Introducing Diagnostic Survey

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been sharing with you about the essential aspects of church life that reflect the health of the church.

• Inspiring genuine and participatory WORSHIP becomes reality
  
• Empowering, directing and spiritual LEADERSHIP.
  
• Need oriented strategic EVANGELISM.
  
• Loving, lasting and significant RELATIONSHIPS.
  
• Passionate personal SPIRITUALITY.
  
• Effective and functional STRUCTURES.
  
• Gift oriented stewardship MINISTRIES.
  
• Community developed through HOLISTIC GROUPS.
  

A Survey has been created to enable individual churches to measured these eight areas objectively. Once the church knows their "minimum factor" (their weakest area), they can begin concentrating on improving that area. Usually, as the minimum factor is improved, other areas improve also.
The premise of Natural Church Development (NCD) is that as obstacles to growth are removed, the church will naturally grow as God has given it the ability to grow. A comparison can be made to a plant. If you plant in poor, rocky soil, provide very little sunlight and no water, the plant will not grow. If you remove the rocks, provide good soil, adequate sunlight and water, the plant will naturally grow, as God has given it the ability to grow.
The leadership of your church will involve all congregation in this process of revival. The initial stage will be introduced May 7, by giving questioners to church family members. Questionnaires are filled out by 30 randomly selected active, involved lay persons and by the pastor. The data from these questionnaires is entered into a computer program with a special connection that enables this data to be compared to the data previously entered from ALL the Christian churches in the Canada, and all the Adventist Churches in North America, that have ever taken the survey. The results are then computed and given to the church, so everyone can easily see their corporate strengths and weaknesses in each of these eight areas.
It is our objective to become more healthy and more effective in our ministries within the congregation and within the community we serve. And remember, these 8 quality characteristics are achieved only in coming close to the center – closer to Lord Jesus Christ.