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Transformation often begins with assessment.
Why churches need the TCAT Before you can get where you want to go, you have to know where you are. A Transformational Church is defined as a church where: • People become more like Jesus • The church acts more like the body of Christ • The community becomes more of a reflection of the kingdom of God Several churches in North America are experiencing this kind of transformation. And many others, possibly yours, are striving to become more like them. The Transformational Church Assessment Tool (TCAT) can help. This online assessment uses a variable scale to gauge the perceptions of your church members concerning each of the seven Transformational Church elements: missionary mentality, vibrant leadership, relational intentionality, prayerful dependence, worship, community, and mission. No other church health assessment offers this much breadth and depth. This powerful online tool (about 80 statements) can help you quickly assess where your church is strong now and areas that may need development. Reports are updated in real time and are available throughout the survey process for your designated leaders to review at any time. The survey provides the following four reports: 1. Demographic report 2. Pastor report (compares the pastor’s responses with members’ collective responses) 3. Summary report (gives a report on each element and flags potential areas of opportunity for your church)
4. Detail report (gives a detailed breakdown of responses to each item in the assessment)
What you can expect Here’s what you can expect to learn through the TCAT: • How well you are integrating new members into the life of your church • How well members understand the vision and mission of your church • How they perceive the leadership of the church • How they feel about the small group ministry (Sunday School, small groups, etc.) • How meaningful their worship experience is • How they approach the lost within the local community • How prayer fits into their daily lives • Attitudes about lasting relationships between members • How they think they should engage the community Here’s what your church’s report should reveal: • Areas of strongest positive agreement • Areas that need further investigation • Doors of opportunity To see a sample listing of Assessment statements that will help you change the dialogue (and scorecard!) in your church, see the “Sample Statements” inserts in the back of this folder.
How to use the TCAT (step by step) 1. Go to www.transformationalchurch.com Click on the purple button in the lower right-hand corner labeled “Use the Assessment Tool.” 2. Complete the purchase process Use your weekend worship attendance as a guide as to which assessment option to purchase. Cost is based on church size (i.e. fewer than 250; between 250 and 499; between 500 and 999; 1,000 or more). 3. Get your church passcode Once you have purchased the Transformational Church Assessment Tool, you will receive a unique church passcode. 4. Register with church passcode The person who registers first for your church will be the one with full access to the group and pastor’s reports. Other members of your leadership can be given access to these privileges. To login and use your church’s passcode, go to http://tc.lifeway.com 5. Complete the Pastor Survey On the registration page of the survey, indicating you are the senior pastor will allow you to provide aggregate statistics about the church and respond to the same statements as the congregation. 6. Promote the survey churchwide (with unique passcode) This can be done in newsletters, from the pulpit, via e-mail, and online. We have sample postcards and logos available to promote the project to your church. Be sure to encourage maximum participation (increases accuracy). 7. Review results online anytime during the process Group and pastor survey results are available throughout the survey process for those with leader privileges to review at any time. 8. Get help if needed A list of Trained Certified Consultants are available to assist your church in understanding and applying the results of the assessment. See the postcard included in this packet or visit www.lifeway.com/tc
FAQs About The Transformational Church Initiative Here are a few common questions church leaders ask about implementing Transformational Church principles into their church. You can also check www.lifeway.com/tc for more detailed information, including updates, prices, and event and training dates.
How do I get my leaders up to speed on this quickly? Convey the concepts in Transformational Church to your church leaders quickly, easily, and affordably using the Transformational Church DVD Discussion Guide. The kit includes a DVD and CD-ROM (with a listening guide) that leads your team through six sessions. Video from Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer, Bruce Raley and Philip Nation is featured in each session.
Is there a way to rally my leaders around the ideas of Transformational Church? Treat your staff to a Transformational Church Pastor/ Staff Retreat. Get everyone away from the distractions of daily church life. Use this dedicated time to grow and strengthen your team and to cast a shared vision for your church’s future. The package includes content for discussion; sessions with speakers from the DVD videos; affinity groups with your peers; and time for your staff to meet and discuss the Transformational Church model and to plan its implementation for the unique environment of your church. And all of this is provided at a very affordable price. (Some details may change. Visit us online for the latest information.)
How do I assess where we are as a church and get our congregation thinking “Transformational”? Before you can get where you want to go, you have to know where you are. The Transformational Church Assessment Tool (TCAT) can help. This online assessment uses a graded scale to gauge the perceptions of your church members concerning each of the seven Transformational Church elements. It can help you quickly assess where your church is strong now and areas that may need development. Reports are updated in real time and are available throughout the survey process for your designated leaders to review at any time.
What if I’d like additional perspective on our church’s assessment? Many churches who go through the church assessment find it valuable to have a set of “outside eyes and ears” to guide them through the process. We have trained certified Transformational Church consultants specifically for this reason. They will visit your church personally, walk you through the assessment process, and propose the next steps to take based on your assessment results.
Can I help other churches become transformational? We continue to train and certify Transformational Church Consultants to help church leaders take the assessment, analyze the results, and plan future actions to move toward transformation. Those interested in becoming a certified Transformational Church Consultant can contact Ross Ramsey (ross.ramsey@lifeway.com) or Sergio Arce (sergio.arce@lifeway.com).
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