Dear Friends in Christ,

    Well, it was several months ago that a group of our leaders came together to participate in a presentation called "Natural Church Development.' It's a process that focuses on church health, not growth, because of the conviction that healthy churches will experience the growth God intends them to have. We;re about ready now to embark on this journey and I thought this newsletter format would be a great way to bring everyone on board. So let me share this explanation with you.

     In the beginning, 1,000 growing churches were researched. None were "mega" churches, none had "name" pastors. Mid-size churches, they were experiencing significant and sustained growth. Researches asked members why they were growing, and responses ranged from "Because we have a great music program," to "We have a wonderful ministry to children and youth," and even included "We have a really good pastor" (I liked that one). But alas, their growth had nothing to do with any of those reasons. Researchers discovered there were eight Quality Characteristics in all churches. In growing churches they are well developed. In declining churches, they are not so well developed.

     A survey was created that enables a local church to determine how well-developed those characteristics are in their own church. The one that is least well-developed becomes the one the church really works on for the following year, setting goals that address that particular need. Eighty-five percent of the churches that work diligently on the goals they set for themselves experience growth, not only in that one area, but in other areas as well. At the end of the year, the church takes the survey again to measure that growth.

     I am pleased to announce that Dr. Nancy Rankin will be our coach for this process, meeting with our team to guide us each step along the way. Many of you know Nancy from her days as the Statesville District Superintendent and the Director of Congregational Development for our Conference. She is currently pastoring Blair Road UMC in Charlotte.

     So, how will we proceed? I have selected 29 persons to take the survey. They are representative of every group in the church. We will meet in mid-September to take the survey, and then Dr. Rankin will meet with us to go over the results. We'll select a "Church Health Team" of about 9 persons to meet with her for an "Action Planning Retreat" in October and there we will set 3 to 5 goals to work on for the next 12-18 months that address the one characteristic we need to work on the most (our regular church activities, programs, and ministries will also continue as usual). This "Health Team" will serve as a steering committee for the process.

     This process holds some wonderful promise for us and I'm excited about it. Please pray for Dr. Rankin as she guides us, and for the success of our journey into Natural Church Development.

Yours in Christ,

Bob

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