State of the Church
Weekend Seminar
Summary: Similar to a complete physical exam for the
human body, the “State of the Church” Analysis and Prescription provides a
complete assessment of the health of your church body. Conducted on-site by a professional
church diagnostician, using a standardized and tested ministry analysis tool, you receive
a comprehensive evaluation of the strengths and areas of growth for your church. Specific
and practical recommendations are part of the “State of the Church” weekend, so
you can begin taking steps immediately to strengthen your ministry effectiveness.
Goal: To provide local church leadership with an
objective and useful summary of their church’s health, as well as a list of specific
short and long-term recommendations to strengthen their ministry.
Process:
Before The Consultant’s On-Site Visit
1. The Discovery Diagnostic Manual — a 100+ page
manual — is sent to the church office approximately three months prior to the
consultant’s on-site visit. The Diagnostic Manual is divided into 18 sections,
focusing on key ministry areas of the church, as well as demographics of the local
community. The objective is to complete as much information as possible that is requested
in the manual.
The various sections of the Diagnostic Manual are typically
distributed to individuals and/or committees in the church to complete. Some sections
require examining church records, others include surveying or interviewing certain people
in the church. The length of time required to compete the material will vary depending on
church records and personnel involved, by normally takes between 4 - 8 weeks.
2. The completed Diagnostic Manual is sent to the Church
Growth, Inc. (CGI) offices at least two weeks prior to the consultant’s on-site
visit. The consultant reviews the information and identifies trends of key growth
indicators, potential problem areas, questions for further clarification, and ratios of
health-related variables.
On-Site Consultant Activities
The consultant’s visit begins Thursday morning and
concludes the following Monday evening. During the course of these five days the following
activities occur:
1. Staff and Lay Interviews [include questions] are
conducted on Thursday and Friday. The consultant spends approximately 25 minutes in a
structured but informal dialogue with church staff and lay leaders. The goal of these
meetings is to hear a variety of perspectives from different church leaders on the
important issues facing the church, strengths which define the church’s ministry,
concerns which may be limiting the church’s growth potential, and visions that may be
inherent in the congregation’s life.
2. A Leadership Retreat/Conference [include schedule
& topics] is held on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. This is a leadership
training session to focus attention on the common denominators of a healthy and growing
church. The variety of media, small and large group interaction, examining and graphing
church statistics, and group sharing throughout the day provides a stimulating and
encouraging time of futuring among leaders. Church boards and committees will begin to see
their activities through “church growth eyes” and become sensitized to how their
role can be an important part of the “growth mix” of their church’s future.
3. Visitor Watch is a process by which the consultant
visits the church as a “first-time visitor.” From the time the consultant drives
up to the church prior to the first service or Sunday School class, through the conclusion
of the final Sunday event hours later, this informed visitor is looking for the same
things that real newcomers are (consciously or sub-consciously) looking for, as well. What
are the first impressions of your building and parking? Inside the building what are the
indicators of your church’s welcome? During the service itself, what messages are
communicated and how? After the service, does the message change?
Sometime later that day all persons who are interested in
hearing what it’s like to be a visitor at their church are invited to attend a
“Visitor Debriefing.” The consultant reviews the experiences he/she had that
day, shares illustrative anecdotes, and shares with the “old timers” in the
church what it’s like being a newcomer. For many, this debriefing is an eye-opening
experience into the messages they are sending to newcomers and guests. Perhaps most
important in this Visitor Debriefing are the specific recommendations the consultant will
make to subtly or significantly improve the church’s welcome to outsiders. The
insights that leaders gain from this “Visitor Watch” experience can dramatically
improve the visitor return rate of many churches.
4. A State of the Church Night [include outline of
content] presentation is conducted on Monday evening and is open to all members who
have an interest in the health and growth of their church. The consultant’s report
and recommendations are reviewed in a creative, mediated presentation. The church’s
key growth indicators are compared with those of other (growing and non-growing) churches.
Specific trends and observations about the church are pointed out, along with their
implications. Strengths of the church are presented, along with ways to build on those
strengths. Problem and potential problem areas are also sensitively discussed and
prescriptive strategies are given. Finally, a selected presentation of relevant church
growth principles and their application are given in the light and context of the
particular congregation.
After The Consultant’s Visit
5. A written report documenting the observations of the
State of the Church visit is sent to the sponsoring church within three weeks of the
consultant’s visit. The report summarizes the consultant’s interviews, visitor
watch experience, and overall recommendations from the State of the Church presentation.
Any confidential recommendations to the pastor and/or staff are sent separately, along
with additional concluding comments by the consultant.
Cost: The “State of the Church” Consultation
is $2385. This includes five on-site consultant days conducting the activities noted
above. All materials used prior to, during, and following the consultant’s visit,
Discovery Diagnostic Manual, participant materials for the Saturday Lay Leadership
Conference, debriefing reports from the Visitor Watch, and notes for the Monday evening
“State of the Church” presentation are included. Round trip travel, meals, and
accommodations for one person (from Los Angeles, CA) are no included. Expenses are billed
within two weeks of the consultant’s visit and are due and payable to CGI within 30
days of receipt.
Simply call, fax, mail, or
e-mail
a note to Church Growth, Inc. expressing your interest in State of the Church
consultation. You will be contacted and any questions you have will be answered |
Church
Growth Consulting