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!