Natural Church Development...
Natural Church Development I'm afraid all my fears were confirmed. It annoyed me that the process is trying to measure what is immeasurable. That it identified me as trouble and boxed me as a NCD infidel in that my thinking was closed due to not willing to engage progressive NCD thinking!Basically NCD is about 8 qualities that churches must have in order to achieve growth:
"...Where is the concern for the kingdom of God..?"
- empowering leadership
- passionate spirituality
- gift orientated lay ministry
- functional structures
- inspiring worship services
- holistic small groups
- need orientated evangelism
- loving relationships
On the surface it looks similar to Warren's book on church health, but Warren's book on church health is in a different league of understanding, based upon health determined by the reign of God and a strong sense of christology. NCD's health seems a little contrived and false and left me asking the same questions that Croft asks of NCD in Transforming Communities.
"a potential weakness ... seems to me to be the lack of a common and coherent understanding of what the church is and is called to be undergirding the audit. At one level, Natural Church Development at least could be read as promoting a list of qualities which make churches attractive to their members, pleasant and fulfilling to belong to, and which are therefore likely to grow in an increasingly mobile and consumer-driven society. This is a church in which I can have my needs met (including my need to participate in its leadership and find fulfilment through exercising my gifts in ministry). But is it a church which is likely to serve the needs of the poor; to take an unpopular stand on social issues; to invest significant amounts of time in areas of the community where there may be little immediate return? Where is the concern for the kingdom of God? Where is the concern for Christian unity and collaboration with other congregations? Where is the call to sacrifice and suffering for the sake of the gospel? Where is the failure which was as much a mark of the early Church as its success? (2002:62)
Croft, S. (2002) Transforming Communities: Re-imagining the Church for the 21st Century. DLT
NCD ...? I'm not sure.
Comments
The Robert Warren book seems far more 'significant' than the generally unthinking analytical approach of NCD. Of course, the Army always jumps in for the techniques and measuring the solids so I guess thats why NCD is in favour.
Warren does mention in the opening of his book the differences he sees between his view and the NCD process, which is helpful
Church growth not your thing then Andrew? ;o)
I spoke to one of the NCD's gurus at a conference and asked him the question about has it produced more people into God's Kingdom in the Corps following the NCD and he had to admit that it hadnt??????
So if we are spending all of our time following through the audit and working out our minimum factors etc we are spending less time loving people into the Kingdom of God...
My thoughts...
Glenda
Your thoughts as ever appreciated Glenda.
I think there is space for an honest appraisal of what we do in mission and to ask ourselves what we are doing and if we're doing it well.
Where I have concern is when we move from one 'scheme' to another as if it will show us more and transform us more than a few good hours on our knees or making sure we're obeying what scripture asks of us as the church.
NCD is 'sexy' at the moment, before that it was Purpose Driven Church, before that it was Church Growth...before that...?
The question I ask is why are we so insecure about that we have to keep measuring it? Our identity, our calling, our mission, our Lord?
Yeah..so sceptic about growth schemes. If we are going to measure, lets use scripture as a rod.
A few corps here in the USA East tried the NCD a about 5 years ago. IT IS church growth...no matter how they package it. NCD didn't work well here...not sure what would work at this point. Obviously counseling and relational ministry is the best way, but you can't focus on many people that way. Hmmm...
In His Grip,
Dave
Check out my blog...and check out my wife's (Trista) article in the newest Officer magazine.