Natural Church Development
From 1994 to 1996 Christian A. Schwarz directed a comprehensive
research project studying the characteristics of healthy, growing
congregations. More than one thousand congregations took part in the study.
Schwarz’s research determined that healthy congregations
consistently shared eight common characteristics. These
characteristics are:
- Empowering leadership
- Gift-oriented ministry
- Passionate spirituality
- Functional structures
- Inspiring worship service
- Holistic small groups
- Need-oriented evangelism
- Loving relationships
The research also revealed that if any of these characteristics was
deficient, the congregation’s ability to grow was greatly
diminished. As a result, Schwarz developed a diagnostic tool
designed to measure the health of a congregation in each of the
eight “quality characteristics”. He also developed a new paradigm
for church renewal based on “natural” or “biotic” principles rather
than older church growth models that rely on imitating the methods
of growing congregations.
Schwarz named his new approach Natural Church Development. Today
over 10,000 congregations have used this process that includes a
diagnostic survey, a church profile, an implementation team and a
consultant. Using the diagnostic survey, a congregation determines
which of their eight quality characteristics is least developed. It
must be remembered that Schwarz contends that the least developed
characteristic must be developed for the church to grow. In order
to support his theory, Schwarz uses the illustration of a barrel
with eight staves to symbolize the eight quality characteristics.
The barrel can only hold water to the height of the lowest stave. So
too, Schwarz argues, a church can only grow as far as their “minimum
factor.” Once the congregation has determined its “minimum factor”
the church is ready to use Schwarz’s biotic principles to grow.
These principles include:
- Interdependence
- Multiplication
- Energy transformation
- Multi-usage
- Symbiosis
- Functionality
Following a period of implementing the biotic principles to address
the congregation’s minimum factor, the congregation repeats the
diagnostic survey to determine the new minimum factor. To date, more
than 22,000 congregations have used Natural Church Development to
find new vitality.
Natural Church Development materials are available from ChurchSmart
Resources, 3830 Ohio Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174. Natural Church
Development can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.ncd-international.org/.
Greg, Lon, and Steven are trained Natural Church Development
consultants.
