So what makes churches grow?
Alan L. Joplin
Scores of seminars and hundreds of books , my summary of the main points the 'church growth movement' is making would be:
• The growth of the church - everywhere - qualitatively and numerically, is God's will.
• The New Testament is full of metaphors, examples, and celebrations of the church growing.
• Churches are most likely to grow where the pastor is a 'possibility thinker', the laity are well-mobilized, the congregation is large enough to provide varied ministries, there is a proper balance between large, middle-sized, and small group encounters, the membership is fairly homogeneous, effective evangelistic methods are used, and where priorities are biblical. Both the pastor and the people must want the church to grow, and be willing to pay the price.
• An important factor is the assimilation of new members and their involvement in the church's program.
There are some controversial issues here: Is the notion of a homogeneous membership biblical? Isn't 'numerolatry' a serious temptation?
What of the tensions between sociological analysis and prayerful dependence on a sovereign Lord? Haven't we bought into an
American 'success mentality'? And many more.
Church Growth is now a sophisticated study. There are dozens of variables common to growing churches, among them these nine:
The Leadership Factor.
All growing churches have leaders with the 'gift of faith' (1 Corinthians 12:9). Their main function: equipping others for ministry (Ephesians 4:12, Colossians 1:28-29). They affirm the apostolic idea of the 'priesthood of all believers', avoiding, at all costs, the idea that 'ordained clergy' alone 'supply the religion'. When a church is growing, someone is hustling somewhere! It's hard, glorious work. Effective leaders are visionary, they transmit enthusiasm, but they also model an authentic Christian obedience. (They are 'like everyone else only more so'). Two other important leadership-variables:
• Leadership style varies from culture to culture, denomination to denomination, church to church. It will be a function of each church's ecclesiology, the expectations of the group and its opinion leaders, and the special gifts of the leader/s involved. Christian leadership can be (benevolently) autocratic, strongly authoritarian, 'charismatic', or 'consensus'.
• Competence. In a television-age, people expect their leaders to operate efficiently and well. Sloppiness won't do any more. When looking for a church, mobile moderns ask 'Does he/she really care?', 'Is the preaching good?' (Good preaching won't necessarily fill a church, but poor preaching will empty it!).
The Spirituality Factor.
Do the people in this church seem to be 'true Christians?'. Are they 'internalizing' the gospel? Is there an authentic obedience to Christ, a
sensitivity to doing his will, a strong desire to 'search the Scriptures' and live by its precepts - between Sundays? Have they told their
faces about the joy which Christ promised his followers? Put bluntly, does Christianity work for them?
In communication terms, it's 'source credibility'. Communications researchers Hovland and Weiss found that people were 3.5 times
more likely to be attracted to an idea if the source of the idea had a high credibility.
This is linked with the koinonia factor. New-comers to a church tend to put the fellowship on a 'warm-to-cold' continuum, depending on whether 'anyone spoke to them'. 'Behold how they love one another' still has a crucial drawing-power. However, Christians best love one another if they know each other - hence the importance of small groups, for study of the Scriptures, prayer, fellowship and mission.
The Mission Factor.
Love for one another is not enough (churches can die of 'koinonitis'). We are commissioned by our Lord to bring the Good News to a lost world. 'Conversion growth' is the healthiest way to grow. So churches will grow in proportion to the membership's ability and willingness to verbalize their commitment to Christ. 'The laity are not helpers of the clergy so that the clergy can do their job, but the clergy are the helpers of the whole people of God, so that the laity can be the Church' (Hans Reudi Weber). Pastors are player-coaches, not bus-drivers with many drowsy passengers!
Mission, in its biblical sense, includes proclamation, and service to others in terms of ministries of mercy and justice. Jesus' wholistic approach to ministry is our model (Matthew 23:23). So every church should ask: 'What are the presenting, and deeper needs of people in our geographical area - and in a cross-cultural situation the Lord puts into our hearts? What are the spiritual gifts evident in our people? How can we marry one with the other?' A church can't meet every community or world need, but there are some ministries it can do.
The Eschatological Factor.
John Wimber, the 'Signs and Wonders' teacher says (with graphs and statistics): 'The only churches/denominations growing rapidly throughout the world are those in which "signs and wonders" accompany the proclamation'. But, you may retort, what of such crusades as Billy Graham's in a given city? His response: generally church membership statistics in those cities at those times exhibit very minor fluctuations, if any. (Probably the 1959 Sydney crusade was an exception).
Protagonists of this view point out that the apostles not only proclaimed, they performed miracles. Perhaps the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century concerned itself with God's Word, now a new Reformation is witnessing God's works again. This issue is more controversial for Westerners, with their rational/empirical world-view, than for people in the Two Thirds World - Africa, Korea, Papua, New Guinea, etc. In these places such things as visions and healings seem to be accepted as part of their normal Christian experience. (And the church is certainly growing dramatically in some of these countries).
The Authority Factor.
Dean Kelly has written a book entitled Why Conservative Churches Are Growing. Experience shows that most people want their leaders to be certain about their beliefs. When a politician is 'fuzzy on the key issues' he soon hears about it! The tension in preaching is to be both 'prophetic' and yet respect the paradoxes in our faith, and that's not always easy.
C.S. Lewis once said that the vast majority of conversions to Christianity happen at the 'evangelical end' of the theological spectrum. The essentials of the gospel are clear: God's creatures, men and women, are estranged from him, and he graciously invites them to be reconciled to him. He loved the world so much that he sent his son Jesus, to die for it. So we are called to turn from our sins, accept the rule of God, and in fellowship with others in the church, to be his obedient people in a lost world. If our pulpits do not make clear the claims of the sovereign God on our lives - individually and collectively - then our people's commitment will be half-hearted.
The Organization Factor.
Many congregations say they'd like to grow, but in a hundred ways do all they can to stay small. For example, about 80% of our churches don't crack the '200 barrier'. Those that do, exhibit some or all of these features: * An additional staff-member is added sooner rather than later (perhaps using gifted people in the congregation). * Small groups, and/or adult classes with options, are fostered, to discourage 'single cellness'. Most groups should expect to grow and divide. * The senior pastor thinks like a rancher, rather than as a shepherd. He or she delegates. The congregation does not expect the senior pastor to minister to everyone. * Every member is assumed to be in ministry. * The nature of a church tends to conform to its facility. They build in faith, with plenty of land for parking,
multi-purpose facilities, and get options on surrounding properties.
You may wonder why your church is not appealing to a particular group. For example, if a higher proportion of professional/management people live in your district than come to your church, ask: Do the worship services appeal to their more sophisticated tastes? Are the buildings, management procedures a bit sloppy (stale advertising, poorly presented church bulletins, no creche, haphazard planning, inadequate heating, etc.)? Is there a general lack of creativity? Is the preaching - and general church attitude - not only for something, but against other Christians and their beliefs? (It is possible to have strong conviction and be accepting of others who might differ. Remember 'God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy Word').
Note, however, that your church does not have to be large to be healthy. A large church may be fat, and a small church may be undernourished. Some people like supermarkets, other boutiques! It is now conceded by church growth consultants that some churches may be healthy but not growing. Theirs is a specialized ministry, or house-church, or spawns daughter-churches when a certain size is reached. Normally, however, life is accompanied by growth, both biologically and ecclesiologically.
The 'Ethos' Factor.
What is the most appropriate way to worship, fellowship, nurture, and evangelize in this culture (or sub-culture)? For example, if Australia was settled by people without strong religious motivations, and if the clergy back in Britain and here were viewed as being part of the 'machinery of repression' (Russel Ward) and almost all the clergy until 1851 were born and trained in the U.K. (and projected an un-Australian image - pale-faced, soft-handed, effeminate, and forever getting lost, as Grocott put it), what has that said to Australian males? Why are men not frequenting our churches, particularly in the mainline Protestant denominations? What does the Australian's apparent dislike of authority and affirmation of egalitarianism say about our ecclesiastical structures? And what of the Norman Gunston image of the little Aussie battler? Is this why, as Donald Horne has written, we can't cope with 'tall poppies'? (Perhaps we ought not to communicate too many 'grand visions', but rather do our goal-setting in manageable doses).
The gospel must also address our general anxiety, hedonism, affluence and economic self-sufficiency.
And yet, some churches are growing, even here! So let us shelve our excuses and ask 'why?' (or 'why not?').
The Liturgy Factor.
Good liturgical innovations won't fill a church, but stale, routinized liturgies will certainly empty it.
If the worship leader/s seem to come across 'without life', that church will soon begin to die.
The common factor in growing churches is not the presence or absence of certain liturgical approaches, formality or informality (some Anglican and some Pentecostal churches are growing, and many are not), but the 'transmission of enthusiasm' by the leadership.
Plus one more thing - good music. All the larger/ growing churches attract a significant number of worshippers with good choirs, orchestra etc. (Whether that's healthy or not is another issue).
The Change Factor.
Kurt Lewin's force field analysis says you can move equal and opposing forces either by increasing the pressure or removing the resistant forces. Perhaps each pastoral leader has one 'growth through force'/'do it my way' church in him. But it's more creative to find the growth factors already in a church and consolidate at those points.
How? First, write down where you'd like your church to be. State all the forces that will help this to happen. Then list the hindrances. Prioritize, then 'brainstorm' some possible action strategies. Refine your list, itemizing the best of these options, together with people's names and target dates. Figure out the best way for the people to modify, then own, these goals.
Church growth books will give you hundreds of ministry-options. Work on a few! (For example a trail-bike champion took teenagers away on 'dirt bike' camps. Thousands were converted. An older widow was a good cook, so she taught young mums baking and canning. The church tripled in size. Philatelic clubs have worked well in some Australian churches).
Back to change. Most groups have people spread across a radical-progressive-conservative-traditionalist spectrum. They must each be treated differently. Radicals rarely make good leaders, but they supply lots of ideas. Your progressives are tuned to anticipate needs. They gravitate to the creative jobs, and quickly perceive the benefits in good plans. They're your best communicators to the conservatives. For the latter group, personal comfort is very important. They see more benefit in the status quo than in change. They are often methodical, and want real answers to their questions. They're good on committees, they're not risk-takers, but once they're 'sold' on a change you're away! Traditionalists have in-built emotional resistance to change. They are sometimes a heavy weight on a church, and negatively influence a larger group. And yet some of them could be among the most faithful and dependable people in the church. Sometimes, however, change might have to happen without their consent!
Finally: * Be person-, not program centered * Plan for the emotional as well as the informational aspects of change * Identify the opinion leaders (six phone calls could inform the whole church!) * Watch your timing: too many changes all at once could be counter-productive * Aim for 'win-win' resolutions of conflict if possible * Have clear goals (If you don't know where you're going you won't know if you've got there!) * Trust in God. It is he who 'gives the increase'. Techniques alone won't grow a healthy church.
Before sound decisions can be made you must have a road map. The development of sound objectives, a strategy and a hierarchical concept for putting things to work on your behalf. This student believes that we must begin to use those management techniques and resources available which will aide us in better resource allocation, more effective use of our time and will help us in being more deliberate in carrying out our work for Christ in this world at this time.
Church objectives allow for the communications of the purpose and direction of the life of the church. In addition, these objectives serves to sharpen the focus of resources toward its purpose. The church objectives as a means and measure provides the congregation a powerful tool for increasing the effectiveness. These objective provides an increased understanding of the church and its purpose and provides for a succinct statement of performance outcomes upon which sound decisions could be made.
There are several characteristics of a good objective as they relate to the decision making process.
The objective should be stated using the active form of the verb.
The objective should specify the expected outcome.
The objective should specify the level of effectiveness expected to be achieved.
The objective should indicate the length of time in which it is expected to be achieved.
The objective should indicate the conditions under which the behavior is expected to occur.
Strategy for developing a church objective hierarchy
A strategy for developing church objectives should be based on a hierarchical concept. The strategy is divided into four basic steps.
1. Clearly state the ultimate objective.
2. State the mission statement and church-wide objectives.
3. Develop the program/committee a hierarchical concept objectives.
4. Specify the performance objectives.
Step One: The ultimate objective
A work groups should be chosen to formulate a statement of philosophy. Representation on the work groups should come from all areas of the church.
Select a task leader who will coordinate the development of a philosophy statement. If their is a current statement of philosophy, the task leader should distribute it to all members of the work groups with a set of questions to guide the review.
After the questions have been discussed, each member of the work groups should collect specific information needed to develop the new philosophy. Each member might better collect information from there own representative group. There are various methods that can be used to collect the information such as surveys, questionnaires, informal contacts, formal meetings, letters and memoranda's.
The information should be reviewed for its repetition and differences. Belief statements should be written embodying this information. The crude belief statements will have to be modified and reviewed until they become acceptable as a statement of philosophy. The first revision is the responsibility of the task leader.
The task leader routes the rough draft to all the other members of the work groups for their suggestions and revisions. The task leader incorporates all appropriate changes into the statement of philosophy and gives it to the employee's of the church.
The congregation’s reaction to the statement are incorporated into the final draft of the statement of philosophy.
Step Two: Stating the ultimate objective, mission statement and church-wide objective.
A work groups should be selected; could be the same work groups used in stating the ultimate objective.
A task leader should be chosen to assume the responsibility of coordinating the task of writing and making consistent the ultimate objectives, mission statement, and church-wide objectives.
The work groups should formulate an ultimate objective. The ultimate objective is a succinct statement of the final draft of the statement of philosophy. This work groups should draft an supportive mission statement focused on management functions.
The work groups should relate the mission statement to all the church-wide objectives. Both the mission statements and church-wide objectives should reflect the purpose(s) of the church. The work groups should decide which purposes are directly related to the outputs of the church.
Determining the kinds of functions which church-wide objectives should include: List the functions that reflect the major operations of the church, personal relations, financial management, etc.
Working in teams of two, the work groups should propose several function arrangements depicting the relationship between the functions and the church-wide objectives.
After agreeing on a particular arrangement of function, the work groups should write objective statements which encompass all of the functions.
These statements should be reviewed and revised before a tentative final draft is submitted to the whole work groups, the chief administrator, for their review.
Step Three: Developing the program/committee objectives
A task leader should be chosen to assume the responsibility of coordinating, writing, and making consistent the program/committee objectives.
A work groups, comprised of the program/committee staff or representatives from the staff, should discuss the mission statement and the Church Wide objectives that have already been constructed.
The work groups should examine any other data that have been collected; i.e., test, survey, questionnaire data, interviews.
The work groups should put in writing the mission statement of the program/committee.
The work groups should identify the program/committee objectives, both develop-mental, maintenance, and problem solving.
The work groups should identify the sub-program/committee objectives and specify the program/committee elements objectives.
The work groups should lay out a program/committee for each program/committee, sub-program/committee, and program/committee element objective.
Understanding and approval of the program/committee from the individual the program/committee pastor report to.
The program/committee staff should be involved in the detailed writing for each program/committee level objective.
Define the limits within which the program/committee staff members can operate.
Define the necessary evaluation-devices so that the program/committee pastor can periodically assess progress.
Step Four: Stating performance objectives
Performance objectives should be developed for every support function in the church. All other objectives (ultimate, church-wide, and program/committee) should be reviewed and performance objectives developed so that the other objectives will be attained.
Objectives hierarchies
We established the need for a logical, systematically-derived comprehensive statement of outcomes or objectives to be accomplished by an church-wide system. The systematic ordering of church objectives can be most effectively accomplished through the use of an objectives hierarchy framework. An objectives hierarchy is a systematic mapping out of all objectives necessary to the accomplishment of a given overall, ultimate objective.
Starting with the general or ultimate objective at the top and preceding down through increasingly more specific objectives, the hierarchy provides a
comprehensive, functional means of organizing objectives into a logical, internally consistent focusing of energies toward the accomplishment of the
ultimate church objective.
In an objectives hierarchy, the objectives are arranged in levels so that as you go down the hierarchy, each level explains a " HOW " the level above it can be accomplished and as you go up the hierarchy, each level explains " WHY " the level below it is necessary
The actual construction of the hierarchy begins at the top with the ultimate objective and works down the successive levels. The number of levels utilized
and the terminology applied to these levels is a function of the specific needs and characteristics of the particular system to which the hierarchy is being applied.
• Ultimate Objective. Is a succinct statement reflecting the philosophical beliefs and values basic to the church. The ultimate objective delineates the philosophical parameters for the lower level objectives.
• Mission Statement.The mission statement is derived directly from the ultimate objective. The mission statement specifies the major elements or components critical to the accomplishment of the ultimate objective. The mission statement reflects those basic support elements or components essential to the accomplishment of the ultimate objective. The support elements deal with the pastorial functions needed to attain the desired Outcomes.
Starting with the mission statement level, the objectives hierarchy is vertically divided. The mission statement constitutes the rationale behind church-wide objectives as well as delineates the scope of church-wide objectives coverage.
• Church-wide Objectives. Church-wide objectives specify those factors critical to accomplishing the mission statement Church-wide objectives are necessarily more precise than the mission statement and there are more of them, usually three to ten. There are two types of church-wide objectives: instructional and support.
The total set of church-wide support objectives, delineates the scope of major functions which must be performed in order to accomplish the mission statement.
By clarifying these functions, the total set of church-wide objectives provides the focus for program/committee areas. Although the total set of church wide objectives provides the focus for all program/committee areas, a given church-wide objective may or may not cross-cut all program/committee areas.
• Program/committee Objectives. In effect, program/committee objectives constitute mission statements for each of their respective program/committee areas. The program/committee objective clearly delineates the functions to be performed and the responsibilities to be assumed within that particular program/committee area.
Support program/committees objectives incorporate supportive functions such as transportation, management, food services, purchasing, etc. Program/committee objectives set the parameters for the types of lower level objectives to be included within a given program/committee area.
The terminology applied to the mission, church-wide and program/committee levels remains the same for support objectives. However, the nature of the Objectives below the support program/committee objectives level are called performance objectives. These objectives describe the tasks which must be performed in order to provide support services. There are three basic types of performance objectives: problem solving, developmental, and maintenance.
DECISION MAKING
When making a decision, one should keep the outcome in mind--a recommendation for action. The decision maker should pause at each crital center to see if there are facts and other information that will aid in making the decision. In addition related factors should be examined.
1. Assess risks involved in one course of action as compared with another.
2. Predict obstacles to making the various plans.
Locate and Define the Problem:roblems grow out of a need or difficulty that someone observes as experience, and often this need or difficulty is experienced
in attempts to solve other problems. The problem must be defined and located.
Formulate Hypotheses: Hypotheses are tentative solutions to a problem. They give a sense of direction in an attempt to solve the problem. In many instances,
one hypothesis will be substituted for another.
Collect, Classify and Analyze Data: The value of a study depends upon the effectiveness and objectivity with which data are collected, classified, and analyzed. When data have been classified, it must be analyzed and interpreted to determine whether it substantiates or refutes the hypothesis. If it does not, then the hypothesis must be discarded and another formulated. The collection of additional data must be undertaken in an effort to see if the rejection of the hypothesis is truly the proper course of action.
Draw Conclusion: This is the final step in the solution of a problem. The critical element is the stating of the conclusion which agrees with the data. This step also requires considerable examination and study.
Things to look for when formulating the decision process:
Participation: Did all have opportunity to participate? Were some excluded? was an effort made to draw people out? Did a few dominate?
leadership: Did a leader, as such, emerge? was a leader designated? Was leadership shared? Was there any structuring of the group?
Roles: Who initiated ideas? Were they supported and by whom? Did anyone block? Who helped push for decisions? Was there any attempt to summarize and pull together various ideas?
Decision Making: Did group get a lot of ideas suggested before beginning to decide, or did it begin deciding on only a single idea? Did everyone agree to the decisions made? Who helped influence decisions of others? What issues did the group seem to resolve? Not resolve?
Communication: Did people feel free to talk? Was there any interrupting or cutting people off? Did people really listen to others? Was there clarification of points made? Who did people look at when they talked) single out others, scan the group or no one?
Sensitivity: Were members sensitive to the needs and concerns of each other? What feelings did you see being expressed either verbally or non-verbally?
Feedback to group: Talk about the above items or anything else of general interest that you observed about the process.
Scores of seminars and hundreds of books , my summary of the main points the 'church growth movement' is making would be:
• The growth of the church - everywhere - qualitatively and numerically, is God's will.
• The New Testament is full of metaphors, examples, and celebrations of the church growing.
• Churches are most likely to grow where the pastor is a 'possibility thinker', the laity are well-mobilized, the congregation is large enough to provide varied ministries, there is a proper balance between large, middle-sized, and small group encounters, the membership is fairly homogeneous, effective evangelistic methods are used, and where priorities are biblical. Both the pastor and the people must want the church to grow, and be willing to pay the price.
• An important factor is the assimilation of new members and their involvement in the church's program.
There are some controversial issues here: Is the notion of a homogeneous membership biblical? Isn't 'numerolatry' a serious temptation?
What of the tensions between sociological analysis and prayerful dependence on a sovereign Lord? Haven't we bought into an
American 'success mentality'? And many more.
Church Growth is now a sophisticated study. There are dozens of variables common to growing churches, among them these nine:
The Leadership Factor.
All growing churches have leaders with the 'gift of faith' (1 Corinthians 12:9). Their main function: equipping others for ministry (Ephesians 4:12, Colossians 1:28-29). They affirm the apostolic idea of the 'priesthood of all believers', avoiding, at all costs, the idea that 'ordained clergy' alone 'supply the religion'. When a church is growing, someone is hustling somewhere! It's hard, glorious work. Effective leaders are visionary, they transmit enthusiasm, but they also model an authentic Christian obedience. (They are 'like everyone else only more so'). Two other important leadership-variables:
• Leadership style varies from culture to culture, denomination to denomination, church to church. It will be a function of each church's ecclesiology, the expectations of the group and its opinion leaders, and the special gifts of the leader/s involved. Christian leadership can be (benevolently) autocratic, strongly authoritarian, 'charismatic', or 'consensus'.
• Competence. In a television-age, people expect their leaders to operate efficiently and well. Sloppiness won't do any more. When looking for a church, mobile moderns ask 'Does he/she really care?', 'Is the preaching good?' (Good preaching won't necessarily fill a church, but poor preaching will empty it!).
The Spirituality Factor.
Do the people in this church seem to be 'true Christians?'. Are they 'internalizing' the gospel? Is there an authentic obedience to Christ, a
sensitivity to doing his will, a strong desire to 'search the Scriptures' and live by its precepts - between Sundays? Have they told their
faces about the joy which Christ promised his followers? Put bluntly, does Christianity work for them?
In communication terms, it's 'source credibility'. Communications researchers Hovland and Weiss found that people were 3.5 times
more likely to be attracted to an idea if the source of the idea had a high credibility.
This is linked with the koinonia factor. New-comers to a church tend to put the fellowship on a 'warm-to-cold' continuum, depending on whether 'anyone spoke to them'. 'Behold how they love one another' still has a crucial drawing-power. However, Christians best love one another if they know each other - hence the importance of small groups, for study of the Scriptures, prayer, fellowship and mission.
The Mission Factor.
Love for one another is not enough (churches can die of 'koinonitis'). We are commissioned by our Lord to bring the Good News to a lost world. 'Conversion growth' is the healthiest way to grow. So churches will grow in proportion to the membership's ability and willingness to verbalize their commitment to Christ. 'The laity are not helpers of the clergy so that the clergy can do their job, but the clergy are the helpers of the whole people of God, so that the laity can be the Church' (Hans Reudi Weber). Pastors are player-coaches, not bus-drivers with many drowsy passengers!
Mission, in its biblical sense, includes proclamation, and service to others in terms of ministries of mercy and justice. Jesus' wholistic approach to ministry is our model (Matthew 23:23). So every church should ask: 'What are the presenting, and deeper needs of people in our geographical area - and in a cross-cultural situation the Lord puts into our hearts? What are the spiritual gifts evident in our people? How can we marry one with the other?' A church can't meet every community or world need, but there are some ministries it can do.
The Eschatological Factor.
John Wimber, the 'Signs and Wonders' teacher says (with graphs and statistics): 'The only churches/denominations growing rapidly throughout the world are those in which "signs and wonders" accompany the proclamation'. But, you may retort, what of such crusades as Billy Graham's in a given city? His response: generally church membership statistics in those cities at those times exhibit very minor fluctuations, if any. (Probably the 1959 Sydney crusade was an exception).
Protagonists of this view point out that the apostles not only proclaimed, they performed miracles. Perhaps the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century concerned itself with God's Word, now a new Reformation is witnessing God's works again. This issue is more controversial for Westerners, with their rational/empirical world-view, than for people in the Two Thirds World - Africa, Korea, Papua, New Guinea, etc. In these places such things as visions and healings seem to be accepted as part of their normal Christian experience. (And the church is certainly growing dramatically in some of these countries).
The Authority Factor.
Dean Kelly has written a book entitled Why Conservative Churches Are Growing. Experience shows that most people want their leaders to be certain about their beliefs. When a politician is 'fuzzy on the key issues' he soon hears about it! The tension in preaching is to be both 'prophetic' and yet respect the paradoxes in our faith, and that's not always easy.
C.S. Lewis once said that the vast majority of conversions to Christianity happen at the 'evangelical end' of the theological spectrum. The essentials of the gospel are clear: God's creatures, men and women, are estranged from him, and he graciously invites them to be reconciled to him. He loved the world so much that he sent his son Jesus, to die for it. So we are called to turn from our sins, accept the rule of God, and in fellowship with others in the church, to be his obedient people in a lost world. If our pulpits do not make clear the claims of the sovereign God on our lives - individually and collectively - then our people's commitment will be half-hearted.
The Organization Factor.
Many congregations say they'd like to grow, but in a hundred ways do all they can to stay small. For example, about 80% of our churches don't crack the '200 barrier'. Those that do, exhibit some or all of these features: * An additional staff-member is added sooner rather than later (perhaps using gifted people in the congregation). * Small groups, and/or adult classes with options, are fostered, to discourage 'single cellness'. Most groups should expect to grow and divide. * The senior pastor thinks like a rancher, rather than as a shepherd. He or she delegates. The congregation does not expect the senior pastor to minister to everyone. * Every member is assumed to be in ministry. * The nature of a church tends to conform to its facility. They build in faith, with plenty of land for parking,
multi-purpose facilities, and get options on surrounding properties.
You may wonder why your church is not appealing to a particular group. For example, if a higher proportion of professional/management people live in your district than come to your church, ask: Do the worship services appeal to their more sophisticated tastes? Are the buildings, management procedures a bit sloppy (stale advertising, poorly presented church bulletins, no creche, haphazard planning, inadequate heating, etc.)? Is there a general lack of creativity? Is the preaching - and general church attitude - not only for something, but against other Christians and their beliefs? (It is possible to have strong conviction and be accepting of others who might differ. Remember 'God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy Word').
Note, however, that your church does not have to be large to be healthy. A large church may be fat, and a small church may be undernourished. Some people like supermarkets, other boutiques! It is now conceded by church growth consultants that some churches may be healthy but not growing. Theirs is a specialized ministry, or house-church, or spawns daughter-churches when a certain size is reached. Normally, however, life is accompanied by growth, both biologically and ecclesiologically.
The 'Ethos' Factor.
What is the most appropriate way to worship, fellowship, nurture, and evangelize in this culture (or sub-culture)? For example, if Australia was settled by people without strong religious motivations, and if the clergy back in Britain and here were viewed as being part of the 'machinery of repression' (Russel Ward) and almost all the clergy until 1851 were born and trained in the U.K. (and projected an un-Australian image - pale-faced, soft-handed, effeminate, and forever getting lost, as Grocott put it), what has that said to Australian males? Why are men not frequenting our churches, particularly in the mainline Protestant denominations? What does the Australian's apparent dislike of authority and affirmation of egalitarianism say about our ecclesiastical structures? And what of the Norman Gunston image of the little Aussie battler? Is this why, as Donald Horne has written, we can't cope with 'tall poppies'? (Perhaps we ought not to communicate too many 'grand visions', but rather do our goal-setting in manageable doses).
The gospel must also address our general anxiety, hedonism, affluence and economic self-sufficiency.
And yet, some churches are growing, even here! So let us shelve our excuses and ask 'why?' (or 'why not?').
The Liturgy Factor.
Good liturgical innovations won't fill a church, but stale, routinized liturgies will certainly empty it.
If the worship leader/s seem to come across 'without life', that church will soon begin to die.
The common factor in growing churches is not the presence or absence of certain liturgical approaches, formality or informality (some Anglican and some Pentecostal churches are growing, and many are not), but the 'transmission of enthusiasm' by the leadership.
Plus one more thing - good music. All the larger/ growing churches attract a significant number of worshippers with good choirs, orchestra etc. (Whether that's healthy or not is another issue).
The Change Factor.
Kurt Lewin's force field analysis says you can move equal and opposing forces either by increasing the pressure or removing the resistant forces. Perhaps each pastoral leader has one 'growth through force'/'do it my way' church in him. But it's more creative to find the growth factors already in a church and consolidate at those points.
How? First, write down where you'd like your church to be. State all the forces that will help this to happen. Then list the hindrances. Prioritize, then 'brainstorm' some possible action strategies. Refine your list, itemizing the best of these options, together with people's names and target dates. Figure out the best way for the people to modify, then own, these goals.
Church growth books will give you hundreds of ministry-options. Work on a few! (For example a trail-bike champion took teenagers away on 'dirt bike' camps. Thousands were converted. An older widow was a good cook, so she taught young mums baking and canning. The church tripled in size. Philatelic clubs have worked well in some Australian churches).
Back to change. Most groups have people spread across a radical-progressive-conservative-traditionalist spectrum. They must each be treated differently. Radicals rarely make good leaders, but they supply lots of ideas. Your progressives are tuned to anticipate needs. They gravitate to the creative jobs, and quickly perceive the benefits in good plans. They're your best communicators to the conservatives. For the latter group, personal comfort is very important. They see more benefit in the status quo than in change. They are often methodical, and want real answers to their questions. They're good on committees, they're not risk-takers, but once they're 'sold' on a change you're away! Traditionalists have in-built emotional resistance to change. They are sometimes a heavy weight on a church, and negatively influence a larger group. And yet some of them could be among the most faithful and dependable people in the church. Sometimes, however, change might have to happen without their consent!
Finally: * Be person-, not program centered * Plan for the emotional as well as the informational aspects of change * Identify the opinion leaders (six phone calls could inform the whole church!) * Watch your timing: too many changes all at once could be counter-productive * Aim for 'win-win' resolutions of conflict if possible * Have clear goals (If you don't know where you're going you won't know if you've got there!) * Trust in God. It is he who 'gives the increase'. Techniques alone won't grow a healthy church.
Before sound decisions can be made you must have a road map. The development of sound objectives, a strategy and a hierarchical concept for putting things to work on your behalf. This student believes that we must begin to use those management techniques and resources available which will aide us in better resource allocation, more effective use of our time and will help us in being more deliberate in carrying out our work for Christ in this world at this time.
Church objectives allow for the communications of the purpose and direction of the life of the church. In addition, these objectives serves to sharpen the focus of resources toward its purpose. The church objectives as a means and measure provides the congregation a powerful tool for increasing the effectiveness. These objective provides an increased understanding of the church and its purpose and provides for a succinct statement of performance outcomes upon which sound decisions could be made.
There are several characteristics of a good objective as they relate to the decision making process.
The objective should be stated using the active form of the verb.
The objective should specify the expected outcome.
The objective should specify the level of effectiveness expected to be achieved.
The objective should indicate the length of time in which it is expected to be achieved.
The objective should indicate the conditions under which the behavior is expected to occur.
Strategy for developing a church objective hierarchy
A strategy for developing church objectives should be based on a hierarchical concept. The strategy is divided into four basic steps.
1. Clearly state the ultimate objective.
2. State the mission statement and church-wide objectives.
3. Develop the program/committee a hierarchical concept objectives.
4. Specify the performance objectives.
Step One: The ultimate objective
A work groups should be chosen to formulate a statement of philosophy. Representation on the work groups should come from all areas of the church.
Select a task leader who will coordinate the development of a philosophy statement. If their is a current statement of philosophy, the task leader should distribute it to all members of the work groups with a set of questions to guide the review.
After the questions have been discussed, each member of the work groups should collect specific information needed to develop the new philosophy. Each member might better collect information from there own representative group. There are various methods that can be used to collect the information such as surveys, questionnaires, informal contacts, formal meetings, letters and memoranda's.
The information should be reviewed for its repetition and differences. Belief statements should be written embodying this information. The crude belief statements will have to be modified and reviewed until they become acceptable as a statement of philosophy. The first revision is the responsibility of the task leader.
The task leader routes the rough draft to all the other members of the work groups for their suggestions and revisions. The task leader incorporates all appropriate changes into the statement of philosophy and gives it to the employee's of the church.
The congregation’s reaction to the statement are incorporated into the final draft of the statement of philosophy.
Step Two: Stating the ultimate objective, mission statement and church-wide objective.
A work groups should be selected; could be the same work groups used in stating the ultimate objective.
A task leader should be chosen to assume the responsibility of coordinating the task of writing and making consistent the ultimate objectives, mission statement, and church-wide objectives.
The work groups should formulate an ultimate objective. The ultimate objective is a succinct statement of the final draft of the statement of philosophy. This work groups should draft an supportive mission statement focused on management functions.
The work groups should relate the mission statement to all the church-wide objectives. Both the mission statements and church-wide objectives should reflect the purpose(s) of the church. The work groups should decide which purposes are directly related to the outputs of the church.
Determining the kinds of functions which church-wide objectives should include: List the functions that reflect the major operations of the church, personal relations, financial management, etc.
Working in teams of two, the work groups should propose several function arrangements depicting the relationship between the functions and the church-wide objectives.
After agreeing on a particular arrangement of function, the work groups should write objective statements which encompass all of the functions.
These statements should be reviewed and revised before a tentative final draft is submitted to the whole work groups, the chief administrator, for their review.
Step Three: Developing the program/committee objectives
A task leader should be chosen to assume the responsibility of coordinating, writing, and making consistent the program/committee objectives.
A work groups, comprised of the program/committee staff or representatives from the staff, should discuss the mission statement and the Church Wide objectives that have already been constructed.
The work groups should examine any other data that have been collected; i.e., test, survey, questionnaire data, interviews.
The work groups should put in writing the mission statement of the program/committee.
The work groups should identify the program/committee objectives, both develop-mental, maintenance, and problem solving.
The work groups should identify the sub-program/committee objectives and specify the program/committee elements objectives.
The work groups should lay out a program/committee for each program/committee, sub-program/committee, and program/committee element objective.
Understanding and approval of the program/committee from the individual the program/committee pastor report to.
The program/committee staff should be involved in the detailed writing for each program/committee level objective.
Define the limits within which the program/committee staff members can operate.
Define the necessary evaluation-devices so that the program/committee pastor can periodically assess progress.
Step Four: Stating performance objectives
Performance objectives should be developed for every support function in the church. All other objectives (ultimate, church-wide, and program/committee) should be reviewed and performance objectives developed so that the other objectives will be attained.
Objectives hierarchies
We established the need for a logical, systematically-derived comprehensive statement of outcomes or objectives to be accomplished by an church-wide system. The systematic ordering of church objectives can be most effectively accomplished through the use of an objectives hierarchy framework. An objectives hierarchy is a systematic mapping out of all objectives necessary to the accomplishment of a given overall, ultimate objective.
Starting with the general or ultimate objective at the top and preceding down through increasingly more specific objectives, the hierarchy provides a
comprehensive, functional means of organizing objectives into a logical, internally consistent focusing of energies toward the accomplishment of the
ultimate church objective.
In an objectives hierarchy, the objectives are arranged in levels so that as you go down the hierarchy, each level explains a " HOW " the level above it can be accomplished and as you go up the hierarchy, each level explains " WHY " the level below it is necessary
The actual construction of the hierarchy begins at the top with the ultimate objective and works down the successive levels. The number of levels utilized
and the terminology applied to these levels is a function of the specific needs and characteristics of the particular system to which the hierarchy is being applied.
• Ultimate Objective. Is a succinct statement reflecting the philosophical beliefs and values basic to the church. The ultimate objective delineates the philosophical parameters for the lower level objectives.
• Mission Statement.The mission statement is derived directly from the ultimate objective. The mission statement specifies the major elements or components critical to the accomplishment of the ultimate objective. The mission statement reflects those basic support elements or components essential to the accomplishment of the ultimate objective. The support elements deal with the pastorial functions needed to attain the desired Outcomes.
Starting with the mission statement level, the objectives hierarchy is vertically divided. The mission statement constitutes the rationale behind church-wide objectives as well as delineates the scope of church-wide objectives coverage.
• Church-wide Objectives. Church-wide objectives specify those factors critical to accomplishing the mission statement Church-wide objectives are necessarily more precise than the mission statement and there are more of them, usually three to ten. There are two types of church-wide objectives: instructional and support.
The total set of church-wide support objectives, delineates the scope of major functions which must be performed in order to accomplish the mission statement.
By clarifying these functions, the total set of church-wide objectives provides the focus for program/committee areas. Although the total set of church wide objectives provides the focus for all program/committee areas, a given church-wide objective may or may not cross-cut all program/committee areas.
• Program/committee Objectives. In effect, program/committee objectives constitute mission statements for each of their respective program/committee areas. The program/committee objective clearly delineates the functions to be performed and the responsibilities to be assumed within that particular program/committee area.
Support program/committees objectives incorporate supportive functions such as transportation, management, food services, purchasing, etc. Program/committee objectives set the parameters for the types of lower level objectives to be included within a given program/committee area.
The terminology applied to the mission, church-wide and program/committee levels remains the same for support objectives. However, the nature of the Objectives below the support program/committee objectives level are called performance objectives. These objectives describe the tasks which must be performed in order to provide support services. There are three basic types of performance objectives: problem solving, developmental, and maintenance.
DECISION MAKING
When making a decision, one should keep the outcome in mind--a recommendation for action. The decision maker should pause at each crital center to see if there are facts and other information that will aid in making the decision. In addition related factors should be examined.
1. Assess risks involved in one course of action as compared with another.
2. Predict obstacles to making the various plans.
Locate and Define the Problem:roblems grow out of a need or difficulty that someone observes as experience, and often this need or difficulty is experienced
in attempts to solve other problems. The problem must be defined and located.
Formulate Hypotheses: Hypotheses are tentative solutions to a problem. They give a sense of direction in an attempt to solve the problem. In many instances,
one hypothesis will be substituted for another.
Collect, Classify and Analyze Data: The value of a study depends upon the effectiveness and objectivity with which data are collected, classified, and analyzed. When data have been classified, it must be analyzed and interpreted to determine whether it substantiates or refutes the hypothesis. If it does not, then the hypothesis must be discarded and another formulated. The collection of additional data must be undertaken in an effort to see if the rejection of the hypothesis is truly the proper course of action.
Draw Conclusion: This is the final step in the solution of a problem. The critical element is the stating of the conclusion which agrees with the data. This step also requires considerable examination and study.
Things to look for when formulating the decision process:
Participation: Did all have opportunity to participate? Were some excluded? was an effort made to draw people out? Did a few dominate?
leadership: Did a leader, as such, emerge? was a leader designated? Was leadership shared? Was there any structuring of the group?
Roles: Who initiated ideas? Were they supported and by whom? Did anyone block? Who helped push for decisions? Was there any attempt to summarize and pull together various ideas?
Decision Making: Did group get a lot of ideas suggested before beginning to decide, or did it begin deciding on only a single idea? Did everyone agree to the decisions made? Who helped influence decisions of others? What issues did the group seem to resolve? Not resolve?
Communication: Did people feel free to talk? Was there any interrupting or cutting people off? Did people really listen to others? Was there clarification of points made? Who did people look at when they talked) single out others, scan the group or no one?
Sensitivity: Were members sensitive to the needs and concerns of each other? What feelings did you see being expressed either verbally or non-verbally?
Feedback to group: Talk about the above items or anything else of general interest that you observed about the process.
