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P & G
Planting New Congregations
& Growing Healthy Churches MD Training
February 2008
The Harvest is Plentiful…The Harvest is Plentiful…
Imagination = Success2
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
A. Einstein
If You Could Build A Healthy Church…
• What characteristics and/or activities would be absolutely essential?
• What would a visitor remember most about your church?
• How would you invest the resources of people, time, money, and energy?
• What would make your church grow?
Our Vision is to MakeDisciples Who Are…
Biblically based - Vision driven -
Mission minded – Community focused -
Culturally relevant – Ethnically diverse -
Cutting edge – Well equipped – Healthy -
Vibrant – Generous – Growing…
…And Committed to the Mission and Ministry of Jesus Christ!
ELCA-EOCM Mission Statement
Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.
The Great Commission
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
The Great Commandment
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).
Our Mission…
It’s the VERBS that are important!
GO
BAPTIZE
TEACH
REMEMBER
LOVE…
A New Look at “Doing” Church
Even as the world changes,God’s purpose remains the same
God’s work to bring about the Kingdom – Renew & Reconcile the world
Reign of God
Church called to participate in God’s work
The Changing World
Witness and engagement
Church
The “old” world
“Normal” people go to church“Normal” people go to church
The OLD Church is: A Building
A PastorEnough laity to pay the bills
An OrganizationAn Organization
The “new” world
We are Resident Aliens!
The New Church: A Missionary Outpost equipping and sending
Christians into the world
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out (Romans 12:2).
An Organism:The Body of
Christ
The Evolving/New Church:From Organization to Organism
“Communities of care” “Missionaries of grace”
Laity are sent into the world
Flat Line . . .
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Assemblies of God
Church of the Latter-day SaintsEpiscopal
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Southern Baptist
United Church of Christ
United Methodist
Source: Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, NCCC. Prepared by Research and Evaluation, Winter 2006.
649,921
1,513,833
787,535
1,007,774
1,145,628
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004
Sunday School . . .
Source: Annual Congregational Reports, ELCA. Prepared by Research and Evaluation, Winter 2006.
Attendance
Why Do We Need to Reach Out?
• 120,000,000+ people in this country are without a Christian faith community!
• The U.S. is the world's fourth (some say third) largest mission field.
• Some communities have an un-churched population as high as 75 - 90%.
Mission Focus…
• What are the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the church today?
• Share with 2-3 other people
• Share with the group
NATURALNATURALCHURCHCHURCH
DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT
What’s That?What’s That?
International Research Project
• 1,000 churches
• 32 countries
• 5 continents
• 18 languages
• 31,000 participants
• 4.2 million responses
…ONE CONCLUSION!
Healthy Churches…
are Growing Churches!
Growing a Healthy Church:Natural Church Development – Key Questions…
What church growth principles are true, regardless of church culture, size, and theological persuasion?
Why are some churches declining in growing areas?
Why are some churches growing in declining areas?
NCD Is…
• A Strategy of Hope• A Different Way of Thinking About Church
and Church Growth• A Long-Term Strategy• A Slow-Motion Revival• A Focus on PRINCIPLES – Not Program• A Way to Regularly and Accurately
Measure the Health of a Congregation
NCD Is NOT…
• A “Silver-Bullet” to Guarantee Growth• A Substitute for Spiritual Leadership• An “Excuse” for Not having a Contextual Vision,
a Strategic Plan, and Using (or trusting) Your Own Spiritual Gifts in Ministry– One Size DOES NOT Fit All!– You’re no Mike Foss and neither am I!
• A “Slick” Way to Grow Disciples Where There is No Vision
• A Short-Term, Quick Fix
The “ALL-BY-ITSELF” Principle
The Kingdom of God is like this: a farmer goes out and scatters seed upon the ground. When the farmer is done working, the farmer goes to bed at night and gets up by day. Lo and behold, the seed sprouts and grows and the old farmer doesn’t have a clue what’s going on!
The earth produces crops – all-by-itself – first the blade, then the head, and then the mature grain. When the time is right, the farmer cranks up the tractor because the harvest has come (Mark 4:26-29 – RGV – Revised Gary Version).
The NCD Survey
• A diagnostic tool for implementing the NCD paradigm
• As assessment of ministry strengths and growth areas
• The Minimum Factor – a focal point for growth
Quality CharacteristicsQuality Characteristics
Minimum FactorMinimum Factor
Need-Oriented EvangelismNeed-Oriented Evangelism
The Minimum BarrelThe Minimum Barrel
Raising the quality of the minimum factor often results in quantitative growth
The NCD Cycle
The Quality Growth Cycle is a strategic
process that provides a
framework for action.
Phase 1: Prepare for Survey
Phase 2: Do the Survey
Phase 3: Analyze Survey Results
Phase 4: Develop Action Plan
Phase 5: Implement & monitor
Phase 6: Evaluate and Repeat
The NCD Cycle
The Eight Quality NCD Characteristics
• Empowering Leadership• Gift-oriented• Passionate• Effective• Inspiring• Holistic• Contextual• Loving
MinistrySpiritualityStructuresWorshipSmall Groups
EvangelismRelationships
The Adjective is the key!
Building Healthy Churches
1. Good, Healthy, Mission Leaders (clergy and lay) are key!
• Best Plan + Poor leadership = Failure.No Plan + No Leaders = CHAOS!
• Healthy Mission Leaders are:Grounded in Faith & Growing in Grace
Centered on God’s direction/agenda
Foster good & gentle change
Profile of A “Mission Leader”
VisionarySelf-motivatedShares Ownership & LeadershipRelationship (Team) BuilderRelates to the Un/De-churchedFamily Support & Self-Care
Profile of A “Mission Leader”
Commitment to Church GrowthGood at Building Group CohesivenessUtilizes the “Giftedness” of OthersResponsive to the CommunityFlexible, Adaptable, and ResilientPublic Display of Faith & Faith Practices
Building Healthy Churches
2. Clear Sense of Purpose/Vision:
– Congregation’s self-understanding of what God has called us to BE & DO
– Our focus is on the world...
…Not on the church!
The Wisdom of Yogi Berra:
If you don’t know where you are going, chances are you will end
up somewhere else!
Healthy Churches
3. Willingness to Change…• The only person who likes change is…
a wet baby!– Change is tough work – Focusing on mission will lay the
groundwork for good change– If there’s no change, better check and see
if the people are still breathing!
Dealing with Change:Dissatisfaction + Vision + Action > Costs
• Dissatisfaction – people don’t change what they think is perfect
• Vision – people need to see a good alternative to what is
• Action – people need to see progress• Costs – the price of change is grief,
conflict and discomfort. Weigh the cost carefully – If the cost is too high, people will rebel!
Healthy Churches:A Working Lutheran Definition
• 8.5 Quality Characteristics– NCD 8 Quality
Characteristics enhanced with an eye for justice
• “Mission Musts”– Purpose (Mission of Christ)– Willingness to Change
(Mind of Christ)– Ecclesiology (Connection
to the whole Body of Christ)
• Foundation is Christ
Plant Where You Will Bloom!Plant Where You Will Bloom!
Pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers (you) into the harvest field!
Bloom Where You’re Planted!Bloom Where You’re Planted!
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