04
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Grow.
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Church Life Cycle. Diagram A Plateau
Impact/ Growth
Growth
Preparation
Launch
Time
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It’s safe to say that every new location starter when setting out on their endeavour of starting a new location leaves the starting gate with high hopes and anticipation for growth and expansion. Just as growth is an integral aspect of the Kingdom of God, everything that God is into grows. But even with this anticipation and expectation, there will always be a degree of uncertainty when starting something new, especially a new location. Not all new locations will go through the same process, but there tends to be a general life cycle. Through knowing what to expect we are less likely to be caught off guard and stay planted on the road of developing a healthy and growing new location.
Christian A. Schwarz says, “every church is as unique as a human fingerprint.” 1 Although it has been found over the years of church analysis and
Potential Decline
study, that the standard life cycle of a church is that similar to a bell curve, and this idea now has been commonly adopted by many new location starters. In very basic terms churches typically
Death
go through the following life cycle described in Diagram A.
02
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Author and church consultant Aubrey Malphurs
As we look through Acts c
says, “like people, churches have a life cycle. In
key foundations in our pr
general, a church is born, and over time it grows.
for starting a new location
Eventually, it reaches a plateau, and if nothing is done to move it off that plateau, it begins to decline.
“He presented himself
If nothing interrupts the decline, it will die.” 2
suffering by many proofs,
forty days and speaking ab In this section, we are focusing on what to expect
ACTS 1:3 (ESV)
when starting a new location. These expectations are ranging from the areas of preparation, launch,
1. The Lord wants us con
growth, plateau and potential decline. This will
resurrection.
inevitably overlap with church health and church
A foundational unders
growth, but we will wait until later sections to
principles is essential
explore that in more detail. After a process of
location.
accumulating and simplifying the various theories of a church life cycle, diagram A is what we have
“And while staying with the
formulated, and will use as a basis to describe what
depart from Jerusalem, bu
could be expected when starting a new location.
of the Father, which, he sa ACTS 1:4 (ESV)
PR E PA R ATI O N
2. A Jerusalem experien anywhere. This stage of launching a new location is commonly
The home of learning,
overlooked
ministry is developed
and
rushed.
Experienced
church
pastors and planters agree that this is an integral
are formed. Jesus com
stage of the whole process.
depart. This word in th
chorizo, 3 which mean
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chapter 1, we discover nine
There is a temptation in all of us at some point
reparation and leadership
to separate our hearts or to leave physically
n.
the very place that God has ordained to be our Jerusalem. The second half of the command is
alive to them after his
to wait. Patience is required for the things that
appearing to them during
need to happen to happen.
bout the kingdom of God.” “For John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from
nvinced of His
now.” ACTS 1:5 (ESV)
standing in Kingdom in starting a new
3. Jesus knew a key ingredient in the New Testament church was the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
em he ordered them not to
ut to wait for the promise
aid, “you heard from me;”
“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by
nce is vital before we go
his own authority.” ACTS 1:6-7 (ESV)
, the place where your and gifts and attitudes
4. We need to know what to focus on and what
mmanded them not to
not to focus on.
he original Greek is
In planting a new location, you don’t have the
ns ‘to separate’ or ‘divide’.
luxury of philosophical meandering. The key
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C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
1. principles of New Testament church life are
new location. There w
what a church planter needs to have firmly
disciples knew what w
implanted in their heart.
but rather whatever d
were in it together. Th “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
God and a sense of ob
come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in
what they were being
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
doubt that fear and aw
end of the earth.”
gatherings.
ACTS 1:8 (ESV)
In the NIV it says ‘they 2. Jesus immediately redirected their thinking to
constantly.’ Remembe
the focal point – power in you and reaching
birthing stage of the c
the world with it.
be revisited as a new
If this was the key when Jesus was training
church. To be ‘devotin
the disciples, so it should be now. It isn’t
attend constantly.’ In o
only practice but a paradigm that directs our
showing up. The pictu
behaviour, our structures, our programs, and
never left the upper ro
our total church life.
returning to it.
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves
“In those days Peter stoo
to prayer, together with the women and Mary the
(the company of persons
mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
said”
ACTS 1:14 (ESV)
ACTS 1:15 (ESV)
3. There was one-mindedness in their
4. Leadership was define
beginnings.
Peter stood up, or anis
This is formed by the team that births the
“to rise” or “rise up”. H
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was not a sense that the
choice, and no one was disputing it. There
was going to happen,
was a very clear sense of the presence of
did happen the disciples
leadership and its role: visibility, interpretation,
hey all carried a heart for
recognition, and decision-making. Peter
bedience to carry out
was giving them direction and leading them
g called to do. There is no
we was surrounding their
through scriptures. At this point it isn’t yet a church – it’s a gathering.
“So one of the men who have accompanied us
y all joined together
during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and
er this was life in the
out among us, beginning from the baptism of John
church. These times may
until the day when he was taken up from us—one
level is ‘birthed’ into the
of these men must become with us a witness to his
ng themselves’ means ‘to
resurrection.”
other words, they kept
ACTS 1:21-22 (ESV)
ure here isn’t that they
oom, but that they kept
5. Peter was inclusive, not exclusive. Peter knew what he wanted to do and left no question to the followers as to his decisiveness
od up among the brothers was in all about 120) and
– this is necessary. He immediately made way to choose someone new for Judas’ position. From the beginning, he knew the basis of choosing people for his team. He was looking for proven people.
ed.
stemi, 4 which means to
“And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know
He was obviously God’s
the hearts of all, show which one of these two
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C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
you have chosen to take the place in this ministry
apologetics.” 7
and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them,
Off the back of this is the
and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered
To develop a strategy that
with the eleven apostles.”
community’s needs while
ACTS 1:24-26 (ESV)
lifestyles, beliefs, or flaws Kingdom culture.
1. They listened to the recommendation of others but still asked God to show them who His
This prepared strategy is t
choice was.
natural evangelism. Natur
“Lord, who have you chosen?” – a key factor
something that is forced; i
from day one in birthing a new location.
medium of relationships. W
remind ourselves that chu When it comes to preparation, there are both
that takes place on a Sund
internal and external factors to be considered.
every day of the week. Th
Internal preparation involves personal
the gospel and developing
development, whereas external preparation is
evangelistic lifestyle” 8 rig
usually in the form of learning, strategizing, and
intend to start a new locat
evangelising. Tim Keller says, “successful church planting begins with learning as much as you
L AU N C H
can about the people you wish to reach with the gospel message.” 5 This involves studying the culture and context of the new location so you can
It’s recommended that the
understand how to be most effective in serving
location should only be co
these people and reaching them with the gospel.
necessary preparation has
6 “Understanding the common worldview of the
new location starter, team
people will help you develop the raw material for
confident the timing is righ
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new location will vary depending on the chosen model or launch method (as explored in the last next step - to strategize.
chapter) but some common factors should be
t serves the particular
expected during the launch. As pastor and author
seeking to change the
J.D. Payne states, “this stage involves leading
that don’t match up with
the new believers to self-identify and covenant together as a local church.” 9 This is the core idea behind the launching of a new location.
then outworked through
ral evangelism isn’t
The launch phase is usually a very exciting stage
it’s done through the
as anticipation and expectations are high. The
We need to continually
vision is clear in all actions and decisions, targets
urch isn’t just something
have been set, and methods of how to reach
day but something we do
them are outlined. At this stage, a major priority
his way we are “sharing
g an intentionally
ght from the point we
tion.
is reaching the lost, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the vision of reaching the unreached is in the forefront of the minds of all believers so they will then act in such a way. Secondly in the early stages of a new location volunteer engagement and financial giving are essential to the life of a church. These aspects only come about through growing the number of members of a new location
e launch of the new
and growing predominately through new believers
onsidered once the
not ‘taking’ members of current churches. Without
s been done and the
these two aspects, it’s very unlikely any location
m and sending church is
will last long or make much of an impact.
ht. Now the launch of the
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C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
The weekend service is what receives the most
set culture within a new lo
attention. Due to restricted finances, volunteer,
you set in the launch phas
and other resources the weekend services are the
the church grows. Any cul
major focus and outworking of the new locations
church growth and health
vision. Management predominately comes from
never even be placed in th
the senior pastor and “rules or systems are really
of a church.
not needed at this point. It’s all about executing the pastor’s direction.” 10 Although this does not
G ROW TH
mean rules and systems aren’t necessary, it’s just that these areas are being developed.
After the launch stage, the What Tony Morgan recognises to be an integral
level of excitement around
part of this phase is to give ministry away to
and is outworked in a con
volunteers. 11 In small churches, it is expected the
innovation and creativity.
senior minister does the entire ministry, but if this
of a new church or new ca
mindset remains, then it will limit the growth and
significant and fruitful, typ
health of the location. Every single person has a
returns far superior to any
set capacity, and this can become the cap of any
of a similar size church.” 12
church unless you release ministry to those below
and leadership coach Tony
you and teach them to do the same.
you are diligent and faithfu
of ministry, I believe it’s po Church leaders need to be acutely aware of the
rapid growth.” 13 Most new
culture they are setting in the early stages of
of momentum from the lau
starting a new location. Culture setting isn’t always
manufactured in the prepa
an intentional action. We don’t need to celebrate
as an arrow being pulled b
something for it to become a culture, but rather
being set in motion, it’s th
merely something you allow can become a hard-
driving force of growth for
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ocation. The culture
momentum dies off if left unattended. This growth
se will only harden as
needs to transition from momentum growth to
lture that might restrict
strategic growth.
GROW
h in the future should
he early stages of the life
The growth stage transitions into an increased level of structure along with team and leadership development. Roles and responsibilities are reassessed, and structures are produced to create a more efficient and effective form of leadership. The purpose of new structures and systems is
ere is still quite a high
to allow decision making to be released to more
d the new location
people than just the senior leader. This is the
ntinual outward focus, “The first five years
biggest shift during this phase of the church life cycle. “You have to give up control. If you want to
ampus are incredibly
continue growing, you have to release ministry,
pically with spiritual
leadership, decision making, and just about
y other period in the life
everything else to others. A church can’t continue
2 As church consultant
to grow on the shoulders of just one person. God
y Morgan explains, “If
didn’t design it that way.” 14 For this to be done
ul in the launch phase
effectively, leaders must be raised up before
ossible to experience
this transition. If the senior leader is coming to
w locations have a kind
terms with the need for new leaders only now,
unch, which is initially
then it’s too late to do so. “Even when the team
aration stage. Similarly,
is first sharing the Gospel with unbelievers, they
back in a bow before
are modelling what it means to be a leader in the
his momentum that is the
r the new location. But all
Kingdom… the team is subtly doing leadership development very early in their
06
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
work.” 15 Leadership development and discipleship
the desired established po
is something that should be implemented from the start, during this phase it is clarified.
In this phase if the locatio
it’s evident in the fact that Structures and systems are implemented to
time, it might be at a lesse
reflect the location’s vision and strategy, and
but the key to this phase i
when accompanied by ministry programs should
to be kept in mind too tha
develop spiritual growth, leadership capacity and
not the only measuremen
mobilise believers. As can be assumed, this period
growth, small groups, serv
requires a greater degree of releasing and trust.
measurements of church h
If this phase were to be summarised in a word it
considered. Steady growt
would be either transition or intentional, or both –
in multiplication– healthy
intentional transition!
to multiply, and this princi
too. Whether it’s new loca
PL ATE AU
groups, services, or anyth it’s healthy it needs to be
The term plateau is commonly used for the stage
Steady growth is a very la
of church life, but may be better described as
to health, but it needs to b
‘sustained health’ or ‘steady growth’. Whatever
“It is impossible to experie
term you use to define this phase the idea behind
health if there’s division w
it is that it’s very rare for any new location to see
means unity in purpose, v
the degree of growth and impact as it did in the
outworks in predetermine
previous phases. In comparison, this stage might
being generous or to emb
be less exhilarating and thrilling. The previous
Christ is renewing believe
stages of the life cycle can be seen as ‘the good
to be constantly renewed.
old days’, but this phase should be the goal and
become stuck in tradition,
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osition.
GROW
seen as ‘the right way’ since they worked in the past. But inability to embrace change is a sure-fire
on remains healthy then
way to sign a death certificate for this location.
t they are growing over
P OTE NTI A L D E C LI N E
er degree than previously
is steady growth. It needs
at attendance rates are
nt of growth but spiritual
If a location reaches the steady growth stage, it
ving and giving are all
isn’t the end of the game. All isn’t accomplished. If
health that need to be
there are still lost people to be reached, then there
th is further apparent
is still work to be done. Too often locations reach a
things by nature want
certain point that is deemed successful, and they
iple applies to ministry
become apathetic. The doorway into the steady
ations, leaders, connect
growth of a location is momentum and intentional
hing ministry related - if
transition, but what keeps them there is hard
multiplying.
work and continual renewal. Unlike the previous stage it isn’t an intentional effort that moves a
arge contributing factor
congregation to this phase, but rather it’s a lack of
be paired with unity.
it.
ence sustained growth
within the church.” 16 This
The potential decline stage we have named
vision and direction. Unity
so because that is all it is – a potential. Yes, all
ed decisions, such as
churches will go through many ups and downs,
brace the ‘new’. Just as
much like a rollercoaster, but we don’t believe
ers, the church also needs
every church will go through a period of extensive
. 17 Too often churches
decline. At least healthy churches won’t. The
, or in old ways that are
intention of describing this phase of potential
07
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
The Life Cycle & Stages of Congregational Development. Diagram B The Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development Phase Three: Prime/Plateau
Prime Redevelopment Adulthood (VRPM)
Phase Two: Late Growth
Maturity (vRPM)
Adolescence (VRPm)
Phase Fou Early Agin
Empty Nest (vRpM)
Agin
Growth Childhood (VrPm) Phase One: Early Growth
Infancy (VRpm)
Retirement (vrPM)
Ph La
Old Age (vrpM)
Birth (Vrpm)
Death (m)
V: R: P: M:
Copyright 2001, Rev. George Bullard, D. Min.
Vision/ Leadership/ Mission/Purpose/Core Values Relationships/Experiences/Discipleship Programs/Events/Ministrues/Services/Activities Management/Accountability/Systems/Resources
ur: ng
ng
hase Five: ate Aging
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decline is not to bring condemnation but rather to help locations become aware if they happen to find themselves at this stage. Furthermore, not only for awareness but also to give hope. The truth is a large majority of church locations are at this stage. It isn’t anything to rejoice about, but it is something that we need to prepare and provide encouragement to get back on the track of steady growth.
A major reason for a church to fall into this position of potential decline is there is less focus on vision and relationships. Such location doesn’t necessarily lack focus but more likely than not the focus is on programs and management. It is not a good time when the how becomes more important than the why. As we have explored, programs and management are useful and do have their place in church development, but they can become dangerous when they are the focus of a church. Reverend George Bullard in his study The Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development employs a bit more of a complicated and extensive form of the life cycle of a church. He explains the life cycle regarding vision, relationships, programs and management and how they each have a focus during particular phases. As shown in diagram B. 18
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C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
When a church tends to focus on programs and
to change their ways. Last
management, they inevitably become insider-
location might simply just
focused. “The voices of people inside the church
acknowledge that.
become louder than those of people outside the church and outside the faith. When this happens,
When a church has reache
attendance numbers, group connections, event
longer fuelled by vision bu
participation, serving, and other indicators
past. “The habit or pattern
of health may stay strong, but the number of
and fellowship is the prima
salvations and baptisms starts to decline.” 19
congregation going.” 20 By
It’s not always clear when a church has fallen
has decreased, and becau
into this stage but key indicators to look out for
struggles for volunteers an
are a plateau or decline on attendance growth
ministry. As explained in th
for an extended period, overstaffing instead of
members are the key ingre
volunteering, and lastly usually a negative sense
exist. Without members or
of nostalgia that is outworked in the form of anger
church will inevitably strug
and blame.
At this point, it’s very hard
D E ATH
steep slope of decline. It’s
will require nothing short o
might sound harsh, but it t A congregation continues along the track of
situation. Old methods be
potential decline usually for one of three reasons.
ineffective, and without ch
Firstly, a lot of churches just don’t realise the path
will become the same.
they are going down. As stated, it isn’t always clear when a church is going downhill as there could still
It’s a heavy reality, but ma
be some signs of health. The second reason is that
point where the doors of t
they may just merely be stubborn and unwilling
This isn’t a happy time, an
CHAPTER 04
tly, sometimes a church fail, and its best to just
ed this stage it is no
GROW
wish on a congregation, but closing doors do often open up others. A church closure opens up the opportunity for church mergers or adoption, and this sometimes is the best way to make good out of a bad situation.
ut just mere fumes of the
n of gathering for worship
We also need to recognise that a church failure
ary factor keeping the
doesn’t mean the leaders, or the team, are a
y this point, attendance
failure. Sometimes it’s just a case that a servant-
use of this, the church
hearted and willing believer wants to give starting
nd finances to run their
a new location a go, but discovers through the
he launch phase church
process that this just isn’t their calling. To close
edients for a location to
the church might be the best option. This should
r enough members, a
never be accompanied by a sense of shame but
ggle to operate.
rather one of celebration. Someone has given something a go out of a passion for God and His
d to turn back up the
Church. It might have failed, but they gave it a
s not impossible but
go nonetheless. So for those people, we need to
of reinvention. This
celebrate, encourage and help redirect them to a
truly is a change-or-die
different path in building the church.
ecome out-dated and
A typical church’s life cycle can be broken
hange, the congregation
down into defining characteristics just like we have done. A recurring characteristic that comes up for all churches in the stages of growth is that
any locations do reach the
of church size or attendance. The varying church
the church have to close.
sizes, or church growth levels, are accompanied by
nd it’s nothing we’d ever
unique styles of leadership and challenges.
09
Church GROWTH The dynamics of church structure can change
great difficulties and also
significantly depending on the church size. “There
for ministry that churches
is no ‘best size’ for a church. Each size presents
undertake (at least not as
many opportunities
churches of all sizes be all that Christ wants the
of other sizes cannot
church to be.� 21
well). Only together can
10
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Only together can CHURC of all sizes be all that CHR wants the CHURCH to be Contrary to popular belief large church isn’t just
Church sizes can be div
simply a bigger version of a small church. Rather
categories:
many processes and leadership styles need to
●● 0-75
change for the church to grow. As a church grows,
●● 75-200
there are some typical shifts or changes.
●● 200-500
These include:
●● 500-1000
●● Increasing complexity
●● 1000+
●● Shifting lay-staff responsibilities ●● Increasing intentionality
Each church size categ
●● Increasing redundancy of communication
concerning their descripti
●● Increasing quality of production
of focus, and unique cha
●● Increasing openness to change
of the following informatio
●● Losing members because of change
the work of Gordon Moore
●● Shifting role of the ministers
Styles & Levels of Church2
●● Structuring smaller
Level. 23
●● Greater emphasis on vision and strengths
CHES RIST e.
vided into the following
gory shall be explored
ion, leadership style, area
allenges. A large majority
on has been derived from
e in his books Leadership
22, and Going to the Next
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
church.
C H U RC H S I Z E : 0 -75
●● Building a team that i
of the church. Althoug 51% of churches operate at this level. 24 It usually
delegating or departm
consists of less than 75 members led by one primary influencer, and commonly thought to be in
Challenges include:
its ‘birthing stage’. Like a seed, it will grow into the
●● Low quality of ministry
future church. When the seed is right, the tree (future
●● Majority of the work re
church) will be right. It operates as an extended small group; thus it’s highly relational. Decisionmaking is highly democratic, communication is
shoulders.
●● Risk of new members untested or untried.
informal, and growth typically occurs by attraction
●● Early onset of poor cu
to their warmth and people.
●● When it grows, a dec
to multiply into a sim The leader primarily acts as a shepherd and is very
or change their churc
pastoral. It is quite a ‘phlegmatic’ style of leadership
church to continue gro
that is sociable, relatable, easy-going, diplomatic, and likeable. The senior pastor is typically bi-
C H U RC H S I Z
vocational to support their family and ministry.
Areas of focus include: ●● Creating
and
34% of churches are in th developing
relationship
feel like the church is no
opportunities inside and outside of the church.
there are more resources
●● Effectively pastoring members of the church
form new church depart
through preaching, teaching and ministering.
dynamics allow for a sen
●● Providing personal contact with all members.
created. Relational dynam
●● Continually sowing the vision and future of the
less intense, but inform
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GROW
continue. Shepherding is the primary driving force of
is involved in the ministry
ministry as the location continues to grow because
gh this doesn’t yet involve
of the newcomer’s attraction to the relationships
mentalising.
within.
The leadership is very ministerial. It can be
y to specific groups.
described as a ‘sanguine’ style of leadership that is
ests on the senior pastor’s
charismatic, enthusiastic, free, warm, and friendly.
s or team members being
Areas of focus include: ●● Evangelism is to be intentional for all members.
ulture.
cision needs to be made
●● Growth needs to happen through departments, not just the pastor and services.
milar ‘small group church’
●● Creating a culture that not only includes but
ch dynamics of their small
also influences and assimilates the unchurched
owth.
into the church. ●● Energy is no longer focused on getting started
Z E : 75 -20 0
but on starting to do things. ●● Developing ways to meet the diverse needs of new people and members.
his category. 25 It starts to
ow going somewhere, as
●● Multiplying options provided by the church, such as a second service.
available to do more and
●● Communication
tments. The larger group
deliberate.
nse of atmosphere to be
mics are now becoming
mal leadership structures
needs
to
become
more
●● There needs to be more vision casting, strategizing and administration ability. ●● Establishing proper administration systems and
12
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
●● procedures.
influential leadership team
●● The shift of mindset from a ‘small church’ to a ‘growing church’ that has room for all.
The senior leader moves
focus to a managerial fo Challenges include:
as a ‘choleric’ style of lea
●● As the church grows in size, the pastor will lose
decisive, productive, prac
the ability to be reasonably available to all the
The senior leader now act
people.
voice of authority, and the
●● The original core group might become cliquey.
priority is to lead and grow
●● A second ministry staff will usually need to be hired. Someone who you are sure can grow the
Areas of focus include:
church.
●● Educating the congr
●● Long-time lay leaders may have trouble releasing power over to the staff member.
pastor is no longer rea
●● Personally appointing
●● Churches might start to outgrow their current
key leaders.
●● Improving the quality
effectiveness to meet
C H U RC H S I Z E : 20 0 - 5 0 0
will cause the church
o
Classes n
experienc 12.6% of churches are of this size. 26 The primary
o
Worship m
circle of belonging is found in special classes of
o
Preaching
programs provided as the church breaks out of small church mentality. At this stage, the church can
Challenges include:
perform most of its actions with credibility. Various
●● If old church habits a
leaders now must represent specific people groups
the church won’t be a
within the church, and due to the increase in work,
Old habits include:
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ms will rise in power.
GROW
o
Limited options.
o
No, or few, church staff.
s away from a ministerial
o
The whole church is involved in
ocus. It can be described
decision-making.
adership that is strategic,
o
Informal communication.
ctical, and confrontational.
o
The pastor is the sole shepherd
ts as the vision caster, the
and minister.
e leader of leaders. Their
â—?â—? Members need to embrace bigger ideas, bigger
w the church.
departments, and bigger money.
C H U RC H S I Z E : 5 0 0 - 1 0 0 0
regation that the senior
adily available.
g, training and mentoring
Almost 98% of all churches are smaller than 500. 27 At this point, the church can do most things on
y of ministries and their
its own, and the full potential of the church begins
t real needs. This is what
to be realised. Specialization of functions and
to grow.
ministries occur at every level allowing the church
need to be good learning
to expand locally, regionally and internationally
ces.
more effectively through church planting and
must be engaging.
mission programs. The key to growth in this level is
g must inform and inspire.
the quality of preaching and the available worship
aren’t completely broken,
experience. Majority of members are found in small groups; these are key to navigating the transition into this growth level.
able to continue to grow. Leaders of such size churches have delegated
13
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
management of ministry to others. This style is solely leadership in nature. The leadership could
the church.
●● Too many programs o
be described as ‘melancholic’ in style’. That is, it’s
can detract from the
analytical, visionary, intuitive, holistic, and reflective.
and mission.
The leader now needs to focus on preaching, vision casting and strategizing.
C H U RC H S I Z Areas of focus include: ●● Senior pastor gives authority to leaders with the aim to move the church to a point where it’s
A very large church of this
driven by vision, values, and culture.
focus; any sign of small ch
●● Raising up of leaders for every department.
eliminated. Typically, a se
These leaders need to be increasingly gifted
specialised leaders overse
and be leaders of leaders.
as departments no longer
●● An effective pastoral system to assimilate,
large networks. The traits
discipline and incorporate newcomers more
excellence, openness in
efficiently and effectively.
of choices, low pressu
●● Decision-making
is
to
become
more
congregation. The key to
decentralised and shift onto the individual staff
maximise the momentum
and leadership teams.
challenges or growth barr
Challenges include:
A more presidential style o
●● Due to the increasing workload relationships
come forth. The senior lea
among the senior leadership team could
Through their influence, a
become distant and stretched.
can bring direction, health
●● Since departments become self-led and self-
at this level need to be a
functioning, there is a danger of division among
principles behind methods
CHAPTER 04
GROW
Areas of focus include:
or extracurricular activities overall churches purpose
●● Senior
leadership
team
needs
to
be
entrepreneurial, and act as effective directors of people and resources. ●● Transitioning the leadership team to identify and apply principles, not just models and
ZE: 1000+
programs. ●● Loss of focus and breakdown of relationships within leadership teams are what can cause a
s size has quite a missional
loss of momentum.
hurch mentality has been
●● An increased focus on the vision, original
enior leadership team of
mission and to keep relationships healthy.
ee individual departments,
●● Stay creative in maximising the facility to its full
work as small groups, but
potential.
s of a large church include
●● Intentionally mentoring and leadership training
n changing, availability
at all levels to cater for the high demand of new
ure, and a multicultural
o growth at this size is to
m while minimising any
leaders. ●● Research and development for the larger global body of the church.
riers. Challenges include:
of leadership now needs to
●● Drawing from a wide range of geographic
ader oversees the church.
locations means soon the congregation doesn’t
authority and control, they
match its location and can’t reach its geographic
h and fruitfulness. Leaders
community. This is where multiplying locations
able to communicate key
becomes important.
s or programs effectively.
●● Sparse congregation undermines community,
14
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
●● fellowship and discipleship.
●● At 200-500 begin t
●● Newcomers may feel overwhelmed, out of place, and forgotten.
leaders. Move church
structures and budge
●● A large size church also brings a large degree of complexity and change.
management
●● At 500+ begin to have
●● Large churches can have the ability to be based
so giving authority
on the leadership of a sole individual. This
Move the church to be
could become a problem when it comes time
and culture.
for succession and for the church to continue. ●● Momentum loss is hard to regain.
These are just some guid
from a growing church. It As some brief guidelines and a general overview,
changes and shifts need t
these are the trends that need to occur for a
continue growing. “All lea
location to transition through the varying church
ceiling, which will eventu
growth levels:
belief that each capacity i
●● At less than 75 begin to share and cast the
of leadership of the rel
vision for what the church/small group/ministry
Growth Level] … for growth
will look like at 150-200 size
adopt a new style of leade
●● At 75-200 begin to introduce some structures for
growth,
including
accountability
and
we have found that on to change, there are many
strategies. The leader gradually becomes
stimulate church growth. T
‘unavailable’ to the members of the church
●● Clarifying visions and
regarding visitation and counselling. Delegate
●● Determining target de
more tasks to leaders below.
●● Creating a social med
CHAPTER 04
to give authority to key
●● Outreach events
h into full accountability
●● Church partnerships
ets, working on effective
●● Prayer and Fasting
GROW
●● A greater level of discipleship
e ‘planned absences’ and
●● Less and more specific programs
to other senior leaders.
●● Bigger buildings
e driven by vision, values,
●● Greater attraction
These methods may have been effective and able
delines for what to expect
to produce growth in a certain context, although
t’s quite evident now that
we do continue to assert that every church location
to occur for the church to
is vastly different. Certain methods or processes
aders have a capacity or
cannot be expected to work in every context
ually be reached. It is my
applied. This doesn’t mean that new church growth
is determined by the style
methods aren’t useful or applicable to your context.
levant quadrant [Church
They can be incredibly useful for fresh inspiration or
h to occur, the leader must
to help get your location unstuck, and we encourage
ership.” 28 In our research,
responsible church leaders to do some further
op of leadership shift and
study and research into the many articles, books,
various tips to cause or
podcasts, on church growth. But it would take a lot
These include:
of time to delve into the increasingly many church
mission statements
growth methods in this resource, and we think this
emographic
time would be better spent to explore a broader
dia presence
and fool-proof way to create church growth.
15
Church HEALTH Church growth is commonly viewed as the be-
unhealthy things, includin
all and end-all of church life, and too often the
to grow. When church gro
overarching key to church growth is forgotten
church health any sicknes
about – church health. Church health is the
is present in the church is
foundation for any good church growth. Healthy
What the church currently
things grow, but unfortunately, it is true that
with greater influence due
ng churches, are still able
greater influence is great if the church is healthy,
owth is sought out before
but if it’s not, it could have disastrous effects.
ss, or un-health, that
Church health not only goes hand in hand with
s what will be growing.
church growth but also is a prerequisite and acts
y is will be the same but
as a foundation for any healthy and effective future
e to its greater size. This
growth.
16
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
All church leaders need
and continually seek chu
growth for two reasons
whatever the church is a what will be multiplied. If
healthy churches, we ne
Secondly, if a church is he
will begin to grow of its ow aren’t always healthy, but
Church growth isn’t our job But rather it’s up to God
the Apostle Paul says to th
“I planted, Apollos wate growth.”
1 CORINTHIANS 3:6 (ESV
What we do take responsi
of the church, and this is h church growth.
In ministry, there are a lot
have influence over and w
an impact on church grow
can affect is the church’s h
this impact church growth
CHAPTER 04
to shift their perspective
GROW
it comes to church growth, there are spiritual,
urch health before church
institutional, and contextual factors. We are not
s. Firstly, as mentioned,
responsible for the contextual factors. But we are
at the time of growth is
responsible for both the spiritual and institutional
we want more and larger
factors.” 29 These factors are what we can affect to
eed to seek health first.
produce healthy churches. “Growth or non-growth
ealthy, then chances are it
are not determined by contextual factors, but by
wn accord. Growing things
clearly identifiable patterns of behaviour.” After
healthy things grow.
years of research and church analysis, German author Christian A. Schwarz has developed a list of
b, nor is it our responsibility. to cause growth. Just as
quality characteristics that he believes to be these ‘identifiable patterns of behaviour’. 30
he church at Corinth:
ered, but God gave the
V)
ibility for is the health
how we play our role in
of aspects that we don’t
Growing things aren’t always healthy, but healthy things grow.
which will inevitably have
wth levels. But what we
health, and through
h for the better. “When
17
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Natural Church Developme Christian and his team assert that these eight
has been defined in the
quality characteristics when present create what
Introduction to Natural Ch
they call ‘Natural Church Development’ (NCD). That
1.
Empower
is just as we were saying before; when the church
2.
Gift-Based
is first healthy, it shall grow and develop naturally
3.
Passionat
of its own accord. The list of quality characteristics
4.
Effective S
CHAPTER 04
GROW
5.
Inspiring Worship Services
6.
Holistic Small Groups
7.
Need-Orientated Evangelism
8.
Loving Relationships
These quality characteristics are what develop a healthy church and act as a foundation for any future church growth. We need to recognise though that every church has each of these characteristics to an extent. There’s always some leadership, or ministry,
ent
or relationships. The key is found in the adjective – the descriptive word of each characteristic. “If the respective practice of leadership, spirituality, evangelism or any other noun is wrong – that isn’t being in line with corresponding adjective –then the attempt to get ‘more of it’ would most likely increase the problem, rather than solve it.” 32
Christian describes the church as a wooden
bucket. Each stave (vertical wooden post) in the bucket is a quality characteristic as listed above. resource All By Itself: An
God is the one who outpours growth into the
hurch Development as: 31
church like water into a bucket. It’s the quality of the
ring Leadership
bucket, and each stave, that determines how much
d Ministry
water it can contain. So just the same, it’s the health
te Spirituality
of each quality characteristics that determine how
Structures
much growth it’s able to sustain. Conversely, the
18
When the CHURCH is firs healthy, it shall grow and develop naturally.
st d
CHAPTER 04
GROW
quality characteristics that are least developed is what will leak any potential church growth.
Unlike
church
growth
methods
or
processes, the NCD team choose to stand by the fact that these quality characteristics are principles that will work for everyone. Declaring, “your sole challenge is to focus on those areas that will have the greatest immediate impact, and to apply the principles in a way that is in line with your culture, your theological persuasion and your style.” 33
NCD has been a great tool to produce
church health and has been particularly proven within the C3 movement. Christian Schwarz himself says that the C3 movement is “according to our research, the healthiest denomination that we are aware of. At the same time the denomination that applies the principles of NCD most consistently.” 34
The challenge that many churches have
found is the ability to measure this health or growth. Too often church health has been based on opinions from the leadership team within, but just as often there are unfortunately many blind spots that limit church health and therefore church growth. From our research, we have decided that it’s useful to combine these quality characteristics provided by NCD with modern church metrics to provide a numerical and testable measure of church health.
19
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Church Me Church metrics can be a controversial topic, but we
missing sheep, metrics (us
believe that church metrics when done correctly
what you’re doing) remain
and with the right intentions are incredibly useful for your church. “Metrics do not turn a church into a
Good metrics have the po
business any more than a check-up turns my body
●● Create
into a machine. Like a doctor’s thorough report,
an
awarene
weaknesses
metrics equip leaders with critical information
●● Identify early warning
to make better decisions for the health of their
●● Celebrate what God is
churches.” 35
●● Set clearer and more s
It’s not numbers within themselves that are
●● Develop
effective, but the analysis and application of such
progress
intentional
numbers are what takes effect. “It’s what numbers measure that matters. Using metrics to determine
All churches should have
how effectively your church is doing its part to make
have a greater influence
disciples in the community is critical. In fact, it’s
for any future targets, we
ministry… so, of course, numbers mean nothing for
we currently stand and p
churches. But for any church that cares for that one
with our mission from su
(i) Note that these statistics only represent the 200 churches studied in the US
CHAPTER 04
GROW
etrics.
sing numbers to measure
to achieve your future goals ultimately starts with
n incredibly important.” 36
identifying where you are now.” 37 Metrics can create the pathway for church growth to follow.
otential to:
ess
of
strengths
and
From our research, we have been able to
categorise church metrics into three main sections – attendance, engagement, and participation.
g signs
Each of these in a way relates to the eight quality
s doing
characteristics provided by NCD. So it provides a tool
specific goals
to measure the health of the quality characteristics
l
plans
for
long-term
that we should be seeking to implement into our churches. Because without measurement do we truly know how we are progressing?
e the desire to grow and
Tony Morgan and the team at Unstuck have
e in their community. But
analysed the health of over 200 churches in the
need to recognise where
U.S. and published their research in the eBook Vital
project our future in line
Signs. 38 This research is where a large proportion
uch a point. “Being able
of our data is derived from: (i)
S and may not be an exact representation of your context.
20
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Measurements in regards to attendance have show ATTENDANCE CHANGE
TOP 10%
GUESTS TO ATTENDANCE
TOP 10%
1 .1
19% ABOVE AVERAGE
GROWING
0.6
5% AVERAGE
INCREMENTAL
0.5
0% BELOW AVERAGE
DECLINING
BOTTOM 10%
-8%
YTD Avg. Attendance YTD Attendance of Prior Year
BOTTOM 10%
0.
First Time Guests in the past 1 Average Attendance
s wn:
13
69
56
.1 1
12 months
CHAPTER 04
GROW
The first church metric category is attendance. Attendance has always been the key measurable in church life. In modern ministry though there is a growing shift to focus on areas of engagement and participation over attendance. We do affirm that church attendance is unable to reflect the overall church health it’s still a useful metric to measure, this is why attendance change is typically the starting point to measure the church’s health. What we are looking for is an increase in church attendance. A healthy church should be growing in numbers. It’s also helpful to note trends in growth according to different seasons and plan accordingly.
On top of attendance numbers, the actual attendees need to be broken down and measured. Firstly, a measurement of guests vs attendance ratio can reflect on how effective the church is in attracting new people. Secondly, a measurement of the percentage of attendees becoming members shows how effective the church has been in assimilating these guests into church members.
21
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Measurements of church audience demographics h produced the following re PERCENTAGE OF KIDS
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS
TOP 10%
TOP 10%
27% ABOVE AVERAGE
ABOVE AVERAGE
10
21% AVERAGE
AVERAGE
9%
17% BELOW AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
BOTTOM 10%
15
12% YTD Avg. Kids
YTD Avg. Attendance
BOTTOM 10%
5%
YTD Avg. Students
YTD Avg. Attendance
h have esults:
5%
0%
%
%
e
CHAPTER 04
GROW
Concerning church attendance, it’s good not only to ask how many people are attending by actually who is attending. This metric means categorising your congregation into adults, students, and children, and measuring each particular demographic.
Every church location needs to get a grasp of the big picture of the gospel. They need to have a vision that is large enough to go past their own life in ministry, and past their generation into the generations beyond. Measuring the multigenerational dynamics of your membership paints a clear picture of the effectiveness and longevity your church will have within your community. “Reaching young parents and their kids is not simply about trying to be trendy. It is about creating a sustainable organisation that is reaching its community long after you are gone.� 39 Also, a large student base within your congregation gives you the ability to analyse any community shifts and prepare your ministry. For this shifting demographic is who will make up a large part of your congregation in the coming years.
22
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
PERCENTAGE OF BAPTISMS
PERCENTAGE OF AD & STUDENTS IN GRO
TOP 10%
TOP 10%
11% ABOVE AVERAGE
ABOVE AVERAGE
64
7% AVERAGE
AVERAGE
53
6% BELOW AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
BOTTOM 10%
91
2%
Previous 12 Months Baptisms YTD Avg. Attendance
BOTTOM 10%
25
Total Adults & Students in Group
YTD Avg. Attendance - YTD A
The second category of metrics comes under
Measuring salvations (whe
engagement. Rather than asking who is attending
or recommitments) defin
it’s asking if those who attend are engaging with the
of church life. Firstly, it
church and the services the church provides. This
attendees are reacting
metric involves measuring salvations, baptisms,
secondly at what rate y
and small group participation.
non-believers. It’s hard to
CHAPTER 04
GROW
two from data, so if your church has a low rate of
DULTS OUPS
salvations, it’s good to be aware that it could be due to one, or a combination of both aspects of church life. A measurement that extends from salvation is
1%
the metric of baptisms. Measuring salvations might track the number of initial commitments made by church members, but baptisms indicate the rate of
4%
follow-through made by these new believers. So, it would be quite revealing to compare the rates
3%
of salvations to that of baptisms, as it will reflect on your churches ability to not only follow up on salvations but how you encourage your members
5%
on their next step.
A final reflection of the engagement of your church
ps & Classes
Avg. Kids
audience is the percentage of members who attend small groups. Church services only take hold of their members for up to an hour or two a week. Such services obviously aren’t enough to make
ether it be new salvations
a solid impact in people’s lives and effectively
nes a couple of aspects
make true disciples of Christ. For this to occur,
defines how the church
small groups are a vital part of church life. The
to your service, and
percentage of members attending small groups is
your church is reaching
a good reflection of not only engagement but also
o distinguish between the
the disciple-making abilities of the church.
23
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
Another category of metrics comes from the topic
of members who have ch
of participation. This metric group looks now not
the church’s vision, and w
at whether people are only attending or engaging,
in their mission. “When
but at those who have reached the point of
more likely to show up f
participating in church life and seek to play a role in
more likely to invite their
building the church. It’s a reflection to what degree
Maybe most importantly,
church members are willing to sacrifice to further
ministry will be stretched
the Kingdom of God. Areas measured include the numbers of volunteers, the ratio of staff members,
Along with the percenta
and giving per capita.
ratio of attendance to s
blamed lack of volunteers The number of volunteers is quite a clear reflection
of church members, but
of the level of participation within church attendees.
overstaffing. Capable and
A greater number of volunteers within the church
too commonly feel exclud
means a greater number of members being activated
staff members are hired t
to participate in Kingdom work. When people take
Morgan encourages a ra
the step from simply attending to serving there is
for every hundred attende
also a shift in lifestyle and mindset. This is a shift
much less than that su
from an inward and consumer focus to an upward
on staff and an underuti
and outward focus that seeks to bless those around
An over-reliance of staff
them and reach their community for the gospel.
to what was described w
The numbers of volunteers is also a reflection of
levels. Less participation
the churches ability to win people over to their
means fewer people adop
vision, and their cause. The number of volunteers
mission for themselves p
defines how well the church helps people take
there is a greater degree o
their spiritual next step. Where there are a greater
demands that they be ‘fed
number of volunteers, there are a greater number
disappear until next week
CHAPTER 04
GROW
hosen to personally adopt
child that only seeks their needs and desires above
work alongside the church
those around them. This area of church life then
people volunteer, they’re
plays a significant role in determining the maturity
for worship. They’re also
of their church members. The attendance to staff
r friends. They give more.
ratio displays whether the church is merely hiring
, people who engage in
those to “do”, or whether they are hiring people to
in their faith.” 40
delegate and “equip”.
age of volunteers is the
And lastly is the metric of giving. Financial giving
staff. Too often churches
can often be a touchy subject within church life but
s on the laziness or apathy
what this metric reveals can play a significant role
it could be the result of
in your ministry, therefore we shouldn’t be wary of
d willing church volunteers
measuring it and speaking into the topic. This metric
ded from opportunities, as
is obviously invaluable for the church’s budget but
to fill such positions. Tony
on top of this, you’ll not only become aware of the
ate of one staff member
degree of generosity of your church attendees but
ees and declares, “a ratio
also the level they are willing to invest in your vision
uggests an over-reliance
and mission. The tithe is often merely viewed as the
ilization of volunteers.” 41
amount your church gives to the church, but the
does the exact opposite
integral part is the heart and attitude behind this
with increased volunteer
act of giving. The financial amount given reflects
among church attendees
how well your church attendees grasp the concept
pt the church’s vision and
of generosity and financial stewardship. This
personally and therefore
understanding not only affects church attendees
of consumer mindset that
and their giving at church but also is truly part of
d’ every service and merely
their lifestyle and overflows into all aspects of their
k. Very much like a needy
life. A low level of giving per capita shows that
24
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS & STUDENTS SERVING
TOP 10%
ATTEN TO S
TOP 10%
71% ABOVE AVERAGE
ABOVE AVERAGE
49% AVERAGE
AVERAGE
40% BELOW AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
BOTTOM 10%
21% BOTTOM 10%
Total Adults & Students Volunteering
YTD Avg.
YTD Avg. Attendance - YTD Avg. Kids
Full-Time St
your attendees don’t truly understand the concept
grow a church by growing
or importance of either generosity or the church’s
quality of your church by
vision and mission. These both are game changers
the heads, hands, and he
when it comes to the health of your location.
nothing else. The quality
be confused with the quali Results from analysis of such metrics are as follows:
with the quality of the sho
The key to any church growth or church health rests
the quality of a church is
in the quality of the people who attend. Christian
sitting in the pews.” 42 We
Schwarz rightly says, “the church is people. You
of numbers but keeping
CHAPTER 04
NDANCE STAFF
GROW
ADULTS & STUDENTS PER CAPITA GIVING
TOP 10%
121
$67 ABOVE AVERAGE
85
$47 AVERAGE
$39
69 BELOW AVERAGE
42
BOTTOM 10%
$25
General Fund Budget
. Attendance
/ 52 (YTD Attenance - YTD Kids)
taff Equivalents
g people. You increase the
they are progressing in our church. Are they moving
y increasing the quality in
from merely attending, to engaging, and finally to
earts of the people and by
participating? If not, what is preventing people in
of a church should never
their progress? If we are continually asking these
ity of the church pews, nor
questions and seeking to answer them, then we
ow on the platform. Rather,
will ensure that we are developing people. If we are
the quality of the people
developing people, then we can confidently assert
are not just keeping track
that we are developing a healthy and growing
track of people and how
church.
25
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
References 1
Christian A. Schwarz. The
An Introduction to Natura
(Ipswich, Queensland: NC 2
Aubrey Malphurs, Advan
A 21st-Century Model for C
Leaders, 3rd ed. (Grand R 2005, 2013), 10. 3
“Lexicon :: Strong’s G55
Letter Bible. Accessed Nov
www.blueletterbible.org/la
cfm?Strongs=G5563&t=KJ 4
“Lexicon :: Strong’s G45
Bible. Accessed Novembe
https://www.blueletterbibl
lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G450 5
Keller, Centre Church, 36
6
Payne, Apostolic Church
7
Keller, Centre Church, 36
CHAPTER 04
GROW
s.
e All By Itself Pathway:
8
Payne, Apostolic Church Planting, 54
al Church Development.
9
Ibid, 58
CD Australia, 2015), 32
10
Morgan, The Unstuck Church, 16
nced Strategic Planning:
11
Ibid, 34
Church and Ministry
12
Bird, “8 Launch Wins for New Churches and
Rapids, MI: Baker Books,
Multisite Campuses”, 5 13
Morgan, The Unstuck Church, 39
563 – chorizo”, Blue
14
Ibid, 66
vember 1, 2017. https://
15
Payne, Apostolic Church Planting, 58
ang/lexicon/lexicon.
16
Morgan, The Unstuck Church, 93
JV
17
Ibid, 94
50 – anistemi”, Blue Letter
18
Rev. George Bullard. “The Life Cycles and
er 1, 2017.
Stages of Congregational Development,” 2001.
le.org/lang/lexicon/
https://sed-efca.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/
0&t=KJV
stages_of_church_life_bullard.pdf.
63 Planting, 54
63
19
Morgan, The Unstuck Church, 120
20
Bullard, “The Life Cycles and Stages of
Congregational Development,”
26
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
21
Timothy Keller. “Leaders
Size Dynamics: How Strat Growth.� Redeemer City to
seniorpastorcentral.com/w
sites/2/2016/04/Tim-Kelle 22
Gordon Moore, Leadersh
Church. (Australia: Ark Ho 23
Gordon Moore. Going to
Ark House Press, 2015) 24
Moore, Leadership Styles
25
Ibid
26
Ibid
27
Moore, Going to the Next
28
Moore, Leadership Styles
29
Schwarz, The All By Itse
to Natural Church Developm 30
Ibid, 54
CHAPTER 04
31
Ibid, 57
tegy Changes with
32
Ibid, 57
City, 2010. http://
33
Ibid, 28
34
NCD International, “Results of NCD in
ship and Church
wp-content/uploads/
er-Size-Dynamics.pdf.
C3 Churches”, https://www.youtube.com/
hip Styles & Levels of
watch?v=TzIPWHQLydE, Aug 14, 2012
ouse Press, 2015)
o the Next Level .(Australia:
s & Levels of Church
35
GROW
Tony Morgan, and Ryan Stigile. “Vital Signs:
Why Church Health Matters and 14 Ways to Measure It.” The Unstuck Group, 2016. http:// go.theunstuckgroup.com/vitalsignsbook. 36
Tobin Perry. “5 Crucial Church Metrics
You’re Not Measuring.” eChurch, https://info.
t Level
echurchgiving.com/lp-ebook-5-crucial-church-
s & Levels of Church
growth-metrics.html?\.
elf Pathway: An Introduction
37
ment, 52
Accessed October 13, 2017. https://hillsong.com/
Joel A’ Bell. “5 Indicators of Church Health.”
collected/blog/2016/11/5-indicators-of-church-
27
C 3 X P R E S S C O U R S E M A N UA L
health/. 38
Morgan and Stigile, “Vit
39
Ibid
40
Morgan, The Unstuck C
41
Morgan and Stigile, “Vit
42
Schwarz, The All By Itse
Introduction to Natural Ch
CHAPTER 04
GROW
tal Signs”
Church, 35
tal Signs”
elf Pathway: An
hurch Development, 4
28