About Our Logo The zero in 40 is part of an "S curve." An S curve, sometimes called a "Sigmoid curve," shows the beginning, rise, plateau, and decline of an organization. Churches over 40 years old have usually reached the top of the curve. That is, they have harvested the greatest possible benefit from the founding vision and reached maturity as a congregation. The peak of the curve represents a crucial moment in the life of that congregation. Leadership will determine which of these two results the church experiences:
	1. Decline and death - This is unfortunately the more common result. The church grows nostalgic for "the good old days" while becoming more and more detached from its environment. The membership gets older and smaller year by year and eventually the church closes its doors. 2. Renewal - This is less common, but with God's help it is possible! The church celebrates what God has done through the previous vision cycle, but discerns God's leading for a new vision. The new is shared when the church is still at the top of the S curve, leading some people to ask, "Why change? If it ain't broke, why fix it?" But leaders know that the new vision must be developed while the church still has energy and resources to devote to a new growth cycle. The new vision enables the church to identify a new group of people to reach and to develop a plan to reach them. For more information, see "Jumping the Sigmoid Curve" at http://www.leadnet.org/allthingsln/archives/netfax/8.pdf.	fred@churchover40.com
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