1. The Bottom Line The Quality of Church Health Church Health Board Michigan District

2. Are we doing the right thing? How do we know? Are we doing it the right way? Every organization should ask these three questions ( Peter Drucker)

3. “Some church growth concepts are so focused on the fruit.. that they fail to remember the roots that produce the fruit.”

4. Mark 4:26 "Jesus also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.”

5. Mark 4:27 “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”

6. Mark 4:28 “All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

7. Mark 4:29 “As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

8. Jesus Explained What We Can And Cannot Do We can prepare the soil We can sow the seed We can sleep & can get up We can harvest the crop We CANNOT bring forth the fruit NCS © 2000

11. Growing and declining churches vary significantly in some church health “quality” areas Research Reveals…

12. EmpoweringLeadership Note the adjectives

13. Empowering Leadership Leaders “equip, support, motivate, and mentor individuals to become all that God wants them to be... They know that God has an unique calling for every individual.”

14. EmpoweringLeadership Gift-orientedMinistry Note the adjectives

15. Gift-Oriented Ministry Church leaders help members “identify their gifts and integrate them into ministries that match their gifts.”

16. EmpoweringLeadership Passionate Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Note the adjectives

17. Passionate Spirituality The faith of the people is “actually lived out with commitment and enthusiasm, which impacts their giving.”

18. EmpoweringLeadership Passionate Inspiring Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Worship Service Note the adjectives

19. Inspiring Worship Worship is an “inspiring experience” that is well planned and regularly evaluated, where people sense God’s presence and lives are being impacted.

20. EmpoweringLeadership Holistic Passionate Inspiring Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Worship Service Small Groups Note the adjectives

21. Holistic Small Groups The church has developed a system of small groups where “individual Christians can find intimate community, practical help, and spiritual interaction.”

22. EmpoweringLeadership Holistic Passionate Inspiring Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Worship Service Small Groups Note the adjectives Need-Oriented Evangelism

23. Need-Oriented Evangelism The church shares the gospel “in a way that meets the questions and needs of non- Christians.”

24. EmpoweringLeadership Holistic Passionate Inspiring Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Worship Service Small Groups Note the adjectives Need-Oriented Evangelism LovingRelationships/Assimilation

25. Loving Relationships / Assimilation The relationships in the church are loving, warm and accepting of new people. The church intentionally follows up on guests and guides them into relationships and involvement.

26. EmpoweringLeadership Holistic Passionate Inspiring Gift-orientedMinistry Spirituality Worship Service Small Groups Note the adjectives Need-Oriented Evangelism LovingRelationships/Assimilation Strategic Structures

27. The church operates with an annual Ministry Action Plan, evaluates its ministries faithfully, experiments regularly and acts to remove barriers to church growth and health.

29. What Jesus Taught That We Can & Can Not Do We can prepare the soil We can sow the seed We can sleep & can get up We can harvest the crop We CANNOT bring forth the fruit NCS © 2000

30. Mark 4:28 “All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

31. “The key is quality. Jesus taught, if the root is quality, it will produce the right fruit.” Matt 7:17

32. Strategic Steps To Consider Make a commitment to annually evaluate the church’s health as a foundational component of church life

33. Strategic Steps To Consider Consider requiring a church health assessment every year to the district, to assist the church in continuing to remove its health barriers.

34. As a Church Health Board, we desire healthy churches across our district. What would that look like?

35. These are churches in which the leaders are committed to on-going growth and development;

36. These are churches in which the members use their gifts to unify and build up the church;

37. These are churches in which members practice spiritual disciplines like praying, growing, giving and serving with contagious enthusiasm;

38. These are churches in which worship services are a high point of the week for the majority of the congregation;

39. These are churches in which the loving and healing power of Jesus’ life can be experienced in small groups;

40. These are churches in which attendees invite others to attend and members use their gifts to help fulfill the Great Commission;

41. These are churches that intentionally follow- up on guests and where the love of Christ permeates all church activities

42. These are churches that annually plan, evaluate church structures regularly and act to remove barriers to growth and health.

43. Would anyone vote “no” to becoming that kind of church?

44. Who might be interested in attending that kind of church?

45. Are we doing the right thing? How do we know? Are we doing it the right way?

46. The Bottom Line The Quality of Church Health Church Health Board Michigan District