Natural Church Development

Natural Church Development 8 Quality Characteristics of a Healthy and Growing Church.

NATURAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENTThe Eight Quality Characteristics of a Healthy/Growing Church • 1. Empowering Leadership • 2. Gift-oriented Ministry • 3.Passionate Spirituality • 4. Functional Structures • 5. Inspiring Worship Services • 6. Holistic Small Groups • 7. Need-oriented Evangelism • 8. Loving Relationships

Empowering Leadership And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:2

Empowering Leadership • For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. Eph. 4:12

Empowering Leadership • “Every church should be a training school for Christian workers … There should not only be teaching, but actual work under experienced instructors. Let the teachers lead the way in working among the people, and others, uniting with them, will learn from their example. One example is worth more than many precepts.” Ministry of Healing, p. 149

Empowering Leadership • “Ministers should not do the work which belongs to the church, thus wearying themselves and preventing others from performing their duty. They should teach the members how to labour in the church and in the community.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Mission of the Seventh-day Adventists, p. 291

Gift-Oriented Ministry • As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

Gift-Oriented Ministry • And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kind of tongues. 1 Cor. 12:28

Gift-Oriented Ministry • “The greatest cause of our spiritual feebleness as a people is the lack of real faith in spiritual gifts. If they all received this kind of testimony in full faith, they would put from them those things which displease God, and would everywhere stand in union and in strength. And three-fourths of the ministerial labour now expended to help the churches could then be spared to the work of raising up churches in new fields.” Review and Herald, January 14, 1868

Gift-Oriented Ministry • “Let the hand of God work the clay for His own service. He knows just what kind of vessel He wants. To every man He has given his work. God knows what place he is best fitted for. Many are working contrary to the will of God, and they spoil the web.” Lift Him Up, p. 65

Passionate Spirituality • And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Passionate Spirituality • And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scripture to us? Luke 24:32

Passionate Spirituality “But prayer will be no task to the soul that loves God; it will be a pleasure, a source of strength. Our hearts will be stayed on God and we shall say by our daily life, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.’” Review and Herald, May 13, 1884

Functional Structures • But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner. 1 Cor. 14:40 • For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials. Acts 15:28

Functional Structures “As our numbers increased, it was evident that without some form of organisation there would be great confusion, and the work would not be carried forward successfully. To provide for the support of the ministry, for carrying the work in new fields, for protecting both the churches and the ministry from unworthy members, for holding church property, for the publication of the truth through the press, and for many other objects, organisation was indispensable.” Testimonies to Ministers, p. 26

TRADITION • A form of structure that can be destructive! It sometimes is obvious, sometimes less obvious. • OBVIOUS: We do it like this, we always do it like this, we will continue to do it like this, (even dare I say it, we will continue to do the things we don’t even do very well, because that is what we have always done!…..) • LESS OBVIOUS (perhaps even ignorance): We will do what other churches do, because that is the way SdA church should be done! • Etc. etc. etc.

Functional Structures Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 602 “Satan is ever working to have the service of God degenerate into dull form and become powerless to save souls….

While the energy, earnestness and efficiency of the workers become deadened by the efforts to have everything so systematic, the taxing labour that must be done by our ministers to keep this complicated machinery in motion engrosses so much time that the spiritual work is neglected.

And with so many things to run, this work requires so large an amount of means that other branches of the work will wither and die for want of due attention.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 602

Inspiring Worship Service • I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Ps. 122:1

Inspiring Worship Service • Is the worship service an ‘inspiring experience’ for the participants? • Seeker Services, contemporary music etc. are good methods in evangelism They might be inspiring, but they are not the secret of making worship inspiring. A seeker service could be just as boring as a more traditional form of worship.

Inspiring Worship Service • “True worship consists in working together with Christ. Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently tied on; but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits and grow naturally upon a good tree.” Christian Service, p,96

Inspiring Worship Service • “Ardent, active piety should characterise the worshipers … The lifeless attitude of the worshipers in the house of God is one great reason why the ministry is not more productive of good. The melody of song, poured forth from many hearts in clear distinct utterance, is one of God’s instrumentalities in the work of saving souls. All the service should be conducted with solemnity and awe, as if in the visible presence of the Master of assemblies.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 492, 493

Inspiring Worship Service “In the meetings held, let a number be chosen to take part in the song service. And let the singing be accompanied with musical instruments skilfully handled. We are not to oppose the use of instruments of music in our work. This part of the service is to be carefully conducted; for it is the praise of God in song. The singing is not always to be done by a few. As often as possible, let the entire congregation join.” Gospel Workers, pp. 357, 358

Holistic Small Groups • And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart. Acts 2:46

Holistic Small Groups • “The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort has been presented to me by One who cannot err … Let them keep their bond of union unbroken, pressing together in love and unity, encouraging one another to advance, each gaining courage and strength from the assistance of others.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 21

Need-Oriented Evangelism • “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.” 1 Cor. 9:22

Need-Oriented Evangelism • ‘And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them”’ Luke 15:2

Need-Oriented Evangelism • “He reached the hearts of the people by going among them as one who desired their good.” Desire of Ages, p. 151

Need-Oriented Evangelism • “We are not to renounce social communion. We should not seclude ourselves from others. In order to reach all classes, we must meet them where they are.” Desires of Ages, p. 152

Need-Oriented Evangelism • “He met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in their secular affairs.” Desire of Ages, p. 151

Need-Oriented Evangelism • “Let them see that our religion does not make us unsympathetic or exacting.” Desire of Ages, p. 152

Loving Relationships LOVE: the distinguishing mark of Christ’s followers. • By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

Loving Relationships • Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honour. Rom. 12:10 • For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1 John 3:11

Loving Relationships “The strongest argument in favour of the gospel is a loving and loveable Christian.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 100

Loving Relationships “If we would humble ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tender-hearted and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one.” Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 9, p. 189

NATURAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENTThe Eight Quality Characteristics of a Healthy/Growing Church A healthy church! • PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY • FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES • INSPIRING WORSHIP • LOVING RELATIONSHIPS • EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP • HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS • NEED-ORIENTED EVANGELISM • GIFT-ORIENTED MINISTRY

Natural Church Development