What is Natural Church Development?

Natural Church Development is process aimed at making healthy churches.  If a church is healthy, it will grow naturally, just like a plant that is healthy.  Natural Church Development has identified eight characteristics of a healthy church.

                Empowering Leadership

                                Gift-Oriented Ministry

                                                Passionate Spirituality

                                                                Functional Structures

                                                                                Inspiring Worship

                                                                                                Holistic Small Groups

                                                                                                                Need-Oriented Evangelism

                                                                                                                                Loving Relationships

Notice that all churches have leadership, ministry, worship, structures, etc.  But it is the adjectives that make a church healthy.  Leadership is empowered to lead in a healthy church.  Ministry is led by folks gifted in that ministry.  Structures must function well to be healthy.

How does it work?

 A very statistically accurate survey has been developed to help churches identify which of the characteristics is least healthy.  Thirty people take the survey.  The surveys are forwarded to folks who have the software to run the statistical analysis.  Then the results are sent to the church.

Once a church has the results of the survey, the church

                                Begins to study the characteristic

                                Analyzes why that characteristic is weak

                                Develops a plan to become healthy in that area

History

Highlands United Methodist Church began the Natural Church Development process in September 2004, attending the Christian Enrichment School whose theme was Healthy Congregations.  We took our first survey in June of 2005.  Our least healthy characteristic at that time was Gift-Oriented Ministry.  We took our second survey in September 2006 and our least healthy characteristic was Loving Relationships.  The latest survey was taken in May 2008.  Our current least healthy characteristic is Passionate Spirituality.

Look what has happened to the previous characteristics:

                Gift Oriented Ministry in 2005 was a low 34.  In May 2008, this characteristic came in at 62.

                Loving Relationships in 2006 was a low 33.  In May 2008, this characteristic rose to 52.

Natural Church Development Team

Joe Allinder , Spiritual Leader                                      Kathy Walther, Team Chairperson & Gift Coordinator

Bruce Stevens, Lay Leader                                           Beverly Miller, Loving Relationship Coordinator

Larry Fordham                                                                   Bill McCann

Theo Edwards                                                                   Evelyn Davis

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What exactly is Passionate Spirituality?

                                    Passionate spirituality is connecting with God on a regular basis. 

It is the path that we travel where we continually learn from and grow closer to Christ.

How do we connect with God on a regular basis?

                Prayer – communicating with God – and maintain a positive attitude are two ways to stay connected to God.  We are a people of joy and rightfully so.  We are resurrection people.  We are sons and daughters of the King.  And the King wants to talk with us every day. 

                A third way to stay connected with God is through commitment: to daily prayer and to a positive attitude, but also commitment to worshiping and serving our Lord.  Christians are called to worship, not just on special holy days, but on every Sunday.  Christians are called to come together as the church and worship. 

Christians are called to service.  Our Lord was a servant and proved it in so many ways:  healing the sick, washing the feet of the disciples, and giving his life that his followers might have life everlasting.

The Holy Spirit has endowed each of us with spiritual gifts.  Those gifts are not for us to keep hidden away.  They’re not for us at all.  Those gifts are given for the building up of the church.  In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul said, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 

So get committed to ministry or mission in the church and see how your commitment affected your spirituality.

Natural Church Development Team