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church growth
Un-puzzling
We do not have a “best practice” or simple recipe approach to growth. Even a “good practice” recipe book (eg Fresh Expressions) is interesting but rather inconclusive – not a Jamie Oliver best-seller.
One way of looking at this puzzle is offered via a framework called cynefin, which might cause us to think about the complexity and even chaos in which we are operating.
This diagram (below) does not label the key central area – the disorder zone. Conceptually a place where we reside and from which might begin to test the four areas for a best fit to describe our world.
This might be dismissed as just another Boston matrix approach. There is however a related technique for teasing out some answers – as indicated in the 7min YouTube clip below. At the most crude level, if we had our members telling their anecdotal stories of effective congregational initiatives, where would the speaker (and listeners) position the stories within a growth triangle (axes of numeric, spiritual and transformational outcomes), and what might we learn? We might also usefully develop a wider set of signifier sets?
The Cognitive Edge organisation who operate SenseMaker offer some standard analyses (SCANs). For example, around corporate culture the storygathering and analysis works like this , which generates a sample output report
The variables used may need to be adapted to a church situation, and interpretation is likely to depend on some training and experience.
These pdfs from an overseas aid/development project may be more applicable –
Some maths that may prove relevant…
PODS AND CLODS?
One of the stronger contenders for a “growth handbook” is Schwarz’s Natural Church Development material. I’ve just seen the latest(?) elements – an exponential pairs approach first described in the Shahnameh, and a one-on-one DIY or JDI version.
But is NCD itself a sound model…. ?
………I cannot endorse this book. I would not recommend the book to a pastor, because I think there is more edifying material he could read and spend time pursuing. ……..The purpose and plan of the church are not gained from natural observations and description. They are ultimately revealed, and part of God’s prescribed plan to redeem a people for himself.
http://9marks.org/review/natural-church-development-christian-schwarz/
Jesus Himself said, “I will build my church.” He also said that if we lift up His name, He would draw all men unto us. So, at the most foundational level, church growth is about the worship of the majestic Creator and King. This principle is what Schwarz is getting at. That is, our job is to focus on the watering and planting while letting God take care of the growth. ……… For this reason, its [this book’s] relevance to the body of ecclesiastical literature is stark and therefore should be read by believers who desire to see their church be all that God is calling it to be in Christ.
http://www.ourvineyard.org/files/A_Review_of_Christian_Schwarz1.htm
I think this is one of the best books I have read in recent years on church growth ………..Without a doubt, ‘Natural Church Development’ is a book worth reading by anyone interested in growing a healthy Church.
http://www.morethancake.org/archives/3368
2:1 positive, so some hope maybe.
I have noted the way some people shy away from numeric growth – regarding its proponents as not quite understanding the true purpose of church and dismissing the concept as false. As with a seed, growth can’t be forced to appear by human willpower. But we can provide an optimised setting that will promote growth if the seed lands and is fertile.
Of course we may note that some seeds always fail and even our best seeds produce less, which might suggest that our setting needs to lie fallow and be rethought for a different crop – perhaps our Methodist peas need to become more ecumenical spuds. Stop counting peas and begin to look for potatoes. Stop storing the produce with Birdseye – build a potato clamp.
This is a fun analogy – as long as you are not an ordained pea farmer or pulse parishioner. It calls for a major change in almost every aspect of your operation. Clods and Pods.
Dig for Victory
Making churches
To “fix” the cathedral in Christchurch NZ after the 2011 earthquake, a novel temporary design was adopted. It uses cardboard tubes for the roof and shipping containers for walls. Fast and simple, and in keeping with their neighbours – sharing the pain of loss and their temporary existence.
The fix seems to have generated its own legal earthquake as traditionalists seek instead to repair the 1880’s stone structure of the original cathedral.
The final answer will be a slow-appearing symbol of healing and restoration – earthquake-proof, so probably not stone-built! But still central and iconic – like Coventry or Dresden.
Biblical concepts of church could reflect the temple or the synagogue, or the various “rooms in homes” used as the early church spread, or perhaps even the gospels’ agricultural analogies of the flock or planting the seed or the fields ready for harvest into barns.
Small bouncy castle with air blower connected
But what about the bouncy castle? This might be a much more useful analogy for modern times.
Flexible, portable, fast to erect, designed to suit, inexpensive.
Attractive, fun, child-friendly.
But it was the way the bouncy castle depends on the air blower that caught my attention. The castle only works while the blower is running to maintain gentle pressure. Once it stops the structure begins to collapse gently. It may still look like a castle, but it rapidly becomes unsafe and ineffective. It can quickly be restored too. Our traditional structures are not so quick to signal that there is a problem – nor are they as easy to restore!
How best might you help fix your local bouncy church?
Fools rush in …..2
John Calvin who was active in developing and governing Geneva as a reformed society in the 1540’s
So I’m not impressed by the “Who is my neighbour?” letter from the Anglican House of Bishops. But within that particular pile of hay, are there any ponies? (See “Santa calls” in this blog)
There is a call for morals and ethics to be more evident in everyday life, especially commerce and politics.
There is a proposal that a new way of thinking is needed in national politics, something that is more human in scale and supportive of a sense of belonging and community. That connects also to the idea of the “intermediate institution” (eg see Garibaldo and Telljohann) which offers something that sits between family and nation that people can “join” or support. Perhaps best exemplified in England by football clubs?
The Anglican vision is to position churches as an intermediate institution, linking to concepts like Big Society, co-operative movements and mutual associations. These church-based groupings would link formal welfare state arrangements and local voluntary action to provide a visible sense of community – caring, supportive, fair etc. Politicians and others might be concerned that the Anglican precedent would allow others to develop less-attractive arrangements: – sharia no-go-areas, for example.
The idea might however have merit if operated at a “small town” and local-ecumenical scale. Perhaps also the work already done by Participle to re-think and extend Beveridge would be helpful.
The outcome would be close to emerging Methodist intentions – to look for numeric, spiritual and community-active dimensions of growth.
How might a better expression of this overall concept be developed in and for England?
(The Puritan connection may be somewhat unsettling for Prince Charles however?)
Fools rush in….?
The recent “Who is my neighbour?” Anglican initiative is, no doubt, well-intentioned but probably has not had quite the effect it was intended to produce. 23000 words over 56 pages is a tad excessive, even had it been well-constructed! One might have hoped Welby & Co would have recalled the oilman’s guidance for preachers – if you haven’t struck oil in 10mins, stop boring. That might have helped limit the splatter damage as this ungainly offering bounced through letterboxes.
In structure more like unstrung worry beads than a rosary, the letter wanders over some troublesome concerns that have impinged on CoE bishops. In addressing them, they appear to have lost sight of their prime purpose.
“…..We belong together in a creation which should be cherished and not simply used and consumed. This is the starting point for the Church of England’s engagement with society, the nation and the world. …..”
Surely not: the starting point is the Great Commission or perhaps the events of Golgotha, Bethlehem or the Garden of Eden? Other related ideas may of course shape CoE’s engagement.
If the church going to engage with the political arena it does need much better advice on the whole gamut of the PR game, and in particular the skill of crafting a message that works.
The letter is lengthy and self-contradictory or at least inconsistent within the first three paragraphs:
para 1. We live in challenging but hopeful times……….. para 3. …. [but] ……….. how can we negotiate these dangerous times……..
The content distils, eventually, after much boiling, to:-
- society is imperfect and open to improvement;
- improvement will not come through right wing (market) or left wing (welfare) politics;
- a middle non-party path or concept is needed;
- that path would depend upon, and validate the position of, the “intermediate institution” as a “community” sitting between family and nation, and related to the active concept of “Big Society”;
- the church is one such “intermediate institution” and would be a natural part of a diverse set of such institutions;
- these institutions would have a focus on building an inclusive and caring society, perhaps with a co-operative or mutual society ethos;
- there would also be a more explicit moral or ethical viewpoint in everyday life (this aspect could usefully have been stronger in the letter!);
- a similar concern extends to the relationships amongst nations (but with less of a solution offered);
- the UK relationship framework needs to evolve and recognise that nuclear arms are no longer a valid option;
- voters need to consider how their vote would best encourage continued movement towards an improved society, specifically –
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Towards egalitarian;
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More people-centric and smaller scale;
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Community-sensitive and alert to our roots;
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Supporting & valuing the weaker;
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Willing to debate UK role in world and the type of “big stick” that UK needs.
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Bovril@125
Red and white logo – just like Methodism or Coke.
Bovril celebrates its 125th anniversary this year…..so a similar vintage to many Methodist churches. Similar also in age to CocaCola but no added sugar or fizz to buoy its attraction. Just the inherent promise of concentrated nutrition.
Full story is reported here, but how has it succeeded? It is, after all, a rather gruesome concoction!
Firstly, it has built and retained its traditional reputation as a comfort and recuperative drink.
But, more importantly perhaps, it has also managed to maintain its position as the half-time hot drink of choice at football matches, built up from the days when football(soccer) was less glitzy than now. It has attached itself to a major UK cultural force.
How does Methodism relate to the world of football…..or fishing (Simon Peter etc) …..or……any of the other major everyday activities people enjoy? Room for improvement perhaps?
Are you sure……?
I once saw a lawyer use that simple question to kill progress by three engineers completing a production task. They were in fact 100% correct in their approach but once the doubt was sown they were lost – confidence gone, no easy way to check their facts, each blaming the other for the “mistake”, none prepared to move ahead again.
Which was what the lawyer wanted to achieve: control – at the expense of progress!
Major church denominations are facing decline, often seeming to be approaching closure. Their historic model of working is too costly. English Methodism can still generate sparks and warmth but it is also characterised by its Heritage activity (getting its affairs in order!) and its enthusiasm for visible union with Anglicans (the care home?). Very few of its congregations are growing – the few that are now bigger are mainly outcomes of mergers where there has probably been a net loss of members. While the recent reporting of the decline has provoked recent anxieties, it has been 100 years since English Methodism was (nationally) demonstrating numeric growth. It would seem that a new approach is needed….but are we sure? Maybe Methodism will soon cease….but are we sure?
If we look around we will see many secular examples where an organisation is succeeding even though its product may be of questionable value, especially compared to Christianity. Make a weird tea or herbal concoction, add sugar and (perhaps) fizz and sell it: the commercial formula for CocaCola, Pepsi, Red Bull, Starbucks, Costa etc. And if you want more of a challenge, boil up cattle to produce a thick gravy-like brew – Bovril. These products succeed not because of their core content but because they are presented confidently by people who expect to see their product grow in the marketplace, and they know how to deliver that outcome. If they don’t have that skill, they quickly are removed. So indeed God may want to remove Methodists (and others) if they are not succeeding…..but not just yet?
In seeking to succeed it is perhaps important to be proactive in managing uncertainty and to move ahead, not allowing perfect to be the enemy of the good in doing what needs to be done today.
Therefore 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.
Title graphic from http://mightymag.org/daily-devotional/step-by-step/
Stormy and odd
Stormy and Odd hear noises….
Church is an odd institution! Why go there?
The “atheist church” movement shows that there is a secular demand for well-run church-like events:
The Sunday Assembly is a global movement that celebrates life. We bring people together to sing awesome pop songs, listen to TED-style talks and create joyful communities. Launched in January 2013, now [Dec 2014] over 7000 people a month attend 65 chapters from London to Los Angeles, and from Berlin to Sydney. The Chief Community Creator will grow our congregations…. The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrates life. Our aim is to live better, help often and wonder more. Our mission is to help everyone first discover and then achieve their full potential. We meet because we know we are stronger together than on our own. Assemblies are communities of action, building lives of purpose. In time, we want anywhere that can support one to have a full Sunday Assembly with a host, building and complete community outreach programme. [http://sundayassembly.com/ ]
and belief has marketing cred….
Coca-Cola has rolled out a new campaign, titled ‘Reasons to Believe’, asking its customers to believe in a better world. A 60-second TV ad opens on a child choir singing a version of ‘You Got the Love’. It then jumps to a short clips showing something negative happening in the world, which is then counteracted with another clip showing something positive. Drohan-Stewart, marketing activation director, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland explained “This campaign takes us back to the heartland of what our brand has always stood for – talking to people on an emotional level about topics that are relevant to them and spreading happiness and optimism.”
Church-goers might question the virtues of both organisations and see them as lesser than Christianity, but both are actively growing. They are not troubled by the idea that growth is a dirty concept, not wanted of their organisation. Their only concern is how and where. They understand that it is their job to expand their organisational “good stuff”. They of course do not enjoy the sense of security enjoyed by most mainstream church leaders (at all funded levels), nor have they lost their growth mojo.
A balance needs to be struck between spiritual and numerical growth, with (ideally) the people with depth generating the warmth and welcome that attracts numbers in a way that allows newcomers in turn to learn, grow and, in their turn, warm others. Those newcomers may also be attracted by architecture, music, smells and bells or some other non-spiritual dimension – the church open door or fishing net is quite indiscriminate! It is the next “forming” steps that are important, but first, what gets people to look towards church at all? Can we get that sorted?
A recent study* suggests that people’s interest in church does not increase with age and may lessen so as those of today’s older people (brought up as churchgoers) die, their places are not filled by the next generation. So the church also declines.
The report suggests that “it would be more meaningful to allocate [mid-aged] people to one of seven categories:
(a) Non-religious (28% of the 1970-born [ie 43-year-old] cohort): Does not have a religion or believe in either God or life after death. (b) Unorthodox non-religious (21%): Does not have a religion or does not attend services. Believes in God or life after death but not both. (c) Actively religious (15%): Has a religion and believes in God and life after death. Attends services. (d) Non-practising religious (14%): Has a religion and believes in God and life after death. Does not attend services. (e) Non-identifying believers (10%): Does not have a religion, but believes in God and life after death. (f) Nominally religious (7%): Identifies with a religion. But believes in neither God nor life after death (g) Unorthodox religious (5%): Has a religion and attends services at least occasionally. Believes in God but not life after death (or,in a few cases, vice versa).
Could attendances easily (?) be doubled if type (d) people could be encouraged to join the (c)’s? What does church have to offer the other 67% of the population?
*Report in full at http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?itemtype=document&id=1985 The mysteries of religion and the lifecourse David Voas First published in 2015 by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies © UCL Institute of Education University College London 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL www.cls.ioe.ac.uk
Listen for the whistle
The recent paper Each Generation: A programme for reform and renewal [CoE GS1976] prefaces a set of reports reflecting on the strategic challenges facing CoE in meeting its goals – tackling its declining attendances, loss of clergy and the burden of its estate. All of which is familiar to almost all of the larger denominations. The two Archbishops launched this General Synod report-back session with the stark comment that there was a short time left to resolve these fundamental concerns; also that more central strategic effort needed to be put towards using the internet as a basis for “church”. The GS debate will be in Feb 2015
The Church of England currently has three goals for the 2010-15 quinquennium: serving the common good, spiritual and numerical growth and re-imagining ministry. Latest CoE publications suggest that a head of steam continues to build.
Whilst all of the main denominations seem to recognise the same symptoms – lack of support and leadership, burdened by an over-large and obsolescent estate – none yet seem to have a viable proposal to make Christianity more relevant or interesting. Remembering my childhood, the proposal for a Revised Catechism (see below) does feel a bit like asking for the Inquisitional rack to be fitted with an electric motor – hopefully more creativity will be applied to this matter!
In summary, we [Task Force on Resourcing the Future of the Church of England – see GS1978] learned [via our survey] that:
* There is a widespread aspiration for growth;
* There is a desire to maintain and develop the parish system, although this is likely to mean in many dioceses further amalgamation of parishes into multi-parish benefices;
* Newer forms of church are a growing feature of the Church of England but diocesan resources,
thinking and effort are still largely devoted to the ‘stipendiary clergy + parish’ model of church;
* There is a desire to stabilise stipendiary clergy numbers and increase the number of self-supporting clergy and lay leaders;
* There are concerns about the quality of some current clergy, and those emerging through current selection and training processes;
* The Church cannot find sufficient ministers to lead churches in the most deprived communities of the country and/or exercise specialist leadership roles (e.g. multi-parish benefices, interim ministry).
Our [Resourcing Ministerial Education in the Church of England Task Group – see GS1979 ] vision is of a growing church with a flourishing ministry. We hope therefore to see
* every minister equipped to offer collaborative leadership in mission and to be adaptable in a rapidly changing context;
* a cohort of candidates for ministry who are younger, more diverse and with a wider range of gifts to serve God’s mission;
* an increase of at least 50% in ordinations on 2013 figures sustained annually from 2020;
* the rapid development of lay ministries;
* a continued commitment to an ordained and lay ministry which serves the whole Church both geographically and in terms of church tradition.
[ all of which requires a training budget increase of £10M from the existing c£18M ]
The [Developing Disciples Task Force – GS1977 has pointed to]:
* Ten Marks of Developing Disciples, [which…..] describe – see below – healthy marks within a diocese;
* A new theological conversation on discipleship and ministry [that will….] develop fresh theological resources;
* A Revised Catechism [……. as a modern resource to] to help the whole Church explore and live out our common discipleship.
TEN MARKS OF A DIOCESE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING DISCIPLES
In a diocese committed to developing disciples ….
1. …A lifelong journey of discipleship and growth in Christian maturity is supported and modelled by all.
2. …The importance of discipleship in daily life is affirmed.
3. …Gatherings for worship celebrate the discipleship of all the baptised.
4. …Disciples are equipped to help others to become followers of Jesus.
5. …Diocesan work on vocations is based on the principle that all the baptised are called into God’s service.
6. …Good practice in facilitating learning and formation is developed.
7. …Gifts of leadership are recognised and developed among all the baptised.
8. …Innovation and experiment are encouraged in mission, ministry and discipleship.
9. …Specific diocesan policies and plans promote discipleship development
10. …Diocesan resources are committed to the development of the whole people of God.
This version of the Ten Marks: produced by CoE Education Division, Ministry Division and MPA following wider consultation with diocesan networks. December 19 2014
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