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 Natural Ch Development

Natural Church Development

by Lynn Tesch

The Planning Team, with the approval of the Church Council, has been spearheading an effort to participate in a program called Natural Church Development. Many members of the congregation have taken valuable time by participating in a survey to start us off on looking at our congregation and understanding best what might be done to make it even stronger.

What is it?

Natural Church Development (NCD) is a research based system of understanding congregational life that correlates healthy congregational life with congregational growth. Originating in Germany and developed as a global model, NCD has now become well accepted by many within the United States with over 20,000 congregations from various denominations now having used the tool.

NCD studied congregations around the world in a variety of contexts. The goal was to discern common areas of congregational life that crossed all racial, ethnic and contextual lines. In addition, the hope was that how congregations functioned in these areas could be correlated to effective outreach and congregational growth patterns.

Eight Quality Characteristics

The results of the research identified 8 common areas of congregational life. These 8 "quality characteristics" are in all settings in every congregation:

  1. Empowering leadership
  2. Gifts Oriented Ministry
  3. Passionate spirituality
  4. Effective (functional) Structures
  5. Inspiring Worship
  6. Need-oriented (contextual) Evangelism
  7. Holistic small groups
  8. Loving relationships



Natural Church Development (NCD) assesses these eight (8) quality characteristics of congregational life that have been determined to be essential in the life of a faith community
Using an assessment tool to survey active congregational members, scoring is done on a gradient defined by the context (usually but not always based on national or linguistic boundaries) in which the congregation is located. The results give direction as to which of the eight areas would most strengthen the character of the church’s life together. The NCD research shows that working on the quality characteristic which most limits the capacity (referred to in NCD literature as the "Minimum Factor". NCD provides insight into improving the quality of congregational life with research to show that numerical growth is most likely in congregations which have a higher quality of ministry. NCD uses sociological research tools and a biological model as a paradigm into which to interpret the data.

The research base for NCD was ecumenical, multicultural and global but it does bring with it certain assumptions. Underneath the NCD tool is a set of principles referred to b y NCD as "biotic" or "life-giving" principles. Using biological models, it applies six principles of how life functions in organic systems within nature. The six principles are:

  1. Interdependence
  2. Multiplication
  3. Energy Transformation
  4. Multi-Usage
  5. Symbiosis
  6. Functionality

A key assumption within NCD is that the church is organic in its nature, that the "body of Christ" language is more than a literary device but is a real description of what it means to be the church. Improving a quality characteristic in the congregation’s life is not about adding or doing a program. It involves the development of contextually appropriate ministry grounded in these principles. The idea is to release the natural potential of a healthy body to do the work to which God has called it.

To those of you who have participated in this initial phase of our efforts, please accept our thanks. The results will be made available to everyone as soon as they become available. We on the Planning Committee are anxious to see the results and look at the proposals to help us grow and become better disciples and stewards of Christ’s mission.

 

 

 

 
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716