NCD

Natural Church Development for Canadian Presbyterians

Natural Church Development is a tool that churches can use to identify their strengths and weaknesses as a congregation. It is based on a church health, not a church growth model. German Theologian Christian Schwarz studied 1,000 growing churches around the world, and he believes that healthy churches have eight quality characteristics in common. They include:

1. Empowering leadership

2. Gift-oriented ministry

3. Passionate spirituality

4. Functional structures

5. Inspiring worship

6. Holistic small groups

7. Need–oriented evangelism

8. Loving relationships

The significance of these characteristics is that they focus on the adjective and not the noun. For example, the key to evangelism is its need–oriented focus.

The Natural Church Development program is best run with the guidance of a trained coach who will lead the congregation through a process which includes 30 questionnaires to be filled out by members of the church. Or, congregations can purchase their own self-directed kit of resources and software and do it themselves. These surveys are emailed to the Leadership Center. Your congregation’s score is measured against data from other churches.

The strength of this model of congregational assessment is its systemic health focus on the eight characteristics above. It is important for churches to use their strengths to work on their weak areas. For example, if your church’s strengths are inspiring worship and holistic small groups, and your weakness is passionate spirituality, a preaching series on spirituality could be a good focus for your small groups.

For further reading: Natural Church Development, The Three Colours of Ministry, Christian A. Schwarz.

For further information about trained coaches contact your Regional Synod Staff, Kenn Stright, sos.atlanticsynod@yahoo.ca

Or check out: www.ncdcanada.com

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