Growing Healthy Churches
The secret of growing churches is not in the brilliance or talent of the church leaders or programs, but in the spark of God’s life that lives within the church itself. As we learn from The Parable of the Growing Seed, Mark 4:26-29, God has put the growth potential into every congregation. We need to learn to release this potential by removing barriers to growth. Then your church will naturally grow all by itself! Natural Church Development is focused on removing barriers to help nurture a healthy church. With health will come growth.
The NCD Process
Taking a survey alone won’t improve your church’s health. It’s what you do with what you learn that’s important. Using life giving principles of healthy organisms, the NCD process will guide your church through real change that promotes real improvement in your church’s overall health and strength.
- Step 1 – Prepare – Understanding NCD, gathering leadership buy-in, activating prayer, and recruiting a Church Health Team to guide the process are all a part of this step.
- Step 2 – Diagnose – Take the NCD survey and explore the results through in-depth analysis within the congregation. Identify 3-5 key issues to address in the next 12 months.
- Step 3 – Plan – Church Health Team, with the help of an NCD coach, develops and presents a strategic plan with measurable, actionable goals to address the 3-5 key issues in the next 12 months.
- Step 4 – Implement – Church Health Team, leads the entire church in working and adapting the plan to transform the health of the church.
- Step 5 – Evaluate – At the end of the plan’s implementation the church will check itself to see how the plan brought real improvement to the church’s health. At this point you might re-take the survey and being the process again to work on a new minimum health factor.
Working with the Minimum Factor
The NCD survey is like a health check-up. When you visit your doctor for a physical the doctor doesn’t say, “You’re eyes are great, and the key to your overall health is to keep looking at more things.” Instead, your doctor is more likely to point out the areas of your personal health that are causing the most risk to your overall health. NCD will focus on improving your minimum quality characteristic in order to improve your overall church health. All eight characteristics are important and necessary for church health, but focusing on the least healthy area of your church helps set priorities where they can do the most good.
A Process that Works
Natural Church Development affirms the uniqueness of each and every church, and it has a proven record of improving churches of all sizes throughout the world. Check out the testimonies and results of thousands of church throughout the world in a wide variety of cultures and languages at www.ncd-international.com.
What the Church will do for the Basic NCD Process
- Recruit and support the work of the Church Health Team throughout NCD process.
- Conduct the Natural Church Development Survey
- Fully participate in diagnosis, action planning and implementation of NCD process recommendations
- Honor assignments, deadlines and agreed tasks within NCD process schedule
- Surround Pastor, Church Health Team, NCD process with intentional and committed prayer through process.
Who Should Take the Survey?
All those who take the survey, should have, if possible, the following characteristics:
- The Pastor considers them to be actively involved at the very center of church life.
- They should have a regular task in the church.
- They should be a member of a small group in the church (a cell group, Bible study group, ministry team, etc.)
Who Should be on the Church Health Team?
- People who are spiritually mature. Nothing is more important for a team member than that they have a heart for God and his kingdom. People who exercise personal spiritual disciplines on a regular basis, such as prayer, and reading of scripture, are good candidates.
- People who can see the big picture. It is easy to get lost in the details. Your ‘big-picture’ people can help keep the team moving forward.
- People who are strategic thinkers. While the big picture is important, it should never be done at the expense of planning. Your strategic thinkers will excel at putting processes in place to help the big picture become a reality.
- People who are committed to see the church become healthier. Anyone who has a heart to see God’s church grow is a good candidate to serve. Their enthusiasm for the church can be contagious and serves as a good reminder for all team members about the importance of this team.
NCD Resources Available From
ChurchSmart Resources (1-800-253-4276)
3830 Ohio Ave.
St. Charles, IL 60174
www.churchsmart.com
customerservice@churchsmart.com
