Church Growth Option 3
Church Growth
Option 3
Roslyn Robinson
PMIN 3343 Church Growth and Health
Rev. Randy Montgomery
May 13, 2011, 2011
Christian Schwarz defines the Natural Church Growth as an approach and set of diagnostic tools to church growth. Schwarz believes that eight "quality characteristics" are crucial to church health: empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism, and loving relationships.
I believe that most churches don't grow because they lack in many of the areas presented above, but most of all they do not allow the word to work. His work is invaluable in that it causes us to stop, step back, and look at the issue of quality growth as opposed to seeking out quantity growth. Of course, I'm not so sure that many church growth books would actually disagree with this idea. Schwarz's conclusion is that if you get the quantity, quality will happen.
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...
SFM Smyk
Shepherds CragMy problem is that the whole process leaves out some important underlying factors, such as faith, dependence on God, and evangelism. Issues that paralyze a church and impede change are overlooked.
I attend Shepherds Fold Ministries in Oklahoma City. We have a small congregation of about 100 members not all active. I am a minister in training and winning souls for Christ, discipleship and church growth has been our main focus. God gave the great commission for everyone to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. The Shepherd's Fold Ministries is encouraged and has made a commitment to study and train together for the development of recruiting souls to become leaders and members of God's church and kingdom. As a part of the plan, several outreach ministries programs was and can...