This document provides a summary report of a spiritual life survey conducted at Lord of Life Lutheran Church. It includes information on the church's spiritual vitality index, demographics, activities, and priorities according to members. It also identifies catalysts and barriers to spiritual growth, including those who report feeling stalled or dissatisfied spiritually. The report aims to help church leadership understand the spiritual health of their congregation and how to better support members' spiritual growth.
The document describes various statistics related to growth of the Assemblies of God church from 1958 to the present day. Some key points include:
- Membership grew from 20,000 churches and 1.5 million adherents in 1958 to over 300,000 churches and 61 million adherents today.
- Between 2003 and 2008, adherents increased by over 10 million people, a 17.6% growth rate.
- Between 1929 and 1939, the number of churches doubled in the US and more than doubled outside the US. Membership increased over 100% worldwide in that period.
The document discusses the results of a Spiritual Needs Survey conducted with 3000 people from parishes in the United States and Canada. The survey aimed to understand what helps people grow spiritually and find engagement in their parish community. Preliminary findings suggest that daily prayer, participation in Mass, belonging to a parish community, and having good friends who share one's faith are most impactful. At one parish, respondents indicated that small faith sharing groups and Bible studies could help meet spiritual needs. The document concludes that forming deep friendships may be a key way to establish a culture of holiness and engagement in a parish.
Strategically rebuilding the Church of the Nativity involved studying, learning from and adopting successful practices in other Christian communities. Dr Ruth Powell will explore trends in evangelisation and what is working well in Christian communities across Australia. Participants are invited to take big picture ideas, learn from others and apply them in their own parishes.
Ruth Powell is Director of National Church Life Survey (NCLS) Research and an Associate Professor at the Australian Catholic University. She has been a part of the NCLS team since 1991. She has written about many aspects of Australian church life, including church health, denominational differences, and individual attitudes. Her PhD research focused on age differences among church attenders. Some of the publications she has co-authored include Winds of Change, Views from the Pews, Shaping a Future, Build My Church, Taking Stock, and Enriching Church Life.
Preventing Depression, Exhaustion, and Moral Failure in Church Leadership EbookTerri Register
This document provides an overview of a curriculum aimed at preventing moral failure in church leadership. It begins with statistics showing high levels of stress and overwork among pastors that negatively impact their families. It then discusses several high-profile cases of megachurch pastors who have recently faced scandals due to moral failures like adultery. The curriculum seeks to identify vulnerabilities for leaders and establish preventative practices. It emphasizes that preventing moral failure requires a collaborative effort from all levels of church leadership and members. The document outlines the curriculum's contents which will address defining and understanding the causes and consequences of moral failure, as well as paths to restoration.
The document discusses the expectations for membership at Nova Church, which include attending an entry point class, participating in a Bible study group yearly, attending worship services regularly, involvement in a ministry annually, daily Bible reading, financial support, and embracing the church's core values. It states that discipleship is a lifelong journey of obedience, transformation, and ministry. The church's vision is to fulfill the Great Commission through evangelism, discipleship, worship, fellowship, and missions in order to see numerical and spiritual growth as well as expanding ministries and advancing global missions.
Spiritual Leadership for Church Leaders by Joan S. Gray--- A Presentation for...Geoff McLean
Spiritual Leadership for Church Leaders by Joan S. Gray--- A Presentation for Church Leaders by Pastor Geoff McLean, Christ Presbyterian Church, Fairfax. This is intended for use by a leader who is guiding a study of Joan S. Gray's book. Most quotes are directly from the book and include page numbers.
The document discusses Wellspring Group, an organization that focuses on developing "whole hearted people" through discipleship and leadership development programs. Their process involves practical events and sustained community that aims to facilitate fundamental change by focusing on changing people's hearts. They provide multi-stage programs like "Battle for the Heart" that use interactive teachings, team discussions, and personal reflection to help participants understand their hearts and God's heart in order to lead others. Wellspring works with churches and missions to implement these programs and coach leaders to replicate them to cultivate sustained change in individuals and communities.
The document describes various statistics related to growth of the Assemblies of God church from 1958 to the present day. Some key points include:
- Membership grew from 20,000 churches and 1.5 million adherents in 1958 to over 300,000 churches and 61 million adherents today.
- Between 2003 and 2008, adherents increased by over 10 million people, a 17.6% growth rate.
- Between 1929 and 1939, the number of churches doubled in the US and more than doubled outside the US. Membership increased over 100% worldwide in that period.
The document discusses the results of a Spiritual Needs Survey conducted with 3000 people from parishes in the United States and Canada. The survey aimed to understand what helps people grow spiritually and find engagement in their parish community. Preliminary findings suggest that daily prayer, participation in Mass, belonging to a parish community, and having good friends who share one's faith are most impactful. At one parish, respondents indicated that small faith sharing groups and Bible studies could help meet spiritual needs. The document concludes that forming deep friendships may be a key way to establish a culture of holiness and engagement in a parish.
Strategically rebuilding the Church of the Nativity involved studying, learning from and adopting successful practices in other Christian communities. Dr Ruth Powell will explore trends in evangelisation and what is working well in Christian communities across Australia. Participants are invited to take big picture ideas, learn from others and apply them in their own parishes.
Ruth Powell is Director of National Church Life Survey (NCLS) Research and an Associate Professor at the Australian Catholic University. She has been a part of the NCLS team since 1991. She has written about many aspects of Australian church life, including church health, denominational differences, and individual attitudes. Her PhD research focused on age differences among church attenders. Some of the publications she has co-authored include Winds of Change, Views from the Pews, Shaping a Future, Build My Church, Taking Stock, and Enriching Church Life.
Preventing Depression, Exhaustion, and Moral Failure in Church Leadership EbookTerri Register
This document provides an overview of a curriculum aimed at preventing moral failure in church leadership. It begins with statistics showing high levels of stress and overwork among pastors that negatively impact their families. It then discusses several high-profile cases of megachurch pastors who have recently faced scandals due to moral failures like adultery. The curriculum seeks to identify vulnerabilities for leaders and establish preventative practices. It emphasizes that preventing moral failure requires a collaborative effort from all levels of church leadership and members. The document outlines the curriculum's contents which will address defining and understanding the causes and consequences of moral failure, as well as paths to restoration.
The document discusses the expectations for membership at Nova Church, which include attending an entry point class, participating in a Bible study group yearly, attending worship services regularly, involvement in a ministry annually, daily Bible reading, financial support, and embracing the church's core values. It states that discipleship is a lifelong journey of obedience, transformation, and ministry. The church's vision is to fulfill the Great Commission through evangelism, discipleship, worship, fellowship, and missions in order to see numerical and spiritual growth as well as expanding ministries and advancing global missions.
Spiritual Leadership for Church Leaders by Joan S. Gray--- A Presentation for...Geoff McLean
Spiritual Leadership for Church Leaders by Joan S. Gray--- A Presentation for Church Leaders by Pastor Geoff McLean, Christ Presbyterian Church, Fairfax. This is intended for use by a leader who is guiding a study of Joan S. Gray's book. Most quotes are directly from the book and include page numbers.
The document discusses Wellspring Group, an organization that focuses on developing "whole hearted people" through discipleship and leadership development programs. Their process involves practical events and sustained community that aims to facilitate fundamental change by focusing on changing people's hearts. They provide multi-stage programs like "Battle for the Heart" that use interactive teachings, team discussions, and personal reflection to help participants understand their hearts and God's heart in order to lead others. Wellspring works with churches and missions to implement these programs and coach leaders to replicate them to cultivate sustained change in individuals and communities.
The document describes Wellspring Group, which focuses on developing "whole hearted people" through discipleship and leadership development programs. The programs are designed to facilitate significant and sustainable change by focusing on changing the heart through experiential knowledge of God, living out the gospel with whole hearts, and experiencing authentic community. The process involves multi-day retreats and long-term follow up in small groups to support participants as they pursue wholeheartedness in their identities, relationships, and leadership. The goal is for transformed individuals to organically create change in churches, families, and communities through living out of their renewed hearts.
The document provides a table of contents for a guide on reaching millennials who leave the faith, outlining articles and interviews on understanding why young adults leave church, postmodern spirituality, an interview about why youth drift away after high school, ways to reach different types of young adult "leavers," bridging generational gaps, churches successful at connecting with millennials, and calling young adults back to faith.
This lesson is based on John Maxwell's lesson entitled, "The Law of the Lid." I believe Dr. Maxwell's words are powerful for businesses and the principles have a place in church leadership.
There is an article on the Preacher's Pen regarding this subject.
Rhua Ministries provides spiritual covering and support to pastors, churches, and ministries. Their coverage aims to focus on spiritual needs rather than legal or hierarchical structure. They offer three levels of coverage - personal, ministerial, and congregational - depending on the ministry's needs. Their goal is to impart vision, provide counsel, and strengthen ministries through spiritual care and partnership while respecting each ministry's autonomy.
The document discusses making disciples and spiritual growth. It notes that Jeremiah 18 describes how a potter shapes clay into different pots. It also discusses six discoveries about spiritual growth from Willow Creek, including that spiritual practices are building blocks and that evangelists, volunteers and donors tend to be the most spiritually advanced. It emphasizes that activity does not necessarily mean vitality and that religious holiness is not the same as relational holiness.
Millennial perceptions of Adventist public evangelismparkersda
A survey of more than 1600 Adventist millennials and their perception of Adventist public evangelism and presentations on the antichrist. Study was done in October/November 2017. This is an initial summary of survey findings.
Continuation on series on spiritual (or religious) abuse. Focus here on the structures and classification of institutions (particularly religious institutions) that tend towards religious or ecclesiastical abuse of its members.
The document discusses the goals and services of Pursuant, a company that works with non-profits to help them better achieve their missions through strategic and technological expertise. It explains how Pursuant aims to help non-profits transform lives and also be transformed itself through client relationships. The document also provides an overview of Understanding Social Media and how social networks allow for two-way communication and collaboration both within and between organizations.
At the Cedar Hill Church's August 14th Town Hall meeting, the Renewal Team provided a progress update. This update included a brief review of the recent Reveal Survey results and Listening Round table.
The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 3, From our series, "The Bible In Five" a 5 years examination of the Scriptures.
Pastor Dave Kooyers , Valley Bible Fellowship, (707) 895-3212
This document discusses Holacracy, a self-organizing organizational model without managers or job descriptions. It describes one organization's experience trying Holacracy, including unclear strategies and disempowered employees that led them to consider new structures. They adopted Holacracy but encountered complications from roles, meetings and governance. Some benefits included structured meetings and practices, but the author eventually left due to feeling lost and that an energy bottleneck had formed. The document advocates for transformation of mind and heart over social technologies and questions how to navigate complexity and engage people to create organizations where people want to live.
Сегодня целеустремленные сотрудники требуют от организаций осмысленных и интересных задач, а заказчики — качественных продуктов и услуг. Для коммерческих компаний лозунг «адаптируйся или умри» никогда не был столь актуальным. Самоорганизация широко используется как способ достижения гибкости. Но как применить ее ко всей организации и как убедиться в том, что результат достигнут и организация стала эффективной? Как перейти от делегирования к распределенной ответственности? И от процедур к прозрачной оценке эффективности?
Цель этого доклада — дать представление о том, как Холакратия может помочь построить самоорганизующуюся и целеустремленную компанию.
Holacracy® can be described as an ‘operating system’ for organizations. An alternative for the traditional hierarchy. It supports purpose-driven organizations with structured and efficient meetings, clarity on roles and how decisions are made and how power is distributed. With Holacracy anyone from anywhere in the organization can rapidly process any tension into positive change. It’s an agile approach to organizational governance and development.
3 steps to implement holacracy in your companyKozo Takei
This document discusses implementing Holacracy in companies. It provides an overview of Holacracy and its key differences from traditional hierarchies. The 3 steps to implement Holacracy are outlined as quantitative data management, establishing communication channels, and releasing information and power by removing titles and positions. Best practices at Diamond Media are also shared, such as using a career matrix, salary systems without incentives, and brain trusts for counseling.
Holacracy is a management system that replaces traditional hierarchical structures with distributed authority and decision-making through self-organizing teams called circles. Circles operate through different types of regular meetings focused on tactical operations, governance, and strategy. Roles rather than individuals are the main organizing principle, with each role having a purpose, domains of authority, and accountabilities. The system aims to make organizations more adaptive, productive, and empowering for employees.
5 Reasons Why Holacracy is Failing. Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Holacracy (a...Sage HR
Holacracy is a self-management principle founded on interconnectedness. The term was first coined in 2007 by Brian Roberts but the idea has been around for centuries.
It's only been a couple of years since Zappos adopted Holacracy. But it seems that everyone is eager to learn about the results of Hsieh's experiment. Latest speculations (mostly from the press) suggest that Holacracy is failing.
Is it?
Or maybe it only needs more time to prove its worth?
In this Slideshare story deck, we present 5 main reasons why many experts think that Holacracy is failing. And of course to make it a fair fight, we are also proud to show one big reason why we need to give Holacracy more time.
Hope you'll find this information useful!
- - -
Visit our blog for more > > > cake.hr/blog
An immersive workshop at General Assembly, SF. I typically teach this workshop at General Assembly, San Francisco. To see a list of my upcoming classes, visit https://generalassemb.ly/instructors/seth-familian/4813
I also teach this workshop as a private lunch-and-learn or half-day immersive session for corporate clients. To learn more about pricing and availability, please contact me at http://familian1.com
The document discusses strategies for reversing declining attendance in mainline Protestant churches based on research and recommendations from reports. It finds that growing churches focus on clarifying their mission, moving people through small groups and leadership roles, and aligning resources to children's/youth programs. While recommendations call for reform and measuring results, no implementation plan has been forthcoming from church leadership. The document suggests two books outlining effective church strategies focused on clarity, movement, alignment and focus.
The document discusses developing a defining vision for churches through the Acts 16:5 Initiative. It provides seminars on transformational and missional ministry for pastors and teams. It also discusses pastor clusters for encouragement and accountability. A vision team works with the pastor and council to apply concepts. The goal is to awaken a high expectation for ministry through developing a clear defining vision.
This document provides guidance for congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Northern Illinois District to complete a self-evaluation. The self-evaluation is designed to help congregations understand their unique call and how to reach their community, help the district understand the congregation's needs and opportunities, and help an incoming pastor evaluate how their gifts match the congregation. The self-evaluation covers topics like the congregation's mission, values, assets, governance, demographics, involvement in the community, and staffing considerations. Completing the self-evaluation truthfully will help facilitate a beneficial matching of pastor to congregation.
The document describes Wellspring Group, which focuses on developing "whole hearted people" through discipleship and leadership development programs. The programs are designed to facilitate significant and sustainable change by focusing on changing the heart through experiential knowledge of God, living out the gospel with whole hearts, and experiencing authentic community. The process involves multi-day retreats and long-term follow up in small groups to support participants as they pursue wholeheartedness in their identities, relationships, and leadership. The goal is for transformed individuals to organically create change in churches, families, and communities through living out of their renewed hearts.
The document provides a table of contents for a guide on reaching millennials who leave the faith, outlining articles and interviews on understanding why young adults leave church, postmodern spirituality, an interview about why youth drift away after high school, ways to reach different types of young adult "leavers," bridging generational gaps, churches successful at connecting with millennials, and calling young adults back to faith.
This lesson is based on John Maxwell's lesson entitled, "The Law of the Lid." I believe Dr. Maxwell's words are powerful for businesses and the principles have a place in church leadership.
There is an article on the Preacher's Pen regarding this subject.
Rhua Ministries provides spiritual covering and support to pastors, churches, and ministries. Their coverage aims to focus on spiritual needs rather than legal or hierarchical structure. They offer three levels of coverage - personal, ministerial, and congregational - depending on the ministry's needs. Their goal is to impart vision, provide counsel, and strengthen ministries through spiritual care and partnership while respecting each ministry's autonomy.
The document discusses making disciples and spiritual growth. It notes that Jeremiah 18 describes how a potter shapes clay into different pots. It also discusses six discoveries about spiritual growth from Willow Creek, including that spiritual practices are building blocks and that evangelists, volunteers and donors tend to be the most spiritually advanced. It emphasizes that activity does not necessarily mean vitality and that religious holiness is not the same as relational holiness.
Millennial perceptions of Adventist public evangelismparkersda
A survey of more than 1600 Adventist millennials and their perception of Adventist public evangelism and presentations on the antichrist. Study was done in October/November 2017. This is an initial summary of survey findings.
Continuation on series on spiritual (or religious) abuse. Focus here on the structures and classification of institutions (particularly religious institutions) that tend towards religious or ecclesiastical abuse of its members.
The document discusses the goals and services of Pursuant, a company that works with non-profits to help them better achieve their missions through strategic and technological expertise. It explains how Pursuant aims to help non-profits transform lives and also be transformed itself through client relationships. The document also provides an overview of Understanding Social Media and how social networks allow for two-way communication and collaboration both within and between organizations.
At the Cedar Hill Church's August 14th Town Hall meeting, the Renewal Team provided a progress update. This update included a brief review of the recent Reveal Survey results and Listening Round table.
The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 3, From our series, "The Bible In Five" a 5 years examination of the Scriptures.
Pastor Dave Kooyers , Valley Bible Fellowship, (707) 895-3212
This document discusses Holacracy, a self-organizing organizational model without managers or job descriptions. It describes one organization's experience trying Holacracy, including unclear strategies and disempowered employees that led them to consider new structures. They adopted Holacracy but encountered complications from roles, meetings and governance. Some benefits included structured meetings and practices, but the author eventually left due to feeling lost and that an energy bottleneck had formed. The document advocates for transformation of mind and heart over social technologies and questions how to navigate complexity and engage people to create organizations where people want to live.
Сегодня целеустремленные сотрудники требуют от организаций осмысленных и интересных задач, а заказчики — качественных продуктов и услуг. Для коммерческих компаний лозунг «адаптируйся или умри» никогда не был столь актуальным. Самоорганизация широко используется как способ достижения гибкости. Но как применить ее ко всей организации и как убедиться в том, что результат достигнут и организация стала эффективной? Как перейти от делегирования к распределенной ответственности? И от процедур к прозрачной оценке эффективности?
Цель этого доклада — дать представление о том, как Холакратия может помочь построить самоорганизующуюся и целеустремленную компанию.
Holacracy® can be described as an ‘operating system’ for organizations. An alternative for the traditional hierarchy. It supports purpose-driven organizations with structured and efficient meetings, clarity on roles and how decisions are made and how power is distributed. With Holacracy anyone from anywhere in the organization can rapidly process any tension into positive change. It’s an agile approach to organizational governance and development.
3 steps to implement holacracy in your companyKozo Takei
This document discusses implementing Holacracy in companies. It provides an overview of Holacracy and its key differences from traditional hierarchies. The 3 steps to implement Holacracy are outlined as quantitative data management, establishing communication channels, and releasing information and power by removing titles and positions. Best practices at Diamond Media are also shared, such as using a career matrix, salary systems without incentives, and brain trusts for counseling.
Holacracy is a management system that replaces traditional hierarchical structures with distributed authority and decision-making through self-organizing teams called circles. Circles operate through different types of regular meetings focused on tactical operations, governance, and strategy. Roles rather than individuals are the main organizing principle, with each role having a purpose, domains of authority, and accountabilities. The system aims to make organizations more adaptive, productive, and empowering for employees.
5 Reasons Why Holacracy is Failing. Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Holacracy (a...Sage HR
Holacracy is a self-management principle founded on interconnectedness. The term was first coined in 2007 by Brian Roberts but the idea has been around for centuries.
It's only been a couple of years since Zappos adopted Holacracy. But it seems that everyone is eager to learn about the results of Hsieh's experiment. Latest speculations (mostly from the press) suggest that Holacracy is failing.
Is it?
Or maybe it only needs more time to prove its worth?
In this Slideshare story deck, we present 5 main reasons why many experts think that Holacracy is failing. And of course to make it a fair fight, we are also proud to show one big reason why we need to give Holacracy more time.
Hope you'll find this information useful!
- - -
Visit our blog for more > > > cake.hr/blog
An immersive workshop at General Assembly, SF. I typically teach this workshop at General Assembly, San Francisco. To see a list of my upcoming classes, visit https://generalassemb.ly/instructors/seth-familian/4813
I also teach this workshop as a private lunch-and-learn or half-day immersive session for corporate clients. To learn more about pricing and availability, please contact me at http://familian1.com
The document discusses strategies for reversing declining attendance in mainline Protestant churches based on research and recommendations from reports. It finds that growing churches focus on clarifying their mission, moving people through small groups and leadership roles, and aligning resources to children's/youth programs. While recommendations call for reform and measuring results, no implementation plan has been forthcoming from church leadership. The document suggests two books outlining effective church strategies focused on clarity, movement, alignment and focus.
The document discusses developing a defining vision for churches through the Acts 16:5 Initiative. It provides seminars on transformational and missional ministry for pastors and teams. It also discusses pastor clusters for encouragement and accountability. A vision team works with the pastor and council to apply concepts. The goal is to awaken a high expectation for ministry through developing a clear defining vision.
This document provides guidance for congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Northern Illinois District to complete a self-evaluation. The self-evaluation is designed to help congregations understand their unique call and how to reach their community, help the district understand the congregation's needs and opportunities, and help an incoming pastor evaluate how their gifts match the congregation. The self-evaluation covers topics like the congregation's mission, values, assets, governance, demographics, involvement in the community, and staffing considerations. Completing the self-evaluation truthfully will help facilitate a beneficial matching of pastor to congregation.
Catholic United for the Faith - ST. MONICA PRESENTATION pennpadre
- Only 30% of Americans raised Catholic still regularly practice the faith as adults, and 10% of all U.S. adults were formerly Catholic, comprising the largest religious group in the U.S. at 31 million people.
- By age 23, 79% of those raised Catholic who no longer identify as Catholic also claim no religious affiliation. Having a personal relationship with God is the strongest predictor of Mass attendance, yet a majority of adult Catholics are uncertain this is possible.
- Extensive research found that regular church involvement does not necessarily lead to long-term spiritual growth, and that regularly engaging with scripture has the greatest impact on spiritual maturity and developing a personal relationship with Christ.
The document discusses issues related to church expectations and unity. It describes how Korean Air crashed frequently in the 1990s due to "mitigated speech" but improved after crews were trained to communicate honestly. Similarly, the church needs open communication to deal with issues. The document also discusses the rise of individualism in the church and the importance of unity according to Jesus' prayer and biblical passages. It provides examples showing how the church should welcome all people, including those in greatest need.
The document is a town hall report from Cornerstone Church that provides updates on the church's various ministries from the past year. It summarizes that the church has over 75 people serving on ministry teams and many more volunteers, and that when reading the ministry reports one should praise God for what he is doing through the church. It also includes summaries of the Vitality Team and Strategic Planning Team's work to discern the church's vision and mission, as well as brief summaries of the work done by the Community Life Ministry and Global Missions Ministry over the past year.
This document outlines Greater Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church's visioning process, which includes evaluating the church's effectiveness through a ministry inventory. It assigns church members to groups that will gather information on specific ministry areas. The groups will analyze documents, conduct surveys and interviews. Their findings will be compiled into a report to help the church identify strengths, weaknesses and develop an action plan to enhance its outreach ministry.
The document discusses ways to build an engaged parish community. It identifies three levels of engagement among parishioners: engaged, not engaged, and actively disengaged. The engaged make up 16% and are deeply committed psychologically and spiritually to the parish through activities like inviting others and volunteering. The not engaged attend but lack strong connection, while the actively disengaged rarely attend and oppose the parish. The document advocates moving parishioners along four steps: addressing what they get out of membership, what they can contribute, developing a sense of belonging, and participating in the parish mission. This helps foster an engaged community.
How to Find a Local Church Near Me That’s a Good Fit for Me?Church org
Church.org helps you locate nearby churches wherever you are, so you can feel connected to your faith and community at all times. Here are some more ways to help you find a church.
The Grace Episcopal Church Parish Budget Meeting covered the following key points:
1) The church discussed whether it sees itself as a "maintenance church" or "mission church" and how that impacts priorities and outreach.
2) Financial assets were reviewed, showing declining balances as expenses have increased and pledge income has remained stagnant, with pledges often not being fully paid.
3) New financial systems and oversight processes were established to better track spending and pledges going forward.
4) The current and projected budgets showed continued deficits if changes are not made, with assets at risk of being depleted over time if trends continue. Recommendations to fund future ministry in a sustainable way would be
The document summarizes the agenda and discussions from a parish budget meeting at Grace Episcopal Church. The meeting focused on whether the church operates as a "maintenance church" or "mission church", reviewed current assets and budgets, and discussed recommendations for funding future ministry given declining assets and budget shortfalls. The meeting opened and closed with prayers and discussed developing new financial systems and strategic planning to put the church on a sustainable path going forward.
The principles of front and back doors in your churchPLAcademy
1. The document discusses the principles of front and back doors in churches, referring to how people enter and leave a church.
2. It emphasizes the importance of strategically opening the front door through outreach, welcoming people, and having programs and services that attract new attendees.
3. It also stresses the need to close the back door by following up with people who stop attending to understand why they left and potentially get them to return, as many former attendees said they would come back if contacted.
This document provides information about church membership at Christ Our Hope Church. It begins by establishing the biblical basis for church membership, citing several passages that show Christians are called to devote themselves to fellowship within a local congregation. It then discusses the practical reasons for membership and the privileges it provides, such as opportunities for worship, fellowship, discipleship, and partnership in mission. The document concludes by outlining Christ Our Hope Church's membership commitments and next steps for joining the church.
This document discusses engaging and coaching parents in faith formation. It provides examples of models for partnering with parents, including having parents form their own children using provided materials with coach support, faith-filled parent coaching and formation, and drawing parents into adult faith formation through their children. It also provides examples of topics that can be covered in parent coaching, such as the sacraments, morality, Scripture, and prayer. Sample lesson plans and resources for faith formation are referenced.
This document provides guidance for church worker spouses on serving according to their spiritual gifts, maintaining a balanced self outside of church responsibilities, and cultivating a positive attitude. It discusses spiritual gifts that may be applicable to a spouse's service, such as teaching, encouragement, hospitality and prayer. It also lists areas of potential ministry like leadership, worship, and outreach. The document encourages spouses to reflect on whether they are serving in areas of their gifts, discusses balancing service with other interests, and sharing how to create more harmony with one's spouse.
Growing from the inside out powerpoint-shorter presentationMark Bernstein
This document discusses strategies for growing a congregation in four key areas: growing membership numbers, deepening members' faith, increasing internal stability, and engaging in community action. It emphasizes that faith development, or helping members understand and live out Unitarian Universalist principles and beliefs, is important for growth in all four areas. Specific strategies mentioned include leaders clearly articulating UU identity, workshops exploring UUism, and developing behavioral covenants to guide how members live out their faith both within and outside the congregation.
This document discusses the need for Catholic parishes in Australia to explicitly focus on spiritual and numerical growth. It notes that many parishes currently do not have plans for growth and assume people are becoming disciples without evidence. The document advocates for parishes to have clear visions for growth, plans to achieve their visions, and practices like leadership focused on growth, adult formation, and small groups to foster discipleship and strengthen bonds of faith.
Given the scientifically-oriented culture within which we live and engage in God’s mission, we have an obligation to help our young people understand that what science teaches us about the universe is not only comprehensible within the context of faith, but can also nurture a healthy and faithful wonder at what it means to be part of, and stewards of, God’s creation.
We teach children the Lord’s Prayer and prayers for meals and bedtimes, and we often teach children how to pray for friends and family. We often stop there. But we are called to worship God with all of heart and soul and mind. So, in this session we will explore prayer forms that engage the senses and the imagination, opening a space for us both to dwell and to wonder in God.
Confirmation is a ministry with a long history, yet what is the place of confirmation today? Wondering about Confirmation will suggest ways confirmation can continue to be an adaptive and vital congregation ministry in the 21st century.
One of the most important things we can do for the children, youth and families we serve is to help them think theologically. Thinking theologically is not the memorization and regurgitation of dogma or doctrine. Rather, it is the active and fluid reflection on God's current and ongoing activity in our lives and communities. It is not reserved for only pastors or adults, it is for all of us. This workshop will help you discover ways to help children, youth and families wonder together about God and reflect on God's redemptive action in our world.
PD 2016 Wondering through service learningTBuegler
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, which focuses on leadership development and faith formation through wondering. It provides information on upcoming webinars on topics like service learning and wondering with children and youth. Contact information is given to follow the initiative on social media and sign up for webinars on their website.
Wondering about the church in a time of cultural shift. We were born for this. This is our watch as leaders and we want more than survival for our congregations and especially for the children, youth, and families we serve. This session will focus on developing the courage and faith necessary to become to leaders we are called to be.
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, a leadership development program focused on faith formation. It provides an overview of topics covered like wondering creatively, wondering about the church, and wondering through service learning. Resources mentioned include downloading webinars, curriculum, videos and finding local events from their website or mobile network. The next webinar is introduced for March 10th with Peggy Hahn on wondering about the church.
How can the historical church - ekklesia -translate to who we are called to be as church today? Stories of Jesus and the early “church” show us how we can be a true community of faith, across racial, socioeconomic and other boundaries that so frequently divide us. Engage in interactive conversation and activities that explore what it means to be a faith community today.
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, which uses a four-step process of preparation, action, reflection, and celebration to provide leadership development through faith formation and service learning. It outlines the four steps of the process and provides examples of how to design service experiences that listen to, embrace, and share the stories of communities. The next webinar in the series will focus on the topic of "Story of Faith Community."
Making room to hear others’ stories is an act of hospitality in which Christ is present. Listening to such stories helps us see beyond what is to what can/could/might be, opening imaginative possibilities and realities beyond the immediately visible and self-evident. Ultimately, our relationships with others can then inform and shape our own story.
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative which uses stories to promote faith formation and leadership development. It outlines a series of sessions on "The Story of Adolescence" to be led by Dr. Dawn Rundman. The session will examine adolescent demographics in the country, community, church and congregation. It provides census data and discusses features of youth contexts. The remainder explores challenges faced by youth, faith formation interviews, and ways faith stories can build understanding.
PD 2015 Webinar "Story of place and displacement"TBuegler
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, which focuses on leadership development and faith formation. It provides an agenda for an event on April 7, 2015 that will feature Dawn Trautman and Carol Jacobson presenting on "Story of Place and Displacement". The document outlines the session, which will involve examining the Parable of the Prodigal Son from different cultural contexts and discussing how the story might be told today. It encourages participants to consider their own ministry contexts and communities.
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, which focuses on leadership development and faith formation. It provides an agenda for the event, including introductions of the speakers Dawn Trautman and Dr. Julia Lambert Fogg. Fogg will discuss the "Story of Scripture." The document draws parallels between the stories of Moses, Jesus, and modern migrants, emphasizing God's call to cross borders and follow Him. It promotes the Practice Discipleship website and social media platforms, and announces upcoming related events.
This document introduces the Practice Discipleship Initiative, which focuses on leadership development through faith formation. It summarizes a webinar on "Living in Stories" that discusses viewing one's life as a story and finding hope through God's plan despite exile. The webinar examines the story of Jeremiah 29:11 and encourages participants to seek peace in their communities through investing in the future with neighbors.
This document outlines an agenda for a workshop discussing the role of the church and exploring what a faith community based on the historical "ekklesia" or church community could look like. It includes learning objectives, video interviews, bible readings from Acts, a community building activity, and discussions about barriers and ways to enact visions of this kind of faith community. The overall goal is to have participants thoughtfully consider if their current church model is fulfilling its purpose and to provide tools to create a faith community focused on connection, sharing of resources, and service to others.
This document discusses the biblical stories of Jesus and Moses as examples of crossing borders to escape oppression. It notes how Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Egypt to escape King Herod's decree to kill children, drawing parallels to the story of Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh's decree. The document also references the large number of unaccompanied Central American minors apprehended at the US border and calls Christians to have the humble, servant-like mind of Christ in how we treat migrants.
This document outlines a session on service learning and designing meaningful service experiences. It introduces service learning as an intentional four-step process of preparation, action, reflection, and celebration. The document discusses getting community members involved, listening to others' stories, examining one's own assumptions, and reflecting on experiences in relation to Scripture. Participants are encouraged to use what they've learned to plan a service project using a provided planning guide.
This document discusses adolescent demographics and issues facing youth and ministry. It provides statistics on the adolescent population in the US, noting that adolescents make up 13.6% of the population. For the ELCA, 4% of members are between ages 15-19. The document then examines demographic features of youth in local communities and contexts. It also explores deeper issues facing adolescents like mental health, puberty, and being "digital natives". Finally, it discusses different types of youth in congregations based on their engagement with and understanding of the Bible.
The document discusses contextualizing the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It describes an experiment where students from different contexts (American, Russian, Tanzanian) gave different reasons for why the young man was hungry in the parable. The document argues that Jesus told the parable to show how God's kingdom welcomes all people, unlike societies that do not show hospitality to strangers. It prompts readers to consider how Jesus may change details of the parable if telling it in their own context today.
Trusting God's Providence | Verse: Romans 8: 28-31JL de Belen
Trusting God's Providence.
Providence - God’s active preservation and care over His creation. God is both the Creator and the Sustainer of all things Heb. 1:2-3; Col. 1:17
-God keep His promises.
-God’s general providence is toward all creation
- All things were made through Him
God’s special providence is toward His children.
We may suffer now, but joy can and will come
God can see what we cannot see
Protector & Destroyer: Agni Dev (The Hindu God of Fire)Exotic India
So let us turn the pages of ancient Indian literature and get to know more about Agni, the mighty purifier of all things, worshipped in Indian culture as a God since the Vedic time.
The Book of Samuel is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
The Enchantment and Shadows_ Unveiling the Mysteries of Magic and Black Magic...Phoenix O
This manual will guide you through basic skills and tasks to help you get started with various aspects of Magic. Each section is designed to be easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions.
A Free eBook ~ Valuable LIFE Lessons to Learn ( 5 Sets of Presentations)...OH TEIK BIN
A free eBook comprising 5 sets of PowerPoint presentations of meaningful stories /Inspirational pieces that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
My other free eBooks can be obtained from the following Links:
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/presentations
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/documents
A375 Example Taste the taste of the Lord, the taste of the Lord The taste of...franktsao4
It seems that current missionary work requires spending a lot of money, preparing a lot of materials, and traveling to far away places, so that it feels like missionary work. But what was the result they brought back? It's just a lot of photos of activities, fun eating, drinking and some playing games. And then we have to do the same thing next year, never ending. The church once mentioned that a certain missionary would go to the field where she used to work before the end of his life. It seemed that if she had not gone, no one would be willing to go. The reason why these missionary work is so difficult is that no one obeys God’s words, and the Bible is not the main content during missionary work, because in the eyes of those who do not obey God’s words, the Bible is just words and cannot be connected with life, so Reading out God's words is boring because it doesn't have any life experience, so it cannot be connected with human life. I will give a few examples in the hope that this situation can be changed. A375
The forces involved in this witchcraft spell will re-establish the loving bond between you and help to build a strong, loving relationship from which to start anew. Despite any previous hardships or problems, the spell work will re-establish the strong bonds of friendship and love upon which the marriage and relationship originated. Have faith, these stop divorce and stop separation spells are extremely powerful and will reconnect you and your partner in a strong and harmonious relationship.
My ritual will not only stop separation and divorce, but rebuild a strong bond between you and your partner that is based on truth, honesty, and unconditional love. For an even stronger effect, you may want to consider using the Eternal Love Bond spell to ensure your relationship and love will last through all tests of time. If you have not yet determined if your partner is considering separation or divorce, but are aware of rifts in the relationship, try the Love Spells to remove problems in a relationship or marriage. Keep in mind that all my love spells are 100% customized and that you'll only need 1 spell to address all problems/wishes.
Save your marriage from divorce & make your relationship stronger using anti divorce spells to make him or her fall back in love with you. End your marriage if you are no longer in love with your husband or wife. Permanently end your marriage using divorce spells that work fast. Protect your marriage from divorce using love spells to boost commitment, love & bind your hearts together for a stronger marriage that will last. Get your ex lover who has remarried using divorce spells to break up a couple & make your ex lost lover come back to you permanently.
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The Hope of Salvation - Jude 1:24-25 - MessageCole Hartman
Jude gives us hope at the end of a dark letter. In a dark world like today, we need the light of Christ to shine brighter and brighter. Jude shows us where to fix our focus so we can be filled with God's goodness and glory. Join us to explore this incredible passage.
Sanatan Vastu | Experience Great Living | Vastu ExpertSanatan Vastu
Santan Vastu Provides Vedic astrology courses & Vastu remedies, If you are searching Vastu for home, Vastu for kitchen, Vastu for house, Vastu for Office & Factory. Best Vastu in Bahadurgarh. Best Vastu in Delhi NCR
The Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings, of the Hebrew Bible. In most Christian canons it is treated as one of the historical books and placed between Judges and 1 Samuel.
Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
If you have questions regarding your REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey report, please contact the REVEAL team at reports@revealnow.com.
The Spiritual Life Survey Report is made up of five major areas: Understanding Your Report – covers the basics of how to read the report REVEAL Spiritual Vitality Index – contains an index designed to help your church understand your current general spiritual well-being and to track its progress in the future Church Profile – offers an overview of who goes to your church and what they say are the highest priorities for your church and your senior pastor Spiritual Growth Report – provides insights on the greatest spiritual development needs for your congregation Executive Summary – recaps conclusions based on the Spiritual Vitality Index and summarizes key points related to the spiritual growth needs of your congregation Note: This report is a summary of the key data and insights from your church’s survey. You will also receive an appendix. The Report Appendix contains all of your survey’s responses, the actual wording of all questions asked on the survey, and descriptive information on all of the churches in the total comparative sample.
The Spiritual Life Survey was first introduced exclusively to Willow Creek Community Church in 2004. We have since refined the survey and our research over the course of four years, more than 850 churches, and 210,000 individual surveys. A profile of the total church sample can be found in the Report Appendix. How do you know if your survey results are accurate and actionable? There are three criteria that determine whether or not your findings are reliable: Number of responses: The minimum number of responses necessary for the analysis is thirty , regardless of the size of your adult weekend attendance. If we encounter a sample less than thirty , we mark it with a footnote. For example, if your Growing segment (to be defined later) size is less than thirty , we present the information for that segment, but caution you to be aware of the small number of responses. Ideally we prefer to work with sample sizes no smaller than seventy-five . Response rate (percentage of responses compared with weekend adult attendance) : The average response rate of the churches who have taken the survey is ~40%. We like to see that level of response for larger congregations and up to 50-60% for congregations of 150 or less. Demographics: Regardless your number of responses and response rate, you can take a look at the demographic profile (slide #7) to see if your sample seems representative of your congregation. At times we’re working with a relatively low number of responses to analyze your church’s individual segments across the spiritual continuum. However, we find that the story told by REVEAL’s findings holds together very well in spite of occasional low responses, so we’re comfortable with the integrity of this report.
The Notes view can also be printed and used as presentation notes. To do this, follow the steps below: Click on “File” in the toolbar Click on “Print” Select “Notes Page” under “Print What” option Click on “OK” Note : The previous slides contain information in the notes section.
The total sample referenced above and throughout the rest of this report is comprised of over 118,000 individuals from 420 churches that participated in REVEAL’s Spiritual Life Survey from October 2007 to March 2008. To help you understand how to interpret the meaning of the arrows in your report, an example is given below: Total sample’s percentage who have children is = 25%. Your church’s percentage who have children is = 50%. The difference is 25%. Compared to the total sample, your church’s proportion of individuals who have children is 100% higher than the total sample’s (100% = [25%/25%] x 100). So your church’s percentage who have children would show up with two upward arrows. This means that your church has many more families with children relative to other churches. Exception : When we mark a data item with a low sample footnote (explained in the notes for slide 2), we do not show any arrows for that data item. Note : The Spiritual Life Survey is periodically updated with new questions and responses that were not asked of the total sample, so at times we are not able to compare your results to the total sample. When this is the case, we will let you know in the notes section for the slide.
REVEAL’s Spiritual Vitality Index was designed to offer leaders an overall measure of the spiritual well-being of their congregation, as well as a way to track progress from one survey to another. The score is comprised of the following three major categories related to spiritual growth. Personal Spiritual Practices – measures the level of engagement with spiritual disciplines, such as reflection on Scripture and prayer, that advance the level of spiritual maturity and intimacy with God (Mark 1:32-38). Faith in Action – measures spiritual behaviors that mark a Christ-follower, such as evangelism and serving those in need, as well as attitudes of surrender to Christ (Philippians 2:2-8 and James 2:14-18). Church’s Role – measures the effectiveness of the church’s role in helping its congregation grow spiritually (Ephesians 4:12-13).
This chart compares the demographics for your church with the total comparative sample of churches that participated in the REVEAL survey. The Base Size is the count of all respondents for your survey. To help you interpret your results, we compare your findings with the churches in the total sample by providing “up” and “down” arrows that signal how you compare to the total REVEAL church sample, as follows: An upward arrow means the response is at least 20%, but less than 50% greater than the total sample average. A downward arrow means the response is at least 20%, but less than 50% lower than the total sample average. Two upward arrows mean the response is at least 50% greater than the total sample average. Two downward arrows mean the response is at least 50% lower than the total sample average. You can find all your church’s demographic information in the Report Appendix (tables 81-89).
This chart shows how long people have been attending your church. Take note of whether your congregation has a short or long tenure in comparison with the total sample because these numbers should reflect your church strategy. For example, if you are highly evangelistic or a new church, you should see higher percentages fall into the “less than one year” category. It will be important to compare this information with your spiritual continuum profile (slide #17) to evaluate two issues: First, if you have higher percentages of “less than one year” tenure, are you attracting people who are early in their spiritual journey (“Exploring Christianity” and “Growing in Christ”) or are you attracting more mature believers (“Close to Christ” and “Christ-Centered”)? Secondly, if you have higher percentages in the higher tenure categories (six or more years) but also have higher percentages in the less advanced spiritual categories, it could indicate a weakness in spiritually developing your people.
This chart shows how your congregation ranked nineteen church characteristics in order of importance. The highest possible importance score is six. The lowest is one. The importance score is the average of all the responses from your congregation.
This chart shows how your congregation ranked nineteen church characteristics in order of satisfaction. The highest possible satisfaction score is six. The lowest is one. The satisfaction score is the average of all the responses from your congregation.
Since your church has limited resources and your congregation has many needs, the Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for improvement that would help your congregants grow spiritually. The score places a greater value on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Church Benefits for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 3.0. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 4.2. It’s possible for your church to show an attribute in its top five priority list with a score near zero or even negative. This would speak to how well your church is doing across all the attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action. Note : REVEAL research has found that the Bible is the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. If “helping me understand the Bible in greater depth” is a top five priority for improvement, you should take special note of this.
This chart shows how your congregation ranked seventeen typical responsibilities for a senior pastor in order of importance. The highest possible importance score is six. The lowest is one. The importance score is the average of all the responses from your congregation.
This chart shows how your congregation ranked seventeen typical responsibilities for a senior pastor in order of satisfaction. The highest possible satisfaction score is six. The lowest is one. The satisfaction score is the average of all the responses from your congregation.
Since your senior pastor has limited time and energy, the Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for attention by the senior pastor based on the survey’s feedback from your congregation. The score places a greater value on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for attention by the senior pastor. The median Priority Score for Senior Pastor Activities for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 1.5. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 2.9. It’s possible for an attribute to show up in the top five priority list with a score near zero or even negative. This would speak to how well your senior pastor is doing across all the attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
We asked how satisfied people were with the church’s role in “helping you grow spiritually.” The percentages shown above are those who said they were “extremely or very satisfied” (top two boxes out of six options). We also asked how satisfied they were with the senior pastor’s effectiveness. The percentages above show those who said they were “extremely or very satisfied” (top two boxes out of six options).
These four segments were identified in the original REVEAL research work. Our goal was to understand how spiritual growth occurs (which we defined as increasing love for God and others) and what factors drive – or derail – that growth. We found that how people define their relationship with Christ is very predictive of spiritual growth. In other words, people’s spiritual attitudes, motivations and behaviors are directly aligned with how they define Christ in their lives. For example, we found much stronger beliefs, more routine spiritual disciplines (e.g. daily Bible study), and greater frequencies of spiritual behaviors (like serving those in need) as people advanced from one segment to the next. So those with the highest levels of evangelism, serving, tithing, prayer, solitude, etc. were those in the Christ-Centered group. We have tested this “spiritual continuum” in more than 500 churches across a diversity of church sizes, denominations and geographies. We have found that these four segments exist in every congregation. This chart profiles your church’s spiritual continuum. If you see “up” or “down” arrows, it means that your congregation’s profile is more or less spiritually mature than the total sample. The Base Size gives a count of your respondents in each of the four segments.
A catalyst is something that “makes change happen.” In the REVEAL survey, we measured over fifty factors to determine which ones were the most catalytic to spiritual growth. The most influential spiritual growth catalysts fall into four categories: Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes – core Christian beliefs, such as belief in salvation by grace or authority of the Bible. Organized Church Activities – the most common activities organized by the church, such as weekend worship services, small groups, or serving in a church ministry. Personal Spiritual Practices – personal disciplines that develop a person’s faith, such as prayer, reflection on Scripture or solitude. Spiritual Activities with Others – activities that happen largely outside of the organized church, such as spiritual friendships, evangelism, or serving those in need “on my own”. We will report on the most influential spiritual growth catalysts for three distinct “movements”: Movement 1 – moving from Exploring Christ to Growing in Christ represents early spiritual growth Movement 2 – moving from Growing in Christ to Close to Christ represents intermediate spiritual growth Movement 3 – moving from Close to Christ to Christ-Centered represents advanced spiritual growth
We asked people to express their level of agreement with eight core spiritual beliefs and attitudes. These spiritual beliefs and attitudes are based on significant and recurring biblical themes (see the book, “Follow Me”, for details). The statements under the three “movements” indicate two things: The beliefs or attitudes listed below each movement are catalytic to growth in that movement. For example, “Salvation by Grace” is highly catalytic to growth in Movement 1. The statements are ranked from top to bottom in the order of their ability to influence movement. For example, “Personal God” is the most influential belief catalyst for Movement 2.
The percentages are those who selected the top choice “very strongly agree” to belief and attitude statements listed on slide #19. We show results for your entire church (total) and the four segments along the spiritual continuum. We will do this throughout the four categories of catalysts in order to help you understand how well your church is helping people move along the spiritual continuum. Watch for the arrows – if you see an “up” or “down” arrow, it means your church’s responses are higher or lower than the total sample. Importantly, we compare the responses from your “Exploring Christ” segment to all those “Exploring Christ” in the total sample. So if your church has either an upward arrow or two upward arrows for the Exploring Christ segment’s agreement with “Salvation by Grace,” this is a positive sign, indicating that your most immature spiritual segment has a better handle on this very important catalytic belief than the total sample’s Exploring Christ segment. A Reminder – if you see a number with a footnote indicating a low sample size, we do not show any arrows for that number. We measured 20 spiritual attitudes and beliefs. You can find a full profile of your congregation’s responses in the Report Appendix (tables 15-16).
We measure organized church activity by asking people how often they participate and how satisfied they are with a mix of different church offerings. Church activities listed under each movement indicate that participation in that activity is catalytic to growth in that movement. A Reminder – the statements are ranked from top to bottom in order of their ability to influence movement. So “Serving the Church” is the church activity that is the most influential catalyst in Movement 1.
The percentages represent those who participated in each church activity at the frequencies noted in the table. The table only shows the organized church activities that are common to nearly all churches. You can find participation and satisfaction results for other church activities – like additional teaching/worship services and/or adult educational classes – in the Report Appendix (tables 34-58). We show results for your entire church (total) and the four segments along the spiritual continuum. We will do this throughout the four categories of catalysts in order to help you understand how well your church is helping people move along the spiritual continuum. Watch for the arrows – for example, if your church has either a downward arrow or two downward arrows for the Close to Christ or Christ-Centered segment’s participation with “Serving Those in Need through My Church,” this is a negative sign because we know this is the most important catalytic church activity for these more spiritually mature segments. The Satisfaction answers are for the top 2 boxes, “extremely satisfied” and “very satisfied.”
The percentages represent those who participated in each church activity with any frequency. The table only shows the organized church activities that are common to nearly all churches. You can find participation and satisfaction results for other church activities – like additional teaching/worship services and/or adult educational classes – in the Report Appendix (tables 34-58). We show results for your entire church (total) and the four segments along the spiritual continuum. We will do this throughout the four categories of catalysts in order to help you understand how well your church is helping people move along the spiritual continuum. Watch for the arrows – for example, if your church has either a downward arrow or two downward arrows for the Close to Christ or Christ-Centered segment’s participation with “Serving Those in Need through My Church,” this is a negative sign because we know this is the most important catalytic church activity for these more spiritually mature segments. The Satisfaction answers are for the top 2 boxes, “extremely satisfied” and “very satisfied.”
The Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for improvement in your weekend services based on importance and satisfaction responses from your congregation. The score is based on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Weekend Services for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 1.0. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 2.6. It’s possible for your church to show an attribute in its top five priority list with a score near zero or even negative. This would speak to how well your church is doing across all the attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
The Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for improvement in your small groups based on importance and satisfaction responses from your congregation. The score is based on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Small Groups for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 1.0. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 2.3. It’s possible for your church to show an attribute in its top five priority list with a score near zero or even negative. This would speak to how well your church is doing across all the attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
The Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for improvement in your “ serving at the church” experiences based on importance and satisfaction responses from your congregation. The score is based on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Serving at the Church for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 0.0. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 1.1. If your church does show attributes in this top five priority list with a score below zero, this would speak to how well your church is doing for these attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
The Priority Score is a tool that highlights the top five areas for improvement in your “serving those in need” experiences at the church based on importance and satisfaction responses from your congregation. The score is based on what your congregation wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Serving Those in Need at Your Church for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 0.0. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 0.9. If your church does show attributes in this top five priority list with a score below zero, this would speak to how well your church is doing for these attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
We measure personal spiritual practices by asking people how often they engage in each discipline. Increasing levels of engagement are catalytic to spiritual growth as individuals move further along the spiritual continuum. A Reminder – the statements are ranked from top to bottom in order of their ability to influence movement. For example, “Reflection on Scripture” is the most influential personal spiritual practice for all three movements, though its frequency shifts from “rare” to “daily” across the spiritual continuum.
For the sake of brevity, the table reports the percentage of people who responded that they practiced the spiritual disciplines daily (vs. rarely, occasionally, etc.), except for practicing Solitude several times per week or more . You can examine the Report Appendix (table 17) to find the practice of personal spiritual disciplines across all frequencies. For example, table 17 in the Report Appendix displays the percentage of the four segments along the spiritual continuum and your total congregation who never pray to confess sins.
In order to shed more light on your congregation’s experience with the Bible, your congregants were asked to rate the importance of specific experiences with the Bible in terms of helping them connect with God. This information allows you to understand which experiences with the Bible are most important to your congregation overall and at different stages along the spiritual continuum.
In order to shed more light on your congregation’s experience with prayer, your congregants were asked to rate the importance of specific prayer experiences in terms of helping them connect with God. This information allows you to understand which prayer experiences are most important to your congregation overall and at different stages along the spiritual continuum.
‘” Spiritual Activities with Others” happen largely outside of the church. We measure their impact and influence by asking people how often they experience these activities. For example, meeting once or twice a month with a spiritual friend is influential to spiritual growth in Movement 1. This means that we consistently see more people who meet with or talk to a close friend who helps them grow spiritually in the Growing in Christ segment compared to the Exploring Christ segment. A Reminder – the statements are ranked from top to bottom in order of their ability to influence movement. For example, “Evangelism” is the most significant catalyst in Movement 3.
The percentages represent those who participated in each “spiritual activity with others” at the frequencies noted in the table. We show results for your entire church (total) and the four segments along the spiritual continuum. We will do this throughout the four categories of catalysts in order to help you understand how well your church is helping people move along the spiritual continuum. Watch for the arrows – for example, if your church has either an upward arrow or two upward arrows for the Exploring Christ segment’s engagement with “Spiritual Friendships,” this is a positive sign because we know this is an influential catalyst for spiritual growth in Movement 1 (moving from Exploring Christ to Growing in Christ).
In order to shed more light on your congregation’s experience with evangelism (how your people are expressing their faith to non-Christians), your congregants were asked how often they engage in specific evangelistic activities. This information allows you to understand which evangelistic activities your congregation experiences most often overall, and also at different stages along the spiritual continuum.
Spiritually Stalled – all individuals were asked to rate their current pace of spiritual growth and only allowed one choice. They had five options: “ I’m in a season of rapid spiritual growth.” “ I’m growing at a moderate but not rapid rate.” “ I’m growing at a slow but steady rate.” “ I’m content with staying right where I’m at spiritually.” “ I have stalled spiritually.” Dissatisfied – all individuals were asked to rate their overall satisfaction level with their church’s role in helping them grow spiritually. Individuals who responded with any level of dissatisfaction were defined as “Dissatisfied”.
In general, we find that people who have spiritually stalled fall mostly in the earlier segments of spiritual growth. This suggests that either the obstacles that cause people to stall spiritually occur primarily at the beginning of the journey, or (more likely) those who are more spiritually mature are better equipped to stay spiritually strong in the face of life’s challenges. Two very important questions follow from this information: What causes your congregants to become spiritually stalled?; and What helps them to become “unstalled”? These questions are answered in the next two slides (#37 and #38).
We find that those who are stalled are more likely than others to report “significant barriers”, like personal issues, addictions, and inappropriate relationships. In order to offer you the most insight possible, we asked individuals who had been stalled to think about the last time they were stalled. We then asked them whether they were attending your current church at that time. So the results above are only for those individuals who were stalled at your church . This allows you to have a better sense of what specifically may be occurring in the lives of your people to cause spiritual “stalling”. Only the top five reasons that caused your people to stall spiritually are listed here. For the results for each possible reason, please see the Report Appendix (tables 9 and 10).
The results above are only for those individuals who experienced being spiritually “stalled” at your church – but who are not currently stalled . This allows you to have a better sense of what specifically may be occurring in the lives of your people to help them become “unstalled”. Only the top five reasons that caused your people to “unstall” spiritually are listed here. For the results for each possible reason, please see the Report Appendix (tables 11 and 12). In addition, if you would like to see “how satisfied” your previously-stalled congregants are with your church’s role in helping them become “unstalled”, see the Report Appendix (table 13).
We asked people “How satisfied are you with your church’s role in helping you grow spiritually?” We offered six response options. The percentages above reflect those who chose the bottom three responses. The overall percentage of “dissatisfieds” for the total sample was 17%. You can see that the Exploring Christ segment reports the highest level of dissatisfaction, but that the percentages are fairly similar across the spiritual continuum. Two very important questions follow from this information: What causes your congregants to become spiritually dissatisfied with your church? How does dissatisfaction affect a person’s decision to stay or leave the church? These questions are answered in the next three slides (#40, #41, and #42).
This Priority Score highlights the top five areas for improvement in your church that your dissatisfied group only says would help them grow spiritually. The score places a greater value on what your dissatisfied group wants the most and is satisfied with the least. The Priority Score weights the gap (difference) between importance and satisfaction by the importance score. This leads to priorities for action with the highest positive values indicating the highest priorities for the church. The median Priority Score for Church Benefits for the Dissatisfied segment for all churches in the REVEAL data base is 7.8. Fifty percent of churches have scores higher than this, and fifty percent have scores lower. Twenty five percent of churches have a Priority Score higher than 9.8. It’s possible for your church to show an attribute in its top five priority list with a score near zero or even negative. This would speak to how well your church is doing across all the attributes and should not be interpreted as a call-to-action.
We asked people if they were “definitely” or “probably staying at the church,” “definitely” or “probably leaving the church” or “unsure if I’m staying or leaving.” The dissatisfied group typically is much more likely than any other segment to say they are unsure or probably/definitely leaving the church. In the total sample, 40% of the dissatisfied group said they were unsure or probably/definitely leaving the church. However, it’s important to note that the other 60% plan to stay at the church. So the majority of the dissatisfied group is not leaving, suggesting there is a real opportunity to reclaim them as advocates, not detractors, of the church.
We asked your congregants who said they were unsure, probably, or definitely leaving the church the most important reason why. Only the top five most important reasons reported by your people for wanting to leave your church are listed here. For the results for all reasons, please see the Report Appendix (Table 33).
Upper Left Quadrant : Those who are “Satisfied” and “Not Stalled”. Ideally if your church can take advantage of the strengths and challenges shown in this report, not only will your church grow in number, but the size of this group will expand – at the expense of the Stalled and Dissatisfied people. Upper Right Quadrant : Those who are “Dissatisfied” but “Not Stalled”. These people have issues with the church related to unmet needs (slide #40). Lower Left Quadrant : Those who are “Satisfied” but “Stalled”. These people are the ones who are happy with the church but struggling spiritually due to life-related challenges (slide #37). Lower Right Quadrant : Those who are “Dissatisfied” and “Stalled”. These people are struggling with a number of issues – unmet needs through the church that trigger dissatisfaction, and disengagement with their spiritual journey, possibly due to life circumstances that have thrown them off track.
REVEAL’s Spiritual Vitality Index was designed to offer leaders an overall measure of the spiritual well-being of their congregation, as well as a way to track progress from one survey to another. The score is comprised of the following three major categories related to spiritual growth. Personal Spiritual Practices – measures the level of engagement with spiritual disciplines, such as reflection on Scripture and prayer, that advance the level of spiritual maturity and intimacy with God (Mark 1:32-38). These measures were derived from slides 28-31. Faith in Action – measures spiritual behaviors that mark a Christ-follower, such as evangelism and serving those in need, as well as attitudes of surrender to Christ (Philippians 2:2-8 and James 2:14-18). These measures were derived from slides 19, 20, and 32-34. Church’s Role – measures the effectiveness of the church’s role in helping its congregation grow spiritually (Ephesians 4:12-13). These measures were derived from slides 9-11.
These observations correspond to the prior slide that recaps your church’s Spiritual Vitality Index.
The key summary observations come from recent REVEAL research that surveyed over 420 churches and over 118,000 people. More information about the REVEAL study can be found at the web site: www.revealnow.com. Additional information and resources, such as the REVEAL books ( REVEAL: Where Are You? and Follow Me: What’s Next for You?) and the REVEAL conference, can also be found at the web site www.revealnow.com.