Starting Healthy Congregations

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P G
Focus Here
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Planting New Congregations Growing Healthy
Churches MD TrainingFebruary 2008

• The Harvest is Plentiful

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Imagination Success2

• Imagination is more important than knowledge.
• Knowledge is limited.
• Imagination encircles the world.
• A. Einstein

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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?

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Our Vision is to Make Disciples 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!
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ELCA-EOCM Mission Statement

• Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are
  claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the
  world.

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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 2818-20).

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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
  1230-31).

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Our Mission

• Its the VERBS that are important!
• GO
• BAPTIZE
• TEACH
• REMEMBER
• LOVE

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A New Look at Doing Church
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Even as the world changes,Gods purpose remains
the same
Gods work to bring about the Kingdom Renew
Reconcile the world
Reign of God
Church
Church called to participate in Gods work
Witness and engagement
The Changing World
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The old world
Normal people go to church
Normal people go to church
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The OLD Church is A Building A
Pastor Enough laity to pay the bills
An Organization
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The new world
We are Resident Aliens!
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The New Church A Missionary Outpost equipping
and sendingChristians into the world
Dont become so well-adjusted to your culture
that you fit into it without even thinking.
Instead, fix your attention on God. Youll be
changed from the inside out (Romans 122).
An Organism The Body of Christ
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The Evolving/New ChurchFrom Organization to
Organism
Laity are sent into the world
Communities of care
Missionaries of grace
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Flat Line . . .
Source Yearbook of American and Canadian
Churches, NCCC. Prepared by Research and
Evaluation, Winter 2006.
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Sunday School . . .
Attendance
Source Annual Congregational Reports, ELCA.
Prepared by Research and Evaluation, Winter 2006.
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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.

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Mission Focus

• What are the greatest challenges and
  opportunities facing the church today?
• Share with 2-3 other people
• Share with the group

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Whats That?
NATURAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENT
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International Research Project

• 1,000 churches
• 32 countries
• 5 continents
• 18 languages
• 31,000 participants
• 4.2 million responses

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ONE CONCLUSION!

• Healthy Churches
• are Growing Churches!

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Growing a Healthy ChurchNatural 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?

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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

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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!
• Youre no Mike Foss and neither am I!
• A Slick Way to Grow Disciples Where There is No
  Vision
• A Short-Term, Quick Fix

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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 doesnt have
  a clue whats 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
  426-29 RGV Revised Gary Version).

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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

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The Minimum Barrel
Need-Oriented Evangelism
Raising the quality of the minimum factor often
results in quantitative growth
Minimum Factor
Quality Characteristics
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The NCD Cycle
The Quality Growth Cycle is a strategic process
that provides a framework for action.
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The NCD Cycle
Phase 6 Evaluate and Repeat
Phase 5 Implement monitor
Phase 1 Prepare for Survey
Phase 4 Develop Action Plan
Phase 2 Do the Survey
Phase 3 Analyze Survey Results
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The Eight Quality NCD Characteristics

• Empowering

Leadership
Ministry

• Gift-oriented

Spirituality

• Passionate

Structures

• Effective

Worship

• Inspiring

Small Groups

• Holistic

Evangelism

• Contextual

Relationships

• Loving

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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 Gods direction/agenda
• Foster good gentle change

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Profile of A Mission Leader

• Visionary
• Self-motivated
• Shares Ownership Leadership
• Relationship (Team) Builder
• Relates to the Un/De-churched
• Family Support Self-Care

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Profile of A Mission Leader

• Commitment to Church Growth
• Good at Building Group Cohesiveness
• Utilizes the Giftedness of Others
• Responsive to the Community
• Flexible, Adaptable, and Resilient
• Public Display of Faith Faith Practices

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Building Healthy Churches

• 2. Clear Sense of Purpose/Vision
• Congregations self-understanding of what God has
  called us to BE DO
• Our focus is on the world...
• Not on the church!

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The Wisdom of Yogi Berra

• If you dont know where you are going, chances
  are you will end up somewhere else!

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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 theres no change, better check and see if the
  people are still breathing!

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Dealing with ChangeDissatisfaction Vision
Action gt Costs

• Dissatisfaction people dont 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!

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Healthy ChurchesA 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

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Plant Where You Will Bloom!
Bloom Where Youre Planted!

• Pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers
  (you) into the harvest field!