Comments on: How do you measure a healthy church? http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/ Collecting my thoughts on what it means to be the church, among other things. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:12:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: James http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-85 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:02:54 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-85 Thanks for mentioning appreciative inquiry. I think that can be a very helpful tool. One of my critiques of this presentation was that in the discussion of churches that were in dire straits and managed to turn it around, it seemed like the vision for going in a new direction came entirely from an outsider - a leader that was new to the community. The people in the congregation were then given a choice, get on board with the new vision, or die. I prefer the appreciative inquiry route, where the memories and positive experiences of the long-term members the community play a big role in determining how the community will be restored. If you are wondering what appreciative inquiry is, there is a summary here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appreciative_inquiry Thanks for mentioning appreciative inquiry. I think that can be a very helpful tool. One of my critiques of this presentation was that in the discussion of churches that were in dire straits and managed to turn it around, it seemed like the vision for going in a new direction came entirely from an outsider - a leader that was new to the community. The people in the congregation were then given a choice, get on board with the new vision, or die. I prefer the appreciative inquiry route, where the memories and positive experiences of the long-term members the community play a big role in determining how the community will be restored.
If you are wondering what appreciative inquiry is, there is a summary here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appreciative_inquiry

]]> by: Tyler Watson http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-84 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:52:35 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-84 That looks like a pretty helpful list. I would take an appreciative inquiry approach with it -- i.e., taking those criteria and saying where are we strong with this and how can we move forward in what we already do well? Then we can begin asking how can we move even more into a healthy missional place? I'd like to hear more about the people growing in Christ criterion. That one seems a bit vague (I know you just gave us the bullet points). I could say that if we added together the other criteria, that would be people growing in Christ, but I don't imagine that is what the presenters meant. That looks like a pretty helpful list. I would take an appreciative inquiry approach with it — i.e., taking those criteria and saying where are we strong with this and how can we move forward in what we already do well? Then we can begin asking how can we move even more into a healthy missional place?

I’d like to hear more about the people growing in Christ criterion. That one seems a bit vague (I know you just gave us the bullet points). I could say that if we added together the other criteria, that would be people growing in Christ, but I don’t imagine that is what the presenters meant.

]]> by: James http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-83 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:05:38 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-83 Rhoda - Yeah, the list is in no particular order. That would be a problem. Rhoda -
Yeah, the list is in no particular order. That would be a problem.

]]> by: James http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-82 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:03:02 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-82 Anna - The two things from this list I think about the most at our church are: people serving with their gifts, and people loving and caring for each other. How can we encouarage all the really gifted and talented people in our church to use their gifts in our neighborhood and our city? How can we encourage our people to spend more time together, to learn how to trust each other and support each other? Do you like the way I answer your questions with more questions? Anna -
The two things from this list I think about the most at our church are: people serving with their gifts, and people loving and caring for each other. How can we encouarage all the really gifted and talented people in our church to use their gifts in our neighborhood and our city? How can we encourage our people to spend more time together, to learn how to trust each other and support each other? Do you like the way I answer your questions with more questions?

]]> by: Rhoda http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-81 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 05:32:26 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-81 That's interesting. I hope the list is not a heirarchy or a progression. As in the things at the top of the list are more important for churches to attend to than things at the bottom. If that's the case it would worry me that social justice is almost the last thing on the list. That’s interesting. I hope the list is not a heirarchy or a progression. As in the things at the top of the list are more important for churches to attend to than things at the bottom. If that’s the case it would worry me that social justice is almost the last thing on the list.

]]> by: Rhoda http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-80 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 05:31:22 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-80 That's interesting. I hope the list is not a heirarchy or a progression. As in the things at the top of the list are more important for churches to attend to than things at the bottom. If that's the case it would worry me that social justice is almost the last thing on the list. That’s interesting. I hope the list is not a heirarchy or a progression. As in the things at the top of the list are more important for churches to attend to than things at the bottom. If that’s the case it would worry me that social justice is almost the last thing on the list.

]]> by: Anna http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-79 Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:04:01 +0000 http://thekingdomnow.blogsome.com/2007/02/08/how-do-you-measure-a-healthy-church/#comment-79 I know you've thought a lot about this, so what are some of the ways in which you can see PCC taking more risks and being more excited about what's happening within and beyond our church(moving toward the healthy missional category)? I know you’ve thought a lot about this, so what are some of the ways in which you can see PCC taking more risks and being more excited about what’s happening within and beyond our church(moving toward the healthy missional category)?

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