year, it becomes more obvious that many sports in America have problems. For years, Hockey has been criticized for its excessive violence. The National Football League has also been scrutinized for this reason as well as the fact that many of the top players have constantly been in trouble with the law. Major League Baseball is no different. The situation with baseball is more complicated, and is not only ruining the game itself, but also drawing millions of fans away from the sport. The biggest problem is with the high salaries paid to athletes. These salaries are taking the competitiveness out of several sports, especially baseball, where there is no salary cap. Action must be taken immediately to cap the salaries paid to baseball players, before baseball in America rapidly diminishes. I believe that this problem has really just started to work its way in during the last decade. Many fans that have grown to love the game of baseball are now sickened by the amount of money being paid to the athletes. Unfortunately, what the fans see is only the athletes salary. What they dont see is how much money the owners are making from these athletes. The athletes fill the bleachers full of die-hard baseball fans year in and year out. These players are a major source of income for the owners. By signing big name players to the team, this in essence brings more and more fans to the stadium. A stunning quote from online site http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001/03/30/news /baseball/ written by Chris Isidore on March 30, 2001 states that, Baseball's average ticket price has more than doubled in a decade, increasing 120 percent from 1991, when it was $8.64The average salary of players, $851,492 in 1991, has more than doubled in the same time period and is expected to be more than $2.2 million when the season opens Sunday. These million dollar contracts that the players are getting are nothing but peanuts to the owners. They merely raise the ticket prices a few dollars and make twice the amount of the athletes. The fans that come to watch the athletes and who pay nearly $20 to get in the ballpark are padding the pockets of these owners. Statistics taken from online site http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001 /03/30/news/baseball/ show that baseball ticket prices have gone up from $16.67 to $18.99 in just one year. A quote from the same online site http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001/03/30/news /baseball/ wrote by Chris Isidore says, Baseball fans going through the turnstiles on opening day across the nation Monday will be paying about 13 percent more than they did last year, according to a survey of pricesThe increase makes baseball the sport with the fastest growing prices. Baseball in the United States is no longer Americas Pastime. Baseball has changed to a high priced business, where average players make millions and above average players make tens of millions. To make the situation even worse, the dumbfounded owners and greedy sports agents who contaminate the game and the talented young athletes playing in it, control this business. Many fans throughout the U.S. blame the high priced contracts on the athletes, but they are not the source of the problem. In a sense, the athletes are just getting their piece of the pie. What the athletes make is just a small portion of what the industry itself makes. Professional teams routinely pull in billions of dollars per year and the athletes receive only a small share of what the industry receives. Information from online site http://www.sportsline.com shows that there are currently ten Major League Baseball players receiving a salary of over $15 million dollars a year. However, these players teams are owned by companies such as Disney and Fox television, which have annual revenues of billions of dollars. What the fans dont understand is that, in many cases, single individuals do not own the teams but large companies who are able to afford to pay the players such high salaries. Television also plays a huge part in the baseball players increasing salaries. Major League Baseball and nearly all sports have huge contracts with the major television networks for billions of dollars.

Commnicating with Opposite Sex essays

Commnicating with Opposite Sex essays Each of us came from a man and a woman, a mother, and a father. Our parents or the people who raised us had an important impact on our development. Each of us may have had one or more sisters or brothers who also had an impact on who we are. And each of our parents was also influenced by the family she or he was born into, the personalities and life situation they encountered, the struggles they had, the learning they brought to these struggles and passed on to their children. The point is whatever you grew up with; who your parent were, the kinds of lives they led, they way they related to each other and to you has been handed down to you and affects your attitudes and your sense of loyalty, direction, and responsibility. What you learn from your family still affects your life today. By recovering impressions, memories, and associations, you can open up your choices. You have little choice about how to change your behavior until you reflect on who you are. Our life scripts are shaped by the early lesson we learn from our family. I remember, when my mother use to advise me that proper communication is the key in establishing and maintaining a deep and satisfying marital relationship. It is the cornerstone of marriage. It reinforces trust that allow the partners to keep growing and acts a method by which you can share your problems, frustrations, fear, anxieties, hopes, and successes with the person who should be your best friend; your spouse. Being married for five years, l has seen that effective communication is a requirement for effective problem in an intimate relationship. How we communicate is the problem more often than what we communicate. If the way we communicate do not work with our partner, then our message of concern, and hope, and love may not get through. Without clear communication, we cannot make our needs known and we cannot ...

50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment

50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips At some point, you’re going to be asked to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is exactly what it sounds like- an essay in which you’ll be making an argument, using examples and research to back up your point. But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal. Not only do you have to structure your essay right to have a good impact on the reader, but even your choice of subject can impact how readers feel about your work. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of writing argumentative essays, including what argumentative essays are, how to write a good one, and how to pick a topic that works for you. Then check out a list of argumentative essay ideas to help you get started. What Is an Argumentative Essay? An argumentative essay is one that makes an argument through research. These essays take a position and support it through evidence, but, unlike many other kinds of essays, they are interested in expressing a specific argument supported by research and evidence. A good argumentative essay will be based on established or new research rather than only on your thoughts and feelings. Imagine that you’re trying to get your parents to raise your allowance, and you can offer one of two arguments in your favor: You should raise my allowance because I want you to. You should raise my allowance because I’ve been taking on more chores without complaining. The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings. The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. The Toulmin model is the most common, comprised of an introduction with a claim (otherwise known as a thesis), with data to support it. This style of essay will also include rebuttals, helping to strengthen your argument by anticipating counterarguments. The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each. Both essay styles rely on well-reasoned logic and supporting evidence to prove a point, just in two different ways. The important thing to note about argumentative essays as opposed to other kinds of essays is that they aim to argue a specific point rather than to explain something or to tell a story. While they may have some things in common with analytical essays, the primary difference is in their objective- an argumentative essay aims to convince someone of something, whereas an analytical essay contextualizes a topic with research. If all goes well, your essay could be in a book like this! What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay? To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research. An Argument Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea- you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking. You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up. Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind? A Strong Thesis The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis. This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings. Research A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it. Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible. How to Come Up With an Argumentative Essay Topic Sometimes you may find yourself arguing things you don’t necessarily believe. That’s totally fine- you don’t actually have to wholeheartedly believe in what you’re arguing in order to construct a compelling argument. However, if you have free choice of topic, it’s a good idea to pick something you feel strongly about. There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose,you'll have an easier time findingevidence to supportit, but it's the evidence that's most important. So, to choose a topic, think about things you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively. You can make a list of ideas and narrow those down to a handful of things, then expand on those ideas with a few potential points you want to hit on. For example, say you’re trying to decide whether you should write about how your neighborhood should ban weed killer, that your school’s lunch should be free for all students, or that the school day should be cut by one hour. To decide between these ideas, you can make a list of three to five points for each that cover the different evidence you could use to support each point. For the weed killer ban, you could say that weed killer has been proven to have adverse impacts on bees, that there are simple, natural alternatives, and that weeds aren’t actually bad to have around. For the free lunch idea, you could suggest that some students have to go hungry because they can’t afford lunch, that funds could be diverted from other places to support free lunch, and that other items, like chips or pizza, could be sold to help make up lost revenue. And for the school day length example, you could argue that teenagers generally don’t get enough sleep, that you have too much homework and not enough time to do it, and that teenagers don’t spend enough time with their families. You might find as you make these lists that some of them are stronger than others. The more evidence you have and the stronger you feel that that evidence is, the better the topic. Of course, if you feel that one topic may have more evidence but you’d rather not write about it, it’s okay to pickanother topic instead. When you’re making arguments, it can be much easier to find strong points and evidence if you feel passionate aboutour topic than if you don't. 50 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started! Science Should fracking be legal? Should parents be able to modify their unborn children? Do GMOs help or harm people? Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school? Should world governments get involved in addressing climate change? Technology Should Facebook be allowed to collect data from its users? Should self-driving cars be legal? Is it ethical to replace human workers with automation? Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving? Has the internet positively or negatively impacted human society? Sports Should college athletes be paid for being on sports teams? Should coaches and players make the same amount of money? Should sports be segregated by gender? Should the concept of designated hitters in baseball be abolished? Should US sports take soccer more seriously? Religion Should religious organizations have to pay taxes? Should religious clubs be allowed in schools? Should â€Å"one nation under God† be in the pledge of allegiance? Should religion be taught in schools? Should clergy be allowed to marry? Health Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent? Should the US switch to single-payer healthcare? Should assisted suicide be legal? Should dietary supplements and weight loss items like teas be allowed to advertise through influencers? Should doctors be allowed to promote medicines? Government/Politics Is the electoral college an effective system for modern America? Should Puerto Rico become a state? Should voter registration be automatic? Should people in prison be allowed to vote? Should Supreme Court justices be elected? Ethics Should sex work be legalized? Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Should the death penalty be legal? Should animal testing be allowed? Should drug possession be decriminalized? Economic Should unpaid internships be legal? Should minimum wage be increased? Should monopolies be allowed? Is universal basic income a good idea? Should corporations have a higher or lower tax rate? Education Are school uniforms a good idea? Should PE affect a student’s grades? Should college be free? Should Greek life in colleges be abolished? Should students be taught comprehensive sex ed? Arts/Culture Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism? Should books with objectionable words be banned? Should content on YouTube be better regulated? Is art education important? Should art and music sharing online be allowed? Speaking from authority is great for enhancing your argument- as is being a cat. How to Argue Effectively A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart. One of the most important things you can do in writing a strong argumentative essay is organizing well. Your essay should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, better known as the introduction, body and opposition, and conclusion. This example follows the Toulmin model- if your essay follows the Rogerian model, the same basic premise is true, but your thesis will instead propose two conflicting viewpoints that will be resolved through evidence in the body, with your conclusion choosing the stronger of the two arguments. Introduction Hook Your hook should draw the reader’s interest immediately. Questions are a common way of getting interest, as well as evocative language or a strong statistic Background Don’t assume that your audience is already familiar with your topic. Give them some background information, such as a brief history of the issue or some additional context. Thesis Your thesis is the crux of your argument. In an argumentative essay, your thesis should be clearly outlined so that readers know exactly what point you’ll be making. Don’t explain all your evidence in the opening, but do take a strong stance and make it clear what you’ll be discussing. Body Claims Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own- you need evidence to support it. Evidence Evidence is the backbone of your argument. This can be things you glean from scientific studies, newspaper articles, or your own research. You might cite a study that says that weed killer has an adverse effect on bees, or a newspaper article that discusses how one town eliminated weed killer and saw an increase in water quality. These kinds of hard evidence support your point with demonstrable facts, strengthening your argument. Opposition In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either- figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments. Demonstrating that you not only understand the opposition’s point, but that your argument is strong enough to withstand it, is one of the key pieces to a successful argumentative essay. Conclusion Conclusions are a place to clearly restate your original point, because doing so will remind readers exactly what you’re arguing and show them how well you’ve argued that point. Summarize your main claims by restating them, though you don’t need to bring up the evidence again. This helps remind readers of everything you’ve said throughout the essay. End by suggesting a picture of a world in which your argument and action are ignored. This increases the impact of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Key Tips A strong argumentative essay is one with good structure and a strong argument, but there are a few other things you can keep in mind to further strengthen yourpoint. Focus When you’re crafting an argument, it can be easy to get distracted by all the information and complications in your argument. It’s important to stay focused- be clear in your thesis andhone in on claims that directly support that thesis. Be Rational It’s important that your claims and evidence be based in facts, not just opinion. That’s why it’s important to use reliable sources based in science and reporting- otherwise, it’s easy for people to debunk your arguments. Don’t rely solely on your feelings about the topic. If you can’t back a claim up with real evidence, it leaves room for counterarguments you may not anticipate. Make sure that you can support everything you say with clear and concrete evidence, and your claims will be a lot stronger! What’s Next? No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey! Brushing up on your essay format knowledge to prep for the SAT? Check out this list of SAT essay prompts to help you kickstart your studying! A bunch of great essay examples can help you aspire to greatness, but bad essays can also be a warning for what not to do. This guide to bad college essays will help youbetter understand common mistakes to avoid in essay writing! Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Melissa Brinks About the Author Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Marketing Planing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Marketing Planing - Essay Example The first IKEA Store was opened in Almhult, Sweden to showcase the entire furniture range to the common people. The main objective of the company was to offer exclusive furniture range at an affordable price for the common people. In the year 1940 the company published its first advertisement in reputed newspaper and also sent 800000 catalogues across Swedish homes (IKEA, 2013h). The furniture range was tested at the Swedish design laboratory for proving its genuine quality. The unique selling proposition of IKEA showroom is its wide availability of products ranging from candlestick to coffee tables and exclusive sofa sets (IKEA, 2013c). In addition to the variety of products the inclusion of the restaurant to each store outlets of IKEA was very popular among the customers. The company is famous for manufacturing the four legged easy to assemble table. In spite of the global economic crisis IKEA has witnessed an increase in the sales of furniture by 1.4 percent in the year 2009 from 2008 (IKEA, 2013e). The company yielded profits from the UK sector in spite of the slow economic growth in furniture industry. Figure 1: Annual Sales of IKEA Market Planning Changing &Assessing Capability The market planning method helps in developing plans which help in identification and satisfaction of customer needs. One of the major elements of market planning is to identify the customer needs and requirements through market research and development. Understanding customer requirements is necessary to develop a product as per customer specifications and requirements. Initially, the IKEA furniture range had shades of European design which reflected the European culture and heritage. IKEA was aware of the refined taste of the Europeans and it reflected in the furniture designs. IKEA came up with a unique idea of providing customers with elegant designs at minimalistic prices. This marketing strategy worked wonders for IKEA and the company started yielding huge amount of profits. When the company opened its first American store in Philadelphia in the year 1985 the market seemed to be a very good prospect for IKEA however, the cold behaviour of the American towards IKEA furniture range took the management by surprise. IKEA revamped its marketing strategy completely and renovated the entire furniture range. The marketing tactics worked wonders for IKEA and the sales of the company skyrocketed immediately. By the end of the year 2008, USA became the second largest furniture market after Germany for IKEA. This incident taught IKEA a lesson that the customers of different countries have different requirements and tastes and products should be developed accordingly. Before entering the Asian markets the management of IKEA did their homework well and studied the Asian culture carefully. For example the designs of the IKEA stores in China were similar to that of Chinese homes with attractive colours. IKEA also started paying heed to specific customer needs and requi rement for example when a woman would shop with her husband, her husband would get bored so a tool section was introduced for the comfort of the customers. The customer knows that the publication of the

Discussion 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion 3 - Assignment Example In medieval art, the work was two dimensional, color was not widely in use and the sense of movement and emotion were not shown. In Renaissance art on the other hand, attention was on the beauty of the portrait as opposed to medieval art where attention was on the image. In Renaissance art, bodies were either nude or covered. These paintings were symmetrical while in mediaeval art, paintings were asymmetrical. The Early Renaissance period began in the years 1400-1479 A.D. in Italy. Italy then was characterized by a stable economy and hence rivalry between the city states (Glyn and Kennedy, p 27). The competition to construct a bronze door for the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral can be said as the foundation of the early Rennaisance.This completion attracted Brunelleschi, Donattelli and Ghiberti. They are the pioneers of early renaissance art and Brunnelli made the dome of the cathedral sculptor. He used natural aspects of nature itself while Donattelli works took a humanistic approach by creating erotic scenes, like, the sculptor of David. All this are elements of renaissance art. High Renaissance period emerged shortly after early renaissance in 1480 A.D. The aim of artists then, was to achieve harmony and balance in using the elements of early renaissance such as light, atmospheric perspective, anatomy and color. Use of oil as a media of painting was the norm and pioneers of this art are among others Leonardo Da Vinci (Glyn and Kennedy, p 40). Donatello, an Italian artist made a sculpture called the stature of Mark. The Stature is a full scale nude sculpture draped with clay and soaked with linen which covers it. The Sculpture portrays a religious belief because the stature holds a bible. Christianity is shown as a major concern of the early Italian renaissance. Another work is by German artist, Mathias Grunewald who drew a painting known as

Koran, So Long A Letter And The Symposium :: essays research papers

by Gabe pollow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fall semester of our Preceptorial class we covered many books that represented strong points about many issues. Many of these books took place in history a long time ago, although this is true they seem to be timeless. I have learned a great deal throughout all of the readings, and changed many of my feelings about several different issues. The books that had then most impacts on my thoughts were The Symposium, The Koran, The Apology, and So Long A Letter. These books have all made me fight the beliefs that I had prior to reading them, which is a sign of a strong book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Symposium was a unique book that had many stories and different books inside of it. This book either altered my views a small amount or change them drastically. There were many instances in the book that I didn’t know prior to reading it such as the title, which means a drinking party. One thing that I felt throughout life was that if you were in trouble, meaning a life or death situation, many people would die for you. My personal feeling was that this thought made sense, but after reading this book I realized that I might be mistaken. When I read that only a lover would die for you I started to realize that this might be true. The men in this time had lovers who were boys, or young men, and these lovers would die for their older lovers. The book also said that even a wife, although not as important as a lover would die for. After taking time to think this through, I realized that this might be the case, after all why would you want to risk your well b eing and life for someone you barely know. Maybe the only reason that you would die for someone was to be known as an honorable person, but to be honest, what does that truly matter when your dead?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book also states that lovers will forgive for breaking vows. I didn’t feel that this could be true seeing is how there are so many divorces in this day of age, but I came to the realization that this is a false thought on my part and I do in fact concur with the books statement. The reason I believe this to be true is that if your lover (s) are truly your lover (s) than he or she cannot live without your love.

Evangelism Paper Essay

Over the last few months one has to mention an undeniable fact: the church of tomorrow must be reached different than the church of yesterday. Through readings, lectures, and field trips, it has become evident that something different must begin to take place if the church is going to be able to reach the present and future generations. We must become creative in our evangelism if we wish to reach this culture. It is essential to be up to date technologically and even socially. A pastor who falls behind in the social atmosphere around him will lose touch with his or her people. If we are to reach these people as individuals, the pastor cannot be expected to â€Å"do all the work.† â€Å"A clerical ministry will not penetrate this age, but the priesthood of all believers can† (Maddix). That is, we must teach the laity of the church to reach out spiritually and socially to their neighbors, friends, and especially each other. According to Bonhoeffer, the meaning of the statement â€Å"Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this†¦we belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ† is threefold: â€Å"first, that a Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ†¦second, that a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ†¦third, that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity† (21). The transformation of members into ministers will spark great growth within the church. In the midst of this, it is essential to remain biblical. The Scripture must always be taken seriously, never downplayed, in an effort to reach someone. We must recognize that we are a body of believers and that, according to Wesley, there is no such thing as solitary religion. Whether Christ is the first thing out of our mouth or not, we must be passionate about Christ before we will be able to reach these generations. We can become passionate by focusing on Christ and focusing on those who are not yet followers of Christ. A passion for the lost is essential in evangelism. Two of my closest friends had not been saved, and my heart felt great pain and anguish knowing that if everything ended right then, I would be without them for eternity, and more importantly, they without God. We must also focus on sin, not avoiding it so as to attract people. A seeker sensitive church will die if sin in not recognized. Evangelistic decisions are the most powerful catalyst for change and growth in a church and pastor. As such, we should know our purpose as a church and embrace it. I will focus on st paul’s lutheran church. In tandem with many other churches, St. Paul’s indeed has an official membership list that includes many people who have left the congregation. However, around 75 adults have attended or made a contribution to some extent to St. Paul’s over the past year, along with 12 children and 3 teenagers. Pastor Nadine’s yearly salary is $15,500. If we are to create a church, we must begin with a strong foundation. According to Rick Warren, â€Å"If you want to build a healthy, strong, and growing church you must spend time laying a solid foundation. This done by clarifying in the minds of everyone involved exactly why the church exists and what it is supposed to do† (86). First, a clear purpose builds moral. The moral of a church will be much higher if they know why they exist. Second, a clear purpose reduces much frustration. We are helped to put aside the petty things and recognize what we are not seeking to do. A clear purpose within a church allows for concentration. The more focus a church has, the higher impact it will have on the people around it. If focus is lost, therefore, the impact of the church will be negligible. It is also vital not to flood the church calendar. The goal of the church is not to overwhelm its people, but to quench them. Tradition should never stand above excellence within the church. If an event or tradition is now failing, it should probably be removed. Chances are that new traditions could be started that could have a much great impact on both the church and the people in the neighboring areas. Programs should never be started if they do not run in line with the purpose of the church. So, just because a program may seem to be well-intentioned and may even have well affects on the church, that doesn’t mean those affects are furthering the purpose of the church. Serious setbacks could occur in this manner. When beginning new ministries within the church, the pastor or initiator of the idea must not stand alone in developing it. At this point delegations need to be made to people who are trustworthy and effective. They must know their duties or the ministry will fail. A clear purpose also attracts cooperation. We must make sure members understand the purpose of the church so they can be comfortable with what is being taught and what ministries are taking place. Someone who is out of touch with the purpose of the church may begin to feel excluded and angry that things are not going as they â€Å"should.† Some people may transfer to a church with a set purpose and have their own ideas about ways things should be done based on their past experiences. These people must not be part of the decision making processes of the church in terms of its purpose. As the rest of the congregation has already committed to the purpose, changing it now would be quite unhealthy for the church. Finally, having a clear purpose for the church makes it easier to evaluate the growth and success of the church. With clear goals having been set, it is easy to look and see what has and has not been accomplished (Maddix,). Once these purposes are established, it is important to organize around them. In doing so, there are five basic purpose-driven church types as outlined in lecture. First is the Soul Winning Church. The pastor is the evangelist and the primary goal is reaching the lost. Second is the Experiencing God Church. This church focuses on experiencing the presence and power of God in worship. The third type is the Family Reunion Church. The primary focus here is fellowship. The pastor is usually very relational, loving and spending time with his people. The next type is the Classroom Church. Here the pastor is primarily a teacher. The sermons will almost always include taking notes. I would place most of the Nazarene churches I have attended in this category primarily. The final type is the Social Conscience Church. The pastor is seen as a prophet or reformer. The church is primarily concerned with changing society- â€Å"doers of the Word.† With all of these available, it becomes essential to produce a good balance. These purposes must still be applied further. We should work to constantly be working to assimilate newcomers if we wish to keep them as a part of the church. To do this the church must be prepared for newcomers with its Greeter/Usher ministry as well as its care ministries team. A follow-up on newcomers almost always lets them know that they were noticed and are cared about. At least a few contacts should be made in the first week whether from the pastor directly or from care team members. The programs within the church must be relevant to the purpose of the church, as stated before. Programs should be servants to the purpose. Also reiterated, is that the people must be educated as to the purpose of the church. If people know the purpose, they will begin to live according to the purpose as evangelists, worshipers, disciples and ministers. Small groups have become on the most successful ways of reaching out to the present generations. These groups can be seeker groups which meet away from the church in a home or for an activity. The purpose of seeker groups is develop relationship with the lost. Disciple/Growth groups are great for Christians of all maturity levels, but especially for the new Christian. Support groups such as prison ministries, divorce, alcohol and drug recovery groups are widely accepted and appreciated by the community, helping others and their families. If at all possible, staff should be built around people from within the church. Anyone brought in must be extremely likable and hold a similar missional view for the church. There should be mission teams, music teams, membership teams, maturity team, and ministry teams as part of the church. With each owning a specific purpose within the church, no single one is being emphasize, and no one is being left out. The pastor should preach according to the purpose of the church. This should be how the church grows to accept and believe in its purpose. The priorities of a church are easily seen through its budget and calendar. The budget should be scheduled wisely and in ways that directly impact the purposes of the church. The purposes of the church must also show up on the calendar. If they are not there, they will not succeed. Finally we should evaluate our church purposefully. Our standards should be set on how well we achieve our purposes. It is also quite important to recognize the significance of vision for the church. Vision is defined as â€Å"my understanding of what God wants done in the place where he has placed me.† If the vision of the pastor is not accepted by the majority of the congregation, it should probably be reevaluated. In some cases the church itself may be quite ill and not really understand what it needs. A slow movement in the direction is the only way to help such churches turn themselves around. Without a vision, the church has nothing to aspire to. As Proverbs 29:18 says, â€Å"Where there is no vision the people perish.† A can be worn down over time if it lacks vision. Specific goals set for the church keep members active in their faith and daily activities. Vision, like purpose, must be passed on to the congregation through passionate messages from the pastor. Such vision must also inspire the pastor to live accordingly as an example for his congregation. If the people don’t know or understand the vision of the church and the pastor, then the pastor isn’t doing a well enough job communicating it. Vision must not attempt to go beyond the reasonable means of the church. The gifts and talents of the pastor and the congregation limit the vision of a church. This factor of vision is just the first of nine factors that are nearly always present in growing churches. The second factor is evangelism. Because God intends his church to grow, all members of the church body are to be evangelists. Congregation must acknowledge that they have to go outside to evangelize, not sit comfortably within the walls of the church. Thirdly is the maturation factor. The church must develop leaders through the maturing of their faith. Fourth is the worship factor. People must know that worship is key to our faith, for we were created to worship God. Sjogren’s Power Principle #7 states that your style is not the key to success, so although your church will be identified by your worship style, God comes into your midst, not because of worship style, but because hearts are hungry for the presence of God. Fifth is the preaching factor. Preaching must be done in a way that leads the congregation to understand the faith of the pastor. Television and computers have changed the way people expect to be informed at church. According to Rainer, the unchurched want a pastor who is â€Å"real† and is a person of conviction; they want a good communicator and a good leader. Furthermore, they want to hear preaching that teaches the Bible and applies to their own individual lives.† Leadership, giving, mission, and the birthing of new ideas finish of the list of factors for church growth. Leaders must be strong and confident, giving must be done sacrificially, and people must have a world view of missions. Turning attendees in members into ministers is the encompassing purpose in a church’s discipleship program. If members can be made who possess a serious passion for the lost, then a church is well-on its way to long-term success. In our recent trip to the Seattle area, we experienced several churches which had great outreach success. Mars Hill church was by far the most successful. It was obvious because of the size of the church (running c.500), as well as the specific focus and outreach. With hundreds of small groups and a target audience of 16-35, Mars Hill represents a successful outreaching church. Other churches showed their weaknesses within pastoral staff and mixed traditions as compared to the vision and purpose of the church. Bibliography Hunter, George G. III. The Celtic Way of Evagelism. 2000, Abington Press, Nashville, Maddix, Mark. Class Lectures, Spring 2005. Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, McLaren, Brian D. More Ready Than You Realize. 2002, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, . Warren, Rick. Purpose Driven Church. 1995, Nelson Books, Nashville, TN.