- The quality of the church (in all areas of church life) increased by an average score of 6 points.
Translated into practical terms this means: deeper prayer, livelier small groups, more loving relationships, more energizing worship, more satisfied commitment, greater engagement with one’s culture, greater attractiveness among the unchurched, etc.
The results of NCD
Sooner or later you are going to ask the question: Does it work? If your church launches a NCD process, what can you expect to experience? NCD International asked the same question af few years ago. Here are their findings:
Churches that have done three NCD Church Surveys, have seen the following measurable changes within the 31 month between the first and third profiles:
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The growth rate increased by 51% on average.
As a direct consequence of the NCD process, 1.6 million additional people have joined the participating churches. That is significant since the process itself isn’t characterized by an evangelistic focus, i.e. the additional growth was exclusively a natural side effect of focusing on church health. -
The percentage of “transfer growth” (people joining from other churches) decreased while the percentage of conversion growth increased.
At the outset, churches participating in the NCD process have the same starting point as any other church: If they are already experiencing growth, the percentage of transfer growth is usually too high and the percentage of conversion growth is too low. Within the NCD process, this ratio changes quickly in favor of conversion growth. -
The work load of the participating members decreased significantly.
Of the 170 items tested, this is the result with the second strongest change. The positive response to the statement, “Despite my church activities, I have sufficient time for my hobbies” grew by 9.3% within the 31 months between the first and the third profiles. This corresponds to a measurably higher level of satisfaction in the church among those who are personally involved in it.
These are not the experiences of exeptional churches. These are the average results for all churches that has completed three or more surveys.
It is therefore not unrealistic to expect similar results in any church that over a period of time seeks to implement the principles found in NCD.
Taken from Color Your World with Natural Church Development - Christian A. Schwarz
TRANSFORMING CHURCHES
More than 50 churches has participated in the Transforming Churches Process during the last 18 months. At the end of the last seminar in the process the participants evaluated the process as highly relevant for their church situation and as a ministry transforming experience.
The process continues in the individual churches as they continue to develop the quality of the church and thereby releasing "all by it self" growth.
Are you considering commening a local NCD process in your church? Please contact us here or read more here.