Diocesan Strategy

No Quick Fix! Long-term ( years application) Hard work! Diocesan Strategy

Simple Focus! Diocesan Mission Purpose 8 Quality Areas Diocesan Strategy

Simple Focus! 8 Quality Areas Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities Diocesan Strategy

Simple Focus! Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities Ministry Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional Leadership Structures Outreach Small Groups Worship Spirituality Relationships Diocesan Strategy

6 Christian Schwarz’s research 1000 churches 32 countries 5 continents 4.2 million answers Natural Church Development (NCD)

Good quality: Soil Water Temperature Sunlight Tree has no choice!…. It cannot do anything else but…. g r o w Created healthy environment for growth

BUT…… Soil Water Temperature Sunlight Tree has no choice!…. It cannot do anything else but…. D i e Need ALL the qualities! Miss one out and you will not sustain growth REMOVE any ONE item…..

A barrel can only hold as much water as the LOWEST stave. So work out our WEAKEST (Minimum) quality and improve it! And at the same time ensure we use all the other qualities whilst improving the one weakest, so that ALL qualities improve together.

Leadership Ministry Spirituality Worship Small Groups Outreach Relationships Structures Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional 8 Essential Qualities in Healthy Growing Churches When all qualities were consistently above a certain level all churches in research were growing.

Bottom line? You might not like some of the qualities but if you don’t have them you won’t grow!

EMPOWERING Leadership Atmosphere in whole church….. (not just the vicar/‘leader’!)? Every leader intentionally identifies, inspires, recruits, trains, supports and releases others into leadership responsibilities and rejoices that they do role better than you! The ‘see-saw’ effect…. People start off ‘lower’ than you, and you raise them up above you. ‘Our ceiling, their floor’.

EMPOWERING Leadership How do people feel after they have been talking with you as a leader? Do they leave feeling you are better than them, or that they are/can be better than you? Do they feel ‘lifted up’ or ‘put down’? The ‘see-saw’ effect…. Have the same people been doing the same jobs for umpteen years? Are people exercising an unhealthy level of control over ‘their’ area, or even the church itself?! These will be a barrier to growth.

I do, you watch I do, you help You do, I help You do, I watch Select team LeaderTraInIngLeaderTraInIng L1 L2 L3L4

GIFT-ORIENTED Ministry Most churches ?! This is what we do……. will you please help us?

GIFT-ORIENTED Ministry What do you want to achieve for God before you die…? And is the local church helping you achieve it? What would you like the vicar to say about you at your funeral service? And are you doing it now? People with passion achieve more than people with just ability…. so what are you passionate about? What gifts can you apply to that passion? How can the church support you in that?

PASSIONATE Spirituality Authenticity of faith? Is it real?! Are all fruit of the Spirit in evidence in congregation? Levels of self-sacrifice (inc giving)? ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is among you’…. so do people get a taste of heaven when they meet members of the congregation individually and collectively? Prayer life of church and individuals?

PASSIONATE Spirituality Age and fruit of Spirit? (Young) people are not put off by age… but they are by attitude!

INSPIRING Worship High point of your week Connect with God there. So inspiring you want to invite your friends who have no faith along to it to experience it. You’ll have a regular stream of visitors coming to see what it’s like (if they come and don’t come back that’s another question!) No ‘cringe’ factors for guests Style irrelevant….it’s the quality (inspiring) that counts!

HOLISTIC Small Groups Small within big Do everything a church does, but smaller scale: Worship (but different to ‘main’ church as smaller), Bible application, pastoral support, prayer, outreach, use of people’s gifts, transforming community, g r o w, multiply, etc.

NEED-ORIENTED Outreach 2 aspects: Meet people’s practical needs (ie serve the poor, transform communities) Meet people’s faith exploration needs as they journey towards Christian faith.

LOVING Relationships 3 key aspects: FUN! WELCOMING! FORGIVING!

LOVING Relationships 3 key aspects: FUN! Who would want to be part of something miserable?! Ability to laugh at oneself is a sign of humility Growing churches have a lot of laughter in them.

LOVING Relationships 3 key aspects: If Jesus did all of that (!)…. the LEAST we can do is walk across the room to somebody we do not recognise and say, ‘Hi, it’s lovely to see you.’ Being shy is NOT an excuse! Remember…. no second chance at a first impression! And open circles! WELCOMING! How welcoming in atmosphere for BOTH men AND women!

LOVING Relationships 3 key aspects: Christian churches should be the most forgiving places on the planet! So why aren’t they?! No excuses NOT to forgive (people, Diocese, etc) Especially important in serving the poor. FORGIVING! Let go of the nets!

FUNCTIONAL Structures Exist to enable all of the 8 qualities to flourish throughout the whole life of the church! Need to be flexible and adapt as growth occurs. Just reflect how much damage you/PCC can potentially do to a person/organisation and God’s Kingdom by operating outside of these qualities!

Leadership Ministry Spirituality Worship Small Groups Outreach Relationships Structures Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional 8 Essential Qualities in Healthy Growing Churches Which are your best 2 qualities? Which is your weakest?

Leadership Ministry Spirituality Worship Small Groups Outreach Relationships Structures Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional 8 Essential Qualities in Healthy Growing Churches What 3 or 4 ideas do people have to improve our weakest area over the next year, making sure that we use our best 2 in doing it, and ensuring we also use all the other qualities too?

Simple Focus! Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities Ministry Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional Leadership Structures Outreach Small Groups Worship Spirituality Relationships Diocesan Strategy

Simple Focus! Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities Ministry Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional Leadership Structures Outreach Small Groups Worship Spirituality Relationships Diocesan Strategy

Focus on Mission Purpose Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities Ministry Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional Leadership Structures Outreach Small Groups Worship Spirituality Relationships No Quick Fix! Focus on 8 Qualities Appropriate and Relevant Equipping Diocesan Strategy