Your Church s Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development
Congregations Go Through Life-Cycles Like the Life-Cycle of a Human Being Birth Death
The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development Phase From Two: people in relationship to getting things done 5-6 years: Focus shifts: From relationships to doing things And Phase then Three: 6-18 it just /Plateau years: keeps getting better and Take better? a break Not from in real the life! frenetic energy of the early stages. Shift of focus to developing management There are often competing Denial good priorities: they Phase need Four: a way to sort them out and decide from among them. Early 2-5 years, on average Relationships with God and each other are high, deep, and strong. Phase Phase 2: 1: disappointment nostalgia 3: anger Because After Call Looking Desperately Spin 16-18 the Pastors through for change months a to try savior bring several is to pull either not the working change a regain choke-chain programmatic cycles past of or this it glory fix Late
The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development The Maturity (vrpm) curve takes 22-27 years on the founding cycle On subsequent growth cycles it plays out in 7-9 years Early Late
The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development If there Adulthood is Arrested (VRPM) Development: The church will shift to the other side of the life-cycle Early Late
If a congregation undergoes a significant pastoral trauma: The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development There will be a side-track cycle of dealing with the effects The congregation will behave as if it one level lower in the life-cycle When the congregation heals, it will quickly show its true level of vitality and decline Early Late
The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development Where is your church? What parts of the cycle have you seen play out in your time in your church? Denial Early Phase 1: nostalgia Phase 2: disappointment Phase 3: anger Call Pastors to bring change After 16-18 mos., pull choke chain Spin through several cycles of this Late
The Life-Cycle Does Not Have to Result in Death! The Life-Cycle Stages of Congregational Development ReVisioning Early Anywhere on the decline side a congregation can move forward into a new life-cycle Revitalization (P) Renewal (R) Reinvent Late Resurrect
Congregational Redevelopment This is the optimal point from which to launch into a new vision-cycle. But this requires an intentional revolution every 7-9 years. ReVisioning Early Revitalization (P) Renewal (R) Reinvent Late Resurrect
Congregational Redevelopment But it is a particular Adulthood challenge (VRPM) to motivate a church to move into a new vision-cycle from this point. ReVisioning Early Revitalization (P) Renewal (R) Reinvent Late Resurrect
Congregational Redevelopment The difficulty is: Things seem to be going so well, congregations are in denial about the need for a new visionrevolution Congregational leaders are satisfied with their progress, and weary from the effort of the last vision-cycle Sometimes Pastors hold onto their last vision revolution past its effective life ReVisioning Early Revitalization (P) Renewal (R) Reinvent Late Resurrect
There Churches is no going are tempted back to in say congregational that they need redevelopment to go back to Movement the way it is used never to backward be Movement is always forward into a new cycle Where redevelopment begins from, determines where the new life-cycle begins. The history of a congregation is the history of the succession of partial life-cycles over time.
Congregational Redevelopment From Maturity Early Process Theme: Revisioning (V) Rate of Change: Continuous (incremental changes over a controlled period of time) Time Frame: 6-18 months Destination: Adulthood Late
Congregational Redevelopment Process Theme: Revitalization (P) Rate of Change: Continuous Time Frame: 18-36 months Destination: Late Adolescence Early From Empty Nest Nostalgia Late
Congregational Redevelopment Early Process Theme: Revitalization (P) Rate of Change: Discontinuous (significant change) Time Frame: 18-36 months Destination: Adolescence From Empty Nest Anger Late
Congregational Redevelopment Process Theme: Renewal (R) Rate of Change: Discontinuous Time Frame: 3-5 years Destination: Adolescence Early From Retirement: Within first couple of spins Late
Congregational Redevelopment Process Theme: Renewal (R) Rate of Change: Radical (doing things that have never been done and getting rid of things that have always been done) Time Frame: 3-5 years Destination: Childhood Early From Retirement: After three or four unsuccessful attempts at change Late
Congregational Redevelopment Process Theme: Reinvent Rate of Change: Radical Time Frame: Adulthood 18-36 (VRPM) months Destination: Infancy Early Late Old Age: Usually Only Possible With significant Outside help
Congregational Redevelopment Early Process Theme: Resurrection Rate of Change: Radical Time Frame: 6-18 months Destination: Birth Late From Death
Congregational Redevelopment Stage Process Theme Rate of Transition and Change Time Frame To bridge to a new /Vision Cycle Destination Maturity Revisioning (V) Continuous (incremental change over a period of time) 6-18 months Adulthood Empty Nest Nostalgia Phase Revitalization (P) Continuous 18-36 months Adulthood Empty Nest Anger Phase Revitalization (P) Discontinuous (significant change) 18-36 months Adolescence Retirement (within the first couple of retirement spins) Renewal (R) Discontinuous 3-5 years Adolescence Retirement (after 3 or 4 failed attempts at change) Renewal (R) Radical (doing things that have never been done and getting rid of things that have always been done) 3-5 years Childhood Old Age: (Usually possible only with significant outside help) Reinvent Radical 18-36 months Infancy Death Resurrection Radical 6-18 months Birth
The Redevelopment Bridge Re -Vision
The Redevelopment Bridge Strategic Program Wins Re -Vision
The Redevelopment Bridge Rekindle Relational/Spiritual Vitality Strategic Program Wins Re -Vision
The Redevelopment Bridge Reinvent