Thoughts From The Cottage
Dear Friends
The church is changing and the church as we know it in Europe is dying whilst a new whose shape is as yet undefined is beginning to emerge. In world terms 31.2% of the population is Christian whereas Islam is 24.1%, , no faith 16%, Hindu 15.1%, Buddhist 6.9% and all others 6.7%. In the UK the church affiliation figures for the last 5 years (2012-2017) make interesting reading. Decline is prevalent, Presbyterian -19%, CofE -18%, Methodist -15%, RC -12%, Baptist -6%. The URC has declined so far it is no longer listed. On the other hand there has been growth as shown by Independent +6%, Smaller Denominations +9%, Pentecostal +11%, New Churches +13%, Orthodox +17%, Fresh Expressions +135%. So what do we make of the figures and what can we learn from the growing churches?
Thousands of books have been written on the subject of Church growth. The Institute for Natural Church Development puts forward the notion that we should concentrate on church health not church growth because a healthy church will always grow but a growing church will not always be healthy. This is based on a survey of 4.2million Christians. They have eight characteristics of healthy churches:
Empowering Leadership which is definite, strong and visionary, but also successful in facilitating, equipping and empowering others. In healthy and growing churches the congregation has learned not expect the senior pastor to minister personally to everyone.
Gift-oriented Ministry enabling every member to discover and then exercise the gifts they have been given by God. This begins with the conviction that each of us have gifts that the church community needs.
Passionate Spirituality in which members go way beyond the mere defence of orthodoxy to actually living their faith with passion and contagious enthusiasm. This is true discipleship.
Functional Structures are needed to develop programmes. But there must be no patience (or money) for programmes that do not satisfy spiritual needs or further their real mission. They are prepared to change things that no longer work.
Inspiring Worship Services whether traditional or more secular language is used, whether the worship is liturgical or non-liturgical, or whether the music is old-fashioned or modern is utterly irrelevant. The key criterion is whether the service inspires those who attend.
Holistic Small Groups is the most important characteristic of growing churches in which people learn to apply the Faith in a practical and personal way. They build relationships.
Need-oriented Evangelism where the gifts of members and the resources of the church are matched to the spiritual needs of the community.
Loving Relationships calculated on the basis of hospitality and laughter in a congregation. Real love amongst church members ‘spreads that mysterious scent that few can resist.’
The depressing thing is that according to the research congregations that maintain a pattern of growth excel in all eight characteristics at the same time. Take one of those characteristics away, and that church does not grow.
Church planting is often seen as a more productive way of expending our energies than trying to bring newly converted people (or even seekers) into a fellowship. Of the church it has been said that it is easier to bring to birth than to resurrect the dead.
The big question is can we be a healthy church? If so what do we need to let go of? What do we need to take on board? Or to put it another way. What sacred cows are holding us back? What programmes are sapping our energy? What philosophies are counter-productive? Are we prepared to embrace the change that is needed? Of course all we try could fail if it is simply our idea of church. It has to grow out of our relationship with the Creator, out of our relationship with the Saviour, out of relationship with the Spirit. It is when those relationships are real and we are truly in the presence of the tri-une God that we are transformed and equipped. And what is true for us individually is true for the church corporately.
Ian
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