Profiles of Successful Growing Congregations: What Do They Look Like and Why Are They Growing?

Transcription

1 Profiles of Successful Growing Congregations: What Do They Look Like and Why Are They Growing? By Elizabeth Ackerman Joyce Battey Carol Boronkas Clint Hilson Jennifer Hudson Rick Johnson Jackie Parrish Bill Traynham May 1, 2006 Leadership UMC Class of Sponsored by the Board of Laity of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church

2 Who we are The authors of this project represent churches of various sizes, colors, and communities throughout North Georgia. We are mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, husbands, wives, lawyers, public servants, and teachers. We are brothers and sisters through our Lord, Christ Jesus. We are brothers and sisters through our Lord, Christ Jesus, called by God to serve some to lead, some to preach, some to teach. We know God is moving us to do more. We do not claim to be experts on the subject of successful and growing congregations, but we have taken what experts developed and have applied their teaching to our churches. Guided by Scripture and a passion to make a difference, we embarked on a journey to help others learn a little about what our churches are doing to make Christ known throughout our communities and the world. Our hope is that others will learn from our experiences and use that knowledge to impact ministries in their church in a way that will grow God s kingdom in a mighty way. Page 2 of 27

3 Outline I Introduction II What Does a Successful Church look like to Jesus? II Survey Research and Development Process III Survey Results A. Empowering Leadership B. Gift-Oriented Ministry C. Passionate Spirituality D. Functional Structures E. Inspiring Worship Service F. Holistic Small Groups G. Need-Oriented Evangelism H. Loving Relationships IV Successful and Growing Congregations: A Profile Page 3 of 27

4 Introduction The terms growing and successful can have many meanings. According to Miriam-Webster s On-line Dictionary ( ) the word successful means, resulting in a favorable or desired outcome. In the same dictionary, the word grow is defined first as, to spring up and develop to maturity. Definition number two speaks to the concept of increasing in size. When we first began our project to examine successful and growing congregations, we turned to the issue of size and other demographics. We talked about mega-churches throughout the country and some of the mini-mega churches in North Georgia. Upon further reflection and perhaps Divine intervention we began to further explore the concept of successful and discussed other ways churches could grow. Ultimately, we realized that congregations would be successful and thus grow if they obey God s command to, Love one another ( John 13:34, NIV) and if they follow God s call in Matthew 28:19-20 ( NIV) to, go 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 I have commanded you. What Does a Successful Church look like to Jesus? The Bible is filled with guidance not only for us, as individual members of the body of Christ, but also for the Church as a whole. In particular, the New Testament contains substantial guidance for the Church today, and it contains instructions for specific churches during New Testament times. Page 4 of 27

5 We also examined The Book of Discipline 1 to understand how its guidance relates to Biblical instruction. We accepted as fact that The Book of Discipline has scriptural integrity; therefore, this issue is not discussed or debated further. We do, however, make reference to The Book of Discipline when we are able to identify specific correlation with the scriptural references being studied. First we examined God s call and instructions to the body of Christ and its individual members throughout the New Testament. The book of Matthew is rich with description about Christ s expectations of the Church. Jesus describes the Church as the light of the world (Matt 5:13-16). He calls us to come together (Matt 18:19-20), love one another (Matt 22:36-40), and spread the Good News. Jesus models for us how He wants us to teach, preach, heal, and love (Matt 9:35). In keeping with Jesus instruction revealed to us in Matthew, the Book of Discipline describes the mission of the Church as follows, to make disciples of Jesus Christ by proclaiming the good news of God s grace and by exemplifying Jesus command to love God and neighbor, thus seeking the fulfillment of God s reign and realm in the world. The Book of Discipline also spells out actions we should take to fulfill the great commission. As Methodists, we are to, make disciples as we proclaim the gospel, lead persons to God, and send persons in the world to love, heal, and baptize. The other books of the gospel reiterate the points made in Matthew, and add Jesus instructions for worship. He tells us to, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only, ( Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8, NIV) and to, worship in spirit and in truth. ( John 4:23, NIV) 1 The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church Copyright 2004 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Page 5 of 27

6 Throughout the ministries of Peter, Paul, and other New Testament disciples, we can learn a great deal from the instructions to specific churches that were starting and growing during New Testament times. This God-breathed guidance teaches us a lot about organizational aspects of the Church, including the appointing of leaders (1 Timothy 3) building each other up in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4), and about the many gifts God has given to each member of His Church (1 Corinthians 14, Ephesians 4). We are also warned about becoming a lukewarm Church in Revelation 3:16. So what does the Bible have to say about Jesus profile of growing and successful congregations? First, He clearly expects us to love one another. Second, He has called us to fulfill the great commission to make Disciples of Christ throughout the world. Third, He has equipped us and instructed us in what we are to do. Fourth, he has promised us that we will succeed, and He will add to our numbers if we remain in Him. Survey Research and Development Process To fulfill our purpose of developing profiles of successful, growing congregations, we decided to examine some of the United Methodist Churches that the members of our group represent. While they are growing at different numerical rates, we believe that all of them are growing spiritually. The simple fact that they have sent a lay person to Leadership UMC is an indication that the Church is taking a positive step toward growth and maturity. Through brainstorming, we developed a list of over 90 questions that we Page 6 of 27

7 would want answered in order to develop a profile of a growing, successful church. To obtain comparable profiles from each of the churches studied, we decided to develop a survey instrument. We reviewed two other texts which had also examined church growth and development to help us put some structure into our survey development process. The first text we examined is Natural Church Development 2 by Christian A. Schwarz. Christian A. Schwarz is the founder and director of the Institute for Natural Church Development (NCD International). His written works are based on comprehensive research on all six inhabited continents. In Natural Church Development ( NCD ), Schwarz identifies eight quality characteristics that lead to quantitative church growth: 1. Empowering Leadership 2. Gift-Oriented Ministry 3. Passionate Spirituality 4. Functional Structures 5. Inspiring Worship Service 6. Holistic Small Groups 7. Need-Oriented Evangelism 8. Loving Relationships Each of the eight quality characteristics is composed of a noun (e.g., Leadership ) and an adjective that modifies it ( Empowering ). The nouns represent ministry areas present in virtually every church. However, according to NCD, the secret of growing 2 Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development, ChurchSmart Resources, Saint Charles, IL, 6 th ed., Page 7 of 27

8 churches is in the adjectives, which are the living elements that result in natural, selfsustaining church growth. The second text we examined was Rick Warren s The Purpose-Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission 3. Warren is a pastor and theologian who studied 100 of the largest churches in the United States in Like Schwarz, Warren affirms that church growth is natural and that healthy congregations grow as God intends. Warren defines some common denominators of growing churches, such as Healthy, large churches are led by pastors who have been there a long time. (p. 31) He goes on to define what drives many churches today (tradition, personality, finances, and etc.) and then offers another option a purpose driven church. Warren describes the five purposes of the Church drawn from the greatest commandment and the great commission: Purpose #1: Love the Lord with all your heart Purpose #2: Love your neighbor as yourself Purpose #3: Go and make disciples Purpose #4: Baptizing them Purpose #5: Teaching them to obey Warren s model clearly resonated with the two strongest scriptural purposes for the growth of the Church; however we felt Schwarz s eight characteristics would be more helpful for profiling our existing churches. Schwarz s model also has Biblical 3 Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, Page 8 of 27

9 integrity and helped us dig a little deeper into church structure, ministries, and leadership. Using the information obtained from the books of the New Testament, The Book of Discipline, Natural Church Development, The Purpose-Driven Church, and our own brainstorming session, we developed a survey instrument to use within our groups churches (See Attachment 1). Survey Results The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church classifies churches by size, according to the average number of persons in attendance at worship. Classifications are: Small Under 100 in worship Medium 100 to 500 in worship Large Over 500 in worship We surveyed several churches from each group to compile our results (See Attachment 2, a listing of our churches and their sizes). A mixture of clergy and laity were surveyed. For each quality characteristic, Schwarz s research revealed a key finding or fact. The NCD findings for the quality characteristics are included below along with the survey results for each characteristic. Quality Characteristic #1: Empowering Leadership NCD s Finding: Leaders of growing churches concentrate on empowering other Christians for ministry. Pastors recruit, train, equip, support, motivate, and mentor church leaders, enabling them to attain the spiritual potential God has for them. Pastors Page 9 of 27

10 and other leaders do not handle the bulk of church responsibilities on their own. Rather, they multiply their energy by investing the majority of their time in discipleship and delegation. In all of the churches surveyed, leaders are identified through relationships. In smaller churches, people who are willing to serve or who the clergy and laity feel are prepared to serve can be more easily identified and recruited by the clergy and lay leaders; however, there are often fewer leaders who end up doing the bulk of the work. Sometimes potential leaders are asked about areas of passion and interest, and clergy and lay leaders work with them to try and find a good fit. Often, people willing to volunteer are plugged into openings where they are needed, whether or not the assignment fits their passion or interest. In larger churches, recruitment and assignment of leaders is done with more intentionality to get the right person into the right position considering the needs of the Church and the gifts and interests of the leader. Roles are typically time-limited to avoid burnout and to give the Church and the leader the chance to reassess after a particular period of time. The challenge this presents is no different then small or medium size churches once a leader s commitment has been fulfilled, there can be difficulties in finding a replacement. The larger churches rely not just on the Pastors to identify leaders, but they empower the leaders to find new leaders. Some churches indicated they rely on prayer and the direction of the Holy Spirit to guide the identification of leaders and help ensure leaders are placed in areas they are passionate about. At each of the small churches, leaders are encouraged to participate in Conference, District, and local training opportunities. Many of the other Page 10 of 27

11 churches do not have structured training programs and did not indicate that they rely heavily on district or conference training. One of the large churches has developed its own training programs for leaders, held throughout the year. In addition, specific ministry areas have developed training programs for leaders and volunteers before they begin and during their period of service. Questions about equipping, supporting, mentoring, and retaining Church leaders produced a variety of answers across the laity and clergy interviewed. Several answered, Be there for them, or provided other relationship-based approaches, such as encouragement and appreciation. One church has an active care ministry with care leaders identified for each ministry area. Care leaders work with other servants and leaders in their ministry area to support team members in need. This church also has an active prayer and healing ministry that serves the entire congregation. Several of the churches provide encouragement and support to lay leaders and servants through annual appreciation events, and one church adds encouragement throughout the year with birthday and anniversary cards or calls, luncheons, letters/notes of encouragement, and other thank-yous. Quality Characteristic #2: Gift-Oriented Ministry NCD s Finding: No factor influences the contentedness of Christians in service more than whether or not they are using their gifts. Of all the variables associated with this quality characteristic, the degree to which lay volunteer workers are trained has the greatest correlation with church growth. 80% of Christians surveyed could not identify Page 11 of 27

12 their gifts. Pastors help Christians identify their gifts, and then match those gifts to the Christian s personal ministry. All of the smaller churches help Christians identify their gifts through interaction with other church members and encouragement in areas where gifts are obvious. Some of the clergy indicate that they actively inform people of gifts they have witnessed and encourage Christians to develop their gifts through study and training. Relationship-based approaches are used to encourage members to use their gifts and to help them connect with members who share the same gifts. It appears that many of the small churches to are just beginning to develop an understanding of aligning people s spiritual gifts through ministry. A couple of the medium and large churches have conducted classes or are beginning study groups on identifying and using spiritual gifts. Pastors in most of the churches have taught the congregation about spiritual gifts through their weekly sermons. One church has used one of the spiritual gifts assessment tools in many of its ministry areas to help the laity learn more about their gifts and then to help them use their gifts and passions in the Church and community. Quality Characteristic #3: Passionate Spirituality NCD s Finding: Christians in a growing churches are more likely to be on fire ; to live committed lives and practice their faith with joy and enthusiasm. In growing churches, prayer is an inspiring experience, not a chore; participation in church activities is a joy, not a duty. Our small churches help members live their faith through personal support and encouragement, Bible study groups, and other activities and programs of their church Page 12 of 27

13 family, such as United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, and Sunday School. Medium and larger churches have more and more varied ways to keep the fire going. The larger the church, the more specific efforts are made to help members connect with smaller groups within the Church for prayer, fellowship, Bible study, and spiritual accountability. In some ways this replicates the connectedness of small church congregations within a larger church. Nearly all of the churches surveyed describe a growing enthusiasm level at their church. Clergy have growing trust and credibility with their members when they are committed to biblically-based or gospel teaching. This movement seems apparent through many of the churches surveyed, regardless of size. One of the churches encourages regular sharing of members testimonies or Faith Journeys, as a way to help spread faith and enthusiasm. Most of the churches describe their enthusiasm as being internal to their church, but many recognize the need to take their enthusiasm about their faith to their community. Quality Characteristic #4: Functional Structures NCD s Finding: Growing churches have structures that promote an ongoing multiplication of the ministry of the church; i.e., structures that produce leaders who not only lead, but who also develop other leaders. For all of the churches, the functional structure is provided by The Book of Discipline, and other organizational needs identified by the clergy and laity. Some churches have organized in ministry teams, such as Worship, Nurture, Outreach, and Witness. A few of the churches have developed job descriptions for laity and staff members to help clarify roles. In the smaller churches, the traditional structure is Page 13 of 27

14 adapted to the smaller number of members and, therefore, many of the positions may not be filled. In smaller churches, ministries and programs are initiated, evaluated, continued, or ended on a trial and error basis. If it is working and a church can sustain it, the program or ministry area continues, if not, it doesn t. Growth areas for these churches are varied and target groups of people, such as children and youth, prisoners, singles, and young men. Growth ministries include a focus on growing disciples within a church or in-reach, through Bible Studies and youth groups. All of the churches surveyed expressed a need and desire to grow in evangelism and outreach. None of the churches has a formal evaluation process for examining the effectiveness of a ministry area or initiative; however, one church described their evaluation effort more intentionally. Time is set aside within the church committee structure to discuss the effectiveness of ministry areas in achieving their stated purpose and goals and ensuring that ministry areas continue to support and reflect the mission and values of the Church. This information is used, along with prayer and considerable input from a variety of persons in and around the ministry area before a final decision is made. Quality Characteristic #5: Inspiring Worship NCD s Finding: Participants in growing churches view worship services as a joyous and inspiring experience. For participants in growing churches, a worship service is fun. For participants in declining churches, a worship service is a duty; they attend to do their pastor or God a favor. Page 14 of 27

15 All of these churches describe worship as a means to glorify, praise, and adore our Heavenly Father. Worship styles vary throughout the churches, and all express intentionality in trying new ways to excite and inspire people about worship. One pastor clearly sees worship as an opportunity to lead people to Christ. These churches appear to be genuinely excited about worship compared to any of the other quality characteristics. Technology is used more by the larger congregations, but even the smallest churches expressed interest in expanding this area. Quality Characteristic #6: Holistic Small Groups NCD s Finding: Continuous multiplication of small groups is a universal church growth principle. Such groups must be holistic: they must go beyond discussion of Bible passages to focus on applying the Bible s message to everyday life. Members must bring up, discuss, and resolve issues of immediate and personal concern. Planned multiplication of small groups is made possible through the continual development of leaders. Leaders build the congregation by planned multiplication of small groups by cell division; e.g., by forming small groups, expanding them, developing their leadership, then dividing them into other groups. Bible study groups are the most common type of small group offered in these churches. Leaders are usually volunteers or people asked to take on these roles. Bible study or new Sunday school groups are added based on the desires of members and their willingness to get a study group started. One church actively strives to get members connected to some type of small group. Groups consist of women, men, couples, youth males or females, and this model is being considered for older Page 15 of 27

16 elementary children. Sunday school classes and Sunday evening discipleship programs are conducted in small group settings. Some small groups are more fellowship-based; while others are more study-based, but all attempt to help other group members live out their faith with mutual accountability toward one another. None of the churches have formal small group replication or multiplication models, and none have developed ongoing programs for training of small group leaders. Quality Characteristic #7: Need-Oriented Evangelism NCD s Finding: Growing congregations focus their evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-christians. True evangelists are those to whom God has given a corresponding gift. They are skilled at developing new relationships with the unchurched. By some estimates, such a gift is found in no more than 10% of all Christians. Pastors of growing congregations know which members of their church have the gift of evangelism, and direct such members into a corresponding area of ministry. The remaining 90% are not idle: they focus their evangelistic efforts on the needs of non-christians with whom they have personal relationships. Outreach from our small churches is mostly relationship-based. New people who come to a church are retained through connections with members or clergy. If a visitor does not have or soon establish a personal relationship with a church member, they will not join and will not stay if they do join. All of the churches expressed a desire to grow in this area. Many of them want to reach out to the community but are not sure what steps to take. Several have developed programs, such as organized sports, youth recreation, community focused events, pre-schools/elementary school that are Page 16 of 27

17 functioning as the most effective outreach program(s) of a church. One small church has decided to focus their evangelism efforts on a prison ministry. Quality Characteristic #8: Loving Relationships NCD s Finding: Growing churches manifest a measurably higher love quotient than stagnant or declining ones. Unfeigned, practical love endows a church with much more irresistible power than mere superficial marketing efforts. People do not want simply to hear a sermon about Christian love: they want to experience it. For example, members of growing churches spend time with one another outside of official church-sponsored events. Pastors of growing churches are aware of the personal problems of lay workers in the church. All of the churches expressed the feeling that they love all who walk through their doors, and expressed interest in figuring out ways to get more people of all races and ethnicities to walk through them. They care for members in need and support community crisis programs. They describe the happiness and laughter in their church as high. Programs are offered for children and youth, couples, and seniors, although a few churches feel the need to do more for these groups. Some have identified the need for programs involving singles, divorcees, widows, and young adults. Successful and Growing Congregations: A Profile After addressing the quality characteristics, we asked clergy and lay leaders about their definitions and perceptions of success. All of the clergy defined success as having a positive impact on growing the Kingdom of God, and they all perceived their Page 17 of 27

18 church as successful. Many of the laity defined success in terms of growth in membership and resources and were less positive about the current successfulness of their church. Both clergy and laity perceived the District s primary focus to be on membership and apportionments, with mixed perceptions of how successful they are according to this standard. All of these churches are relationship based and operate like a family some are just larger families than others. They follow the structures laid out in The Book of Discipline. Leadership development, identification of gifts, and the other quality characteristics are expressed through the building and nurturing of relationships with existing and new members. They all express strong desires to be more intentional about these areas, as well as reaching out to the community and bringing people to Christ. Most seem unsure how to do this. In all of the churches surveyed, we see movement or a desire to move along the lines of the 8 characteristics from NCD. We believe these churches are trying to evolve from tradition to mission-driven churches. Traditional churches are often described as parochial, program-driven, and structured. They hope that more Methodists will move into the new neighborhood down the road instead of trying to find ways to bring new community members from all backgrounds into the Church family. Mission-driven churches reach out and nurture the churched and un-churched. They create Christian community and are guided by God s Word, while respecting the traditions of the Church. We see mission-driven churches thriving if they can ensure: 1. Clergy and laity are partners in ministry and roles are clearly defined 2. All are committed to building God s kingdom Page 18 of 27

19 3. Bible-based teaching and decision-making 4. Continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of a church s ministries 5. Strong sense of Christian community based on accountable relationships 6. Passionate, intentional evangelism 7. Members are aware of and empowered to use their spiritual gifts 8. Are willing to explore new ways to expand and enrich worship services Page 19 of 27

20 Attachment 1 LEADERSHIP UMC CHURCH PROFILES NATURAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENT APPROACH 1. In Natural Church Development ( NCD ), church-growth analyst Christian A. Schwarz identifies eight quality characteristics that lead to quantitative church growth As its title indicates, NCD describes natural church development. Such development is natural because it follows what NCD calls biotic principles ; i.e., principles from nature that result in self-sustaining growth. 1.2 NCD labels the eight quality characteristics as follows: Empowering Leadership Gift-Oriented Ministry Passionate Spirituality Functional Structures Inspiring Worship Service Holistic Small Groups Need-Oriented Evangelism Loving Relationships 1.3 Each of the eight quality characteristics is composed of a noun (e.g., Leadership ) and an adjective that modifies it ( Empowering ). The nouns represent ministry areas present in virtually every church. However, according to NCD, the secret of growing churches is in the adjectives, which are the biotic elements that result in natural, self-sustaining church growth: Biotic Element (Results in Self- Sustaining Growth) Empowering Gift-Oriented Passionate Functional Inspiring Holistic Need-Oriented Loving Ministry Area Leadership Ministry Spirituality Structures Worship Service Small Groups Evangelism Relationships 4 Rev. Micheal Selleck, Director of Connectional Ministries for the UMC North Georgia Conference, suggested that the Peacemakers team structure its efforts around Natural Church Development, ChurchSmart Resources, 6 th ed., For a summary of NCD, see The ABC s of Natural Church Development, Christian A. Schwarz, ChurchSmart Resources, 1998, which includes the key points of Schwarz s findings and recommendations in a highly-readable 28-page booklet. Page 20 of 27

21 2. Quality Characteristic #1: Empowering Leadership 2.1 NCD s Finding: Leaders of growing churches concentrate on empowering other Christians for ministry Pastors recruit, train, equip, support, motivate, and mentor church leaders, enabling them to attain the spiritual potential God has for them Pastors and other leaders do not handle the bulk of church responsibilities on their own. Rather, they multiply their energy by investing the majority of their time in discipleship and delegation. 2.2 Potential Empowering Leadership questions for survey: How do you: Identify prospective church leaders? Recruit church leaders? Assist church leaders in finding areas they are passionate about? Ensure that leaders are placed in areas they are passionate about? Train church leaders? Ensure that church leaders are properly equipped? Ensure that church leaders have adequate support? Motivate church leaders? Mentor church leaders? Retain church leaders? 3. Quality Characteristic #2: Gift-Oriented Ministry 3.1 NCD s Finding: No factor influences the contentedness of Christians in service more than whether or not they are using their gifts Of all the variables associated with this quality characteristic, the degree to which lay volunteer workers are trained has the greatest correlation with church growth Problem: 80% of Christians surveyed could not identify their gifts Pastors help Christians identify their gifts, then match those gifts to the Christian s personal ministry. 3.2 Potential Gift-Oriented Ministry questions for survey: Page 21 of 27

22 church? How do you help Christians identify the gifts they may use in service to the How do you help them develop their gifts? How do you encourage them to use their gifts? How do you make them aware of development opportunities? How do you connect members with similar gifts? 4. Quality Characteristic #3: Passionate Spirituality 4.1 NCD s Finding: Christians in a growing churches are more likely to be on fire ; to live committed lives and practice their faith with joy and enthusiasm. 4.2 E.g., in growing churches, prayer is an inspiring experience, not a chore; participation in church activities is a joy, not a duty. 4.3 Potential Passionate Spirituality questions for survey: How do you help Christians live their faith with contagious enthusiasm? How do you help them share their faith and enthusiasm with others? How would you describe the enthusiasm level in your church? 5. Quality Characteristic #4: Functional Structures NCD s Finding: Growing churches have structures that promote an ongoing multiplication of the ministry of the church; i.e., structures that produce leaders who not only lead, but who also develop other leaders. 5.2 Potential Functional Structures questions for survey: How are the ministry functions of your church presently structured? How do you evaluate the effectiveness of a particular department that performs a ministry function? How do you determine whether a particular department that is involved in a ministry function should: Have its function expanded (or contracted)? Be given additional resources (or fewer resources?) 5 By structures, NCD means the organization of a church: its departments, committees, classes, etc., and the hierarchies in them. It does not mean physical structures; e.g., buildings and grounds. Page 22 of 27

23 (or be left as-is)? Have its function combined with the function of another department Do you plan to add new departments to perform ministry functions? If yes, in what areas? If yes, when? How do you determine the roles of staff versus laity in each function? 6. Quality Characteristic #5: Inspiring Worship Service 6.1 NCD s Finding: Participants in growing churches view worship services as a joyous and inspiring experience For participants in growing churches, a worship service is fun For participants in declining churches, a worship service is a duty; they attend to do their pastor or God a favor. 6.2 Potential Inspiring Worship Service questions for survey: What do you see as the purpose of worship? What styles of worship are you presently using? Do your worship services feature: A well-organized greeting team? A pleasant, well-appointed place of worship? Leaders with pleasing personalities? What do you do to make your church s worship services inspiring and fun? How do you use technology in connection with your worship services? Do you use non-traditional methods of reaching people? If yes, please describe If yes, do you find non-traditional methods helpful? How do you use technology in connection with your worship services? Page 23 of 27

24 7. Quality Characteristic #6: Holistic 6 Small Groups 7.1 NCD s Finding: Continuous multiplication of small groups is a universal church growth principle Such groups must be holistic: they must go beyond discussion of Bible passages to focus on applying the Bible s message to everyday life. Members must bring up, discuss, and resolve issues of immediate and personal concern Planned multiplication of small groups is made possible through the continual development of leaders Leaders build the congregation by planned multiplication of small groups by cell division; e.g., by forming small groups, expanding them, developing their leadership, then dividing them into other groups. 7.2 Potential Holistic Small Groups questions for survey: What small groups does your church presently offer? How do your small groups encourage the spiritual growth of participants? How does your church promote the multiplication of small groups? How does your church develop small-group leaders? 8. Quality Characteristic #7: Need-Oriented Evangelism 8.1 NCD s Finding: Growing congregations focus their evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-christians True evangelists are those to whom God has given a corresponding gift. They are skilled at developing new relationships with the unchurched. By some estimates, such a gift is found in no more than 10% of all Christians. Pastors of growing congregations know which members of their church have the gift of evangelism, and direct such members into a corresponding area of ministry The remaining 90% are not idle: they focus their evangelistic efforts on the needs of non-christians with whom they have personal relationships. 8.2 Potential Need-Oriented Evangelism questions for survey: Do you identify the members of your church who have the gift of evangelism? How do you help them develop their gifts? How do you give them assignments? 6 Relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts; emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts; concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation into parts. Page 24 of 27

25 8.2.4 How do you determine who to reach out to? I.e., how do you evaluate and segment your market? How does your church market itself to the community? How do you retain those who are brought to the church? How do you use technology in connection with your evangelism? 9. Quality Characteristic #8: Loving Relationships 9.1 NCD s Finding: Growing churches manifest a measurably higher love quotient than stagnant or declining ones Unfeigned, practical love endows a church with much more irresistible power than mere superficial marketing efforts. experience it People do not want simply to hear a sermon about Christian love: they want to Examples: Members of growing churches spend time with one another outside of official church-sponsored events. workers in the church Pastors of growing churches are aware of the personal problems of lay 9.2 Potential Loving Relationships questions for survey: How would you characterize the level of happiness and laughter in your church? How does your church encourage and model the Great Commandment? How does your church love those of different race or ethnicity? What programs do you have for showing love in times of crisis? What programs do your church have for each segment of Christians in the church; e.g., for: Children? Youth? College students? Young adults? Singles? Couples? Page 25 of 27

26 Divorcees? Widows and widowers? Middle-aged? Seniors? 10. Parting Questions 10.1 How do you define a church s success? 10.2 Using your standard, is your church successful? 10.3 How does your district define a church s success? 10.4 Using the district s standard, is your church successful? Page 26 of 27

27 Attachment 2 LEADERSHIP UMC SELECTED CHURCHES, SIZE, 7 AND CONTACT INFORMATION Church Size/Estimated Attendance Weekly Senior Pastor Address Telephone Acworth UMC Large/800 Mike Cash Ball Ground UMC Medium/100 Ash McEuen Metropolitan UMC Medium/125 King A. Harris Rocky Head UMC Small/50 Steven Jones Shady Grove UMC Small/12 Jack Jenkins Sugar Hill UMC Large/1,250 Steve Wood Thompson First UMC Medium/300 Tom Kerr Williamson UMC Medium/105 Don Cooper 4340 Collins Circle Acworth, GA Old Canton Highway Ball Ground, GA Broad Street Rome, GA Old Campbellton Road SW Atlanta, GA Rome Highway Aragon, GA Nelson Brogdon Boulevard Sugar Hill, GA Main Street Thomson, GA nd District Road Williamson, GA (770) (770) (706) (404) (678) (770) (706) (770) The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church classifies churches by size according to the following divisions: (i) Small (under 100 in worship); (ii) Medium (100 to 500 in worship); and (iii) Large (over 500 in worship) (per Rev. Micheal Selleck, Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Georgia Conference). Page 27 of 27