Natural Church DevelopmentAtlantic Canada

Principles

Resources

Tools

Processes

Applying Principles

Trinitarian Compass

Green Red Blue

Skeptical BelieverThomas

ControllingBelieverMartha

SpiritualizingBeliever

Mary

Burned-outBelieverMoses

Fanatical BelieverPeter

DetachedBeliever

Jonah

ScriptureNatureEvidence

And he was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the ground;

and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows – how, he himself does not know. The earth produces crops all by itself; first the blade, then the head, and then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Study Scripture

Conclusion: All living organisms in the universe have all-by-itself growth potential. They will grow, thrive and multiply when the environmental factors are suitable.

SunlightNutrients

MoisturePollination

Genetics Carbon Dioxide

Matthew 6:26 “See (observe, study, research) the lilies of the field, how they grow”.,.

Observe Nature

A potted plant

6

The international research project

•1000 churches•32 countries•5 continents•4.2 million answers

Original Research

3,700 Surveys in 2,300 Churches

(to date)

LeadershipMinistrySpiritualityStructuresWorship ServicesSmall Groups

RelationshipsEvangelism

EmpoweringGift-orientedPassionateEffectiveInspiringHolistic

LovingNeed-Oriented

AllChurches

Healthy, Growing Churches

NRG Themes

Top 4 Themes:• Joy (56)

• Self-Awareness (39)

• Pastoral Care (37)

• Teamwork (36)

Bottom 6 Themes:• Relevance (54)

• Prayer (47)

• Intimacy (40)

• Hope (39)

• Every-day Faith (38)

# of times a theme shows as highest or lowestBased on 141 Surveys

The 30

Multi-pointTurnover Representative3 criteria

Less than 30

St Mary & MarthaLittleville, ON

St Mary & MarthaLittleville, ON

St Mary & Martha, Littleville, ON

Who are

they?

NCD results reflect key influencers more than anyone else both in terms of honour and responsibility.

If ownership of the results and personal action comes from these people, the influence will flow ‘all by itself’.

Bearing on

Profile

Little Johnny who comes

once a year in case its true

Key Influence

rs

Scale of influence

Whose survey results are they?

What about me?

‘the congregation’

Much analysis and strategizing is often aimed primarily at programs for ‘the congregation’(working on the church)

However, a church’s health profile and culture mainly emerges from the everyday habits of ‘key influencers’(being part of the church)

Bearing on

Profile

“How are we going to fix

these people?”

Little Johnny who comes

once a year in case its true

Key Influence

rs

Scale of influence

Whose survey results are they?

FaithPassionate Spirituality

PrayerHope

Every-day Faith

Cycle Starters

3 Color Series 2012

GBM PS ES

IWS HSG NOE LR

Trinitarian Compass &the 8 QCs

EL

Busy Baptist

Church

Make Time

for God

• Communicate effectively through the entire Cycle• Keep the congregation abreast of progress

against the process• Do not present all the data to the

congregation, a summary will suffice• Ensure leaders and key influencers are

on board• Honest approach to strengths and growth areas is

powerful, internally and externally

Communications

• We found that our strengths are ______________• We need to celebrate and leverage these• Our Minimum Factor is ________________• We need to work on ________________• To accomplish this, we will ________________• We will conduct another Survey in a year to see

how we’ve progressed, built capacity

Communications Template

1. Quick Fix2. Build, not grow3. Continuous Improvement

not always linear, a to b4. Programs, flavor of the day5. Elements of denomination

heritage &practices that impact health (+ or -)6. Disconnect between clergy health and congregational

health

Culture Challenges

Debating the answers

Seeing the issues but not getting to the core

Ownership of the issues by leaders

Capacity to develop plans

Sticking with the implementation plan

Growing application of the paradigm

Cycle BarriersDebating the questions

1. Obtaining the right amount of coaching• perhaps more required in some phases?

2. Implementation team formation/makeup• all one colour?

3. Second Survey results < First Survey• discouragement can set in early• was the Plan too complicated

4. Persistent culture (evident around 3rd or 4th Survey• resistance to change, innovation, dealing with

issues, facing conflict

Other Barriers

• A long term strategic process of continual improvement • Progressively improves a church's health• Not a program with guarantees• Intentional &consistently addresses most critical issues• Annual snapshot of current state of health• Where are we, come from where, going next?

Long Term Process

Quality over quantityPartnering with God

Organic – growing not buildingUniversally applicable – not a

modelSound theological foundation

Unique for each churchOur role: remove barriers

Supported by 80,000 surveys

NCD Foundations