Your Church Can Grow

Across the United States 85% of United Methodist churches that have completed at least one cycle of the Natural Church Development process have improved their overall health and have increased average worship attendance. These results are bearing out in Greater New Jersey as well. Trouble is, most churches want the quick fix–the immediate magic turn around. Truth is, it cannot be done without engaging in a process and getting down to the work that the process entails. Natural Church Development, or “NCD” involves a commitment of time and energy. So far, empirical evidence points to the fact that when people follow the process they will achieve good results.

Each church has its own character and culture. It is a good idea for each church to establish an agreed upon way to behave with each other. I visited one church recently where such rules were posted in the meeting room where committees gathered. The posted rules served as a reminder, in this church’s case, to remember to:

 Start with prayer in everything we do
 Remember that we are disciples of God
 Accept each others ideas
 Treat whoever is speaking with respect; hear the whole presentation with an open mind, and without interrupting
 Our covenant should become a part of who we are at all times… not just during meeting times
 Support the pastors, staff, and church leaders
 If you have an issue, you should go directly to the source of the issue to try to resolve it first, and promise to be willing to forgive
 “Anonymous” letters or emails are unacceptable and will be discarded
 Be willing to have fun! 
 This is not our church, but God’s church, recognizing that we are all individuals working towards a common goal

The point is to remember whose we are and who we are as brothers and sisters called into community through the work of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, churches that take seriously their Christian behavior tend to show more loving and Christ-like attitudes. They minimize the deleterious effects of “parking lot chatter” that can be destructive to relationships within the body of Christ.
One of the critiques of younger people toward the church is that too often church people behave in unchristian ways. David Kinnaman’s UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity, points to perceptions younger people outside the church have about those of us who are inside. Too often we are portrayed as judgmental, anti-homosexual, boring, out of touch with reality and hypocritical. Our behavior is perceived as being unchristian, hence the title of the book.
Taking time to process behavior patterns we want to live by is a first good step toward fostering a climate and culture that reflects the Savior in whose name we gather.